Ran some .22's

[Distant Thunder]

Kurt,

I know what you are saying about the HV ammo but somewhere back in my brain there is always that thought that faster is better.

The only one of the HV ammo I have tested that really held good accuracy beyond 50 yards is the CCI Mini-Mag. I have used that a bunch in my hunting weight bolt gun and made some pretty impressive shots over the years out to about 150 yards.

In my .22 BPCR it shot fairly well at 220 yards but has a bit more vertical than you'd want on rams. So the standard velocity is probably the best and is said to be less affected by the wind. That has got to be because starting out above the speed of sound, transitioning thru the speed of sound and then going into the subsonic realm is a bad thing as we all know, even though we do it all the time with the big bores.

Since I see very little difference in .22 RF bullet designs I guess the only real advantage against the wind has to come from the speed. I would think there would be room for a least some design improvement in .22 RF bullets so it is disappointing not to see it used in any ammo, at least that I have seen.

If a shooter wants to explore that himself, have at it, but it would go against one of the benefits I see in shooting RF. I don't need nor want a shooting sport that requires casting and loading. If there is an advantage to be gained in .22 RF bullet design I sure hope someone tells us about it. Enter another variable! Better to keep things simple.

This idea of bench resting groups at 50 yards is something new for me and while it is fun to sit there and put one bullet after the other thru the same ragged hole I don't see that it has much value other than for "show & tell". I consider it to be about the same as shooting groups at 100 yards with my big bore BPCRs, next to useless. So when I have time to do some more .22 RF ammo testing it will be at 100 and 220 yards. Then I should be able to sort the good from the bad. Even that will require more than one group with any given ammo and 10-shot groups.

Probably the main reason I put this rifle together is for offhand practice (brother, do I need it) and hopefully a few .22 matches and eventually a .22 BPCR silhouette match somewhere. It sure has been a fun project, offering a level challenge that I need from time to time and being very rewarding with the outcome so far.

I have tried the liners and they can shoot very well, but I find then to be a PITA to load and eject. I have one of the new Winchester low walls and it's ok but not heavy enough to transfer to big bore silhouette offhand shooting and not nearly as accurate rested as this new rifle. I'm looking forward to the match next week and more shooting and testing with this rifle.

Merry Christmas to you all!