CCI Blazer 22 LR Review: My Range Experience With Cheap 22 Long Rifle Ammo

By Wes Littlefield

Last Updated: Oct 22, 2025

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Wes Littlefield

Guns have fascinated Wes since pulling the trigger on his BB gun as a kid. He built a private gun range over a decade ago to keep his skills sharp. He loves breaking down complex ideas into understandable pieces for readers, with expertise in hunting and all aspects of shooting.

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Wes Littlefield, "CCI Blazer 22 LR Review: Cheap Ammo Range Day Trip"
(https://ammo.com/ammo-review/cci-blazer-22lr-review)

I ordered some CCI Blazer 22 LR 40 Grain LRN and headed to the range with my Ruger 10/22 to see if it’s worth ordering again. Are there better options for cheap 22 Long Rifle ammo? Let’s find out.

Is CCI Blazer 22 LR a Good Choice?

CCI 22 LR Ammo - 50 Rounds of 40 Grain LRN Ammunition

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$9.99

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CCI Blazer 22 LR is a good choice for plinking at the range. Every round fired when I pulled the trigger and I had minimal malfunctions, which isn’t typical of cheap 22 LR ammo. I also found CCI Blazer 22 LR rounds to be fairly accurate, but I won’t be winning any shooting matches with them anytime soon.

What Is CCI Blazer 22 LR Intended For?

CCI Blazer 22 LR is designed for a day full of shooting at the range. It’s best for plinking because it’s fairly inexpensive, decently reliable, and reasonably accurate.

I enjoyed testing these rounds, but they may not be suitable for everyone. They cycled well in my Ruger 10/22, regardless of whether I fired slowly or quickly, but I did experience a couple of malfunctions toward the end of my shooting session.

I had to sight my rifle in at first, but was quickly on paper at 25 yards and shot pretty consistently once I got my gun sighted in. I then stepped back to about 50 yards and resumed shooting. I don’t consider these rounds to be tack drivers (give 'em to your buddy when you're trying to prove you shoot better than him), but they’re very comparable to other cheap ammo in terms of accuracy.

Best Use Case

Below are my ratings based on common use cases for 22 LR ammo.

Pros and Cons of CCI Blazer 22 LR Ammo

CCI Blazer is a trusted brand among shooters seeking reasonably priced ammunition that is also dependable and accurate. It's one of several lines available from CCI ammo, which covers everything from rimfire to centerfire handgun calibers.

These rounds are more expensive than other popular brands of 22 LR ammo, but they’re neither crazy expensive, nor the most costly.

During my time at the range, I only experienced one failure to feed and one jam. The failure to feed happened because the lead round nose (LRN) bullet didn’t slide into the chamber perfectly. The jam occurred when an empty case didn’t fully eject. Other than those two mishaps, I found these rounds to be pretty dependable.

LRN bullets aren’t match accurate, but CCI Blazer is accurate and consistent enough to let you have fun ringing steel or punching holes through paper.

While I don't recommend this ammo for anything other than plinking, it's priced very well for that purpose. I won't hesitate to order more when needed — and buying bulk 22 ammo is the easiest way to keep the cost per round down for extended range sessions. If you're curious how the broader CCI lineup holds up beyond the Blazer, our CCI ammo review covers their full range of rimfire and centerfire offerings.

Comparisons With Other Ammo

Comparing multiple types of 22 LR ammo is a little tricky, as each firearm will perform better with certain brands and ammunition lines. The brand comparisons below consider similar LRN rounds. I avoided comparing match-grade and hunting ammunition in the interest of providing a fair comparison.

Written by

Wes Littlefield