I started out on this beautiful morning to see which type of ammunition my Greene Mountain Bull barreled Ruger 10/22 rifle likes.
I tried 10 different ammunitions;
CCI SV, 1080 velocity, 40gr round nose lead bullet
Federal HV Match, 1200 velocity, 40gr round nose lead bullet
Eley Target, 1085 velocity, 40gr round nose lead bullet
Norma Match-22, 1100 velocity, 40gr round nose lead bullet
Aguila Super Extra, 1130 velocity, 40gr round nose lead bullet
Aguila Target Competition, 1080 velocity, 40gr round nose lead bullet
Aguila Rifle Match, 1080 velocity, 40gr round nose lead bullet
RWS Rifle Match, no velocity given, 40gr round nose lead bullet
Wolf Match Target, 1050 velocity, 40gr round nose lead bullet
Wolf Match Extra, 1050 velocity, 40gr round nose lead bullet
These are the same cartridges I tried in my Marlin bolt action last year. The Marlin had a clear favorite, but the Ruger wasn’t as picky.
I started out shooting at 25 yards, but soon realized that I wasn’t going to be able to tell the differences in the one ragged hole groups that the first five cartridge brands made. So I moved back to 50 yards and still had to use a caliper to determine group and MOA size.
After going through all the brands, I examined the groups and chose to shoot a few again to verify their groupings.
The conclusion is easier to read in the table below.
Norma*- .781 MOA w/out a flier I didn’t call. 1.27 MOA with flier included
Norma - .790 MOA
Wolf Extra - .855 MOA
Wolf Extra - .872 MOA
RWS - .88 MOA
Aguila Rifle Match - .934 MOA
Aguila Super Extra - .95 MOA
RWS* - .98 MOA w/out a flier I didn’t call. 1.77 MOA with flier included
CCI SV - 1.02 MOA
CCI SV – 1.06 MOA
Eley Target – 1.05 MOA
Aguila Super Extra* – 1.09 MOA without flier I didn’t call. 2.24 MOA with flier included
Wolf Target – 1.13 MOA
CCI SV – 1.15 MOA
Wolf Target – 1.23 MOA
Federal HV Match – 1.23 MOA
Aguila Target – 1.27 MOA
Eley Target – 1.28 MOA
Aguila Target – 1.29 MOA
Aguila Super Extra – 1.32 MOA
Aguila Rifle Match – 1.37 MOA
Norma - 1.83 MOA
Federal HV Match – 2.43 MOA
I would have declared Norma the winner, but the fliers I didn’t call makes me leery to risk having a flier during a match, which is what I’m trying to get away from with CCI. Wolf Match Extra was consistent in both my Marlin and this Ruger I’m going to purchase more of it to try and see if it subMOA group size holds true. I’ll also need to see if reliability and function are an issue. Great group sizing isn’t a bit of good if it won’t function and be reliable in your rifle.
Here are a few more details about shooting conditions and the rifle.
I was shooting at 9am, it was about 75 degrees, overcast with a gentle breeze on our farm lane. Shooting prone, unsupported except for a USGI loop sling. The rifle is a Ruger 10/22 with a Green Mountain stainless bull barrel, it has a 3# trigger and the rifle itself weighs right at 7.5lbs. It’s topped with a Vortex 2x7x32 BDC scope using weaver rings and an EGW extended base.
*Disclaimer* This was not a true scientific testing. I did not clean the barrel between each brand of ammunition or shoot any fouling shots before shooting each group of five shots. As much as I want to know which ammunition this rifle likes, I had neither the time nor inclination to clean after each brand. There are many other variables that I think would make a bad group before cleaning the barrel and fouling it between brands. Fatigue of the shooter, varying weather conditions as the day drags on to name just two. So take this review for what it is, what my rifle likes may not be what yours does.
I tried 10 different ammunitions;
CCI SV, 1080 velocity, 40gr round nose lead bullet
Federal HV Match, 1200 velocity, 40gr round nose lead bullet
Eley Target, 1085 velocity, 40gr round nose lead bullet
Norma Match-22, 1100 velocity, 40gr round nose lead bullet
Aguila Super Extra, 1130 velocity, 40gr round nose lead bullet
Aguila Target Competition, 1080 velocity, 40gr round nose lead bullet
Aguila Rifle Match, 1080 velocity, 40gr round nose lead bullet
RWS Rifle Match, no velocity given, 40gr round nose lead bullet
Wolf Match Target, 1050 velocity, 40gr round nose lead bullet
Wolf Match Extra, 1050 velocity, 40gr round nose lead bullet
These are the same cartridges I tried in my Marlin bolt action last year. The Marlin had a clear favorite, but the Ruger wasn’t as picky.
I started out shooting at 25 yards, but soon realized that I wasn’t going to be able to tell the differences in the one ragged hole groups that the first five cartridge brands made. So I moved back to 50 yards and still had to use a caliper to determine group and MOA size.
After going through all the brands, I examined the groups and chose to shoot a few again to verify their groupings.
The conclusion is easier to read in the table below.
Norma*- .781 MOA w/out a flier I didn’t call. 1.27 MOA with flier included
Norma - .790 MOA
Wolf Extra - .855 MOA
Wolf Extra - .872 MOA
RWS - .88 MOA
Aguila Rifle Match - .934 MOA
Aguila Super Extra - .95 MOA
RWS* - .98 MOA w/out a flier I didn’t call. 1.77 MOA with flier included
CCI SV - 1.02 MOA
CCI SV – 1.06 MOA
Eley Target – 1.05 MOA
Aguila Super Extra* – 1.09 MOA without flier I didn’t call. 2.24 MOA with flier included
Wolf Target – 1.13 MOA
CCI SV – 1.15 MOA
Wolf Target – 1.23 MOA
Federal HV Match – 1.23 MOA
Aguila Target – 1.27 MOA
Eley Target – 1.28 MOA
Aguila Target – 1.29 MOA
Aguila Super Extra – 1.32 MOA
Aguila Rifle Match – 1.37 MOA
Norma - 1.83 MOA
Federal HV Match – 2.43 MOA
I would have declared Norma the winner, but the fliers I didn’t call makes me leery to risk having a flier during a match, which is what I’m trying to get away from with CCI. Wolf Match Extra was consistent in both my Marlin and this Ruger I’m going to purchase more of it to try and see if it subMOA group size holds true. I’ll also need to see if reliability and function are an issue. Great group sizing isn’t a bit of good if it won’t function and be reliable in your rifle.
Here are a few more details about shooting conditions and the rifle.
I was shooting at 9am, it was about 75 degrees, overcast with a gentle breeze on our farm lane. Shooting prone, unsupported except for a USGI loop sling. The rifle is a Ruger 10/22 with a Green Mountain stainless bull barrel, it has a 3# trigger and the rifle itself weighs right at 7.5lbs. It’s topped with a Vortex 2x7x32 BDC scope using weaver rings and an EGW extended base.
*Disclaimer* This was not a true scientific testing. I did not clean the barrel between each brand of ammunition or shoot any fouling shots before shooting each group of five shots. As much as I want to know which ammunition this rifle likes, I had neither the time nor inclination to clean after each brand. There are many other variables that I think would make a bad group before cleaning the barrel and fouling it between brands. Fatigue of the shooter, varying weather conditions as the day drags on to name just two. So take this review for what it is, what my rifle likes may not be what yours does.