Back in 2021, I picked up a Savage B22 Precision sitting in that sweet MDT Chassis. I topped it off with an Arken 6-24 scope and a two-piece UTG bipod. Since then, I’ve spent a fair amount of time behind it at the bench, mostly punching holes at 50 to 100 yards to see what it can really do with different glass and lead.
It turns out I might’ve lucked out with this barrel. In a world where you usually get what you pay for, this Savage seems to have a champagne taste on a craft beer budget! I’ve run everything through it—from the $4 “plinking” boxes to the $30 “match-grade” stuff—and the sweet spot seems to be right around that $12 per 50 mark. That said, the $5 CCI Standard Velocity gives the pricey stuff a serious run for its money.
Here’s how the data shook out for the B22:
The Consistency Kings (Average Group Size @ 50yds)
If I’m looking for repeatable, boringly accurate groups, these are the rankings:
- SK Rifle Match (The undisputed heavyweight champ for this rifle)
- Lapua Center-X (Pricey, but the groups don’t lie)
- CCI Standard Velocity (The local hero—unbeatable for the price)
- Lapua Midas
- Aguila Super Extra HV
- Norma USA Tac-22
- Aguila Target Competition
- Fiocchi JHP
- CCI Blazer
- Remington Target/Blazer
- Federal Game Shok
- Aguila Super Extra SV
- Federal American Eagle
- Federal JHP
The “Bragging Rights” (Best Single 5-Shot Group @ 50yds)
Sometimes the stars align, and the Savage produces a “one-hole” wonder. Here are the best individual groups recorded:
- CCI Standard Velocity: 0.275″ (Absolute tack-driver territory!)
- SK Rifle Match: 0.352″
- CCI Blazer
- Lapua Center-X
- Lapua Midas
- Aguila Super Extra HV
- Norma USA Tac-22
The Verdict
When the dust settles at the range, the SK Rifle Match is my go-to for the best overall average. Lapua Center-X takes a very respectable second place, but honestly, for a rifle that loves CCI SV as much as this one does, it’s hard to justify the extra coin unless I’m really trying to shave off those final fractions of an inch.
It just goes to show: you don’t always need the most expensive box on the shelf to get Rifleman-grade results out of a Savage.
-EnglishBob