I’ve been shooting CCI Mini-Mags since the ’80s and it’s always been my gold standard for 22LR. But it’s been decades since I actually measured how it shot in my Marlin 60. I thought it was high time I re-checked my baseline assumptions.
In a previous ammo test with Aguila Super Extra HV, I found very little difference in performance when shot with a Ruger 10/22 and Marlin 60. The results in this test were even more surprising to me, with the Ruger 10/22 slightly edging out the Marlin 60; which I always thought was the more accurate rifle.
Of course, my rifle isn’t your rifle. Ammo and gun manufacturing technology change and improve. What this is a perfect example of is: it’s never a bad idea to periodically take new readings of your old standards.
Common Knowledge was that the Marlin 60 was one of the best shooting, factory semi-auto 22LR ever made. I always thought it was my most accurate shooting rimfire. Now, I’m not so sure. I tested Aguila Super Extra HV in my Marlin 60 and Ruger 10/22 takedown to see which rifle this ammo groups better in. I couldn’t quite believe the results, so ran the test again the following week. So much for “common knowledge”.
QuickFill are speed loading ammo tubes made for tube-fed semi-auto rifles, like a Marlin 60. These will hold 22LR, 22 short cartridges. Quick-Fill also makes a version for 22 magnums and 17HMR cartridges. And a Big-Boy version that fit .38 special, 357, 44 magnum, 45 long-colt, and 41 magnum centerfire lever-action carbines. Cheaper per tube than doing it yourself (I tried and it ended up costing me like $6 per tube and about 20min of construction time), so it’s worth it to me to just buy these.
How it works is very simple. You open up the stopper end and load in 15 rounds of 22LR ammo. You load them in with the bullet end first. This is so when you empty them into your rifle’s mag-tube, they slide out, rim end first, and are oriented in the correct position in the tube. It fits into your mag-tube like your brass follower tube. You insert, tilt it and the rounds slide it.
Starting from an empty mag-tube with the inner follower tube removed. We’ll pop off the end and load it. About 5 seconds. Compare that with loading a round at a time. About 2-3 seconds per round. 45 seconds may not seem like a long time. But if you’re at a range that charges by the hour, time is money. And I’d rather use those saved minutes shooting rather than loading. But that’s me.
One downside some have with these tubes is is that they are too long to fit into an ammo can. So don’t. Because they’re roughly the same dimensions as your mag-tube, they’ll fit comfortably nestled next to your rifle in your rifle case or bag. As long as it’s legal in your area to transport ammo in the same container as your firearm. It’s not a magazine, it’s a storage tube.
Another criticism folks have is that the tube is very light and thin to fit inside your mag-tube, so it’s not very strong. A single tube could easily bend or break. But there’s strength in numbers. Bundle a couple together with a rubber band or even tape and suddenly a fragile tube becomes a robust bundle.
