Hollow Point Ammo Expectations

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Hollow Point Ammo Expectations

Post by Kurnal » 24 Feb 2022, 1:32 pm

Got a CZ455 recently and been testing ammo.

With SK Match and SK Standard at 50m I am getting good 5 shot groups, 0.5cm to 1.5cm (5 shots touching in some cases) so it seems my shooting is OK.

I've now tries 5-6 different hollow points, and they are all terrible. Best 3-4cm, worst up to 6-7cm.

What should I be expecting to get as a reasonable result in a hunting ammo. Is this just what it is, or need to keep searching for one the rifle likes ?

Thanks all
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Re: Hollow Point Ammo Expectations

Post by bladeracer » 24 Feb 2022, 1:43 pm

Kurnal wrote:Got a CZ455 recently and been testing ammo.

With SK Match and SK Standard at 50m I am getting good 5 shot groups, 0.5cm to 1.5cm (5 shots touching in some cases) so it seems my shooting is OK.

I've now tries 5-6 different hollow points, and they are all terrible. Best 3-4cm, worst up to 6-7cm.

What should I be expecting to get as a reasonable result in a hunting ammo. Is this just what it is, or need to keep searching for one the rifle likes ?

Thanks all


I don't bother, I use whatever shoots as close as possible to where I'm aiming and use that for everything. CCI Std Velocity drops foxes just fine, you don't need hollow-points.
Far more game has been harvested with the cheapest RN ammo on the shelf for over a century than has been taken with modern high-tech bullets.

As for accuracy, test all the types you can find. Most will be consistently capable of around 29mm at 50m (2MoA), some will be capable of 22mm at 50m (1.5MoA), a handful will be capable of 14.5mm at 50m (1MoA). Then test them at 100m to see if they maintain their accuracy. And test them under field conditions as well, not off a bench. Put some two-inch (rabbit head size) gongs up at random distances from 25m to 75m and practice hitting them all.

If you want to hit things harder try CCI Velocitor, it has a good reputation for accuracy. And I've had some decent results from Federal F510.

Your biggest issue currently will be finding much ammo at all, you might just have to go with whatever is available.
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Re: Hollow Point Ammo Expectations

Post by Bugman » 24 Feb 2022, 1:52 pm

Agreed. You need to test various ammo types and as BR said, stick with the one that shows consistency for what you require in either hunting, plinking or target.
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Re: Hollow Point Ammo Expectations

Post by rc42 » 24 Feb 2022, 2:18 pm

Hollow point in 22LR is marketing hype with little or no actual benefit, at typical hunting distance the projectiles just don't have the energy to expand and don't affect your ability to take down small game.

Accuracy and tight groups are by far the most important for .22 whether hunting or target shooting.

The hollow points are worth trying though, in some rifles they can be very accurate and low cost rounds.
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Re: Hollow Point Ammo Expectations

Post by animalpest » 24 Feb 2022, 2:37 pm

Actually, hollow points can work quite well.
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Re: Hollow Point Ammo Expectations

Post by bladeracer » 24 Feb 2022, 3:33 pm

animalpest wrote:Actually, hollow points can work quite well.


Did you shoot it with a round nose as well to compare the two though?
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Re: Hollow Point Ammo Expectations

Post by animalpest » 24 Feb 2022, 5:22 pm

Yeah, shot plenty with round nose too. Some hollows work as expected, others dont. But the better ones are more consistent than round nose at mushrooming.
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Re: Hollow Point Ammo Expectations

Post by Kurnal » 25 Feb 2022, 7:20 am

Thanks all. There really is a massive difference in the ammo this rifle likes. Much bigger variance than my .223 and .308. I'll test a few more but it seems like for the hunting and cheaper stuff, 3cm groups at 50m is to be expected and probably OK anyway. I just like seeing tight groups at the range :)
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Re: Hollow Point Ammo Expectations

Post by bladeracer » 25 Feb 2022, 1:32 pm

Kurnal wrote:Thanks all. There really is a massive difference in the ammo this rifle likes. Much bigger variance than my .223 and .308. I'll test a few more but it seems like for the hunting and cheaper stuff, 3cm groups at 50m is to be expected and probably OK anyway. I just like seeing tight groups at the range :)


Grab yourself a Lee Enfield .303 if you want to knock yourself out of the habit of needing tight groups :-)
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Re: Hollow Point Ammo Expectations

Post by MtnMan » 25 Feb 2022, 3:42 pm

I made a 'waltz die' to form round noses into HP's. Works awesome and I can turn the Round nose ammo that shoots great in my gun into HP's for hunting.
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Re: Hollow Point Ammo Expectations

Post by bladeracer » 25 Feb 2022, 3:54 pm

MtnMan wrote:I made a 'waltz die' to form round noses into HP's. Works awesome and I can turn the Round nose ammo that shoots great in my gun into HP's for hunting.


Why though? Do the round-nose not work for you?
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Re: Hollow Point Ammo Expectations

Post by MtnMan » 25 Feb 2022, 3:57 pm

HP's are better for hunting IMO.
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Re: Hollow Point Ammo Expectations

Post by bladeracer » 25 Feb 2022, 4:07 pm

MtnMan wrote:HP's are better for hunting IMO.


I used to think so when I was a kid, but have since worked out that it makes no difference at all.
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Re: Hollow Point Ammo Expectations

Post by bigpete » 25 Feb 2022, 4:44 pm

MtnMan wrote:HP's are better for hunting IMO.


Agreed.
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Re: Hollow Point Ammo Expectations

Post by Cooper » 25 Feb 2022, 5:51 pm

I have a cz455 with a sporter barrel and it likes the old Winchester power points ( black box - Australian made) haven’t tread the newer USA made powerpoints. But I get acceptable accuracy for hunting out of the Winchester bulk 555 stuff.

Probably the best High velocity ammo for accuracy I’ve tried was the Eley high velocity HP in the brown box. Probably hard to find at the moment. RWS HIGH VELOCITY HP was also pretty good.

With the CZ455 you also have the option of changing the barrel if you cannot find a ammo the factory barrel prefers
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Re: Hollow Point Ammo Expectations

Post by Kurnal » 26 Feb 2022, 11:12 am

After reading all this, the SK stuff groups under half an inch at 50m. Good point that the rabbits won't know its not a hollow point :). Bit more expensive but I don't use that much, so will just stick to that.
CZ 455 .22LR Vixen 4-16 x 44
Ligthgow LA102 .223 Optika5 3-15 x 44
Tikka T3x Lite Stainless .308 Leupold Vx3i 4.5-14 x 40
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Re: Hollow Point Ammo Expectations

Post by Mattraff » 27 Feb 2022, 3:34 pm

After recently acquiring a new 455 and also replacing my 457 barrel with an ibi stainless/carbon unit I have been testing a heap of different rounds in all the different velocities and projectile designs.
Winchester is the worst for accuracy and reliability in all my rifles.
CCI Subsonic HP's are the best value being reliable and consistently accurate in all my rifles.
Eley are the most accurate in all my CZ's and my favourite round for hunting in their subsonic hollow point, the projectiles are soft with deep cavities that realy open up. I have used some of their high velocity hollow points but don't have the need for them. My son shot a rabbit at just over 50m hitting it in the neck and the Eley HV HP did a heap of damage bruising the whole back. They are the most destructive 22lr round I have seen. I have used Eley standard target ammo for rabbits and it works well enough but the hollow point subs are better for hunting.
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Re: Hollow Point Ammo Expectations

Post by bladeracer » 27 Feb 2022, 4:19 pm

Mattraff wrote:After recently acquiring a new 455 and also replacing my 457 barrel with an ibi stainless/carbon unit I have been testing a heap of different rounds in all the different velocities and projectile designs.
Winchester is the worst for accuracy and reliability in all my rifles.
CCI Subsonic HP's are the best value being reliable and consistently accurate in all my rifles.
Eley are the most accurate in all my CZ's and my favourite round for hunting in their subsonic hollow point, the projectiles are soft with deep cavities that realy open up. I have used some of their high velocity hollow points but don't have the need for them. My son shot a rabbit at just over 50m hitting it in the neck and the Eley HV HP did a heap of damage bruising the whole back. They are the most destructive 22lr round I have seen. I have used Eley standard target ammo for rabbits and it works well enough but the hollow point subs are better for hunting.


When I was a kid I was stunned by the Remington Yellow Jacket on rabbits, very destructive in chest shots and reasonably accurate. I considered them better than the CCI Stingers. Now I just take head shots with more accurate ammo.

There were only a few hyper-velocity rounds on the market then, the Yellow Jacket, the Stinger and the Winchester Lazer and Expeditor(silver box?).
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