best ammo for Buckmark udx

[asterix3]

I am new to guns and new to this forum, just acquired .22 Buckmark (because i heard that Rugers mark 2,3, were awful to take apart and re assemble for cleaning).
What is the best ammo for target shooting and any ideas on red light scope for this pistol?   

[alfsauve]

Welcome Asterix3.

I have a Buckmark and works great.  Took about 300 rounds to break it in though.  FTEs occasionaly during the break-in period.  But now it hums along.    I tried several different ammo and settled on "standard velocity" CCIs. 

A little background.   I use to buy ammo, here and there,  what was on sale, what was being hyped.   I've gotten older and hopefully wiser and decided to find (for each gun) what works and stick with it.  No more, "Ooh, ooh, Walmarts got FedWinGold stuff for BOGO" 

Taking my primary 3 .22 guns, the SV CCIs gave the smallest groups and functioned well in all three.  That's all I buy.   Yeah it's not the hottest, hollow cavity, super slick copper coating, but it functions and I hit what I'm aiming at.   THAT SAID:  You try several different brands and types in your gun and see what works best for you (after breakin of course).   Even two of the same make/model guns with consecutive s/n may like different ammo.


Red Dots are easy.   Buy the most expensive one just past what you can afford.  You'll not regret it.   EOTech or Aimpoint if you can.   Working your way down the ladder to things like NcStar.  I've owned most of the under $50 ones and I wouldn't waste my money again on them.   Very disappointed.    Check out the various shooting competitions that allow red dots.   See what brands/models those folks use.  That'll be a clue.   Don't be swayed by be-all do-all features either.  They just add complications and potential to go wrong.   I'm settling on one reticle, one color, very basic.  Little to break or get out of adjustment. 

Alf <-- who had an uncle that worked in an asterisk factory one time.   He ran the asterisk stamping machine until he fell in and made a half-asterisk of himself.

 

[tombogan03884]

The BuckMark I had seemed to run best on standard velocity, WalMart ammo, CCI, Remington , etc.
.22 shoot dirty I found that in order to prevent malfunctions I needed to clean the breech area after every 100 rounds.
tried some Eley pistol Target rounds and only got through 1 box as they have a heavier coating of lube.
Also, my groups opened up with higher velocity ammo.
High velocity .22 ammo is inherently less accurate than standard velocity since as it approaches the sound barrier it builds up a pressure wave, much like an aircraft, this induces instability that effects accuracy in such a light bullet.

[asterix3]

great replies, thanks a lot.  I am as I said a new gun owner, having taken the Women on Target course a 6 months ago.  I bought some CCI HP rounds, but was not sure what HP meant....then i found out it means hollow point....will those also work with the Buckmark???
This looks to be a great forum!  I love DownRange TV, website...and i am really getting into this. 

[sledgemeister]

Best ammo for target shooting really depends on the pistol, .22s are finicky or can be. I havent got a buckmark but I have a couple ruger mark 3's and a charger and for me the best all around ammo to use is Winchester Power Points. That said some pistols shoot great with cheap stuff. Normally buy a heap of different brands and then test it and find which groups the best, then I buy a heap of that type, preferably with the same batch number if possible.
Re red dots if your shooting plate size targets at 25m or less theyre great, if you want inch groups at 25m then get a proper pistol scope and mount it because the average red dot has a 4moa dot which obscures a lot of the target area.
If your new to shooting and this is your first one I would stick to open sights for a lttle while and develop your technique and skills ie learn how to shoot properly accuracy will follow and your groupings will reduce.
If you insist on getting a dot then the more expensive dots like aimpoint, eotech, docter etc do offer finer moa dots allowing to to become more precise at a greater distance however be prepared to pay handsomely for them.
Re your question re hollow points yes you can use them in a pistol, I use them all the time.
PS
Welcome to the forum!

[Sponsor]

[Badgersmilk]

I am new to guns and new to this forum, just acquired .22 Buckmark (because i heard that Rugers mark 2,3, were awful to take apart and re assemble for cleaning).
What is the best ammo for target shooting and any ideas on red light scope for this pistol?  

They come apart no problem at all.  What you heard about putting the Ruger back together was no lie!  PITA!  

The procedure goes something like. "Point it at the moon, put in the slide, wrap your head in tin foil, bark three times while jumping up and down, pull the trigger, wiggle the slide, put in the magazine, pull it out, snap shut the contraption that holds it all together, do the hokey pokey, and that's what its all about!"  

And yet, I still love mine!  

[tombogan03884]

The cavity on a .22 hollow point is generally to small to make much difference in how it feeds into the chamber.
What Sledgemeister posted is true, every pistol has one or 2 brands that work best in it, just a little more accurate, maybe just a little more reliable.
The strange thing is, you can take 2 identical pistols off the assembly line and they may each prefer different brands.
It is some thing you have to work out by trying different brands of ammo and keeping track of your group sizes.

[sledgemeister]

They come apart no problem at all.  What you heard about putting the Ruger back together was no lie!  PITA!  

The procedure goes something like. "Point it at the moon, put in the slide, wrap your head in tin foil, bark three times while jumping up and down, pull the trigger, wiggle the slide, put in the magazine, pull it out, snap shut the contraption that holds it all together, do the hokey pokey, and that's what its all about!"  

And yet, I still love mine!  

Phooey, rugers are a POP if you take the time to learn it, now changing out a trigger in them thats a different matter. One needs three pairs of hands and a degree in quantum physics

[tombogan03884]

But the Buck Mark is every bit as good a pistol, maybe a bit more accurate, they are equal as far as after market parts and accessories, and it's simple.

[fightingquaker13]

Welcome aboard. I used to own a Browning and regrettably sold it because of economic circumstances. It liked CCIs and also bulk Remington. Alf is right though, buy a few boxes at somewhere like Gander. They are cheap and see what works.

I also want to echo Alf on the red dot issue. If you can afford it, buy an eotech 512. If you can't, buy a Bushnell. I don't like NC Stars, but others do, so I guess they might be acceptable. I just had a bad experience  (as in wasted money and in the trash, but that might just be luck of the draw), (YMMV). If you can't, or choose not to afford those, learn to live with iron sights. I don't say that to be a condescending mall ninja  either. Its just that a good set of irons beats a POS red dot every day of the week.  There are lots of good irons out there, every thing from true glow to tritium. All of them beat a bad red dot. And frankly, I have no idea what kind of sights Browning is using now. They may be great for all I know. Shoot a few hundred rounds to break in your pistol (cool thing about .22 is it'll cost all of $15 ) and then decide whether you want or need to improve the sights. Just my .02. Good luck, have fun and welcome.
FQ13