accuracy Archives

Preface

Do you need match ammunition? What is match ammunition? And is that more important than matching ammunition? These are all good questions and today we intend on getting some answers to them. To help you avoid overspending on ammunition as well as getting the results you want out of the ammunition you buy, we’ll dive into what makes for the best ammunition.

8.6blk, powder, gun powder, bullets, components, — Different components create different results

Match Ammunition

Before we get too deep, let make sure we understand what we are talking about. Match ammunition is typically ammunition loaded for precision competitors. It varies some from one manufacturer to another, but essentially it is ammunition made with a high level of consistency. High quality components are often used as well to increase consistency and performance. Things like uniformity and steady ignition patterns are sought after in match ammunition.

Browning, x-bolt, x-bolt 2, x-bolt speed, 308 win, — Accuracy is simply consistent performance that allows you to anticipate impact loacation

Uniformity and consistency are what makes accurate ammunition, particularly from one lot number to another. Consistency means the next shot is very likely to do what the last shot did, allowing you to anticipate where it will go.

High quality components and the equipment and the manufacturing practices that make consistency possible are often more expensive. This usually translates to match ammunition costing a bit more than other ammunition types.

6.5 grendel, starline, brass, handloading, redding, — some components cost more than others, but that doesn’t always translate to better performance in YOUR firearm

Matching Ammunition?

When I say matching ammunition you might wonder what I’m talking about, let me explain. Every rifle is a little different than the next one, even two consecutive rifles off a production line. Due to the tiny intricacies of each firearm and the way it was manufactured, one rifle might have a taste for one ammunition selection over another. Your rifle might like 150 grain bullets and mine might like 165 grain bullets.

rokstad, vector optics, tripod, carbon fiber, nikon, fieldscope, remington 700, .260 remington, us optics, — testing different ammunition sources until you find the best performing option might actually *save* you money

Modern manufacturing has greatly reduced inconsistencies from one firearm to the next, but you can still often see this anomaly between firearms. And the higher the price tag for certain firearms often means they are less susceptible to this phenomenon. What that means is; just because your favorite ammunition shot great in one rifle, doesn’t always mean it will shoot good in another.

I have found it key to try many different ammo options with some firearms in order to find one that shoots best. And that might not always be the match selection. I’ve also seen plenty of people buy some super expensive hunting ammo thinking it gives them an advantage. When in fact their rifle doesn’t shoot it well, and they end up having accuracy issues. They might of been better off shooting some cheap Remington Core-Lokt had they checked. And an accurate shot is more important than a specialized one, read more about that topic here.

deer hunting, mule deer, kids, children, browning, x bolt 2, 308 win, vector optics 2-12x44, banish backcountry suppressor, — whether you are hunting or sport shooting, the cheaper option might be just as good or better. Our youngest hunter in the family took this, his first buck shooting handloaded **Sierra Match King X** bullets from a **Browning X-Bolt 2**.

Matching ammunition refers to matching the best shooting ammo to your rifle. That might be some quality match grade ammo, or it might be some inexpensive Hornady Whitetail. And once you’ve found what shoots most accurately, you can match those choices to the shooting activity you choose.

The Right Application

Once upon a time, I had a nice little Savage model 10 in 308 Winchester. I used the rifle for many things including hunting varmints in the mountains and deserts of the west. The rifle shot amazing when loaded with 168 Sierra Match Kings, or Federal Gold Medal Match ammunition. Usually half MOA or better was normal for this rifle. But feeding it expensive ammo like that got old quick. As it turns out the rifle also shot Hornady 150 grain Interlock bullets just as well. And after some testing, I found the much cheaper option to be more applicable for shooting ground hogs.

savage, 10fp, 308 win, magpie, — That old Savage and I made some great shots, like this one from 1000 yards

You can exercise the same diligence in your own shooting, regardless of what rifle or cartridge it shoots. You might find a cheap alternative to the expensive one you are used to. And whether you are shooting coyotes or Dall Sheep, we all like spending less money. And spending less allows you to shoot more which should improve your skills and make you a better shooter.

Tuning

Handloaders know about tuning ammunition to best fit the rifle its made for. If you don’t handload, you can still tune your rifle using things such as muzzle devices to alter performance. The whole idea is match your rifle with the best performing ammunition supply, whether that be match ammo or not.

375 winchester, winchester 1894, RCBS, handloading, dies, — tuning your own ammo is the best way to match your rifle

Long-range shooting often demands the higher quality bullets used in match ammunition. So if you intend on pushing distance limits you might have fewer choices. But if you are simply talking about accuracy inside the typical three to four hundred yards that most people shoot at, your options are much more plentiful.

make sure you pick a good load for the distances you plan on shooting. This 300PRC loaded with Barnes LRX is good for quite a long distance

The Verdict

In the relentless search for the best performance for our hard earned money, don’t forget to check the easy options. Don’t assume that the best ammunition for your rifle is the most expensive stuff. I often mention my guilty pleasure of producing expensive results with cheap equipment, a practice I learned doing exactly this process. You too might find you can get fantastic performance from inexpensive components.

-CBM

7mm PRC, handloading, reloading, redding, dies, components, hornady, sierra bullets, — top quality equipment like these **dies from Redding** help make better ammunition

Written by Guest

Intro

Stretching an AR-15 past 300 yards on prairie dogs this spring sounds ambitious. True — but not crazy. The platform has come so far that varmint hunting at real long range is practical now, not just some YouTube fantasy.
Still, you can’t bolt a Vortex onto a stock Ruger AR-556 and expect half-MOA groups at 400 yards. Doesn’t work like that. Every component matters — barrel, trigger, optic, ammo. Let’s see what actually moves the needle when you’re building an AR for precision small game work at distance.

US Optics, SXR, 1-6, lpvo, USO, low power variable optic, ar15, ar

What You Need to Know About the AR-15 Rifle

The AR-15 is not a single rifle. It’s a system — and that distinction matters way more for precision shooting than people realize. So, you need to know how the AR-15 rifle works to make the most of it for varmint shooting.
Here’s where most guys go wrong first. Factory AR-15s ship with mil-spec triggers breaking at 6-8 pounds. Heavy. Gritty. Completely wrong for careful shot placement at range. Drop in a Geissele SSA-E or a LaRue MBT-2S, and you’ll wonder why you waited. Cheapest meaningful upgrade you can make.

Next up — the handguard. Free-floated rail, non-negotiable. When your barrel touches the handguard anywhere, harmonics go sideways, and groups open up. Aero Precision and Midwest Industries both sell solid free-float setups. Now, something people overlook: the AR-15’s direct impingement gas system actually helps accuracy. Sure, gas pistons — like on an HK MR556 — cut fouling. Yet DI vents gas straight through the bolt carrier, meaning less mechanical movement while the round fires. For varmint hunting specifically, where you shoot from stable positions at tiny targets, that consistency edge compounds over an afternoon. Finally, modularity. No other platform lets you swap uppers in thirty seconds — .223 coyote rig to a 6.5 Grendel setup. That flexibility is why the AR owns this space.

Caliber Selection for Long-Range Varmint Work

Caliber choice will make or break you out past 300. Period. Under 300 yards, .223 Remington handles prairie dogs and groundhogs just fine. Cheap, low-recoil, available at every Walmart in America. Beyond that, though… The round bleeds velocity fast, and wind drift gets ugly with lightweight 55-grain pills.

223, 223 remington, hornady, bullets, handloading, reloading,

So what do you actually run? The .224 Valkyrie deserves a serious look. Federal built it for long-range AR work, and the 90-grain Sierra MatchKing load stays supersonic past 1,000 yards.
Overkill for ground squirrels at 500? Maybe. But that flat trajectory makes first-round connections on small targets way easier. Meanwhile, 6.5 Grendel gives you heavier bullets with strong ballistic coefficients — plus enough thump to drop coyotes cleanly.
Also worth knowing — barrel life varies across these calibers. The .224 Valkyrie eats barrels faster than Grendel, noticeably quicker than .223. Naturally, if you’re doing high-volume prairie dog shoots — 200 rounds in one sitting — factor that in before committing to a caliber.

Barrel Upgrades That Actually Matter

Not every barrel upgrade is worth your money. Some are. Knowing the difference saves you hundreds of dollars and a lot of frustration. Start with barrel length. For most varmint calibers, 18 to 20 inches hits the sweet spot between velocity and portability. Go shorter, and you leave real fps on the table. Conversely, past 20 inches with .223, diminishing returns kick in, and you’re hauling dead weight.

Twist rate matters too — more than most shooters realize. A 1:8 twist covers the widest range of bullet weights in .223. However, heavy-for-caliber stuff in .224 Valkyrie needs 1:6.5 or 1:7 to keep those long 90-grain bullets stable. Criterion and Bartlein both make outstanding aftermarket options.
On material — stainless steel beats chrome-moly for pure accuracy. The tradeoff is durability; chrome-moly holds up longer under sustained fire. For varmint hunting, where precision matters more than barrel life in tens of thousands of rounds, go stainless.

Optics and Scope Setup

Glass matters more than the rifle itself. Yeah — hot take. Still true. For work past 300 yards, grab a variable-power scope in the 4-16x or 6-24x range. The Vortex Viper PST Gen II and Athlon Ares BTR both deliver without requiring a second mortgage. At those distances, though, magnification alone does not cut it — you need turrets that track and repeat.

ar15, ar 15, 6.5 Grendel, us optics, FDN17X, — this 6.5 Grendel rifle was unstoppable with the **US Optics FDN17X** on it

First focal plane holds the edge because your reticle scales with magnification, keeping holdover marks accurate at every power setting. The second focal plane works too — but only if you dial a set magnification before using subtensions. Otherwise? Your holds are off. MOA or MRAD — pick one, learn it properly. In practice, MRAD pairs better with metric-based ballistic calculators, and most competitive long-range guys have gone that direction already. Yet
plenty of accurate shooters run MOA without a single issue.

Besides parallax adjustment — don’t sleep on it. Past 400 yards, even a slight parallax error shifts your impact enough to miss a prairie dog entirely. Accordingly, check that your scope’s parallax knob dials low enough. Some budget glass bottoms out at 50 yards, which is useless for this kind of work.

Fine-Tuning Ammunition and Loads

Everything upstream — barrel, trigger, optic — only hits its potential when the right ammo feeds through it. Before you touch a reloading press, try factory match loads. Hornady V-MAX and Federal Premium’s Nosler Ballistic Tip offerings are proven. Test at least three loads in your specific rifle. Seriously — two guns off the same line can prefer completely different ammo. That’s barrels being barrels. Essentially, no two are identical. Handloading takes things further, though. Consistent charges weighed on a digital scale (not thrown volumetrically), proper brass prep, and careful seating depth work can shrink a 1-MOA rifle to half-MOA. Specifically, the Redding Type-S bushing die set earns every penny if you’re chasing sub-MOA consistency.
Brass lot consistency gets overlooked constantly. Mixing cases from different production runs introduces volume variations that change pressure and velocity shot to shot. Consequently, even a 15 fps spread shows on paper at 400 yards. Therefore, keep your brass sorted by lot number — no exceptions, no shortcuts.

ar15, quattro 15, desert tech, eotech, vudu, LPVO, desert shooting,

The Bottom Line

Building a precision AR isn’t about buying the most expensive parts. Your job here is to make the right parts work together. Get the right trigger, barrel, optic, and ammo, and 400-yard prairie dogs become routine. And you won’t need a $4,000 custom build, either. Smart upgrades for varmint hunting in the right order are what you should focus on — not throwing money at cool stuff from r/longrange.