After a solid week of rain and a few extra days to let the range dry out I was finally able to get out and shoot the B22 FV again. This would end up being a marathon session of 875 rounds with four different types of ammunition: CCI Standard Velocity, Eley Club, Federal Range Pack (bulk) and Norma Tac-22. Conditions were also much better than the first two sessions with a very light 3-5mph half value wind from my 5 o’clock with the occasional gust in the 8-10mph range.
First up was the Federal Range Pack bulk ammo. Given how the Field Pack ammo had shot on the first outing I was expecting this ammo to do a little better (Range should be a little better quality than Field, right), but that didn’t turn out to be the case. In fact, the best group I could muster from 275 rounds of the Range Pack ammunition was a 0.562”, and the aggregate for all of the Range Pack groups was 0.925” – a little larger than that of the Field Pack ammo on the first day.
Next up was the Norma Tac-22 which is the preferred ammo of one of my other rifles. The Tac-22 shot extremely well and grouped nicely, but as would ultimately become the story of the day there just always seemed to be one stray round that really opened the groups up. Best group was a 0.459” with several others in the high 4’s, but the overall aggregate after 200 rounds was in the high 6’s at 0.682”. Not bad, but not great either considering this is a mid-priced ammunition at about $7/box.
I decided to try some of the Eley Club next. It shot very well to start, but then the conditions started to deteriorate as the wind kicked up and it’s reflected in the final aggregate. My best group with the B22 FV was a 0.325” which was shot with the Eley Club, but most were in the ½ to ¾ inch range. Overall aggregate for the Eley Club was 0.550”.
Last but not least was the CCI Standard Velocity. While a budget priced ammunition, I have found this to shoot very well in a number of rifles and it did very well in the B22 FV as well. I managed several groups in the mid 3’s with this ammo, the best being a 0.352”, while the majority of my groups fell into the 6’s and 7’s. For $4/box ammo that’s not bad. Total aggregate for 200 rounds was 0.686”.
I must say that I am quite impressed with the new B22 FV from Savage. All of the upgrades made to the Mark I/II/93 design to create the new B-Series model were smartly done and offer a definite improvement over the previous model. The new rotary magazine proved to be flawless with zero (yes zero!) feeding issues over the course of more than 1,700 rounds. The rear of the magazine hangs down a bit below the line of the stock when snapped into place, mainly due to the fact that there’s no retention point on the rear, but it doesn’t seem to have a negative effect of any kind. Like the A17 magazine it takes a bit to learn the proper way to load rounds into the magazine, but once you do it a few times it becomes second nature and isn’t an issue.
Extraction and ejection were also extremely consistent with only two failures to eject the spent case clear of the action over the course of 1,700 rounds. The new breech design on the barrel likely contributed to the lack of extraction issues, and it’s much easier to keep clean to ensure proper extractor function as there are no recessed slots that can get gummed up with fouling. Additionally, the new coned design will make it much easier to pluck a case out of the chamber with your fingernail in the event you do have a failure to extract.
The new tang safety works just as it should, though you do have to alter your grip a little to manipulate it. The new design for the rear half of the bolt assembly works well and the new cocking indicator will eliminate the possibility of getting the web of your thumb pinched like could happen with the older models. The AccuTrigger once again performed admirably with a light pull and a crisp break at just over two pounds.
In terms of accuracy the groups speak for themselves. Not only did the B22 FV shoot plenty of sub MOA groups, but it did so with six of the eight different types of ammo used during my testing. That’s impressive for any rimfire rifle of any cost, but even more so for a rifle that has an MSRP of just over $300.
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