[SWO1]

The Ammunition made today is of the highest quality ever produced. Both in accuracy and reliability. A whole lot of shooters, both recreational and hunters have their favorites. During the last 6 months or so with the diminished supply different brands have had to be procured.

Is there a BIG difference between brands ? If so what are they and how do they affect performance in YOUR firearm, real or imagined ?

You buy a new rifle for deer hunting....say a 30-06, bolt action...dosnt matter what brand. What factory ammo to use in it. I will use this as the example as 30-06 seems to be one of the more availiable calibers.

You look at the selection of 20 rd boxes and there are for example, Winchester, Remington, Federal, Fiocchi, Hornady, and probley more. A majority of people will probley 1. go for the cheapest, 2. buy by Name, usually by Firearm brand it matches. A standard seemingly demanded today is a firearm that shoots to around a 1" group at 100 yds. You take your new gun, a box-o-bullets and run em thru at the range. 2.5" groups at the best. Now for deer that's probley fine, but your want, and know the gun, and you can do better. Back to the store and a box of brand #2, same bullet, ect. This box produces groups of 1.75", better but still gotta have more. Brand #3 gets you that magicial 1" group. You have found it. Now you will proclaim to all that Bubba's Bullets are the best thing since sliced bread. Deer season rolls around and back to Wally-World 3 months latter and load up on Bubba's Bullets. A quick sighting in session a couple days prior to opening day and....... The blamed thing wont hold a group under 1.75". WHAT HAPPENED ? A thought....It's that cheap $300 dollar rifle I bought....shot the barrel out in 40 rounds. Scope that came one it, made in China, wont hold zero. Well, maybe it was just me, try another box of Bubba's. This one gets you back to 1". You crank em thru 3-4 as fast as you can work the bolt and the groups grow bigger. What is going on.

Lets take a real good look at the ammo. Take say 3 different brands of the same caliber, same weight bullet. Measure the O.A.L. You will find that they are probley different. More than likely a slight difference in the same box. Very slight but we're talking .000 here, a little is a lot. AND THAT IS THE MAIN REASON A CERTAIN GUN LIKES A CERTAIN BRAND OF AMMO. In a discussion in a different thread on throats, not every gun has the same length throat, not even two of the same brand, not two that came off the line back to back. Throat depth affects bullet JUMP, which has a big effect on accuracy. Factoy ammo is ran in batches, which means the dies have to be reset along with the powder dispensing, ect. So every batch will be slightly different. Still within a range of "STANDARDS" but can vary. You can take from compatention shooters of buying ammo that all have the same LOT # on the box. Buy the same brand with different Lot #'s and its not the same as before, close, but not the same. So whats a person to do ??

One solution is to buy a lifetime supply of your best hunting ammo, all the same LOT and you are set.

Another solution is to re-load. Even at that, my .308s change a little each season. Slight difference in Lots of powder, primers, bullets, brass. But it takes me about 3 hours to load up about 40 rounds for a deer season. Each round is weighted, measured to be exact....well within .000, both weight and OAL. My seating die has to be reset a lot as I load for 4 different guns.....they all take a different OAL. Guess maybe I could get 3 more....LOL

 

[Bucky]

Nice article Mate !
Consistency is the hardest thing to find. That's why I started reloading, although Federal Premium Rounds, are proving popular with my mates, because they are very consistent.

For example, on a recent hunting trip with 4 workmates, 3 used Factory ammo, and all shot well.
I spent a lot of time reworking my ammo, to find that they all shot incredibly good, and the other thing I did was to sight them in at 200 Meters (220 yds), and WOW !, has that really opened my eyes to accuracy.

Batch variation does certainly exist, but what I do is I make up 6 rounds, on the new batch, go out and put a few rounds at a target, to see what they are doing, and either change the length, slightly, or vary the Powder weight just a little, and go back out and re-test. In the last few years, I have been looking at the Powsed Batch Number, and trying to get 3 or 4 , 500 Gran cans the same.

Then I weigh the 60+ years on the planet, and my own steadiness dropping slightly, and that brings accuracy back a little.

One of the "Boys" had purchased an "el Cheepo" rifle, in 25-06 cal. (can't remember the brand) and it shot best of all the rifle. But apparently not all the time, and he reconned that he wes ready to chuck it into a Dam. Hard trigger, and shooting all over the place, you know how it goes. !
He then he read an article on Timney Triggers,, purchased one, and that rifle shoots incredible.
His next step was to put a Leupold VX3 ( $1100) scope, and he almost never misses, at any distance.

Cheers Bucky

 

[SWO1]

Good points Bucky !!

As you said, loads change slightly over time, due to US..climate, and the gun. Slight tweeks but changes non the less.

Great example of the Bargin rifle, same as ammo. Almost all modern firearms are excellent. Even the High Dollar ones will have modifications made to them, trigger jobs, optics, stocks, ect.

Don't think you can buy PERFECTION right out of the box, not to suit each person anyway.

 

[FOUR4D4]

I have noticed in my six gun the diameter of Fiocchi brass is more than other brands

 

[SWO1]

That observation four is a reason different brass makes a difference when reloading with the same powder, load, bullet, ect. Probley a different volume on the inside which increases/decreases pressure with same volume of like powder and bullet seated to same depth. Another make will be differnet still.

 

[FOUR4D4]

They say even different brand primers can affect your accuracy slightly. So much to learn on reloading.
Sorry about the side tacking this is about factory ammo oops

 

[Gumpy]

If it weren't for tangents four, what would get discussed? lol

 

[FOUR4D4]

So if it goes boom it fits here right Gumpy