The Mother of All Rimfire Ammo Tests — AccurateReloading.com
We first featured this story in 2010, but the results of this rimfire ammo test have been of such widespread interest that we try to bring the test to readers’ attention every year.
In 2010, the staff of AccurateReloading.com Forum completed a massive .22LR Rimfire Ammunition Testing Project. Some 55 different types of ammo were tested, using a highly-accurate Swiss-made Bleiker rifle, with a 2-stage trigger. All ammo varieties were tested at 50 yards, 75 yards, and 100 yards, shooting five, 5-shot groups at each distance. Though these tests were completed some time ago, many readers have requested a “reprint” of the ammo rankings, so we’ve republished this data below.
The results are fascinating to say the least (and perhaps eye-opening). The tester observed: “I got some amazing groups, and some which are, frankly, absurdly bad! This has re-enforced what I had experienced with 22 ammo in the past — that is being consistently inconsistent.”
While we strongly caution that .22LR rimfire ammo may work well in one gun and not another, and ammo performance can be improved through the use of barrel tuners, the AccurateReloading.com research provides invaluable guidance for smallbore shooters. Overall, the testers burned through over 4,000 rounds of ammo, and you can see the actual test targets online. To read all the test reports, and view target photos visit AccurateReloading.com.
The lists below rank the average accuracy (by brand) of five, 5-shot groups shot at 50, 75, and 100 yards. CLICK HERE for Complete Test Results with target photos.
| 50-Yard Results | 75-Yard Results | 100-Yard Results |
| 0.162 Eley Tenex Ultimate EPS 0.164 Lapua Midas Plus 0.177 Lapua Polar Biathlon 0.187 Eley Match EPS 0.193 Eley Match 0.203 Lapua Midas M 0.215 Lapua Center X 0.216 Western Value Pack 0.229 Lapua Signum 0.241 Lapua Master L 0.243 Eley Pistol Match 0.256 Olin Ball 0.256 Akah X-Zone 0.261 Lapua Midas L 0.261 Lapua Master M 0.263 Eley Tenex Semi Auto 0.270 Lapua Super Club 0.272 Eley Tenex 0.303 Lapua Standard Plus 0.312 CCI Standard Velocity 0.319 RWS R 50 0.319 Eley Standard 0.328 SK High Velocity 0.339 Eley Club Xtra 0.340 Winchester T22 0.356 Federal Champion 0.362 Eley Subsonic HP 0.371 CCI Mini Mag 0.376 Federal American Eagle 0.377 Norinco Target 0.380 Sellier & Bellot Club 0.384 Eley Club 0.387 Eley Sport 0.388 Totem 0.392 Swartklip Match Trainer 0.398 Federal Gold Medal 0.403 Swartklip HV 0.409 Eley Match Xtra Plus 0.424 Sellier & Bellot Std 0.443 Remington Target 0.461 Lapua Crow HP 0.475 Eley Silhouex 0.479 Magtech 0.498 Eley High Velocity 0.513 Winchester Super X 0.516 Kassnar Concorde 0.539 CCI Blazer 0.560 Winchester Supreme Pistol 0.576 Norinco Pistol Revolver 0.593 SK Standard 0.611 Sellier And Bellot HP 0.626 SK Standard HP 0.686 Logo HV 0.956 Pobjeda Target |
0.274 Lapua Center X 0.283 Lapua Standard Plus 0.295 Eley Tenex Ultimate EPS 0.307 Lapua Midas M 0.329 Lapua Master M 0.346 Eley Match 0.373 Lapua Polar Biathlon 0.399 RWS R 50 0.432 Lapua Midas L 0.448 Eley Tenex Semi Auto 0.467 Eley Match EPS 0.474 Lapua master L 0.491 Eley Match Xtra Plus 0.494 CCI Standard 0.496 Eley Subsonic HP 0.507 Eley Sport 0.512 Federal American Eagle 0.513 SK High Velocity 0.514 Eley Standard 0.516 Eley Tenex 0.516 Lapua Crow HP 0.532 Western Value Pack 0.533 Fed. Champion Target 0.535 Lapua Midas Plus 0.564 Akah X Zone 0.566 Olin Ball 0.573 Eley Club Xtra 0.616 Lapua Signum 0.631 Winchester T22 0.639 Swartklip HV HP 0.641 Eley Club 0.642 Eley Silhouex 0.647 CCI Mini Mag 0.679 Eley Pistol Match 0.682 Swartklip Match Trainer 0.690 Federal Gold Medal 0.692 Remington HV 0.703 Lapua Super Club 0.720 Winchester Super X 0.738 Eley High Velocity 0.759 Kassnar Concorde 0.765 Sellier And Bellot Club 0.770 Winch. Supreme Pistol 0.770 Norinco target 0.775 CCI Blazer 0.802 Norinco Pistol Revolver 0.841 LVE Logo HV 0.855 Sellier & Bellot Std 0.871 Magtech 0.923 Sellier & Bellot HP 0.934 SK Standard HP 1.017 Remington Target 1.257 Totem Standard 1.442 SK Standard 1.578 Pobjeda target |
0.455 Eley Match 0.510 Lapua Midas Plus 0.549 Lapua Midas M 0.611 Lapua Polar Biathlon 0.611 Eley Tenex Ultimate EPS 0.619 Eley Match EPS 0.622 Eley Club 0.630 Lapua Center X 0.631 RWS R50 0.679 Eley Tenex Semi Auto 0.694 Lapua Midas L 0.729 Eley Tenex 0.739 Lapua Master L 0.753 Lapua Super Club 0.785 Lapua Master M 0.831 Eley Sport 0.851 Eley Match Xtra 0.859 Lapua Standard Plus 0.867 Akah X-Zone 0.877 Eley Pistol Match 0.907 Norinco Target 0.924 Eley Silhouex 0.939 CCI Standard 0.952 Eley Subsonic HP 0.963 Magtech 0.970 Olin Ball 0.978 Kassnar Concorde 0.995 Eley Club Xtra 1.009 Western Value Pack 1.032 Federal Champion 1.087 Norinco Pistol Revolver 1.100 CCI Mini Mag 1.112 Lapua Crow HP 1.143 Winchester T22 1.142 Federal Gold Medal 1.144 federal American Eagle 1.156 Swartklip Hollo Point 1.165 Lapua Signum 1.170 Swartklip Match Trainer 1.175 Fed. Champion Value Pk 1.182 SK high Velocity 1.201 Totem 1.224 Winchester Super X 1.358 Eley Standard 1.367 Remington High Velocity 1.375 CCI Blazer 1.414 Eley High Velocity 1.450 Remington Target 1.504 LVE Logo 1.813 SK Standard 1.879 S&B Club 1.947 S&B Hollow Point 2.073 SK Standard HP 2.221 S&B Standard 2.266 Pobjeda Target |
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Tags: AccurateReloading, ammo, Bleiker, com, Eley, Lapua, Rimfire, Smallbore, Tenex, Tunnel Test
Western Value Pack, did surprisingly well for budget ammo.
I would love to see this cross-referenced to the live fire testing I did! My testing recorded Average and SD of MV’s and BC’s for 90 different rimfire ammo types (from 5 different barrels each) but did NOT include any precision (group) results. I’m sure all the ammo types aren’t the same, but many of them are. Would be awesome to see the two data sets combined.
A nice list with Eley and Lapua dominating. Would have liked to see SK match tested. A great round at a reasonable price. In my rifle it shoots as well as Tenex in our 200Y prone matchs.
I read the review looking for when and how the tuner was implemented. Here’s what the shooter posted:
“The rifle did not have this tuner on it originally.
A little while ao, a friend was playing around with it, trying to see how it might improve his groups.
Frankly, I would have preferred using teh rifle without it.
But, I am afraid I only noticed this fact after shooting quite a few groups.
We are debating doing the test again, without this tuner.”
From that message it is impossible to tell which rounds “benefited” from the tuner (meaning that they took time to actually tune to the load).
I completely agree that the testing should have been done withOUT the tuner.
A couple of other things:
1. The test data are now 7 years old. To assume that no changes have been made in the ammo during that span is IMHO making an ass out of u and me.
2. Given all the effort put in to do the testing, seems they would have benefited everyone if they had taken more time to place more stringent controls on the testing. In particular standardizing of a retuirn-to-battery benchrest setup.
3. Butch Lambert in another AcccurateReloader thread posted this statement made by a world class 22 rimfire shooter he knows regarding how that shooter tests ammo.
“Butch,
We do 95% of our ammo testing indoors. If you are trying to pick out a lot outdoors, there is just too much variation that the conditions add. Also, there are probably only 3-4 shooters in the US who can really tell anything about ammo testing with iron sights from the prone position. The rest of them are just guessing or blowing smoke. Initially we narrow down our lot selection out of a machine rest and pick out the best 5-6 lots. Then we test with a scope at 50m off a good rest, also indoors. This is also where I adjust my tuner. We further narrow our lot selection down to 2-3 best lots and then shoot them outdoors with iron sights. This is where we see if the ammo shoots in the wind or if it needs additional tuning. In my opinion there are only two of us at the AMU who can do this effectively. For us the whole process of ammo testing on a new barrel can last up to two weeks and 2000 rounds. If the barrel isn’t up to snuff it will be a much shorter ammo test.
Good Luck,
Eric”
My bottom line is to look at what the match winners shoot and…if you are really serious…implement the procedure noted just above.
My Winchester 52 with standard volisty target does better then that at 100yrds
I have seen this test quoted over and over on-line and unfortunately some believe they will get similar results in their equipment. The real take away from this should be that if someone is serious about rimfire accuracy that they need to test extensively to determine what works best. Each rimfire rifle has its own personality and what works in one will not work in another.
The article also doesn’t address the many variable that need to be considered – barrel age & maintenance, action torque, barrel and bolt cleaning, firing pin spring age, among others.
Bill
Lots of popular options missing from that list.
No Norma?
What would have been most
helpful is the weight of each round
and the rim thickness. The rim sets the head spacing and the weight or grouping thereof indicates manufacturing consistency.
Using a scale, a rim thickness gauge and a mic I can turn cheap rounds into small piles of very consistent ammo.
Interested for.22 rimfire ammunition test in walther KK 500 rifle