Snake45

CCI MiniMags have always worked well for me, but they're now approaching $6/100, even at Walmart--about 3X the cost of the other ammos discussed here.

The last couple boxes of Fed Bulk (which I now refer to as "Fed Red") have been better than the batch I was running when I wrote the above. The dud rate seems to be back down to what it was when it was in the gold boxes. It's been giving near-flawless performance in my .22 P.38, a gun that was once quite picky about what it would eat.

TooTall

Snake45 et al - I just got the Cabela's Great Outdoor Days circular in the mail and I noticed that they have FEDERAL Champion 22LR in the blue Bulk Pack of 525 rounds for $9.99.

I have been buying the FEDERAL 550 rounds Value Pack in the red box at Walmart for $9.88.

Walmart is 5 minutes away and Cabela's is a good 30 minute drive. I have had no problems when using the Value Pac for plinking. Is there any real advantage to be gained by going for the Champion?

Snake45

First, ask for Fed 510 Champs at your Walmart. Mine has them under the counter at $1.07 a box ($10.70/500).

The 510 Champs shoot particularly well in several of my bolt action rifles, and that's all I feed them. In semiautos, they're either middle of the pack in accuracy, or they don't work at all. I never noticed any particular advantage to using them in any kind of handgun.

Next time you're at Wally's, ask for them. It's worth trying a box or two in YOUR guns to see if it's worth driving to Cabella's to stock up.

TooTall

Thanks, I will. I guess I should have mentioned that I'm shooting the Beretta92FS/Ceiner conversion we had talked about earlier even though I do have a Marlin Model 60 (doesn't everyone?) that I haven't fired for several years.

Charlie Petty

Today I did a control test with a new batch of Remington GBs.

I shot 50 rounds through each of 4 guns and had a total of 4 misfires. I'd say that was a lot better than the 10-15% rate from the last batch.

Snake do you know enough about Rem. lot numbers to guess the vintage?

Snake45

No. All I know about lot numbers is that I had two bad lots (very inconsistent powder charges) with "1234" in them, so I quit buying those lot numbers.

4 duds in 200 is high average in my experience. I had some lots in 2007 that went that high. The ones I bought this year averaged less than 1% duds. I had lots of Fed Bulk that were much worse last year and this.

Charlie Petty

The shortage may be easing up. Dick's had a buy one get one half off deal yesterday on all ammo. They had both Remington and Winchester in good quantity with a limit of 6 boxes. And I didn't even have to get up at 05:00.

The Wal Mart I frequent still had none as of last week.

Wonder if Dick's is willing to pay more

Snake45

Still no bulk .22 at my Wally's this morning. They haven't had any for about 3 months now.

I think I have just enough on hand to get me through next year's shooting schedule, and if the famine doesn't ease up by then, I'm gonna have to cut back so as not to dip into my SHTF stash.

bestseller92

Our Wal Mart has had bulk pack .22s (the 550 round Rems and Feds and the 333 round Wins) in stock pretty regularly for a while now. They had lost of the Remingtons today, 550 rounds for $16.97.

Charlie Petty

Snake, what's your experience with Blazer 22?

I've seen it in pretty good quanitiy at decent prices and have had exceptional good luck with it in terms of function.

Snake45

Haven't seen any of it around here, so have never shot any.

Have read lots of good things about it at both Rimfirecentral and the Ruger forum. If I ever run across any at a good price, I'll give it a try.

DaninDayton

Charley,

I've had good luck with the Blazer in all my rimfires. At 10 meters, it is the goto ammo for my 10/22's. My Marlin Cowboy will hold an inch at 50yds with iron sights and 60yr old eyes. In the scoped 10/22's clay pigeons at a 100 yds are in dire straits.

In short, I buy all I can find and around here it's pretty common and at a good price.

Danindayton

Snake45

That won't impress the Benchrest Commandos but I can tell you that in the Real World, that is fine, fine shooting. Good gun, good ammo, good shooter. Give yourself a cookie!

DaninDayton

Thanks, Snake,

I'll have chocolate chip, thank you.

Danindayton

Charlie Petty

It's been awhile since this was discussed so do you have any new info?

FWIW... I have found that the CCI Blazer seems to be most consistently reliable in pretty much everything. Both the Federal and Winchester bulk packs not so much.

Snake45

Nothing new to report. Haven't been shooting much lately, and NO accuracy testing at all.

Charlie Petty

you better get busy...

Skeptic49

I bought a 550 rd box of Remington. I was underwhelmed. Lots of fails to feed with damage to the rounds in pistols, Walther P22 and Ruger T514 MK II, 5.5" bull barrel Stainless. The SP-101 4" .22 fired them all, but the POI was inconsistent even with my low standards.

CCI mini-mags are not cheap, but they are good.

Geoff
Who will give the Winchesters a try next time he sees a 333 pack.

Charlie Petty

The Blazer 22 is roughly the same price as the other bulk pack and IMX every bit as good as the mini-mag

Al Thompson

Interestingly enough, I just had the first duds I've ever seen in some Mini-Mags. No big deal, unless it repeats.

I do find that my S&W M&P15-22 averages about 2 (+) inches with Blazer, about 1.5 with Mini-Mags. Sight is a primary arms RDS, 2 (~)) MOA.

One of these days I'll scope it and see what it can do from the bench.