.22 Ammo: target vs ultra match

Ocraknife · May 4, 2016, 08:54 PM

I've noticed a big difference in price at my LGS in Federal target ammo which sells for $4 and some change per box of 50 and Federal Ultra match which sells for $18 per box of 50. I shoot offhand with a $600 or so pistol. Would I see a difference with the better ammo? Im by no means a pro.

MrBorland · May 4, 2016, 09:48 PM

Rimfire ammo's a funny thing: every gun has it's own preference for what rimfire ammo it prefers. Good match-grade ammo will be more consistent, but it's no guarantee that your gun will like Ultra Match better than the target ammo. For instance, your gun might, on average, actually like "target" better, and, on average, group better with it, but will also likely throw a bit of a flier now and then, whereas the Ultra Match, whether it prints bigger or smaller from your gun, won't throw those fliers. For those shooting competitively, those fliers are real match killers. Others might accept the fliers if they're otherwise happy with the accuracy/price ratio.

The other thing is that, practical handgun accuracy isn't going to be on par with a rifle, so one shouldn't expect the same jump in performance when using high dollar match ammo in a handgun. JMO.

Ocraknife · May 4, 2016, 10:14 PM

Thank you. My thought was that I probably wouldn't see much difference shooting off hand with a mid grade pistol. If I were a competition shooter with a high end firearm and quality optics then the consistency of the ammo might mean tightened groups. Still I may buy a couple hundred rounds to play with. It's still cheaper than a lot of the centerfire ammo I've bought for handguns

springer99 · May 4, 2016, 10:56 PM

Higher priced " match ammo" does tend to shoot better in that it's more consistent and will have fewer flyers. Whether or not it's worth the price premium is an answer only you can give. In my area, CCI standard velocity .22lr is about the best ammo that most guys use. Unless you're seriously competing in bullseye competitions, I doubt the premium is worth it. If you are shooting 50yd or 100yd benchrest with rifles, then it's definitely a different story. Consistancy does come with a price and is does make a difference in those games.

darkgael · May 7, 2016, 04:58 AM

I have made it a habit to test as wide a variety of ammo in guns that I buy as I can afford. For .22s that means going to the range with a dozen or so different types and brands of .22s.
As it turned out, my .22 bullseye gun, a High Standard Victor with a Falcon barrel, shot Federal SV .22s consistently better than any other type, including the Ultramatch.
On the other hand, the two rifles that I use for small bore prone, an FWB and an Anschutz, both do noticeably better with the Ultramatch.
Things change, though, over the years I have moved from the Federal SV to The Eley Club which is more consistent. It was also more available over the last few years.

zukiphile · May 7, 2016, 06:23 AM

Quote:

I shoot offhand with a $600 or so pistol. Would I see a difference with the better ammo? Im by no means a pro.

I shoot an old Volquartzen with good iron sights. At 30 feet offhand, I can keep all five rounds inside one inch. Almost all of that one inch is my wobble and alignment error. Federal bulk pack could barely make it worse.

For someone like me, expensive .22 in a pistol is wasted money.

Rifles are a whole different question.

g.willikers · May 7, 2016, 07:36 AM

I used to attend rimfire rifle silhouette matches.
There were a couple of folks with high end gear, guns and ammo, but it was rare.
The guys who usually won the matches shot inexpensive ammo, but they did sort it by weight.
Throwing out the anomalies seemed to be good enough without the need for match ammo.
Just a thought.

May 4, 2016, 08:54 PM	#1
Ocraknife Senior Member Join Date: March 19, 2002 Location: Nashville Posts: 1,117	.22 Ammo: target vs ultra match I've noticed a big difference in price at my LGS in Federal target ammo which sells for $4 and some change per box of 50 and Federal Ultra match which sells for $18 per box of 50. I shoot offhand with a $600 or so pistol. Would I see a difference with the better ammo? Im by no means a pro. __________________ "The loudest sound you'll ever hear is a "bang" when you weren't expecting one." -Jimro

May 4, 2016, 10:14 PM	#3
Ocraknife Senior Member Join Date: March 19, 2002 Location: Nashville Posts: 1,117	Thank you. My thought was that I probably wouldn't see much difference shooting off hand with a mid grade pistol. If I were a competition shooter with a high end firearm and quality optics then the consistency of the ammo might mean tightened groups. Still I may buy a couple hundred rounds to play with. It's still cheaper than a lot of the centerfire ammo I've bought for handguns __________________ "The loudest sound you'll ever hear is a "bang" when you weren't expecting one." -Jimro

May 7, 2016, 04:58 AM	#5
darkgael Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2006 Location: Homes in Brooklyn, NY and in Pennsylvania. Posts: 5,473	Test I have made it a habit to test as wide a variety of ammo in guns that I buy as I can afford. For .22s that means going to the range with a dozen or so different types and brands of .22s. As it turned out, my .22 bullseye gun, a High Standard Victor with a Falcon barrel, shot Federal SV .22s consistently better than any other type, including the Ultramatch. On the other hand, the two rifles that I use for small bore prone, an FWB and an Anschutz, both do noticeably better with the Ultramatch. Things change, though, over the years I have moved from the Federal SV to The Eley Club which is more consistent. It was also more available over the last few years. __________________ “Auto racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing are the only real sports ... all others are games.” Ernest Hemingway ... NRA Life Member

May 7, 2016, 07:36 AM	#7
g.willikers Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Posts: 10,442	I used to attend rimfire rifle silhouette matches. There were a couple of folks with high end gear, guns and ammo, but it was rare. The guys who usually won the matches shot inexpensive ammo, but they did sort it by weight. Throwing out the anomalies seemed to be good enough without the need for match ammo. Just a thought. __________________ Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez: “Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”

May 4, 2016, 09:48 PM	#2
MrBorland Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2007 Location: NC Posts: 2,614	Rimfire ammo's a funny thing: every gun has it's own preference for what rimfire ammo it prefers. Good match-grade ammo will be more consistent, but it's no guarantee that your gun will like Ultra Match better than the target ammo. For instance, your gun might, on average, actually like "target" better, and, on average, group better with it, but will also likely throw a bit of a flier now and then, whereas the Ultra Match, whether it prints bigger or smaller from your gun, won't throw those fliers. For those shooting competitively, those fliers are real match killers. Others might accept the fliers if they're otherwise happy with the accuracy/price ratio. The other thing is that, practical handgun accuracy isn't going to be on par with a rifle, so one shouldn't expect the same jump in performance when using high dollar match ammo in a handgun. JMO.

May 4, 2016, 10:56 PM	#4
springer99 Senior Member Join Date: November 14, 2008 Posts: 355	Higher priced " match ammo" does tend to shoot better in that it's more consistent and will have fewer flyers. Whether or not it's worth the price premium is an answer only you can give. In my area, CCI standard velocity .22lr is about the best ammo that most guys use. Unless you're seriously competing in bullseye competitions, I doubt the premium is worth it. If you are shooting 50yd or 100yd benchrest with rifles, then it's definitely a different story. Consistancy does come with a price and is does make a difference in those games.