Testing 22 LR Ammo
- Thread starter BigRon
- Start date
50yds
CJ6
Silver $$ Contributor
Test at the ranges you plan on shooting. The ammo for one yardage may not work at another. Clean between ammo brands and shoot fowlers until groups stabilize, then shoot your groups.
Outrider27
Gold $$ Contributor
And you will get some surprises once in awhile. I shoot at 50 yards to find the ammo(s) the firearm likes best, then verify at 100 yards. The reason for this is that, based on lots of testing, just because a particular ammo shoots well at 50 yards does not mean it will shoot well at 100 yards. 50 yard performance is a good indicator, but not a guarantee of 100 yard performance - most that have shot well at 50 do well at 100 yards, but exceptions crop up enough to make 100 yard final testing a necessity.
I shoot at 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 yards in every silhouette match, off hand, no sling or shooting jacket and no additional support. I sight zero'd at 85 yards and adjust my point of aim throughout each set. I go through a lot of ammo practicing. I can tell after five shots whether or not the ammo is compatible with my gun.
Not having the benefit of an indoor 100yd range - not many shooters do, I'd guess - I have to wait for decent conditions before getting serious about testing at that distance. Still, I won't buy ammo in quantity until I've satisfied myself that it'll group well at 100. Even then, I can't say with conviction that the best 100yd lots will always shoot better at 200 than other lots. The bummer is that I don't always have time to shoot when conditions are favorable, nor unlimited funds to keep buying test lots, so I have to settle for what I can find that shoots reasonably well at 100.
Hoser
Gold $$ Contributor
I proved that exact thing to a friend this weekend indoors. An old lot of Eley Biathlon Club is an absolute hammer (10 shots 0.3 inches) at 50 yards. Take it out to 100 yards and it sucks, managing 10 shots into about 2.0 inches. Mostly vertical spread, and the chronograph confirmed that. ES of almost 30 fps.
Current Tenex Biathlon hammers at 50 and 100. It is my go to ammo along with an older lot of Match.
One day I will run down to Mesa and lot test it at the Lapua tunnel. I wish the Olympic Training Center here in the Springs went out to 100...
You don,t really need a chronograph, but it will tell you how consistent the velocity is. You do need wind flags and a steady shooting position. I also do a torque test with the bedding screws to eliminate as much vertical stringing as possible.
I too have seen 22Lr. ammo shoot great at 50 yards and totally fall apart at 100 yards. If it was me I would do all testing at 100 yards and try to do the testing early in the morning, or evening when the wind is usually the lowest, and use as many wind indicators as possible.
I too have seen 22Lr. ammo shoot great at 50 yards and totally fall apart at 100 yards. If it was me I would do all testing at 100 yards and try to do the testing early in the morning, or evening when the wind is usually the lowest, and use as many wind indicators as possible.
kapt
Silver $$ Contributor
I have been shooting IR5050 and ARA with numerous custom rifles for years and I can tell for a FACT just because it shoots at 50 does NOT mean it will shoot at 100...
A lot depends on the velocity of the bullet. A high velocity 40 grain bullet transitions from super sonic to subsonic on the way out to 100 yards. That is why it is not unusual for high velocity bullets to lose the ability to hold a group beyond 50 to 75 yards. If you are starting with subsonic ammo then testing is best done at 100 yards.
Or belly shooters.
Yup, I was "the friend ". I had heard of ammo shooting well at 50 but not at 100, but I had never seen a clear and concrete example of it. It was pretty remarkable to see in person.
Testing at 100 yards will identify deficiencies in SD in specific lots due to priming or charge weight variation. Shoot a few lots at 100 yards over a chronograph and see how vertical fliers and SD numbers correlate.
I have never seen identifiable 'transonic' issues with 22lr ammo- the speeds and design of the bullet just don't induce the same effect as there is in fullbore. My suspicion is that the manufacturing process will introduce far more dynamic balance variables that will affect precision before a subsonic transition will. Remember that boat tail angle has a direct influence on how well or poorly a given design transitions through Mach, and little rimfire slugs do not share this design.
I have never seen identifiable 'transonic' issues with 22lr ammo- the speeds and design of the bullet just don't induce the same effect as there is in fullbore. My suspicion is that the manufacturing process will introduce far more dynamic balance variables that will affect precision before a subsonic transition will. Remember that boat tail angle has a direct influence on how well or poorly a given design transitions through Mach, and little rimfire slugs do not share this design.
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