match 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

Cheap ammunition is very appealing to shooting sports enthusiasts.
The relatively high cost of ammunition and its high angle trajectory shows no sign of changing anytime soon.

Today we are going to discuss an interesting topic; Is cheaper ammunition really a good buy? There are a few questions that are relevant to the discussion here, to determine that answer:

What kind of shooting am I doing?
What kind of target?
What is my budget?
What type of gun am I using?

A quick perusal of catalogs and store shelves can give you a good idea of what people buy the most of. There is usually a large amount of what has become known as “plinking ammo“. Plinking ammo refers to its application, inexpensive ammunition that can be bought in large quantities allowing for longer shooting sessions, or at least more of them.

Plinking ammunition typically is used for pistols and carbines, the higher volume capability of these types of firearms is part of the reason people buy them. They shoot lots of inexpensive ammunition, which most of the time equates to more fun and training. This type of shooting usually takes place at relatively short distances, at targets ranging from automated steel plates, right down to improvised things like cardboard boxes. For this kind of shooting, plinking ammo works great.

Accuracy is dictated by the size of your target. If you are shooting pumpkins at two hundred yards, then you have a much larger margin for error than if you are trying to hit prairie dogs at four or five hundred yards. It is important you start out with reasonable expectations, don’t shoot at one or two MOA targets with a three to four MOA rifle. You’ll quickly find yourself spending more ammunition, only to be frustrated with poor results. The same can be said for ammunition, if your three thousand dollar rifle will only shoot 3-4 MOA with cheap ammunition, you are going to be disappointed.

ruger american gen 2, 308 winchester, ruger American generation II accuracy — Good ammunition through a good rifle makes for great accuracy

If you intend on a more serious type of shooting, such as competition, or hunting, or some other application, you may find that inexpensive ammunition may not be savings you intended on getting.
Inexpensive ammunition is produced on large-scale production lines, using components that were also mass produced. These processes drive the cost of the ammunition down and the volume up, but it is hard to maintain consistency when mass producing something meant to fly faster than the speed of sound. Quality ammunition is also produced on large scales, the quality of the ammunition depends on the attention paid to its assembly. In order for ammunition to be accurate, it must be consistent. The time and precision it takes to produce consistent ammunition translate into a higher cost.

Bear Creek Arsenal Grizzly 101 9mm — If you are looking for range ammo, I can highly recommend **MWLP Trailforger ammo in 9mm and 5.56**

Perhaps hunting is your main shooting activity. If so, going cheap may not only be more expensive, but it could be unethical. If inconsistent ammunition is used during a hunt, it could cause an animal to be wounded and go unrecovered. It also could be the cause for multiple shots needed and a loss of meat, either scenario should be avoided. Accurate ammunition isn’t always expensive, but cheap ammunition can cost you far more than the money you spent.

I set out to try an experiment, our theory being that quality ammunition is still a better buy than the cheap stuff. The reason behind the theory is simple; If I shoot at my target 5 times and hit it once, shooting my cheap Fiocchi 308Win at $0.80 per shot, I have spent $4.00 for one hit. If I shoot at the same target using DTM 308 match and hit it on the first shot, I have only spent $1.44 for the same hit. So how much money have I saved? Even if it takes two shots to hit my target, I am still spending less per hit.

Here you can see some of the results to my experiment (admittedly not clinical). You can see that with the same gun and shooter combination produced better results with high quality ammunition vs. the inexpensive option. Left target is DTM 308Win Premium Match, right is Fiocchi 308 Win.

The theory proved to be well founded, from a precision perspective. As you can see in the pictures above, the less expensive ammunition created a much larger pattern on the target. Using the exact same point of aim, you can see that it created a roughly three inch group. While on the left target we see groups closer to half or three quarter inch. This is where the answers to the questions I asked at the beginning of this article come into play. If all you need is to hit a sheet of paper at 100yds, then the inexpensive ammo from above will work fine. But let’s say hypothetically that the paper was moved out to 500yds, several of those shots may not even be on the paper much less near the point of aim. The match ammunition on the other hand that prints sub MOA groups, at five hundred yards will still keep groups small enough to hit a small piece of fruit, over and over. So for cost per hit, the premium ammunition proved to be the better buy for sure.

Obviously this depends greatly on the type of firearm and the target you are using. For example, if you are shooting a surplus military rifle or relic, shooting quality ammunition might not give you that big of an advantage. Or if you are training with pistols at 7-20yds, it would make sense to use something inexpensive. Some firearms perform good or great with performance ammunition, and others perform mediocre no matter what you feed them. Not all guns are created equal. The above groups were shot using the Desert Tech SRS A1, perhaps in the future we can redo the same test with a surplus rifle, or an inexpensive equivalent, and see how the results compare.

It is important to compare apples to apples then, plinking inside one hundred yards with a rifle, doesn’t always require the best. But clearly, if hitting exactly where you aim is important you, then your best bet is to stick with quality. Also keep in mind that some firearms are like high performance cars, they aren’t meant to run on 85 octane. The same goes for some performance firearms, running cheap ammo could actually do more harm than good. If you are lucky, you can often find an inexpensive combination of rifle and ammunition that still performs to the accuracy standard you desire. But since luck has never been my companion, I stick to well known performers, and the quality ammunition that they run on.

So if serious shooting and accurate engagement of targets is part of your plan, quality ammunition should be one of your first considerations. There is a time and place for cheap ammo, but when the pressure is on and hits are a must, send the best you can get.