I have many times read the opinion that .22lr ammo sold in bulk tubs and cartons is somehow inferior to the same product (Golden Bullets, Auto Match, etc.) packaged in 50 or 100 round quantities. Can anyone substantiate that manufacturers skimp on bulk packed ammo, which is usually retailed at a lower cost per round? Personally, I've never witnessed a difference in performance.

That’s an interesting question.

I watch many Internet videos about 22 Long Rifle shooting that concentrate both on the rifles and specific types of ammunition, and I recall seeing only one that addressed the question of whether there was a precision/accuracy difference between the boxed and bulk versions of a single type. The question is evidently not one that many people think to examine. Unfortunately, I don’t recall the details of that one test and can’t find it now, other than a vague memory that there wasn’t much, if any, difference. And of course, one test with one type and lot of ammunition, one rifle, one shooter, and under one specific range conditions wouldn’t prove anything meaningful in general anyway.

There are many reported tests of bulk 22 LR ammo brands online, and they do demonstrate that even among somewhat-similarly priced bulk (and boxed) varieties performance varies significantly. What’s difficult is comparing and evaluating the various tests conducted by different shooters. A few use good testing techniques, but most are literally not worth the time to watch for a variety of reasons.

A question like yours really does require a halfway decent rifle, and especially proper testing methodologies. If someone is using a bargain basement rifle and shooting a few three-shot groups at 50 yards on a 12 inch steel plate from a wobbly unsupported kneeling position, don’t expect to learn much.

One YouTuber has recently been conducting a worthwhile test of various bulk types of 22 Long Rifle ammunition, and his methods are generally superior to and more valid than most, so you might want to see what his results are:

https://www.youtube.com/@RimfireSS/videos

There are also many online tests of higher tier ammunition and rifles and most of those are conducted in a generally better manner (but not always). However, not many 22 LR shooters want to spend $20+ on a box of 50 rounds or $3K(+) on a rifle—and which is just the start of a precision competition setup.

If anyone can answer your question here I would be interested to see it.

I've watched a couple of the videos recommended. For my recreational purposes, a round grouping 1.5" at 50 yards is not a disappointment. To my issue, I could understand bullets becoming scraped or dimpled in loose bulk packaging. This might influence the aerodynamics of a projectile. But there is likely no difference in the factory production quality of the same advertised round whether sold in a bulk pack or compartmentalized box. I think this is a mythology. For my purposes, if a round performs adequately in my weapons, I do not hesitate to purchase it in bulk containers to save cash.

There may be no difference in quality of the rounds before packaging, but bulk bullets will contact each other to their detriment. The better .22 bullets do not contact each other as packaged.
Lead rimfire bullets are soft lead and deform or dent or shave slivers off when in contact with each other.
In the same way that Lapua brass used in my target rifles are never put in a tumbler so as not to dent or deform them and they are much more sturdy than 22 lead.

quote:

Originally posted by Samps:
But there is likely no difference in the factory production quality ....

I suspect you are right if for no other reason than that why use more care in manufacturing one batch of ammunition than another and yet calling them both the same thing? If ammunition coming off a manufacturing line could be automatically identified to determine which cartridges would be more precise than others, then the good stuff would go into the “good stuff” boxes.

I don’t know how a manufacturer like Eley or Lapua does things, but most of their ammo in different lines all looks the same. Perhaps they run off a lot and then test it to see how it performs and then put it in the appropriate boxes based on the results. There are no doubt manufacturing differences between the top and lower tiers, but even then there may be some final testing and sorting of lots.

Although it’s just a guess, my thought is that the same ammunition is sold in different packaging, box or bulk, just for customer convenience and preference. Maybe they’ve determined that not everyone wants or can afford to buy their 22 LR ammunition in bulk packs. I don’t know how many gun owners these days are as “financially challenged” (poor) as my family was when I was a kid, but I still remember when getting a 50-round box was a big deal. And maybe some people are convinced that the boxed stuff is better.

The fact that ammo in 50-round boxes costs more per round than that in a 250-round bulk pack is hardly new or different. Consumers expect to pay less per item/ounce/pound when they buy a lot rather than a little.

quote:

Originally posted by sunburn:
There may be no difference in quality of the rounds before packaging, but bulk bullets will contact each other to their detriment. The better .22 bullets do not contact each other as packaged.
Lead rimfire bullets are soft lead and deform or dent or shave slivers off when in contact with each other.

In the same way that Lapua brass used in my target rifles are never put in a tumbler so as not to dent or deform them and they are much more sturdy than 22 lead.

GREAT POINT I have never considered. My bulk packs are handled differently than my non-bulked packed.

quote:

Originally posted by sunburn:
There may be no difference in quality of the rounds before packaging, but bulk bullets will contact each other to their detriment. The better .22 bullets do not contact each other as packaged.
Lead rimfire bullets are soft lead and deform or dent or shave slivers off when in contact with each other.
In the same way that Lapua brass used in my target rifles are never put in a tumbler so as not to dent or deform them and they are much more sturdy than 22 lead.

I would have to tour the factory that makes ammo to believe that there is absolutely no point in the process where the components or completed cartridges are never in contact with others.