Purpose
I’ve read several posts on INGO about .22 accuracy in .223 uppers using a .22 conversion bolt. I was curious about the accuracy between those platforms. A .22 conversion system costs around $200. A dedicated .22 rifle (Spikes Upper, GSG-5, Colt, etc.) can be $500-$700. What do you get for those extra dollars?
I also was interested in accuracy variation between different brands of ammunition.
Equipment
I took three rifles to the range.
-- Colt 6920 carbine with a Ciener conversion, 1:7 twist
-- Spikes dedicated .22 Upper in a RRA lower, 1:16 twist
-- Ruger 10/22 rifle
The Ciener bolt replaces the regular .223 bolt. It rests against the buffer but doesn’t rely on the buffer spring to absorb recoil. It has its own, much lighter recoil spring as part of the bolt. A .223 sized end piece fits into the bore of the barrel. The Spikes bolt is nearly identical except that it has a collar that fits around the barrel breech. The Spikes bolt is nickel plated making it smoother.
Ciener bolt and Spikes bolt comparison
Both the Ciener and Spikes systems use special magazines. For the testing, I used a 20 round magazine from Black Dog Machine company. CMMG makes 26 round magazines that I believe are better. They also make their own conversion bolt that I recommend. I had a Ciener kit before CMMG marketed theirs.
Optics
-- Colt 6920: Millett DMS-1 set at 4X
-- Spikes Upper: Millett DMS-1 set at 4X
-- Ruger 10/22: Nikon ProStaff 3x9 scope set at 4X
Ammo Used
I tested nine brands of ammo that I had on hand.
Aguila ‘Interceptor’, 40 grain copper plated round nose, 1470 fps
Centurion (Aguila mfg.), 38 grain lead HP, 1280 fps
Winchester ‘333’ bulk, 36 grain, copper plated HP, 1280 fps
Winchester ‘Xpert HV’, 36 grain, lead HP, 1220 fps
Winchester ‘Super-X’, 37 grain copper plated HP, 1330 fps
CCI ‘Mini-Mag’, 40 grain copper plated round nose, 1235 fps
CCI ‘Mini-Mag HP’, 36 grain copper plated HP, 1260 fps
American Eagle, 40 grain lead round nose, 1260 fps
Federal Value Pack, 36 grain copper plated HP, 1260 fps
Test ammo
Weather
I did the testing on January 6, 2010. It was 18-20 degrees F and overcast most of the afternoon. The air was still.
Range Arrangement
I was shooting a distance of 50 yards, level (along a dam) using a bench, rifle rest, and sand bag.
Range Setup
Targets
I used cheap 9 inch diameter paper plates with a 1.5” orange target dot. After a quick zero of each rifle, I shot 15 rounds of each brand of ammunition. After shooting, I circled the hits with a marker and took pictures.
Once inside, I measured the approximate area of each grouping using graph paper. (Hold the nerd jokes…I long ago embraced my inner geekiness!) The smaller the area, the better for the rifle/ammo combo.
Colt with a Ciener Conversion
Ciener Colt
Ciener Targets 1
Ciener Targets 2
Ciener Targets 3
I had one failure to feed with Aguila ‘Interceptor’ ammo.
Spike’s Upper
Spikes Upper rifle
Spikes Targets1
Spikes Targets 2
Spikes Targets 3
I had one failure to feed with Aguila ‘Interceptor’ ammo and two stovepipes with American Eagle brand ammunition.
Ruger 10/22
Ruger rifle
Ruger Targets1
Ruger Targets 2
I was having some difficulty with the Nikon scope. There was some blurriness and I noticed the image ‘jump’ occasionally. I am wondering if the cold temperatures affected the scope or if there is a problem with the scope. The performance of the rifle during this range session was disappointing.
I had one failure to fire after two firing pin strikes with Winchester ‘333’ bulk ammunition.
Results - Rifles
The most accurate rifle of the three was the Spikes Upper with an average grouping size of 5.0 sq.in.
The least accurate of the three rifles was the Ruger 10/22 with an average group size of 8.1 sq.in.
The Ciener conversion had an average group size of 6.8 sq.in.
I was not surprised that the Spikes was more accurate than the Ciener conversion system. It has the correct barrel dimensions and twist. What did surprise me was that the Ruger 10/22 didn’t perform at least as well as the Ciener conversion rifle. As I mentioned above, there may be an issue with the optic.
So, what is the impact for a shooter debating between a dedicated upper and a .22 conversion kit? An average group size of 5.0 sq.in (dedicated upper performance) equates to a circle with a diameter of 2.5 inches. That circle for the conversion kit would be 2.94 inches. Draw those two circles on a piece of paper to get the visual impact…..it’s not much difference.
However, to be fair, I did enjoy shooting the Spikes dedicated upper system. It’s a very smooth, fun-to-shoot rifle! And, there is a measurable improvement in accuracy if a dedicated system is the way you chose to go.
See the summaries below for the performance by ammunition brand for each rifle.
Ciener Converson Summary
Spike’s Upper Summary
Ruger 10/22 Summary
Results - Ammunition
Although comparing ammo brands wasn’t originally a main goal of this range report, it was easy to do. I’ve often heard the advice to find the ammo types that your rifle ‘likes’. This seems to be particularly true with .22 caliber firearms.
The Spikes upper liked Centurion and Aguila ‘Interceptor’ ammo.
The Ciener conversion liked American Eagle, Winchester ‘XPert HV’ and CCI ‘Mini-Mags.’
The Ruger 10/22 liked American Eagle, CCI ‘Mini-Mag HP’, Winchester ‘333’ bulk, and CCI ‘Mini-Mags’
Although it was 20 degrees out, I didn’t have any feeding or operating problems that I could associate specifically with the temperature.
Another observation I made: Ammunition brand affects the zero of the rifle. I didn’t spend lots of time getting a perfect zero on each rifle to start (it was cold!). However, I noticed that the group center moved a bit depending on ammo type. (Go back and scan through the pictures of the targets.) For the shooter, that means knowing what ammo brand your firearm likes and setting the zero with that ammo. If you’re going to a match or Appleseed training, always uses just one brand of ammo during the event. Mixing brands will frustrate you as the zero seems to drift around!
For readers interested in more information about the Spikes Upper, here is a link to a previous Range report on INGO:
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/long_guns/60064-range_report_spikes_dedicated_22ar_dial-up_warning.html
I’ve read several posts on INGO about .22 accuracy in .223 uppers using a .22 conversion bolt. I was curious about the accuracy between those platforms. A .22 conversion system costs around $200. A dedicated .22 rifle (Spikes Upper, GSG-5, Colt, etc.) can be $500-$700. What do you get for those extra dollars?
I also was interested in accuracy variation between different brands of ammunition.
Equipment
I took three rifles to the range.
-- Colt 6920 carbine with a Ciener conversion, 1:7 twist
-- Spikes dedicated .22 Upper in a RRA lower, 1:16 twist
-- Ruger 10/22 rifle
The Ciener bolt replaces the regular .223 bolt. It rests against the buffer but doesn’t rely on the buffer spring to absorb recoil. It has its own, much lighter recoil spring as part of the bolt. A .223 sized end piece fits into the bore of the barrel. The Spikes bolt is nearly identical except that it has a collar that fits around the barrel breech. The Spikes bolt is nickel plated making it smoother.
Ciener bolt and Spikes bolt comparison
Both the Ciener and Spikes systems use special magazines. For the testing, I used a 20 round magazine from Black Dog Machine company. CMMG makes 26 round magazines that I believe are better. They also make their own conversion bolt that I recommend. I had a Ciener kit before CMMG marketed theirs.
Optics
-- Colt 6920: Millett DMS-1 set at 4X
-- Spikes Upper: Millett DMS-1 set at 4X
-- Ruger 10/22: Nikon ProStaff 3x9 scope set at 4X
Ammo Used
I tested nine brands of ammo that I had on hand.
Aguila ‘Interceptor’, 40 grain copper plated round nose, 1470 fps
Centurion (Aguila mfg.), 38 grain lead HP, 1280 fps
Winchester ‘333’ bulk, 36 grain, copper plated HP, 1280 fps
Winchester ‘Xpert HV’, 36 grain, lead HP, 1220 fps
Winchester ‘Super-X’, 37 grain copper plated HP, 1330 fps
CCI ‘Mini-Mag’, 40 grain copper plated round nose, 1235 fps
CCI ‘Mini-Mag HP’, 36 grain copper plated HP, 1260 fps
American Eagle, 40 grain lead round nose, 1260 fps
Federal Value Pack, 36 grain copper plated HP, 1260 fps
Test ammo
Weather
I did the testing on January 6, 2010. It was 18-20 degrees F and overcast most of the afternoon. The air was still.
Range Arrangement
I was shooting a distance of 50 yards, level (along a dam) using a bench, rifle rest, and sand bag.
Range Setup
Targets
I used cheap 9 inch diameter paper plates with a 1.5” orange target dot. After a quick zero of each rifle, I shot 15 rounds of each brand of ammunition. After shooting, I circled the hits with a marker and took pictures.
Once inside, I measured the approximate area of each grouping using graph paper. (Hold the nerd jokes…I long ago embraced my inner geekiness!) The smaller the area, the better for the rifle/ammo combo.
Colt with a Ciener Conversion
Ciener Colt
Ciener Targets 1
Ciener Targets 2
Ciener Targets 3
I had one failure to feed with Aguila ‘Interceptor’ ammo.
Spike’s Upper
Spikes Upper rifle
Spikes Targets1
Spikes Targets 2
Spikes Targets 3
I had one failure to feed with Aguila ‘Interceptor’ ammo and two stovepipes with American Eagle brand ammunition.
Ruger 10/22
Ruger rifle
Ruger Targets1
Ruger Targets 2
I was having some difficulty with the Nikon scope. There was some blurriness and I noticed the image ‘jump’ occasionally. I am wondering if the cold temperatures affected the scope or if there is a problem with the scope. The performance of the rifle during this range session was disappointing.
I had one failure to fire after two firing pin strikes with Winchester ‘333’ bulk ammunition.
Results - Rifles
The most accurate rifle of the three was the Spikes Upper with an average grouping size of 5.0 sq.in.
The least accurate of the three rifles was the Ruger 10/22 with an average group size of 8.1 sq.in.
The Ciener conversion had an average group size of 6.8 sq.in.
I was not surprised that the Spikes was more accurate than the Ciener conversion system. It has the correct barrel dimensions and twist. What did surprise me was that the Ruger 10/22 didn’t perform at least as well as the Ciener conversion rifle. As I mentioned above, there may be an issue with the optic.
So, what is the impact for a shooter debating between a dedicated upper and a .22 conversion kit? An average group size of 5.0 sq.in (dedicated upper performance) equates to a circle with a diameter of 2.5 inches. That circle for the conversion kit would be 2.94 inches. Draw those two circles on a piece of paper to get the visual impact…..it’s not much difference.
However, to be fair, I did enjoy shooting the Spikes dedicated upper system. It’s a very smooth, fun-to-shoot rifle! And, there is a measurable improvement in accuracy if a dedicated system is the way you chose to go.
See the summaries below for the performance by ammunition brand for each rifle.
Ciener Converson Summary
Spike’s Upper Summary
Ruger 10/22 Summary
Results - Ammunition
Although comparing ammo brands wasn’t originally a main goal of this range report, it was easy to do. I’ve often heard the advice to find the ammo types that your rifle ‘likes’. This seems to be particularly true with .22 caliber firearms.
The Spikes upper liked Centurion and Aguila ‘Interceptor’ ammo.
The Ciener conversion liked American Eagle, Winchester ‘XPert HV’ and CCI ‘Mini-Mags.’
The Ruger 10/22 liked American Eagle, CCI ‘Mini-Mag HP’, Winchester ‘333’ bulk, and CCI ‘Mini-Mags’
Although it was 20 degrees out, I didn’t have any feeding or operating problems that I could associate specifically with the temperature.
Another observation I made: Ammunition brand affects the zero of the rifle. I didn’t spend lots of time getting a perfect zero on each rifle to start (it was cold!). However, I noticed that the group center moved a bit depending on ammo type. (Go back and scan through the pictures of the targets.) For the shooter, that means knowing what ammo brand your firearm likes and setting the zero with that ammo. If you’re going to a match or Appleseed training, always uses just one brand of ammo during the event. Mixing brands will frustrate you as the zero seems to drift around!
For readers interested in more information about the Spikes Upper, here is a link to a previous Range report on INGO:
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/long_guns/60064-range_report_spikes_dedicated_22ar_dial-up_warning.html
