Federal Ultra Target .22 LR Jamming Crazy

[easycity]

Federal Ultra Target .22LR 36 grain copper plated hollow point.

Four Seasons have 2100 rounds bulk on sale. I took the plunge. Two days ago I shoot them in my Smith & Wesson MP 15 22. They jam like crazy. Fail to Eject once every 5 rounds. The spent shell gets stuck between the port opening and bolt. I also have mysterious fail to fire once every 10 rounds. I pull the trigger, nothing happens. I pull the bolt handle, a round in the chamber get ejected. Those failed to fire rounds have no problem to fire once re-inserted into the magazine.
My 15 22 shot CCI standard velocity without any problem. Even the notorious Winchester Wildcat has fail to feed problem once in 100 rounds.
One funny ammo is Geco 22LR semi-automatic, not Geco bolt-action variety. This round has grease all over the ammo, and has not a single problem in my 15 22. The only problem is that my hands get greasy.
I did not see any report of this level of problem with Federal Ultra Target. Are they this bad for everyone? Is it because I did something wrong to my 15 22? Is it because the 15 22 gets greasy in bolt and magazine after shooting the greased-over Geco 22 LR ammo for semi-automatic? Will greasing up rounds solve the problem?
If everything failed, does complaining to Federal help?

 

[mac1911]

Federal is owned by ATK which owns CCI. Why federal 22lr generally sucks is a mystery. It seems the more federal labels thier ammo as premium, match , "ultra target" the more it falls on its face.
I think the manufactures have reached a level of fail with 22lr ammo and rifles. Theres really no reason why they cant make a 22semi auto that cant run on shorts and LR. They did it 50 plus years ago.?
O well take the shit ammo and run it through a shit 22 revolver.

 

[easycity]

I could not believe that any mass-market ammo can be this bad like Federal Ultra Target for my 15 22. When I thought about all possible reasons, I remember that when I use a bore snake to clean 15 22, the looping end got trapped on the ejector. Since the 22 caliber bore is very tight for the bore snake to pass through, I used a lot of force. When the end of bore snake trapped on the sticking out ejector, I may have bent the ejector out of way.
Next time when I go to the range, I will double-check the ejector and other parts.

 

[TomMontana]

It seems the more federal labels thier ammo as premium, match , "ultra target" the more it falls on its face.

A 22lr brick with 525 loose rounds is probably mediocre at best. I would have higher expectations for a box of 50 "match" or minimags. There's really no reason to buy the cheaper bricks at this point since the better ammo is priced competitively.

 

[PaulR]

Two words:


Mini.

Mags.

 

[wahsben]

O well take the shit ammo and run it through a shit 22 revolver.

This is one of the reasons to own a revolver. Basically any ammo of the right caliber can be shot in it. Also they're fun!

 

[Lip]

I have the same issue with Remington 22 ammo. I use it exclusively with my bolt 22s

 

[MadatMarek]

For your safety and piece of mind I will happily dispose of the offending ammunition at no cost. Lol

 

[mac1911]

A 22lr brick with 525 loose rounds is probably mediocre at best. I would have higher expectations for a box of 50 "match" or minimags. There's really no reason to buy the cheaper bricks at this point since the better ammo is priced competitively.

Very true, although mini mags are generally crap also . They might cycle a smidge better.....but there’s no reason a semi auto 22lr needs a extra boost to cycle

 

[MisterHappy]

Different guns prefer different food.

On my High Standard, one mag works with Federal, the other needs a slice of bread to go with the jams. Both mags are fine with CCI. Aguila match is a no-go with either.

If you have another 22, try it in that, or find someone to swap it with.

 

[kalash]

You know how 10/22s run any and all another without fuss? Yeah.... mine jams on Federal match ammo. Total junk. Meanwhile Remington goldies run 100%, go figure.

 

[joseph]

I had an extraction problem with my 10/22 and replaced the extracter with one from KIDD and that fixed the problem.

BOLTS

 

[easycity]

Thanks for so many anecdotal evidence. There are real preferences for each gun with types of ammo.
I will not rush to play with the extractor on my 15 22. Instead, I will wait for next trip to shooting range and verify with CCI and Winchester ammo. If my 15 22 failed with CCI that runs perfectly before, I will play with the ejector.

 

[whatluck]

I have a CMMG 22 upper that pukes on federal match ammo, 10-20%, but it loves golden bullet. Go figure. Makes for good malfunction practice, I'm really fast as a result. Minimags are my fav, but the golden bullet 22 bucket makes for a great value and runs in everything I own.

OP: Sounds like you need to buy a Smith 617.

 

[tnmt_donkey]

I bought that bundle from FS as well. I was well aware of the light weight .22lr issue for some guns. I went just for the price and the ammo can.

Half box, 200+ rounds, through my Mark IV. Only one squib so far, put 2 strikes on it, didn’t go off. And one FTE.

In general, it’s not too bad.

 

[Mesatchornug]

I bought that bundle from FS as well. I was well aware of the light weight .22lr issue for some guns. I went just for the price and the ammo can.

Half box, 200+ rounds, through my Mark IV. Only one squib so far, put 2 strikes on it, didn’t go off. And one FTE.

In general, it’s not too bad.

one squib, or one failure to fire? wildly different events. the former leaves a projectile in the barrel, the latter simply never goes bang.

 

[bigpick]

I had the same problem so I switched over to this and haven’t had any issues.

 

[tnmt_donkey]

one squib, or one failure to fire? wildly different events. the former leaves a projectile in the barrel, the latter simply never goes bang.

My bad, it didn’t go bad for twice.

And I did run 40g CCI in Mark IV as well, 300+ rounds, no issue so far.

 

[marleythefish]

I shoot federal automatch with no issues in my ruger MK2. Some guns just dont like some ammo i guess.

 

[mac1911]

View attachment 247272 I had the same problem so I switched over to this and haven’t had any issues.

Its pretty sad we need a special 22lr to use in semi auto 22s
22lr been manufactured for over 100 yrs now and seems the last 15 manufactures have lost the ability to get them to function? The JMB design semi auto 22 is over 100 years old and functions well on plain old 22lr? Fun stuff

 

[easycity]

Last weekend I used the same Smith & Wesson 15 22 with CCI standard velocity and Geco Semi-Auto, both 40 grain bullets. There is not a single problem. I did not even clean the rifle after I have numerous jams with Federal Ultra Target.
So it is clear the problem lies in Federal Ultra Target, or the mis-match with my 15 22.
I noticed that Geco Semi-Auto has some kind of grease over it. Next time I will try to put some Vaseline over the Federal Ultra Target.

 

[Bt74]

This is one of the reasons to own a revolver. Basically any ammo of the right caliber can be shot in it. Also they're fun!

Except for Remington Thunderbolts. I have had them not even fit into the cylinder.

 

[mac1911]

Last weekend I used the same Smith & Wesson 15 22 with CCI standard velocity and Geco Semi-Auto, both 40 grain bullets. There is not a single problem. I did not even clean the rifle after I have numerous jams with Federal Ultra Target.
So it is clear the problem lies in Federal Ultra Target, or the mis-match with my 15 22.
I noticed that Geco Semi-Auto has some kind of grease over it. Next time I will try to put some Vaseline over the Federal Ultra Target.

The "grease" on the geco is bullet lube. Do not put vaseline or oil on the federal. Geco is owned by a swiss company that owns RWS and Norma . Most European 22lr has the "wet lube" it seems or beeswax. Geco tends to be decent as it might be the rejects of the RWS/norma lines.
Im goung to gander your federal has a few thinvs going on.
Rim thickness variation , poor powder , bullet profile. Seems some of these newer 22s the manufactures some how failed to design a platform that can feed good old 100 year old designed ammo.

 

[wahsben]

Except for Remington Thunderbolts. I have had them not even fit into the cylinder.

That's bad. I've not had that happen but that means that they weren't sized to the right caliber if they didn't fit.

 

[easycity]

Thanks "mac1911", you seems to have answers ready for all my questions, whether it is Yugoslavia M48, or .22 LR jamming on Smith & Wesson 15 22.
I searched "bullet lube" online. My impression is that bullet lube is meant to lubricate the bullet so it travels easier in the barrel. Will that help my problem of .22 LR spent case stove-piping on my SW 15 22? Should I put normal gun lubricant on the bolt and spring of my SW 15 22 instead?
For Geco Semi-Auto ammo, I did feel wet and slippery on the cases. Perhaps the same bullet lube on the case will help the stove-piping issue.

 

[mac1911]

Thanks "mac1911", you seems to have answers ready for all my questions, whether it is Yugoslavia M48, or .22 LR jamming on Smith & Wesson 15 22.
I searched "bullet lube" online. My impression is that bullet lube is meant to lubricate the bullet so it travels easier in the barrel. Will that help my problem of .22 LR spent case stove-piping on my SW 15 22? Should I put normal gun lubricant on the bolt and spring of my SW 15 22 instead?
For Geco Semi-Auto ammo, I did feel wet and slippery on the cases. Perhaps the same bullet lube on the case will help the stove-piping issue.

I grew up where any more lube to prevent rust was not good for semi auto 22s as for having info it’s only because I have been down these roads before.
What I learned about 22lr on the way.
Find what works in your guns and buy as much as that particular lot number as you can, applies to any ammo actually

 

[AHM]

Except for Remington Thunderbolts. I have had them not even fit into the cylinder.

What this world needs is an animated GIF of the mobster in
The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight stomping on his revolver
to get it to close on the .32 ACP that he's jammed into the cylinder.

 

[easycity]

There is a recent turn of events for the jamming of Federal Ultra Target .22 LR 36 grain ammo on my Smith Wesson M&P 15 22.
At the beginning, I shot more than a thousand CCI, Geco without any problem. Winchester Wildcat give my jam once every 20 rounds. So I felt safe to jump on big sales. In a local gun store, I found a deal for Federal Ultra Target .22 LR 36 grain, with a plastic ammo can. Mostly for the copper coating over the lead bullet, and partly for the cute-looking ammo can, I bought a can of 2,600 rounds. First time I shot this Federal Ultra Target, it jammed my 15 22 once every 4 or 5 rounds. Obviously I could not "jam through" 2,600 rounds of this ammo. My life is too short for that. This is the thread that I complained bitterly.
Someone mentioned that 36 grain bullet may not give big enough recoil to operate the bolt reliably. Someone suggested that lubricating the bolt may help the jamming problem. It was true that I had been shooting my 15 22 dry, without any lubrication. So last weekend, I cleaned my 15 22, and for the first time, applied some Hoppe's 9 lubricant to the bolt and sliding rails. A pleasant surprise! Federal Ultra Target on my 15 22 only jammed once in about 20 rounds! The failure rate may be further reduced if I clean the 15 22 more frequently and apply lubricant to more places. Now I can see myself enjoy the plinking of these 2,600 rounds of ammo.
To be honest, that is not ideal. In the future, I will stick with CCI and Geco semi-auto (with bee wax). Non-stopping plinking through 15 22 is a big reward for my life. However, now I finally found a way to live through 2,600 rounds of Federal Ultra Target, and get some level of enjoyment out of it.

 

[Caveman]

Thanks for the update. I’ve certainly found my semi auto 22’s like to be clean and lubed, especially given how dirty and gritty 22lr is. Lol the bolt on my Marlin crunches when I pull it back, it needs a cleaning. I do know that my 22/45’s haven’t had a failure with CCI standard or minimag. But a friend gave me a box of the federal match target and I couldn’t get through a mag. I have a emergency case of the federal for my bolt guns incase we are down to 22’s for survival hunting but can’t run it in my pistols. I’m a firm believer that 22’s are temperamental and just don’t agree with certain ammo. Be it accuracy or reliability. Happy shooting!

 

[AHM]

There is a recent turn of events for the jamming of Federal Ultra Target .22 LR 36 grain ammo on my Smith Wesson M&P 15 22.

Youbad:
I just did a Google search on the unquoted string:

Federal Ultra Target .22lr​

This thread was #1 in the Google results.
YMMV.