Federal vs CCI

[asmurff]

I went to the range yesterday with my 10/22. Up until now I'd been shooting what I could find for purchase, but yesterday I had two kinds of ammo; Federal Bulk 525 and CCI Mini-Mags. I was able to see the difference between the two very clearly. The Federal routinely shoots groups of 1-1/2 inch while using a bi-pod, where as the CCI comes in at 1 inch. I shot 2 target of each with the same results.

[imschur]

Great info  :thumb:

[tatumColtM16bryan]

Just want to put my 2 cents in on this topic. Have got about 3000 rounds through our Colt/Umarex M16 SPR by now. Have noticed multiple instances with the Federal bulk packs being really hit or miss in terms of quality and ease of use.

Have shot about 1000rnds of the the Blue/Grey Box Federal 500 count 40gr HV

1000rounds of the Federal 550 count 36gr HV

and a little over a 1000rnds of the CCI Mini-Mag.

By far the CCI is the most consistent in terms of loads and operation.

Have experienced no FTF or FTE with these rounds. The shots consistently sound crisp and the same. They leave little residue behind compared to the federal stuff and I can shoot 500+ rounds during a day at the range and not worry about having to break the gun down in between mags to continue shooting. A touch more expensive but worth the extra $$$ for hassle free operation.

My experience with the federal ammo has been terrible. Lots of FTE and FTFs. They leave the breech and barrel filthy and actually make my girlfriend nervous.

We went to the range today and shot some of the CCI we had left from the last time, about 400 rnds and had no problems. We were out of that so opened a pack of the federal stuff and within 100rnds were already having lots of problems. Our time at the range was over after we had a round FTE and i couldn't safely get the dang thing out with the tools on hand.

Tatum told me straight up she wasn't going to shoot anymore of the Federal ammo anymore so don't buy it. I have to agree with her, it's just not worth the irritation. So if you guys are ever in a toss up between the federal and the CCI...get the CCI!

[asmurff]

I plink with Federal, but shoot matches with CCI mini-mags.

[Microgunner]

CCI seems to make some of the best general purpose .22lr ammo available.

[kevinpagano]

Got about 1200 rounds of Blazer through my 1022 with 0 malfunctions or FTF. When it gets warmer I am going to do some consistency texting with my Chrono. I used to like automatch but it has been hit or miss lately. Not really any feed or FTF problems but very inconsistant velocity. Which is unsettling when in a match.

[a|ex]

i also plink with federals (550 value pack at least 10k rounds last year). no problems with either on the walther p22 but i do get an FTF once in awhile on the sig 522 using federals. i've only shot fewer than 2k cci until the cost started adding up. i still have a good 12k stash of federals. i always clean my firearms after i get home from the range, so excessive fouling is no problem.

-a|ex

[lmao_37]

Ive been using only Federal in my gsg AK i my wife brought me 200 rounds of cci minimag for Christmas plus the box she brought me before i now have 300 rounds of cci and a federal 550 box, iam going to be going to the range Monday to shoot my Mosin in its standard config but while iam there ill also shoot cci and federal with my AK and post how they compare in that.

[techmike]

Looks to be quite a few different results in this thread. I have had good results with Federal Bulk Packs, with one exception - a really  bad box - and when contacted by e-mail, Federal immediately offered to replace the box at no cost to me. I don't use CCI much, just because of the cost vs bulk ammo, and the (for me) modest difference in accuracy. I can get Federal for .04/round, and CCI for .06/round. As for the residue after shooting, I have not noticed much difference between the two - I will have to pay more attention to that, I guess. I just figure that since the primer material contains ground up glass, all .22's require periodic cleaning to get the grit out. (the glass is there in order to fire the primer - no anvil in a rim fire)

I think it was someone here at Tac.22 that suggested weighing .22 rounds and grouping them by weight for more accurate shooting. Have not done that, but there is a difference of .5 gn between a random 10 round sample of Federal bulk, but only a .3 gn difference between 10 rounds of CCI. But then, it IS bulk ammo. My favorite .22lr ammo for consistency and accuracy is BVAC - but it does have a number of rounds that fail to fire. I bought this BVAC during the great ammo shortage, and  assume it was a QC issue during that time. The FTFs that I took apart showed the primer material had cracked and mixed with the powder. 

Just my .04 worth.

TM

Forgot to mention, CCI has a fun game at their website.

GAME

[crashoverrideplik]

I've noticed that with the CCI's I've had less failure to fires and better accuracy too. I've tried the Winchesters, Federals and Remingtons in the bulk packs and I have to say the "quality" isn't the same as the CCI's. Many duds and also bent or distorted cartridges in the box. I shot 1K rounds last weekend with the Winchesters and had a failure every 7th round in the M&P 15-22. It was a every other magazine in the CMMG. I wish that the CCI's came in the 550 round boxes  (or bigger). Going thru a box for 4 magazines sucks.

[wobblinwheel]

i recently bought  a box  of CCI 40gr subsonic  hollow points. They seem to group really well, HOWEVER, due to the shape and unusually snug fit of the bullet in the chamber, I often experience frequent failure to feeds as the bullet won't go into chamber fully, especially if the rifle is even SLIGHTLY dirty. It appears the Colt/Umarex has an undersize chamber, and is really FINICKY about what you feed it. I even borrowed a finishing reamer for the chamber, but the PILOT wouldn't even fit the BORE! The dimensions of the Walther barrel seem be more like a "match grade"  than a semi-auto! Any other Colt-owners out there experience this?

[techmike]

Hmmm, trying to ream the chamber for problems with one box of subsonic ammunition seems a bit drastic to me. Since the rifle is spec'd for standard and high velocity ammunition only, and subsonic tends to be slightly less powerful than standard, I would suspect the action is short cycling. You might try loosening the recoil spring as far possible, or try some different brands of subsonic ammo.

I have shot standard velocity ammo with no problems and good accuracy at 35 to 40 yds, but the groups start to open up at 50 yds, so I tend to stick with HV ammo.

Something that is unique to rimfire guns is that they can develop a burr in the chamber from dry firing. This burr will cause feeding and extraction issues. It is important to not remove the burr with a file or reamer - you don't want to remove metal from this area. Instead, invest in THIS.

TM

[wobblinwheel]

Actually, I didn't intend to ream the chamber, mainly just to see how "snug" the chamber really is. The rifle shoots quite well using Federal or Winchester HV ammo, however the suppressor doesn't work too well when the bullet breaks the sound barrier. Problem is, local gun shop only carries Remington and CCI subsonics, and BOTH of them start sticking in the chamber after a few rounds, The Remington due to inconsistent bullet diameters, and the CCI due to the extended contact area of the bullet. The CCI subsonics shoot really well, and pack a good "punch" due to the heavier bullet, so a SLIGHT reaming might help chambering. No "burrs" in the chamber as I don't dry-fire, even though I'm not sure it's likely to happen due to the design of the firing pin (I believe the pin would strike the face of the breech, and not the mouth of the chamber). Also, "short-cycling" is not an issue, as the bullets are clearly STICKING in the chamber after going in about half way. I honestly believe a slightly larger chamber bore wouldn't hurt the Colt at all, and it wouldn't be so intolerant of different types of ammo. If I could find the proper finishing reamer, I just might be tempted to try it.

[Shooter526]

Put 1100 rounds through the M&P in the past couple days. The federals aren't giving me any issues but my packs of CCI Mini-Mags are pure crap. Some of them are jamming upon chamber entry and some of them i can pop the bullet out of the casing without trying. Some of them even had a wax like coating. I called CCI and explained the situation and they said I must have used them improperly. My friend then picked up a pack of them from a different shop and he had the same issue. The Federals and even Winchester Dyna-Points shoot better than them. He also called CCI and they told him the same thing. The only thing we use em for now is our single shot target rifles. Does anyone know if they are doing something different with the ammo. I have Mini's and Blazers from a few years ago that I have no issues with and I love the brand but now I'm not so sure they are worth the price.

[Michigan Joe]

I do not know if the Federal bulk bricks are different than the Federal Lightning ammo they sell at my local Walmart for $15.00, but the Lightning (lead solid roundnose, 40 gr), work fine.  They are 1000% better than Thunderbolts or Golden bullets by Remington. I did have one FTF out of 400 rounds shot yesterday, but I have a FTF with the Blazers too every once in a while. The Lightnings come in ten separate boxes to the brick, so you do not get 525 like the bulk packs.

[techmike]

Hey Joe - the Federal Bulk packs are different, 36 gn plated hollow points. I got a Chrony for Christmas, so come spring I am going to speed check all of this ammo.

TM

[Michigan Joe]

I did not know that the bulk packs were hollow points.  If 500 of the Lightnings go for $15, how does that compare with the bulk packs?

[techmike]

I think the bulk packs are $20-ish now at WalMart- last time I bought I got 10, and they were $18 each.

[wobblinwheel]

The CCI "Velocitors" and the subsonics (I don't know about the others) have a slightly LONGER bore-contact area on the bullet itself. While I believe this would contribute to better accuracy, they seem to have difficulty chambering in some semi-auto's. Many semi-auto chambers that appear to shoot just about ANYTHING have a measurably larger and sometimes longer chamber. The Colt/Umarex definately does NOT.

[Shooter526]

I tried out 6 different rounds today in my M&P and my GSG. Awesome time! Here's the result of the shoot.  :grin:

*Remington Golden Bullets(Dicks bulk pack $19.99)

*Federals(Walmart bulk pack $15.99)

*Winchester Dyna-Points(Walmart Bulk pack $15.99)

*CCI Mini-Mag(Dicks $9.99)

*CCI Velocitors(Dicks $9.99)

*Remington Subsonic(Walmart $1.99)

Out of these six the Federals and the CCI Velocitors had zero FTF's out of 600 and were dead nuts. The Winchesters were next with 10 FTF's out of 500 and also dead nuts which was surprising. Mini-mags were next with 9 FTF's out of 40 and did also have 2 jammers and shots were off just a touch. I stopped on the ninth FTF and unloaded them. Subsonics were next in line with 7 FTF's out of 50, 4 jams, and holes all over the 9 and bulls-eye. Last and certainly least is the Golden Bullet. Now when I was younger these were top of the line. Now they are at the bottom with 20 FTF's out of 100, 5 jammers, and holes all over the paper after 6 shots. Some rounds sounded like they didn't have enough powder. Was pretty awesome though.

*NOTE- All shooting was done at a range with a licensed firearms instructor and range director on hand to record results for a local shooting group.