Sorry for another girl question
 

Sorry about coming to the forum once again with a newbie question, but I have been unable to find information on the internet that is basic enough for me to understand, and you guys have been so helpful.

I would like to understand enough about .22 ammunition to be able to make sense of what I am reading on the internet and to be able to purchase it knowledgeably. The gun in question is a .22 Winchester Wildcat rifle. It will be an "all purpose" gun, used for everything from shooting wood rats to protecting myself in a pinch. (Not my main home self-defense gun, but easier to tote around in the woods than a shotgun.)

My impression so far is that all .22 bullets are not the same. . . I have seen "long" and "short" bullets, and other bullets described as "varmint" and "varmint and small game." There may be others. Will any .22 bullet work in my rifle? What are the considerations that I should think about in choosing ammunition for my .22 rifle?

Thanks in advance for your advice!

Re: Sorry for another girl question
 

Am, these aren't "girl questions", as a newby a few years ago I asked these questions myself. :biggrin:

Basically, almost all modern .22 firearms use .22 LR, including .22 pistols. Check the barrel of your firearm, it will be engraved on the side as to the exact type of ammo it uses. The specific recommended brand might be indicated in the owner's manual, if you have it. I don't know about the Wildcat, but just do a few web searches on it and you should find plenty of recommendations.

Re: Sorry for another girl question
 

First, you should use .22 Long Rifle (LR) ammo in your rifle. Your manual should address whether you can use other .22 rimfire rounds like the .22 Short or the .22 Long. But to be safe, use .22 LR. It is also the least expensive. Do not try to use .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire (WMR) as it will not chamber.

Your rifle is a bolt-action, and you can shoot any .22 LR cartridge. I would suggest avoiding some unusual rounds like the Aguila 60-grain rounds, but most any other .22 LR cartridge is fine.

Re: Sorry for another girl question
 

Your Winchester Wildcat should be able to fire .22CB, .22 CB Long, .22 Short, .22 Long, and .22 Long Rifle ammunition, although there is little benefit in using anything other than .22 Long Rifle (or .22lr for short). The .22 Short and .22 Long rounds are by and large obsolete, lower powered, and often more expensive than .22 Long Rifle rounds. Do not buy .22 Magnum, .22-250 or any other .22 caliber designated ammo, as it will not chamber in your rifle.

There is a bewildering variety of .22lr ammo, but most of the differences though can be boiled down to bullet weight and velocity. The weight of .22lr bullets can vary from 20 grains to about 60 grains, with 32, 36, and 40 grains being most common. Velocities are more vague, but you will find "subsonic", "target", "standard", "high", and "hyper" velocity rounds. subsonic, target and standard will usually be more accurate, though not always.

.22lr rifles usually show definite preferences for one brand of ammunition over another, so I recommend you buy one 50 round box of as many different brands as you can find, then shoot them to see which is most accurate in your rifle. Once you know which one your rifle prefers, buy a LOT of it.

I hope this was helpful.

Re: Sorry for another girl question
 

The Winchester Wildcat is basically a relabeled TOZ-78 rifle, made by Tula Arsenal in mother Russia. When Googling re: ammo preferences, you might also search for the TOZ rifle.

Here's an interesting webpage showing how different makes of ammo affect accuracy:

http://www.beartoothbullets.com/tech...ch_notes.htm/3

as .41Dave said, ammo choice can make a big difference in accuracy - try what's available in your area before buying a large amount of any single variety.

Re: Sorry for another girl question
 

If you want 22LR for hunting or defensive reasons, buy CCI Velocitor ammo. It is the deadliest 22LR on the market. It is a 40-grain hollowpoint bullet traveling at 1435 feet per second that opens up on impact to a .35 caliber slug. While a 22 isn't the best of cartridges, if you are going to use it this is the ammo to buy.

Re: Sorry for another girl question
 

22 ammo comes in two flavors-----cheap plinking and high velocity.

The price is very different for the 2 types.

I like the High Velocity for anything related to meat. The plinking stuff for knocking rocks in half and takeing off limbs and tin cans. The two types hit in different places because of the speed.

Pick the good stuff and practice with it. Its the more work related of the two.

Hope this helps..

Have some fun.

E-A

22 long riflle is the first choice for your tool.

Re: Sorry for another girl question
 

For general purpose .22LR, I like the CCI Mini-Mags.

Re: Sorry for another girl question
 

Re: Sorry for another girl question
 

Attachment 63132

Best advice in this thread. Just buy some CCI Mini-Mag ammo and spend your time actually shooting. Problem solved...now go to the range for some practice with other real-world shooters.

:smile:

Re: Sorry for another girl question
 

I have a Winchester Wildcat bolt action .22LR.

The most accurate ammo out of mine is Aquilla SuperMaximumHighVelocity & CCI Stingers.

It is a very Accurate little rifle, enjoy.

Re: Sorry for another girl question
 

Thanks, guys. I appreciate the advice more than you know!

Re: Sorry for another girl question
 

I think it was very helpful.

Re: Sorry for another girl question
 

That is a nice looking rifle. I would put a scope on it.

http://i44.tinypic.com/2m5gj12.jpg