High velocity .22LR ammo in pistols

[bladeracer]

I've been curious about this for a while, primarily because pistol shooters will talk about not using "high velocity" ammo, and that we should use "standard velocity" ammo, despite standard velocity not being a fixed standard. Standard can refer to anything from around 1000fps to well over 1200fps.
Virtually all the .22LR ammo I've seen specifies rifle velocities, even pistol-specific ammo, and most "high velocity" ammo I've seen is likely to be subsonic from a pistol barrel - the "hyper-velocity" ammo is very likely to remain sonic from pistols.

With the 5.5" Ruger Mk2 I put 5rds of 1070fps CCI Standard over the chrono and got an average of 925fps ES26 SD9 (145fps slower than spec).
Then 5rds of 1260fps Mini-Mag HP for an average of 1127fps ES64 SD21 (133fps slower). This was just slightly supersonic, it straddles the sound barrier so some crack and some don't (we got 1028fps in a mate's 5" GSG1911 in November which is well subsonic).
Then 5rds of 1640fps CCI Stinger for an average of 1296fps ES69 SD22 (344fps slower).
Then 5rds of 1850fps CCI Copper-22 for an average of 1346fps ES152 SD52 (504fps slower). One round was very low at 1245fps. Excluding that one the mean would be 1372fps and ES38fps.
The Stingers and Coppers were impressively loud for .22LR cartridges, the 21gn Copper has very light recoil despite the velocity.

While I had the chrono out a mate put some of his ammo over it in his 6" Volquartson Scorpion.
The 845fps CCI Quiet Semi-Auto gave an average of 841fps ES36 SD13. I didn't expect this to cycle the pistol, but his Volq has a considerably lighter recoil spring than my Mk2's.
The 1080fps Aguila Target Competition averaged 967fps ES46 SD14.
And the 710fps CCI Quiet RN averaged 696fps ES20 SD7 - but did not cycle the pistol.

[mchughcb]

Where did you get the cci quiet semi auto?

[Darththorn]

The Aguila sniper subsonic has the heaviest bullet I’ve seen for a .22. It would be an interesting test but might not run in every pistol but it should be fine if the pistol runs quiet semi-autos.

The copper stuff flies extremely fast for a .22 but it’s also around 20 grains which is amongst the lightest I’ve seen for .22.

All in all, I’ll use the CCI Standard.

[deye243]

The Aguila sniper subsonic has the heaviest bullet I’ve seen for a .22. It would be an interesting test but might not run in every pistol but it should be fine if the pistol runs quiet semi-autos.

The copper stuff flies extremely fast for a .22 but it’s also around 20 grains which is amongst the lightest I’ve seen for .22.

All in all, I’ll use the CCI Standard.

Yes but from memory requires about a 1:10 to a 1:11 to stabilize because of the projectile length

[bladeracer]

Where did you get the cci quiet semi auto?

Hmmm...InSeason Warragul I think.

[bladeracer]

The Aguila sniper subsonic has the heaviest bullet I’ve seen for a .22. It would be an interesting test but might not run in every pistol but it should be fine if the pistol runs quiet semi-autos.

The copper stuff flies extremely fast for a .22 but it’s also around 20 grains which is amongst the lightest I’ve seen for .22.

All in all, I’ll use the CCI Standard.

Good point, I've been meaning to try it in a pistol. The issue with it is the bullet length is marginal for stability in the standard 16"-twist barrels.

Yes, I don't think I've seen a lighter .22LR bullet than 21gn. The solid copper bullet doesn't deform in any material I've recovered it from.

CCI Standard is best for sure, but none around this area currently.

[bladeracer]

Yes but from memory requires about a 1:10 to a 1:11 to stabilize because of the projectile length

I think they specify 9"-twist, but it shoots well in my Norinco rifles, and I think they are only slightly tighter twist rate than the standard 16"-twist.

[mchughcb]

...

[mchughcb]

Where did you get the cci quiet semi auto?

Hmmm...InSeason Warragul I think.

Interesting. Haven't visited that store yet but ive heard good reports.

[bladeracer]

Where did you get the cci quiet semi auto?

Hmmm...InSeason Warragul I think.

Interesting. Haven't visited that store yet but ive heard good reports.

I like them, and they're open on Sundays.

[alexjones]

Not a pistol but I use cci mini mags and cci stingers in my smith & wesson M & P15-22 semi auto and they work fine.

[Wapiti]

In a model 41 S&W .22 we looked after for some friends applying to keep their grand-dads gun, we ran everything through it, the bulk box HV stuff, down to Aust made Win subs. It had two barrels with it and both, short and target, ran it all without a hitch.

And I must say, everything runs through our 10/22's. 40 and 42 Win subs, HV's, Stingers, Velocitors etc.
Except the CCI Quiet and Segmented quiets, they aren't expected to work at 700fps or whatever they are. And they are really, useless fad things for us.
Those rounds like the Aguila super-heavy things "suppressor" stuff, we aren't interested in, we really need just good performing HPHV and HP sub ammo on the farm.

[alexjones]

Anyone use those 60g Aguila? They very smokey I find. I just love how they are 60g. So heavy for a 22.

[bladeracer]

Anyone use those 60g Aguila? They very smokey I find. I just love how they are 60g. So heavy for a 22.

Tested them just now in the Ruger MkII.
Spec is 950fps on the box.
783 767 764 798 769 Mean of 776 ES34 SD12
Group was roughly eight-inches across at 20m, but I wasn't trying at all so don't read too much into it. But the holes were not circular so they are tumbling. I doubt they'd be any good at all much further than 25m.

[deye243]

This is the ruger i just bought ...... I put a red dot on it

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Off sand bags it shoots great at 25m this with win 555 bulk ammo

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Now as for the trigger it would win a competition for the most atrocious breaks at nine and a half pounds has about three millimeters of creep hence this group did the best I could I have a Volquartsen trigger kit coming can't wait to try it then

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[bladeracer]

I also tried the CCI Quiet Semi-Auto in my Stainless Ruger Mk2 as it has the heaviest bolt spring, and it cycled fine. Made 805fps.

My mate also tested in his 6" Volquartson Scorpion:
SK High Velocity Match averaged 1050fps ES52 SD17
SK Long Range Match averaged 971fps ES10 SD3
Winchester Subsonic Max 42gn averaged 1037fps (I deleted the string before recording the numbers but remembered the average).

[bladeracer]

Very nice, Deye243!

I bought a pair of Mk2's off an old member here (thanks Tubs) last year and finally picked them up on Monday. The blued one appears to be entirely untouched. The stainless one is improved - has extended slide lock and mag release, and has grub screws for trigger reset and over-travel. Trigger on the blue one is 2.5lb, the stainless one is 5lb. My mate's Volq Scorpion is 1.7lb. I've shot a Standard match this morning and a 25m match on Wednesday with the blued one so far and Rose's brother shot a Standard match and a 25m match with the stainless one today. I'm hoping next week I'll find time to shoot both off the bench to see how good they each are. The stainless one also has fibre-optic sights which I'm not sure are allowed in ISSF matches.

[deye243]

I have always liked the ruget pistols they are simple even the old mark one is very simple to take down clean and put back together I still don't understand why people complain about it once you work out how to do it doesn't take any longer than 10 seconds .

[Willie]

Have two Ruger pistols. One a MKIII and one a MKIV. Neither of them really like cci standard ammo but both like Eley standard.

[bladeracer]

I have always liked the ruger pistols they are simple even the old mark one is very simple to take down clean and put back together I still don't understand why people complain about it once you work out how to do it doesn't take any longer than 10 seconds .

I haven't had one apart since the early nineties, not really looking forward to it, but I haven't even looked at the pistols yet. Cowboy shooting today - left home at 0640 got home at 1545. Big day, but fun

[deye243]

Putting it back together is all about the Swinging dick assembly that's the nickname we gave it and once you nut that out you can do it with your eyes shut

[bladeracer]

Putting it back together is all about the Swinging dick assembly that's the nickname we gave it and once you nut that out you can do it with your eyes shut

I watched a video and it does look pretty simple. I have to chronograph some .44-40's and .357's so I'll try to put a few hundred rounds through the Rugers tomorrow as well. the swinging dick is similar to the Luger reassembly.

[fnq22]

*Interesting info and surprising to see just how much less velocity is produced from the high velocity stuff...big reduction through a pistol huh..!
my Black mamba has been out of action for a couple of months waiting for a new part but it finally came and I really missed just how much fun it is shooting that thing...I have some more steel stuff on order such as a dueling tree and have some animal cut-outs to make up a spinning target as well..... I love plinking at steel...particularly if it resets...
I tried the new 29 dollar spinner out this week and the Mamba doest miss at 15 yards..man it shoots well...thats with semi-auto quiets..*I always grab a couple of bricks when stock of it come in but I use cci standard or Blazer for matches..Quiets wont cycle the gun but semi auto quiets at 100 or so FPS faster do the trick nicely..

[bladeracer]

*Interesting info and surprising to see just how much less velocity is produced from the high velocity stuff...big reduction through a pistol huh..!
my Black mamba has been out of action for a couple of months waiting for a new part but it finally came and I really missed just how much fun it is shooting that thing...I have some more steel stuff on order such as a dueling tree and have some animal cut-outs to make up a spinning target as well..... I love plinking at steel...particularly if it resets...
I tried the new 29 dollar spinner out this week and the Mamba doest miss at 15 yards..man it shoots well...thats with semi-auto quiets..*I always grab a couple of bricks when stock of it come in but I use cci standard or Blazer for matches..Quiets wont cycle the gun but semi auto quiets at 100 or so FPS faster do the trick nicely..

I have read that SAAMI requires rimfire velocities to be quoted from rifle barrels, so the manufacturers that want to comply with SAAMI have to post rifle velocities. Don't know if it's true though as a few manufacturers have started quoting pistol velocities - like the CCI Quiet Semi-Auto and Uppercut.

Unfortunately, we can't shoot steel at my principal club, only because we don't currently shoot any disciplines that use steel, but we hope to change that very soon. I shoot plenty of steel at other clubs - I just did 453rds on steel from Friday to Monday, from 3m to 500yd, and got home early enough on Monday night to do an air pistol match as well

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Most of my pistols are zeroed for six-o'clock holds, which makes plinking more difficult. At 10m they're roughly zeroed dead-on, at 25m they generally shoot about 100mm high. My practical pistols are zeroed dead-on at 25m. My Cowboy pistols though aren't zeroed at all. My right one shoots about 500mm high and 100mm right at 25m, my left one is pretty good for elevation but is about 450mm left at 25m For steels in the 3m to 6m realm I can hold low on the targets and get both on, but I need to remember to hold right-edge with the left one

I had another case separation in my first stage, which put the .44-40 rifle out of action. I had loaded over 400rds of black .38 Special to take to Qld last year for the backup Rossi 92 but never used it. When I opened the boxes to check them last week there was a pool of oil on every primer where the lube from the wads seems to have come up through the powder and seeped out around the primers. I test-fired some and they all went bang. I hadn't fired any black in the 92 yet due to the pain of cleaning the complicated action, but I switched to it and it ran beautifully for 150rds with no cleaning. I had one dud .38, which I'll hit again shortly to see if it will go off. I had four dud .44-40's, all in the right pistol. I put the last two into the left pistol and they still didn't fire. I think I'll increase the hammer spring tension a little on both though just to be sure.

[Fester]

I don't think I ever tried HV back in the pistol days as we went for plinking value, as long as the gun cycled and it shoot well on the 25m targets, it was a goer.

CCI std would be my pick, but we used to get this yellow/white boxed PMC or something that was cheap as chips at a couple of bucks a pack.

I tried just about everything in the CZ 452 for different purposes and accuracy without going to stupid prices for .22lr ammo.
I avoided the hyper velocity stuff but don't the current batch of CCI velocitors shoot well.
They are now the go-to for any .22lr big game hunting, and will replace my 22mag banned gun.