CCI Rimfire Ammo Test

CCI rimfire ammunition always used to be the old copper-washed, hollow point (HP) design. It shot very close to the subsonic sound level threshold, yet gave good accuracy in a wide range of rifle types. The number of options has now increased, with specific ammo for semi-auto rifles and those fitted with a sound moderator.

CCI Sub-Sonic

The CCI Sub-Sonic load uses a 40-grain, lead, HP bullet that is well-shaped and uniform, with a deep cavity that’s not filled with wax/oil, like some other makes.

Listed performance is 1050 fps | 98 ft/lbs, and the ammo comes in handy plastic boxes of 100. The projectile is a pretty typical conical design, showing a deep HP and two cannelures to hold the lubricating wax/oil. The lube is reasonably tacky, so I was interested to see how it would perform in the semi-auto test.

The loaded round weight was consistent at 50.4-grains, with an overall case length of 0.9630”. Using a sample of 10 rounds, the bullet weight was pretty consistent at 39.6-grains, with the bullet diameter coming in at 0.2240”. The powder used is a black circular flake (weighing exactly 1.0-grain), and there is a light green primer mixture that covers 90% of the case bottom.

Segmented

The Segmented HP Sub-Sonic load uses a 40-grain bullet that splits into three parts on impact. It is designed to transfer more energy and reduce the chance of ricochets. Interestingly, CCI has gone for the older, copper-washed approach, and has also encased the bullet with an extra thin layer of lube. The HP design is uniform, with a deep cavity and minimal overspill from the copper-wash coating.

The overall length measured 0.9625”, the total weight was 50.5-grains, the bullet diameter was 0.2235”, and each projectile weighed 39.8-grains (average). As well as the primer mixture, the powder quantity and type were the same as the subs.

CCI Suppressor

The CCI Suppressor cartridges use a heavier, 45-grain, lead HP bullet. The extra weight is there to help them work well in semi-automatic rifles. Velocity is quoted as 970 fps, so they are very much sub-sonic. The overall length is greater (0.9900”) due to the longer bullet, which weighed in at 45.2-grains (average). The primer mix and powder type were the same as the others, but there was less of it (0.8 grains).

Due to the extra weight, the projectile has a larger diameter of 0.2255”, and on inspection, the lube did spill over into the HP on quite a few rounds. This is not always a problem, as the hydraulic shock on impact can actually achieve good bullet expansion.

Shhhhhhhhhh!

Finally, the CCI Quiet-22 use a solid, round-nosed, 40-grain bullet made from lead. Moving at only 710 fps, they are only really designed for target shooting, but they do have practical uses. The solid nature of the bullet design means that no expansion is implied, so be aware of ricochets.

When measured, the overall length and weight come in at 0.9785” and 50.2-grains respectively. The average bullet weight was 39.6-grains. This time we had 0.6- grains of light green, rounded flake powder. The primer mixture was the same. Finally, the bullet diameter is standard at 0.2240” and the typical CCI lube is applied.

Overall, a good round for practice, indoor use on a range, or very quiet hunting (headshots only and with a good backstop!).

Results

As you can see, accuracy was pretty good across the board (see accuracy table). I printed 5-shot groups at 30 and 50 yards and they were measured edge to edge. For a centre-to-centre measurement, just subtract the bullet diameter, if you wish.

The CCI Sub-Sonic was a good all-rounder, with very good penetration (8”), expansion (0.406”), and wound channel volume (12 ml). Each round was subsonic and accuracy was the best in my Sako Finnfire, hovering around the 0.5” mark at 50 yards. While using my semi-auto, I had a couple of partial feeds, but that was due to excessive lube on the bullet.

Next up were the CCI Segmented rounds. As expected, the bullet did indeed separate into three segments, weighing 13.7, 11.4, and 12.6-grains. Interestingly, this ammo produced the smallest amount of penetration, as most of the energy transfer happened within the first 2”, and then the smaller segments fanned out from the centreline. Although the wound channel was small at 9.2 ml, the energy was distributed over a wider internal volume. This was very impressive and exactly as advertised. Accuracy at both ranges hardly differed, and was consistently below 0.7” for five shots at 50 yards. In the semi-auto test, the combination of the copper-washed bullets and a 1073 fps velocity, meant 100% reliable feeding and ejection.

The CCI Suppressor rounds really interested me, as the heavier 45-grain HP bullet offers decent energy retention and a good trajectory. Accuracy was almost the same at 30 yards as it was at 50 yards, and at 100 yards, the wind effect was less than expected. This was no doubt due to the good BC and extra weight. Expansion on impact was good, with a nice mushroom shape showing a 0.369” diameter. The amount of penetration and the wound channel measured 7” and 10.7 ml respectively. In use, these rounds were very quiet and the extra 5-grains of bullet weight ensured the Ruger 10/22 semi-auto functioned perfectly. You could definitely feel the extra oomph in the bolt operation.

Finally, the CCI Quiet were indeed quiet, especially in the silenced Sako. But accuracy was only OK, as these lower velocity rounds can be fickle sometimes. The round-nosed bullet means no expansion after impact, plus no weight loss. As expected, the wound channel was the smallest, as the bullet just produced a channel the same diameter as the projectile. Despite having the lowest velocity (753 fps), the penetration figure was the highest, at 9”, plus the 1” into the catchall behind! These results clearly show the advantages of a HP expanding bullet design for a blend of penetration and energy transfer, without over-penetration. As expected, they did not cycle in the semi-automatic.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, CCI has produced a very good selection of rimfire cartridges, and there is something here for everyone.