Petrol & Powder
Well-Known Member
Anyone familiar with .22 rimfire knows that ammunition selection plays a huge role in the potential accuracy of a .22 rifle or .22 pistol.
There are many ways to improve the accuracy of a .22 rimfire gun but by far, the most productive method is to find the brand and type of ammunition your particular firearm likes. Simply finding the load that your gun shoots best can reduce group sizes by more than half. In terms of improving accuracy, nothing gives you more "bang for your buck". Once you find that load your .22 rimfire likes, buy as much as you can, sometimes even buying as much from the same lot as you can.
As we enter into yet another cycle of pre-election madness and shortages of all things gun related, I think we would do well to remember some old lessons learned.
If you can't acquire your favorite .22 rimfire ammunition, sometimes you can improve what you can find.
There are several tools available to flat point .22 rimfire ammunition. Flat pointing can improve the bullet's performance on small game BUT, there is an added benefit that sometimes accompanies that process. In the process of flat pointing a .22 bullet, the lead bullet may be slightly swaged to a larger diameter. Occasionally this process yields improved accuracy. So, if you cannot find your preferred .22 rimfire target ammunition, you may be able to substitute another brand/type by flat pointing the bullets in a specialty die.
Neal Waltz of Ohio made an outstanding die for this process.
His workmanship is absolutely top notch.
The die includes a flat point tip and a hollow point tip.
There are other options but the die made by Mr. Waltz is the best I've found.
Years ago I found the CCI Small Game Bullet [SGB] was an outstanding cartridge for hunting. This load wasn't always available, so a flat pointing die was a useful tool to convert lead round nose .22 ammo into flat point bullets. The improved accuracy was a bonus. I've never used the hollow point feature (I don't see the sense in it) but that's an available option.
Just tossing this option out there for these difficult times.
There are many ways to improve the accuracy of a .22 rimfire gun but by far, the most productive method is to find the brand and type of ammunition your particular firearm likes. Simply finding the load that your gun shoots best can reduce group sizes by more than half. In terms of improving accuracy, nothing gives you more "bang for your buck". Once you find that load your .22 rimfire likes, buy as much as you can, sometimes even buying as much from the same lot as you can.
As we enter into yet another cycle of pre-election madness and shortages of all things gun related, I think we would do well to remember some old lessons learned.
If you can't acquire your favorite .22 rimfire ammunition, sometimes you can improve what you can find.
There are several tools available to flat point .22 rimfire ammunition. Flat pointing can improve the bullet's performance on small game BUT, there is an added benefit that sometimes accompanies that process. In the process of flat pointing a .22 bullet, the lead bullet may be slightly swaged to a larger diameter. Occasionally this process yields improved accuracy. So, if you cannot find your preferred .22 rimfire target ammunition, you may be able to substitute another brand/type by flat pointing the bullets in a specialty die.
Neal Waltz of Ohio made an outstanding die for this process.
His workmanship is absolutely top notch.
The die includes a flat point tip and a hollow point tip.
There are other options but the die made by Mr. Waltz is the best I've found.
Years ago I found the CCI Small Game Bullet [SGB] was an outstanding cartridge for hunting. This load wasn't always available, so a flat pointing die was a useful tool to convert lead round nose .22 ammo into flat point bullets. The improved accuracy was a bonus. I've never used the hollow point feature (I don't see the sense in it) but that's an available option.
Just tossing this option out there for these difficult times.
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