Request for help: "better" ammo suggestions

[hardlyworking]

Went to my first Appleseed this weekend, and mostly had a blast, except for one excruciating PITA - numerous stovepipes, especially painful in the 55 and 65 second timed runs on the AQT.

I was using a 10/22, factory 10-round mags
I was using Federal Champion 36gr copper plated HV hollowpoint 525 box

Not only was my accuracy less than stellar, I'll attribute that to me until I know otherwise, but of course some could be ammo related, but the FTE's were driving me nuts.

Can anybody recommend a quality 22LR that will reliably cycle and eject the 10/22 action that I can be on the look out for? I'm hoping to not break the bank, but I'm OK with .12-16c/round non-panic prices if the ammo is solid.

Also, I know that the Volquartzen Exact Edge Extractor is one of those commonly recomended parts, but my factory extractor does not look bad. Replace it anyway?
Any special instructions for removing the parts (springs go flying, etc.)?

Thanks guys!

[mnichols]

I shot rifleman at my first appleseed with blazer through my 10/22.

It's really a matter of what your gun likes. Try to pick up as many small boxes of different types to try them out.

CCI tends to be the best at a reasonable price. You can always go for match grade ammo if you don't mind spending a bit more.

Also look into mods for your gun. The extractor is a good idea. Maybe radius your bolt, upgrade recoil spring, send your bolt to que.

Of course the sky is the limit with 10/22s... swap out the barrel, trigger, stock, sights... the only limit being your budget.

[hardlyworking]

I'm in no danger of Rifleman any time soon, my low was a 141, high of 169. But I had several AQTs with only 1-2 shots fired on the Sitting/Kneeling rapid fire due to buggered up action and stovepipes. That wasn't what stopped me from earning the patch, but it certainly didn't do my time, or my calm, any favors.

[RCBS]

Was the gun clean prior to starting? The only time my 10/22s act up is either from bad ammo or copious amounts of dirt and fouling. Could be some grime hiding in the chamber...give it a good cleaning and try again. If it continues to malfunction, clean and try different ammo...really anything with 1000fps or higher should cycle the bolt. Could be the extractor is bad, easy fix for $11 from Kidd Innovative Designs :http://www.kiddinnovativedesign.com/...ctor_p_13.html

10/22s are fairly easy to strip. Keep an eye on your dowel pins as sometimes they fit loose enough to just fall out of the trigger assembly. Push two pins out to separate the trigger group from assembly, push out bolt stop pin at rear of receiver, push back the bolt (fully to rear of receiver) with your thumb and lift, it'll pop right up. Getting back in can sometimes be a PITA depending on how close the tolerances on your rifle are. Nothing should go flying.

[TAS]

I've had pretty good luck w/ the Federal Champion in my 10/22's on cycling but the accuracy starts to suffer after 50 yards or so. I've had better luck w/ Winchester Super-X and CCI Mini-Mags in both reliability and accuracy.

For example, I went through about 700 rounds of the CCI Mini-Mags this past weekend on a ground squirrel shoot and had zero feeding/cycling issues. As for accuracy, I was getting consistent hits out to 75-85 yards. I had a lot of success past this but windage started playing a factor on a successful hit (those little ba$tard$ are pretty small). I was using an aftermarket barrel but otherwise the receiver & extractor were stock 10/22 and this was all without any cleaning during the shoot.

[FeuerFrei]

Most any 22LR ammo with a 40 gr bullet that is shoving along at or above 1150 fps should get you shooting reliably.
1022 lubrication can be tricky. Less is more.

[jtake]

CCI AR Tactical cycles through my 10/22 very well. And it is pretty accurate. Not as accurate as match ammo, but good enough for 1-2 MOA at 50 yards.

[TMB 1]

Federal bulk ammo shoots really well in both of my 10/22s.

[Rosebud22]

If you are punching paper, no reason to use hollow points. In general solid round nose will chamber better than HPs. In your case with FTE, look at or replace the extractor. Maybe worn. CCI Std vel will be more accurate. They do cycle in my 10/22 YMMV.

[as_rocketman]

Different .22LR malfunctions have different causes. Stovepipes are not true FTE's, because the brass is extracted, it merely doesn't clear. This means either the ejector is busted or (more likely) there's a timing problem with that particular ammunition. We fix this with a different pressure curve -- heavier bullets or higher velocity.

My standard recommendation for balky LTR's is CCI Mini-mag, and that should work in this case. It's not too expensive and it's easy to find. Round nose is better than HP for our purposes but either flavor will be fine.

I wouldn't worry about changing the extractor until it shows clear evidence of being flaky. Doesn't sound like you have an extractor issue.

[Fishslayer]

Did it function with that ammo before? Does it function with other types of ammo? How old is the rifle? Federal should be GTG in a 10/22.

Was it recently cleaned? The later painted receivers can gum up from loose bubbled paint & cause cycling problems. I found that one out the hard way.

Were the malfs true stovepipes or was the spent case just getting left behind in the receiver? The case left rattling around in the receiver is most certainly the extractor. It's a known weak point.

[RawHP]

Also, I know that the Volquartzen Exact Edge Extractor is one of those commonly recomended parts, but my factory extractor does not look bad. Replace it anyway?
Any special instructions for removing the parts (springs go flying, etc.)?

My 10/22 started stove piping certain ammo a few months ago, after many years of reliable use. Stock extractor looked ok, but I switched it out for the exact edge when I had bolt work done by Que. Side by side, it is much sharper and the hook is a different angle. The stove pipes went away, but the downside is it now throws the casings about 12 feet, so I have to use a screen so I don't hit people 3 benches away at the range.
I changed out the extractors on two of my MK II pistols (same part as the 10/22), with similar results.

[Wordupmybrotha]

That's too bad. My 10/22 ate EVERYTHING with no malfunctions and it shot dead nuts. Sold it though...
Just like the people said above, thoroughly cleaning it and trying other ammo before replacing the extractor sounds like a good plan. Can't go wrong with CCI (not too expensive either). Federal Auto Match could be found online.

[RawHP]

I'm guessing it's not an ammo issue. Any correctly functioning 10/22 will extract and eject bulk high velocity ammo. When mine was having issues, it would even have some trouble extracting and ejecting unspent rounds, but now grabs and ejects them easily.

An easy test is to remove the bolt, and see if the extractor will hold an unspent round unsupported. You should even be able to shake it a little without the round falling out.

The part is $12 on Amazon and 15 minutes to install, even if you take your time.

[forerl]

For bulk ammo, I prefer Blazers which are hard to find now
For 100 round packs, I prefer CCI Mini Mags

I stay away from Remington 22lr but that is from past experiences