I have found that when comes to consistent accuracy, not all .22 ammo is created equal. And with the squirrel season opener happening this weekend, there's not a better time to tout which ones are best.

I've read comments from those who claim the large, brick box ammo from Remington and others are good performers, and they seem to do fairly well in my rifles. But I have found one of the best performers to be the CCI Velocitor.

I don't even worry about brand or accuracy that much any more. If I find a bulk pack worth the money, I'm buying it. I have grandkids with itchy trigger fingers.

Eley Tenex and Lapua Midas + are among the MOST accurate (used by Olympians ) when matched in appropriate rifle, but at .50 a round a bit pricy for everyday hunting .... CCI Standard Velocity & SK Standard + are more reasonable and give match-like accuracy - excellent for headshots on squaks . . .

Eley ammo is awesome. I used to shoot them in my Ruger Competition target model pistol fitted with a Leupold scope. A ragged hole at 20 yards. I used to line up .22 cases on a board at 10 yards and have fun plinking them. I remembered downing a 300 pound hog at 75 yards with a shot in the ear with a 4 inch or so hold over. I had forgotten my ranch rifle when I went out to the deer lease. Just caught me by surprise.

Add Wolf Match Target and Match Extra to the list. I think they are the same ammo as the SK stuff (which is EXCELLENT) except in a different package.

Do these high performance, target rounds carry enough punch to do the job on a bushy tail that's near the top of an old pine?

I don't hunt squirrels, Dan, but I really can't imagine that they can't do the job!

What? You have a squirrel season?

Edit- I did not know East Texas has an actual squirrel season!! Why would 51 counties in East Texas have a season, and 157 counties have open season year round?

The match ammo has plenty of punch for any squirrel, my Dad's favorite squirrel round was Winchester 22 short HP. I have come to appreciate that load a lot as well as the other standard and high velocity 22 shorts.

CCI Standard velocity has always been my squirrel go to.
Also Aguilla standard and high velocity shoot dimes at 50 from my 10/22 deluxe and Ruger American.

Anyway for the most part, I have found standard velocity to be significantly more accurate than high velocity for me.

That is the case with most rimfire rifles.

I came to the conclusion long ago that if a standard velocity .22LR wasn't enough to kill cleanly whatever I was hunting I took the WMR instead.

Good stuff!

I have found subsonic to be even moreso.

When the seals on my 22 cal Benjamin pellet rifle went out as a kid I bought a box of these from Cabelas and started shooting them through my ruger 10/22 in the back yard for squirrels etc. About 2 weeks ago I shot a skunk with one at about 30 yards, had to aim hi over his back, luck shot hit him behind the shoulder, heard the whop, skunk hunkered up went a few feet and laid down. Waited a few minutes and checked on him, stone dead! I would have assumed they went faster than 420 fps, but guess not. They are also quieter than my old pellet rifles.

Lots of the big online stores, Midway, Natchez, Mid South are loaded with match ammo. I shot Eley Black Box and the Tenex in the red box in my .22 benchrest gun. Mostly shoot SK Match




Sako Quad

A lot of good info here. I agree, your standard velocity and subsonic ammo will tend to be much more consistent than the high velocity offerings. I've had good luck with CCI SV in my .22's, and it seems to be a little cleaner as well. I can't bring myself to pay 30-50 cents a round for .22 ammo, but I also don't shoot competition. SK, Wolf and Eley seem to be at the top of the heap if your willing to spend the money. As far as the most accurate, only your rifle can tell you that. Most .22's seem to be finicky about what they like in regards to supreme accuracy. Trial and error testing different ammo is the only sure way to answer your question. And if you find one it likes, try to buy as much as you can of that lot, as lot to lot variations in rimfire ammo can swing wildly.

Earlier this spring I did some testing of a few of my favorite accuracy rounds. Done at 50 yards, from a bench, under excellent weather conditions, 5 shot groups. My "go to" cartridge of choice for hunting is the CCI Small Game Bullet, or SBG. For reasons I don't quite understand, it works well in every 22LR I've ever owned. I recommend that you try a box of them when you get a chance.

Nice! I'll pick some up to try.

A couple of folks PM'd me to ask what I was shooting these groups with. It's an old Martini MKII that I refurbished, with an old Unertl that I refinished/refurbished to go on top. Fun gun to shoot, but it's a bench rig only. No carrying this baby around in the hunting fields!

Mike, I don't often salivate over a shooting iron of any kind. But, that one does it.

Thanks, Dave; that's a very nice compliment!

If we are talking hunting ammo I would say Eley Subsonic HP's are hard to beat. RWS subs a close second.

Because in east Texas if the season was year round they would be out of squirrels in about half a year. Some people don't know when to quit. "If it's brown it's down". I know there are some conservationist over there but you guys know exactly what I'm talking about.

The most accurate .22 ammo is whatever your gun likes.

CCI standard velocity are very accurate.