2 questions re: ammo

[RationalHusker]

I'm new to the board, so forgive me if this should have been posted on the reloading forum.

I have a 12-ga. Remington 870 with a rifled slug barrel (24", I believe), and my favorite slugs are Remington Copper Solids (2-3/4" sabots).  They are really pricey - usually about $14.99 for a box of 5 no matter where I look (BassPro, Scheels, Cabella's, and a few online sites).  Does anybody have any suggestions on where to find cheaper Remington Copper Solids?  If not, does anybody else have a rifled barrel for their 870 and have a preferred slug?  I just seem to have the most consistency and confidence with these after trying several different types of Winchesters and Hornady SSTs.  Every review I read on the Hornady slugs is glowing, but I couldn't get consistent groupings with them.  $3 bucks a pop makes practice painful on the pocketbook (and the shoulder...a 12-ga w/ slugs feel like an elephant gun when you're hunkered down on a bench).

Also, I'm stocking up on .22 bullets for my Ruger 10/22.  I'm anxiously awaiting Jack's Ebook on mastering the .22, because he'll probably address this question:  What things (i.e., grains, hollow point, muzzle velocity, etc.) should I consider when purchasing ammo, and does anybody know some dirt cheap places to find it?

Thanks in advance.

--RH

[UA8]

In all seriousness for 22 ammo I would suggest Wal-mart or Dick's sporting goods.  Both sell bricks of 22 ammo at about $20 or less per 500 rounds. So far I have had o.k. luck with Remington golden bullets and thunderbolts with a failure to fire about every 10-20 rounds (mind you most will fire if you run them again by directly dropping them in the chamber but that's quite a pain).    I've had better results with the Federal bricks and would recommend them.  This is mostly out of my 10/22 while I have shot afew round through my friends Ruger Mark II.  That said I've heard other have different results I would also imagine I could get my ftf's down a bit by having my firing pin worked.

[RationalHusker]

Thanks UA8.  I have bougth Thunderbolts and Federal bricks.  I'll have to price check and I'll let you know if I find any steals, especially if at a chain or online. 

[Pathfinder]

UA8 may have had luck with Rem yellow/green box, but I have not. My failure rate in my 10/22 was 5-10 per box of 50.

And that is the point I want to make. Get a couple 50-round boxes of different labels, and see what you gun likes. .22s are interestingly susceptible to ammo variation, so stock up on what shoots best (most accurate, least FTF/FTE) from your rifle.

Can't help on the slugs. I shoot a Mossy 590 and I use Winchester sabot slugs in a smooth barrel. No problems with accuracy at SD distances (up to 35 yards+/-), but for deer, that's another question.

[UA8]

UA8 may have had luck with Rem yellow/green box, but I have not. My failure rate in my 10/22 was 5-10 per box of 50.

And that is the point I want to make. Get a couple 50-round boxes of different labels, and see what you gun likes. .22s are interestingly susceptible to ammo variation, so stock up on what shoots best (most accurate, least FTF/FTE) from your rifle.

Can't help on the slugs. I shoot a Mossy 590 and I use Winchester sabot slugs in a smooth barrel. No problems with accuracy at SD distances (up to 35 yards+/-), but for deer, that's another question.

I wouldn't say I've had luck with Rem boxes I would say that my failure rate with them is at least as high as yours.  Although I am unsure if it is attributed to the ammo or my firing pin.  Although I can say that we were having quite a few ftf's in my friends Mark II with the Golden Bullets as well.

[KYdoomer]

Cheap .22 shells are great for stockpiling.  My opinion, always have one box of CCI Stingers on hand.  If I had to use a .22 to deer hunt (can't its illegal here), that's the round I'd use.  It is devastating.

J

[Goatdog62]

Pathfinder is right. The best ammo for your .22 is what it will fire reliably. Even the ubiquitous 10/22 can vary from rifle to rifle. I'll bujy the little 50 ct boxes until I figure out what works best, then I get a boatload of bricks of that same stuff. Nothing is as frustrating as a nice .22 that has continuous stoppages. Believe it or not, of my several .22 semi-auto rifles, the most UBER reliable one is a Mossberg 702 Plinkster. I can't recall it not eating any .22 it's been fed. My 10/22's have been more picky.

[RationalHusker]

Thank, guys.  I never really noticed this in all my "plunking" with my 10/22 I did in my early teens.  But I did have a Thunderbolt refuse to fire the last time I sited it in. 

[Dan]

Using Ammo Seek I was able to find the slugs at a place called Discount Gun Mart for a lot less.

FYI, I have never done business with them so cant say what they are like to deal with.

I also tried Ammo Engine but it doesnt cover shotgun ammo.

[devildoc]

+1 Dan , Found a new fav site on that one ..................

[Cooter Brown]

www.ammoman.com

Prices include shipping. They also have an email list and are really good about letting you know when new shipments come in.

[bsmith_shoot]

I own 3 differant 10/22's, and one Ruger Charger, and have found that the Federal Bulk will function great in all of them. The Remington works fine in 2 of the three, and the charger. The Winchester bulk is just plain junk in my rifles. I recommend that you buy a brick of all three, and shoot the "sh**" out of them. Whichever functions best in your rifle, use it. I would also recommend that you start off by shooting about 100 rounds of each type. What I mean by that is that you take a clean and well lubed rifle, pull out 100 rounds of each, and shoot them seperately. Then clean and lube your weapon again and shoot the remainder of one brick, then clean and lube again and shoot the remainder of the next, then clean and lube and shoot the remainder of the last. Its a lot of work, but it will help you find the round that works best for your weapon. Just my .02.

[RationalHusker]

Using Ammo Seek I was able to find the slugs at a place called Discount Gun Mart for a lot less.

FYI, I have never done business with them so cant say what they are like to deal with.

I also tried Ammo Engine but it doesnt cover shotgun ammo.

Thanks, Dan.  The photo you posted wasn't the exact slug I mentioned, but they did have the Copper Solid Sabots for $13.89 per box of 5 (vs. the $14.99 I've consistently seen).  If I can't find another slug that performs as well, I may buy in bulk from this source...at a buck a box discount, ordering 20 or more boxes would be worth it.

Still open to suggestion for others that have shot slugs from a Rem 870 rifled barrel (for deer up to 100+ yards out).

[joeinwv]

I have not had the issues others report with Rem bulk ammo. I use thunderbolt and golden bullets all the time. My 10/22 does very well with thunderbolt - but will shoot anything reliably.

My P22 used to be pickier - when not in plinking mode, it gets loaded with CCI minimags.

I think a lot of folks skip break in on their 22's due to the cheap cost - my P22 was a completely different gun on rounds 1500 - 3000 than it was on rounds 0-1500.

[UA8]

I have not had the issues others report with Rem bulk ammo. I use thunderbolt and golden bullets all the time. My 10/22 does very well with thunderbolt - but will shoot anything reliably.

My P22 used to be pickier - when not in plinking mode, it gets loaded with CCI minimags.

I think a lot of folks skip break in on their 22's due to the cheap cost - my P22 was a completely different gun on rounds 1500 - 3000 than it was on rounds 0-1500.

Not sure I buy into the whole "break in" deal with rifles. Saw a good write up in guns and ammo that basically, for the test that they did, with one barrel being broken in and one not showed that the break in did little to anything for the overall accuracy of the rifle.

Not to mention I would put money on most of us not being able to out shoot the guns we have "properly" broken in or not.

[Dan]

Thanks, Dan.  The photo you posted wasn't the exact slug I mentioned...

Picky...   

I wasn't sure if that was it but I'm glad you were able to find what you are looking for.

[RationalHusker]

Cheap .22 shells are great for stockpiling.  My opinion, always have one box of CCI Stingers on hand.  If I had to use a .22 to deer hunt (can't its illegal here), that's the round I'd use.  It is devastating.

J

Hey, doomer - just curious.  If you "had to" use a .22 to bring down a deer, what would you like the impact point to be?  Head, neck, heart, etc?  It's illegal here, too.  But I'm just curious...I'd only do it if my family was hungry and I didn't have access to anything else.

[bsmith_shoot]

Hey, doomer - just curious.  If you "had to" use a .22 to bring down a deer, what would you like the impact point to be?  Head, neck, heart, etc?  It's illegal here, too.  But I'm just curious...I'd only do it if my family was hungry and I didn't have access to anything else.

Sorry, not doomer, but. If I only had the option of a 10/22 to take a deer and feed my family, I would say a head shot. I would still have to be within 25 yards though.

[treedaddy]

Hey, doomer - just curious.  If you "had to" use a .22 to bring down a deer, what would you like the impact point to be?  Head, neck, heart, etc?  It's illegal here, too.  But I'm just curious...I'd only do it if my family was hungry and I didn't have access to anything else.

        head will drop them/heart-lung area is same as bow and arrow this is with hollow points and the ammo would be  sub-sonic

[RationalHusker]

        head will drop them/heart-lung area is same as bow and arrow this is with hollow points and the ammo would be  sub-sonic

treedaddy,

Can you explain why subsonic would be better in this case?

[treedaddy]

treedaddy,

Can you explain why subsonic would be better in this case?

    Not better,just what the gun likes.

[joeinwv]

Not sure I buy into the whole "break in" deal with rifles. Saw a good write up in guns and ammo that basically, for the test that they did, with one barrel being broken in and one not showed that the break in did little to anything for the overall accuracy of the rifle.
...

Just to clarify my point that some guns need a break in period - I agree that I do not think a rifle barrel will perform better after a break in procedure. I have seen too much evidence that this was a smart recommendation by barrel makers (break in = more wear = more barrels sold).

What I meant, was that some (most) firearms need to be fired in order for metal parts to wear in with one another - which will lead to improved functional reliability. My P22, 10/22 and P3AT all improved after a few hundred rounds fired. My Glock seems no different at 1,000 rds than it did at 10 rds.