Why does USA not have a target 22LR ammo that will compete ?

[dgeesaman]

When any product has marginal demand and there are already 2-3 dominant global players in the market, why would anyone try and compete?

Exactly. Just because it ‘can’ be done doesn’t mean the risk vs reward makes any sense. There are many lower risk ways for an ammo industry player to make money other than trying to become a new player in 22LR match ammo.

 

[xswanted]

I don't mean to burst your bubble, but yes, the Rimfire matches have been taking place for a long time. My .22RF Benchrest rifle was built over 25 years ago. I don't see it going away. People are going to compete with everything.

I was on my High School Rifle team 60 years ago. The rifle then could have been as expensive, comparatively speaking, as rifles today. Some cost much more than I could afford at the time.

The cost of a Benchrest .22 LR is very little different than for a centerfire. My stock is identical to my 30BR. the custom action, match barrel and quality scope are pretty much identical in cost.

PRS/NRL 22 matches have grown exponentially the last 6-7 years

The first NRL22 nationals in 2018 I believe, had something like 75 competitors. This year there was 270 and a waiting list. This season through the first four months has 1109 competitors that have shot in at least one match, not including non members. That number will climb to over 1700 by seasons end.

That doesn’t include PRS Rimfire or P.R.O. and most likely some other sanctioning body that I’m missing. Lots of new shooters. Not all of them are new but many are.


Most people shooting this discipline even casually are trying to get at least medium grade match ammo.

There are a few large clubs that purchase 10’s of thousands of rounds of things like Center X and Midas for members to lot test and purchase.

There are a LOT of new shooters in this game and it seems many of them buy a lot of ammo right away.

Multiply that with clubs across the country doing the same thing and you have ammo that’s hard to get.


Not to take anything away from rimfire benchrest or f class but the growth of the improvised positional shooting game adding into the mix of rimfire ammo consumption the three disciplines of shooting could most likely support an American company if they made a high quality match ammo.

 

[Rsadams]

You don’t compete do you

I did yes... That's why I know the value of ELEY and SK ammo...

 

[USMCDOC]

I did yes... That's why I know the value of ELEY and SK ammo...

never have gotten any good out of Eley.. but SK.. yeah.. I've won some club matches with SK..
Some Standard Plus @100 yards

 

[Herzo]

At $0.40 to $0.50 per round for quality RF, I am just as happy to spend a little more to reload center fire and not worry about the 2 or 3 "fliers" in every box.

 

[dgeesaman]

At $0.40 to $0.50 per round for quality RF, I am just as happy to spend a little more to reload center fire and not worry about the 2 or 3 "fliers" in every box.

The right lot of rimfire doesn't have fliers. But getting to those lots is not easy, and maybe at times, it's where the real competition exists. And paying .50 per round will not eliminate fliers if it’s the wrong lot for your gun.

No matter what it's going to cost $.25-35 per round. $.40-.50 if you are desperate and buy from resellers who gouge you.

It’s kind of sad to think how much ammo and how many competitors are shooting random lots of ammo and spending big money for it. When it wasn’t so scarce you could actually buy some sample lots and purchase the lots that tested well so you wouldn’t buy or shoot ammo lots that your gun didn’t like. But now that everyone is desperate to shoot whatever good ammo they can buy it’s a free for all and most of them aren’t even getting their moneys worth.

 

[TRSR8]

At $0.40 to $0.50 per round for quality RF, I am just as happy to spend a little more to reload center fire and not worry about the 2 or 3 "fliers" in every box.

True match ammo……there are no 2-3 fliers per box.

 

[Rsadams]

never have gotten any good out of Eley.. but SK.. yeah.. I've won some club matches with SK..
Some Standard Plus @100 yards

View attachment 1581251

Same here with ELEY I definitely prefer SK match or standered plus... With the benchrest outlaw non precision eley I have a bone stock 10/22 that shot a five shots group at 100 that measured 6/10 on an inch.... That rifle was my dad's who never shot it much , one of the old metal ones.... The trigger feels like it's about 10 pounds..lol.... I have a Ruger precision rimfire I tuned I shoot out to 300 but it isn't as accurate even tuned up....

Seriously Ruger should be ashamed of themselves for putting precision rimfire on it... Because of it I didn't buy the Ruger American gen 2 I wanted in .223 for a practice rifle.... I will be going with tikka again for that.... After buying my first tikka ( 6.5 ) it's hard buy anything else.... Box stock here's thee bullets in one hole , basically it became my new deer rifle instantly.... Just need to save up some money because I would like their varmint model with a heavier barrel.... That's some great shooting yours did at 100... Rimfire makes me pull my hair out sometimes...lol

 

[USMCDOC]

Same here with ELEY I definitely prefer SK match or standered plus... With the benchrest outlaw non precision eley I have a bone stock 10/22 that shot a five shots group at 100 that measured 6/10 on an inch.... That rifle was my dad's who never shot it much , one of the old metal ones.... The trigger feels like it's about 10 pounds..lol.... I have a Ruger precision rimfire I tuned I shoot out to 300 but it isn't as accurate even tuned up....

Seriously Ruger should be ashamed of themselves for putting precision rimfire on it... Because of it I didn't buy the Ruger American gen 2 I wanted in .223 for a practice rifle.... I will be going with tikka again for that.... After buying my first tikka ( 6.5 ) it's hard buy anything else.... Box stock here's thee bullets in one hole , basically it became my new deer rifle instantly.... Just need to save up some money because I would like their varmint model with a heavier barrel.... That's some great shooting yours did at 100... Rimfire makes me pull my hair out sometimes...lol

Yeah, I find a lot of joy in doing smallbore

 

[Pareto]

There is also a big difference between continuing to earn modest profits with a firm founded long ago and making new investment in producing match ammo from scratch. Especially given a hyper competitive capital market like the US, where there are bigger possibilities in the investment space.

Expanding 9mm or 556 production alone probably give more and less risky returns than match rimfire. Sad as that thought is for us.

 

[Multiracer]

Study up there sport, there is no short supply. The highest quality match ammo supply is as big as it always been.
ELEY has suffered issues resulting in far less demand, pushing everybody to Lapua. Add to that major increases in interest from, F class, NRL, PRS guys that finally figured out there’s zero alternative to true match ammo and……here we are.
That said, even Lapua can be found with some effort

You fuds crack me up with this pontification stuff.

 

[NZ_Fclass]

The market is there - Eley did OK in the UK for years. They should have set up in the US or Canada back in the 70's /80s and taken all their knowledge and experience to a bigger market, instead of relying on exporting from the UK, with it's high labour costs and restrictive laws.

 

[misser]

Monday i was sharing the range with a guy shooting $6000 rimfire . the Eley was not getting it done.

 

[JimSC]

I think rimfire competitions have always been more popular in Europe than in N America, Germany produces the best competition air rifles for the same reason.

 

[Dgd6mm]

Monday i was sharing the range with a guy shooting $6000 rimfire . the Eley was not getting it done.

Eley wasn't getting it done for me yesterday....but I think it was more me than the ammo. I'm fairly new at ARA rimfire. I'll still shoot it because I can get it, plus I'm hoping to improve my skills also.
However, I sure do wish we had a USA company making quality rimfire ammo.

 

[Jerry Halcomb]

Add to that the fact that they tried and couldn't match, let alone beat, what established European manufacturers were making. That is what is required to get and keep a market share. I remember, forty years ago, the attempts made by Federal and CCI to try and match what the Russians were shooting.
As it is, US makers can match mid-grade target ammunition from S-K, Eley, RWS, or Lapua, but they don't seem to be able to match the premium stuff. WH

Federal did match the russian not 40 yrs ago but getting close! In the 1990’s Federal 1000b was used by many in Benchrest shooting especially IR50 Sporters. It had the center indented case forcing the primer material to the outside the case mimicking the Russian Olymp ammo. The Russian was good stuff and Federal was wise to copy it. The 1000b was a tad slower speed than the 1000a.
At our local IR matches there was lots of both a and b used and was favored over the Eley product of the time.
Jerry Halcomb

 

[dgeesaman]

Ok for all of you guys I'm buying some powerball tickets and if I win I'll put a measly 100M toward starting a match ammo company.

**there is a slim chance this won't work. It probably will but it would be wise to acknowledge the risk that just maybe, it won't.

 

[TRSR8]

Venture capitalists are constantly looking for opportunities. If it could be done it would. The current political, environmental, and economic situation here in the US is saying it can't be done.

Got little to do with those John. The plain truth is the market is small on a relative basis.
When ELEY ruled the roost their global sales were well below $100 million.
If you’re a venture outfit…..that’s a rounding error.

 

[TRSR8]

You fuds crack me up with this pontification stuff.

Like I said….study up, that info comes directly from large vendors and factory sponsored shooters here and EU.
One of the biggest suppliers to the RFBR community says he now sells the majority of his inventory to guys he never heard of 18-24 months ago.

 

[SteveUrban]

The original GMM with the dimpled head was made by Federal. It was discontinued by the bean counters to be able to make blaster ammo. It is a shame that no one makes Olympic quality ammo in this country.