Winchester .22 ammo experience

[GunnyGene]

I bought a 100rd box of this last week and finally got around to trying it out in my Sig 1911-22. Before anybody asks I don't limp wrist and the Sig is properly lubed and broken in.

Not real happy with it. The Sig didn't like this stuff at all, it felt pretty weak even given the advertised mv. It burns clean, but had 3 FTFs out of 40 rds. Didn't have enough oomph to rack the slide far enough to pick up the next round - ejected but just barely made it past half cock. I think I'll stick to CCI or Aguila for the Sig and relegate the Win to my old Savage 6A or wifes SR22. YMMV. $13/100rds .

 

[DGW1949]

I've had a couple of .22 semi-autos over the years which wouldn't function well with the lighter hollow points. Me thinks that that is due to the bullet being about 25% lighter than the standard (40 grain) .22LR bullet which the guns were designed for.
On the other hand, I've had nary a bobble when using Winchester's 40 Grn HP. Once upon a time, they was called "Dynapoints". I've also seen them in "Wild Cat" packing.

Hope this helps.

DGW

 

[GunnyGene]

I've had a couple of .22 semi-autos over the years which wouldn't function well with the lighter hollow points. Me thinks that that is due to the bullet being about 25% lighter than the standard (40 grain) .22LR bullet which the guns were designed for.
On the other hand, I've had nary a bobble when using Winchester's 40 Grn HP. Once upon a time, they was called "Dynapoints". I've also seen them in "Wild Cat" packing.

Hope this helps.

DGW

My Sig handles 36gr hp CCI without any problems. This is a Winchester problem. They almost felt like shorts. May be just a bad batch from Winchester, but I won't be buying any more.

 

[JPGLSG]

Gunny....Hope you have better luck shooting it in your SR22 than I have had. All kinds of problems, firing pin not making a mark, failure to eject spent round, after 30 rounds or so it would stop fully chambering new round. The Winchester ammo works just fine in the 10/22s and the Mark IIs without a hitch. That is a lot to spend on 22s and have it not run through your Sig which I have heard will run just about anything.

 

[Bucks Owin]

Hmm..1330 fps should be snappy enough. Do you have a chrono you could run a few rds through from a rifle? Should tell you if you got a weak batch... :?

 

[Clovishound]

With the current .22lr situation, I would not be surprised by any QC problems. My daughter has had a significant number of failure to fires in the bulk pack she has been running. probably 2 to 3 per 100.

 

[GunnyGene]

Hmm..1330 fps should be snappy enough. Do you have a chrono you could run a few rds through from a rifle? Should tell you if you got a weak batch... :?

I wish. I don't even wear a watch. But you're right, 1330 is about 70fps faster than the equivalent CCI I shoot regularly (36gr hp 1260fps ). But I can really tell the difference in recoil and report between the 2 brands in the Sig. The only thing I can think of to account for the difference is a light powder charge in the Win. Maybe they're doing the same with powder as companies are doing with cereal and other products to save some money.

Anyway, I'll just shoot this box out in other guns and not buy any more. If I'd bought a brick, I'd be pissed, but $13 to try it out isn't going to break me. :mrgreen:

 

[BradB]

Four weeks ago at the range a guy had the same gun and told me only CCI stingers would cycle it. The SIG might just be built good and sturdy it so it takes a little better ammo.

 

[GunnyGene]

Update: Did some research. According to Winchesters site this ammo (X22LRHSS1) has a mv of 1135fps out of a handgun 6" barrel. Yet the basic info on the round (on the winchester site) states 1330fps out of a 6"barrel. ( I assume the marketing dept had a hand in that) . http://www.winchester.com/Products/rimfire-ammunition/Performance/super-x-rimfire/Pages/X22LRHSS1.aspx . 1135 is about what you get with standard velocity .22lr (1085fps). Since my Sig has a 5" barrel it would be even slower! No wonder the stuff didn't cycle my Sig reliably.

It would be nice if Win (and other mfg's ) would be a little clearer on the labels they stick on their ammo. :x

 

[rugerjunkie]

Gunny,
The only Winchester round I use anymore is the 40 grain power point. It shoots great in every 22 I own and both of my MkII pistols love the stuff. Im sure it takes less to cycle the MkII but maybe give it a try. I have not used any of the new manufactured stuff so I dont know if its still the same stuff. I stocked up years ago when i found out how well it shot for me. Back when they were still in the silver 50 round cartons and id complain about $20-$24 dollars for a brick! Haha!

 

[kodiakisland]

I found some bulk winchester 22lr ammo in Cabelas last fall. I'm glad I only bought one box of it. I usually have at least one jam for every ten rounds loaded in three different 22 semi autos and about one in 30 complete failure to fires. I have had issues in revolvers as well with failure to fire. I've got half the box left and just hate to use it. QC may not be what it once was with the high rate of production these days.

 

[dwayne]

The Winchester bulk 22 ammo is not the best in my experience. It's better than Remington, but that isn't saying much. It's an unfortunate reality, these days, that much of the bulk ammo leaves a lot to be desired. I have had decent luck with the Federal bulk packs … but that's just been my luck, I expect. Just IMHO. I was lucky enough to get a couple of cases of Wolf MT before things got crazy. I ration it to myself these days.

 

[VHunter]

In the last few years, I have had a few fail to fires in every bulk box of 22lr. I have had that with both Remington and Federal. I think the quality just isn't what it used to be.

I've been shooting them out of a Ruger 10/22 (made in the early '80's), and a Taurus PT22)

 

[6gun]

It's all a velocity issue, see the Winchester ammo is for small game which mean it is designed to travel faster and hit with harder with more energy at a longer distance rather than spending it's energy cycling a semi auto pistol, bet they shoot great in a bolt or lever action rifle which is what they were made for, what you want to buy is ammo for semi-auto target loads not small game hunting loads.

 

[mikld]

Hmmm, having a bit of difficulty digesting 6gun's post :?

I've found my .22 rimfires to be much more "ammo picky" than any other caliber, handgun or rifle. Pre obumma, I would but at least 2, 50 round boxes of every kind/manufacture of .22 lr I could locate and try them through each new to me gun. Overall the only ammo that was not top quality was Remington, most types (wouldn't even work 80% of the time in a semi-auto Remington rifle!). My only semi-autos are a 10-22, a MkIII, and an older Remington Viper and the Winchester bulk ammo I've used worked fair to middlin', but my guns aren't "pressure sensitive". I have other .22 lr favorites that when I have a choice I'll use before Winchesters. I like Blazer 40 grain solids for overall performance in my 4 rimfires, good accuracy and have never had a failure to feed/eject/fire...

 

[6gun]

Seams Winchester is moving away from the one size fits all ammo, and has been making ammo more pacific to gun types, from what they claim the M22 ammo is what you would want to use in a semi-auto for target and plinking, I don't know what their market strategy is or if their ammo is working in guns intended, all I know is what application they ammo says it made for.

 

[skip]

I grabbed a brick of those off the self in a big box store and then looked at the price and then put them back...$54.95 a brick

 

[Clovishound]

Well, I just picked up a K of Winchester 36 grain hollow points today. Hope they run through my Mark I OK. They advertise a slightly lower FPS than the ones you posted. With the paucity of .22lr for sale out there, I grab what I can get when the price is decent. I got these for $17 and change for 333 round bricks.

 

[triton186]

Well, I just picked up a K of Winchester 36 grain hollow points today. Hope they run through my Mark I OK. They advertise a slightly lower FPS than the ones you posted. With the paucity of .22lr for sale out there, I grab what I can get when the price is decent. I got these for $17 and change for 333 round bricks.

I hope you have better experience with the 333's than I have recently. I have found them to be as bad if not worse than Remington garbage. I've had lots of loading and ejecting problems as well. this goes for any of the Winchester bulk stuff like 222,333, and 555 boxes. thankfully I've had several nice federal and cci scores over the last couple years even during the worst of times so that allows me to walk right past this stuff when I see it on the shelf and I don't feel a bit of guilt for doing it.

 

[6gun]

Well, I just picked up a K of Winchester 36 grain hollow points today. Hope they run through my Mark I OK. They advertise a slightly lower FPS than the ones you posted. With the paucity of .22lr for sale out there, I grab what I can get when the price is decent. I got these for $17 and change for 333 round bricks.

I hope you have better experience with the 333's than I have recently. I have found them to be as bad if not worse than Remington garbage. I've had lots of loading and ejecting problems as well. this goes for any of the Winchester bulk stuff like 222,333, and 555 boxes. thankfully I've had several nice federal and cci scores over the last couple years even during the worst of times so that allows me to walk right past this stuff when I see it on the shelf and I don't feel a bit of guilt for doing it.

I've had the same experience with the 222, 333 and 555 it's worthless junk that don't shoot well in any type of gun, it's a disgrace to put the Winchester name on that crap.

 

[Rick Courtright]

Hi,

Last time I picked up any Winchester 333 ammo was after the "last" big .22 shortage (post-2008 election) and it worked about as well as the Federal bulk stuff I normally picked up at Wally's. In other words, "It ain't 100% but it'll do." A failure to fire rate of 1 or 2 per 100 with that type of ammo has been my normal experience...

Since then I've only purchased Federals, the last time right before the 2012 election. Their QC has gone down, probably due to running the lines as hard as they can, and a higher failure to fire rate's been seen. FWIW, I now "ration" my .22s by taking only 50-100 to the range at a time, and shooting most of them thru an old Marlin single shot. And I hardly ever have a failure with THAT rifle, in comparison to my 10/22 or Mk II. That's even with the newer ammo. The Kadet .22 conversion on my CZ-75B 9mm is also far more reliable across the ammo spectrum than the Rugers. I have no answer as to why except to apply the catch-all "Every firearm is a law unto itself" adage we all know well...

Rick C

 

[Bucks Owin]

I bought a "555" at Wallyworld two years ago for plinking use and have no complaints. Every round went "bang" in my 10/22 and Single Sixes...Something I CANNOT say for any of the boxes of Federal bulk I've used over the years... :roll:

Actually, my favorite "cheap" rimfire ammo is American Eagle 38 gr HP. Stuff shoots 1.5" @ 100 yds in my bull barreled 10/22 and I don't think I've ever had a FTF in thousands of rds... :shock:

Two centavos...

(And "used" to cost $12 for 400 rds )

 

[7p's]

I don't have a problem finding 22lr ammo in Brainerd, MN and all I can add to this thread is in the last month (July 2014) the grandkids and I fired 3 boxes of Winchester 333's, 1 box of Federal 525's and 2 boxes of Remington 525's (333's were 17.99 + tax and the 525's were 21.99/22.99 + tax) and we had just 1 round FTF on the 525 rounds of Federal and all 1,050 rounds of Remington went off on the 1st hit and just 1 ftf with the 999 rounds of Winchester. All went bang on the second hit. The only problem encountered on the line was the failure to understand the term "SLOW" fire.

These were shot with two different model 10/22's, an off brand bolt single shot, single 6 and a Mark 1.

We also picked up several 22 rounds off the cement at the range that had been hit once but didn't fire but they fired for us. I really don't see a quality control issue, as it's been this way for a long time for me anyway.

I haven't shot my model 41 in a while but Remington high velocity and standard velocity worked for me but in Matches I always went with Remington Match and never experience a FTF and I don't recall anyone else having problems on the line with whatever 22 ammo they were shooting.

 

[HawkEyeEarl]

Of the many 22lr ammo I have or I get, if they cycle automatics I have then good. I check every new load I get for the automatics.

But much of it that I find that will not cycle them or dirties them too quickly, I save and use in my single sixes or bolt actions. Federal copper washed bulk packs, Remington Thunderbolts and Remington Golden bullets have done best for me, better than other loads costing more - not always perfect but enough to be near trouble free fun.

I commonly use those cheap loads in a colt ace, high standards, kart conversion and glenfield 60. The glenfield 60 cylcles with more loads than any automatic I have. None of the Winchester I have can I use in my automatics very well.