.22LR Ammo

[daugen]

three trips to find .22LR ammo locally came up dry this past year. It would be great if supplies improved. Even Tractor Supply has now started stocking ammo.
I'm told there seems to be more availability after the election.

I have one box of CCI Stingers I keep if I need to dispatch a small animal. Otherwise i would like to set up some targets I have and do some plinking. No need for high power or
hollow point I believe. Marlin Model 25

I'm not a hunter and know very little about ammo in general. Would greatly appreciate some feedback on the following questions:
1. Should I be buying lead free rounds now? My understanding is there is a trend towards this. If they took lead out of clay pigeons, what about bullets?
2. What online retailers have you found to be reliable?
3. some of this ammo comes from far away, the Phillipines, etc. Any countries I should absolutely stay away from?
4. What about low power rounds? Do they quiet down the noise without giving up accuracy?

Lot of choices. I would like reasonable accuracy for target practice within several hundred yards.
.22LR Ammo | .22 Rifle Ammo | .22 LR Ammunition

 

[JRobyn]

IMHO, lead-free 22LR would be a "specialty" round and very expensive. None for me, thanks. I do prefer copper plated bullets because I perceive that I get less bore fouling (I may be totally wrong about that).

I prefer Midway and Cabelas, mostly because they both have a wide selection and good customer service.

I really prefer to stick with trusted US manufacturers; Remington, Federal, Winchester, CCI.

I keep at least one or two boxes of sub-sonic rounds around for dispatching nuisance/vermin. Much quieter, but still plenty adequate for the job. Currently have Aquila (violating my own rule).

My personal range limit with 22LR is <100yds, and I would really not expect to make a clean kill shot at anything over 50.

 

[k0ua]

I pretty much echo the above. I have not see any lead free .22. there are lead free in other calibers. I keep a few bricks of Aquila noiseless rounds on hand. Out of a rifle the are very quite. I wouldn't expect them to perform at much distance.

 

[daugen]

thanks guys. The lead free rounds I saw in the master list seemed to be made of copper and plastic.
Just wondering if this was the result of an ecological push for reducing lead eaten by browsing animals.
Do animals really eat spent bullets????

ok, educate a non hunter please. I thought of using low power to reduce my noise impact on neighbors.
What is the benefit in hunting? Doesn't even a low power round spook the game?
Does this have anything to do with not carrying as far and thus safer in country/suburban settings?

I have twelve acres of thick woods behind my barn. Lot of big cypress trees back in there, would find it hard to believe a slug could make it through almost half a mile of dense woods. But my thought was, if I didn't need the power, why use it? I'll have a backstop for the targets btw, and very safety oriented.

Wouldn't it be nice if I could do down to the local gun store and ask for a 500 brick of 22LR, made in USA, and have a choice in stock. Like the good old days....

 

[k0ua]

thanks guys. The lead free rounds I saw in the master list seemed to be made of copper and plastic.
Just wondering if this was the result of an ecological push for reducing lead eaten by browsing animals.
Do animals really eat spent bullets???? Uh, no, not usually. Although there is some evidence (pretty weak evidence) that vultures can inadvertently eat a bullet from a carcass.

ok, educate a non hunter please. I thought of using low power to reduce my noise impact on neighbors.
What is the benefit in hunting? None really as I would not hunt anything other than vermin with my low power low noise rounds. Doesn't even a low power round spook the game? Well I suppose, but the one you are shooting at still can't outrun bullets very well, even slower ones.
Does this have anything to do with not carrying as far and thus safer in country/suburban settings? That is one consideration, as they are low power/low energy. But I would not want to hunt real game animals with them as the chances for a clean kill are not as good.

I have twelve acres of thick woods behind my barn. Lot of big cypress trees back in there, would find it hard to believe a slug could make it through almost half a mile of dense woods. But my thought was, if I didn't need the power, why use it? I'll have a backstop for the targets btw, and very safety oriented.

Wouldn't it be nice if I could do down to the local gun store and ask for a 500 brick of 22LR, made in USA, and have a choice in stock. Like the good old days....

Maybe someday soon, I sure hope so. When things settle down and people quit hoarding .22 rounds like there is no tomorrow..



See my responses in red above. Also keep in mind these low power/low noise rounds won't function in some firearms, especially semi auto firearms as they don't have enough energy to work the action. They work fine in most bolt, pump, and lever action firearms or a revolver for a handgun.

 

[bcp]

It starts in California:

From:
Nonlead Ammunition in California

In October 2013, Assembly Bill 711 was signed into law requiring the use of nonlead ammunition when taking any wildlife with a firearm in California.

Bruce

 

[atsah]

I keep my eye on Midway and buy from them.. I bought CCI 22lr and 22mag last month, enough to keep me busy for a long time..

 

[Gunny]

WINCHESTER LEAD FREE RIMFIRE AMMO / 5 : Cabela's

Not cheap and usually hard to find. You might do an Ammoseek search using X22LRHLF or X22LRLF and see if you can find it there.

 

[k0ua]

WINCHESTER LEAD FREE RIMFIRE AMMO / 5 : Cabela's

Not cheap and usually hard to find. You might do an Ammoseek search using X22LRHLF or X22LRLF and see if you can find it there.

I stand corrected, I guess there really is non lead .22LR ammo. Wow! $10 a box of 50 and they don't have any in stock..Yeah I am going to buy a lot of that stuff for sure for sure. I believe I will go load some 9mm FMJ's for about 1/2 that price.

 

[mjarrels]

I was looking for a box of shotgun shells the other and low and behold found brick of 22LR (Remington thunderbolt) in the botton of my gun cabinat. Dicks was advertising 20% discount on 22LR a week ago.

mark