No Comments If you’ve ever been on the hunt for affordable plinking ammo, you may have come across the CCI Blazer .22LR. While we all want cheap ammo, we also want ammo that runs reliably in our guns. That’s why we’re taking a close look at how the CCI Blazer .22LR performs.
Keep reading for our CCI Blazer .22LR review!
CCI Blazer .22LR Review: Quick Facts
- Uses a 38gr. and 40gr. lead round nose bullet with an advertised muzzle velocity of 1235 fps
- Our velocity testing showed a velocity of 1027 fps out of a pistol with a 4.6″ barrel and 1168 fps out of a rifle with a 16.5″ barrel
- Tends to run hotter than CCI Standard Velocity based on our testing
- Made in the USA
- Despite being a budget round, the 40gr. variant is packaged in boxes with trays as opposed to loose in boxes
- Generally one of the more affordable .22LR rounds
- We experienced no malfunctions at the range using it in several different guns
- Blazer .22LR is best used for plinking or local matches and not for any type of competition that requires extreme precision
- A great value balancing price and performance
CCI Blazer .22LR Review: Specifications
| Caliber | .22LR |
| Manufacturer | CCI |
| Product Line | Blazer |
| Bullet Weight | 40gr. |
| Bullet Style | Lead Round Nose |
| Advertised Muzzle Velocity | 1235 fps |
| Usage | Target Shooting, Small Game Hunting |
The Blazer .22LR from CCI is a budget rimfire round produced at CCI’s Lewiston, Idaho plant. There are two different CCI Blazer .22LR rounds available: a 38gr. and 40gr. option, though we’ll be looking at the 40gr. option today. The Blazer line is CCI’s budget line of ammo. In their centerfire offerings, the rounds use cheaper aluminum casings over brass. While the Blazer .22LR doesn’t use aluminum casings, the round is an alternative to their more expensive loadings.
Both rounds use lead round nose bullets and have a muzzle velocity of 1235 fps according to CCI. When handling the round, you’ll notice that your hands get a bit dirty from its exposed lead bullet.
Often, .22LR ammo struggles to cycle reliably in semi-autos, but CCI claims that the round functions well in these guns. The company also advertises that the round is suited for a variety of shooting types, including plinking and small game hunting.
Budget ammo is often packaged loose in boxes, but the CCI Blazer .22LR 40gr. comes packaged in 50-round boxes with trays. CCI packages the 38gr. variant loose in boxes, plastic tubs, or milk cartons.
CCI Blazer .22LR Review: Range Performance
Next, let’s take a look at how it performed at the range.
Reliability & Accuracy
With any budget round, you’re going to worry about reliability. However, the Blazer .22LR gave me no issues at all at the range.
I shot the round through two pistols, a TaurusTX 22 and a suppressed Volquartsen Mamba-X, with zero malfunctions. I was pleasantly surprised with the round’s accuracy. Even with the TaurusTX 22’s iron sights, I had no trouble hitting any steel targets set up at various distances.
I experienced the same reliability when shooting it out of a Ruger 10/22, suppressed with a Dead Air Mask suppressor. While I don’t believe this would be the round you reach for if you’re looking for extremely tight groups at long distances, I had no trouble hitting steel at around 50ft. away.
The CCI Blazer .22LR is generally a well-liked round among plinkers. Many shooters even consider it the best bulk .22LR option on the market because of its accuracy and reliability. Of course, any round can have reliability issues, and there are shooters who find it to be inconsistent in their guns.
Velocity
| Gun Used | Barrel Length | 5-Shot Average Velocity (fps) | Low Velocity (fps) | High Velocity (fps) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TaurusTX22 | 4.6" | 1027 | 1007 | 1034 |
| S&W M&P15-22 | 16.5" | 1168 | 1145 | 1177 |
CCI advertises the Blazer .22LR as having a muzzle velocity of 1235 fps. CCI most likely recorded this velocity out of a rifle with a long barrel. I decided to chronograph the velocity out of my own guns to see what velocities I could realistically expect.
At the range, I shot 5 rounds of the CCI Blazer .22LR through a chronograph with two guns:
- TaurusTX 22 pistol with a 4.6” barrel
- Smith & Wesson M&P15-22 rifle with a 16.5” barrel
Out of the TaurusTX 22 pistol, I recorded an average velocity of 1027 fps. With the Smith & Wesson rifle, the average velocity was 1168 fps.
As expected, both of these numbers are lower than the advertised muzzle velocity. CCI advertises the Blazer .22LR as high velocity, but based on these numbers, I’d categorize the round somewhere between standard velocity and high velocity .22LR.
If you want to compare the round to other CCI offerings, the Blazer tends to run hotter than the CCI Standard Velocity .22LR 40gr. according to our testing.
Final Thoughts
The CCI Blazer .22LR is considered one of the best budget .22LR ammo options on the market. It is surprisingly accurate and reliable, making it a great value when you balance cost vs. performance.
If you’re looking for a good plinking round, it’s worth it to pick up a box to see if it runs well in your gun. Of course, you can shop even more quality .22LR ammo here at Target Barn!
