For bulk ammunition, Federal Value packs are one of the best deals going and they're widely available (Walmart sells 550 packs, everywhere else sells 525 packs....same exact ammo just different packaging):



I'm also a big fan of their bulk Auto Match 22 (and it's actually what I stock up on for the most part). My older 22's with well worn barrels tend to like it (vs. copper-washed bullet .22lr ammunition), and it still works just fine in my newer .22s as well:




For higher-quality .22 ammunition, it's hard to go wrong with CCI. Their Mini-Mag (in both round nose and hollow point) is pretty much the golden standard when it comes to a high-quality, reasonably priced, .22lr round that works well in a wide variety of firearms.

I like these for hunting (as opposed to general plinking), as they have a very low misfire rate. (with typical rimfire rounds, it's somewhat common to occasionally get a dud round that won't go off when the firing pin hits the round's rim....however, in my experience, that rarely happens with Mini-Mags)



If I could only have one type of .22lr round, I would be plenty happy with mini-mags. Also, when I do buy 'em, I make sure to save the plastic boxes they come in. It's a great way to organize bulk ammo. Just take the label off and write a new one on with masking tape so you know which is which.

When it comes to high-end ammunition, Eley Tenex is arguably the best and it's what is widely used in .22lr competitions. However, it's extremely expensive and it requires a high-end firearm to really see the maximum potential of the round. For a Marlin 795, it's likely not going to be worth it. However, I thought it was worth mentioning just so you know what else is out there.



Finally, while a .22lr isn't really the best choice when it comes to a firearm for personal/home defense, if it's all you have then you might one day (unfortunately) have to use it in that role. With that in mind, I would recommend CCI Velocitors (not Stingers). It has a 40gr hollow-point bullet that travels at around 1400ft-sec from a rifle. Penetration and weight retention is excellent for a .22lr (which also makes it a good round for hunting). However, because it's such a hot round, it's not really good to use it all the time; it's also somewhat expensive. All in all, it's good to have a box or two on hand (and to test it out), but it's probably not something you're going to want to shoot all the time.



Hope that helps.