Testing 22lr ammo

[Mikemontminy]

Checking for accuracy and velocity spread. So far Eley match seems pretty consistent. Just ran out of the Eley match and was looking at the Killough Shooting Sports site. Looks like they sell the ammo by lot #’s. Should I buy some of each lot# to try out or just pick something in the same velocity range and hope for the best. I also tried Lapua center-x ,Midas+ Eley Target and Eley tenex but didn’t shoot these over crono to get velocities. Best groups so far are with Eley match.

 

[Kyle Schultz]

Depends on how serious you are and how much time and money you want to waste on mismatches. The Cadillac solution is to send your rifle to KSS and have them run it through the Eley Test Range. https://www.eleyammunition.com/testrange

As I'm only 2-1/2 hrs away, I just drove over to Winters. The testing fee is very reasonable but you are committing to buy at least a half-case of Tenex. That's a significant investment.

My suggestion is to call KSS, tell them your expectations and your budget, and see what they can do to help you. Good luck!

 

[Billinoregon]

I'll be darned. Winters isn't too far south of Buffalo Gap, where my great-grandparents got married in 1880. Test your rifle and get a steak at Perini's on the same day. Can you beat that?

 

[Tim s]

You should incorporate, probably, some additional criteria in your testing.
Trying to exclusively pick by velocity is tough because the labels apply only to the ELEY test barrels and they have a few.
With several machines producing, you may find your gun has a decided preference to a machine and more speeds will work, you should try to test as much as you can afford but at least 2-3 machines.

 

[Mikemontminy]

You should incorporate, probably, some additional criteria in your testing.
Trying to exclusively pick by velocity is tough because the labels apply only to the ELEY test barrels and they have a few.
With several machines producing, you may find your gun has a decided preference to a machine and more speeds will work, you should try to test as much as you can afford but at least 2-3 machines.

I was thinking of using my velocity and comparing that with the label on the box that I shot up and go from there. From what you are saying is that I should be more concerned with the machine they were put out on if that is correct.

 

[Tim s]

Yep. With my .22 BR guns, machine numbers for ammo has been a big factor and with that, all of them, with every barrel configuration, will shoot a fair spread in velocity, a couple will do good, with ammo from low 1050's up to 1070 or so and virtually all the upper end Lapua is 1070+.
IMHO you're wasting your time with velocity unless you want to keep an eye on ES varience.

 

[Bart B.]

You could put a tuning weight on the barrel's muzzle then move it back and forth to find where vertical shot disdispersion is minimum.

Oft times, ammo with more velocity spread can be tuned into a 1/3 to 1/2 MOA level rifle at 50 yards if the barrel is otherwise up to it.

 

[Mikemontminy]

You could put a tuning weight on the barrel's muzzle then move it back and forth to find where vertical shot disdispersion is minimum.

Oft times, ammo with more velocity spread can be tuned into a 1/3 to 1/2 MOA level rifle at 50 yards if the barrel is otherwise up to it.

I do have a Harrell’s tuner on the barrel but haven’t played around with it yet. I thought I would find the best grouping ammo with the least velocity spread first and then play with the tuner. Here are some of the 50 yard groups I have shot so far with a lab radar chrono.

 

[Hi-NV Shooter]

View attachment 1043885
I do have a Harrell’s tuner on the barrel but haven’t played around with it yet. I thought I would find the best grouping ammo with the least velocity spread first and then play with the tuner. Here are some of the 50 yard groups I have shot so far with a lab radar chrono.

I go by the results I see on paper, doesn't matter to me what the velocity would be (or the spread) results are what I am after.
you have to shoot the ammo to get ether result, I am 100% positive a wide varying velocity in a lot would result in poor results on paper. so I have to ask how would knowing this help me, if the results are poor on paper I move on to the next lot to test.

 

[Billinoregon]

Boy, that Eley sure is consistent.

 

[Bart B.]

Looks like Eley Match has smallest groups. You may be hard pressed to find more accurate ammo.

Groups staying in the sub half MOA range, or a bit less, at 50 yards are about as good as it gets.

 

[Hi-NV Shooter]

Looks like Eley Match has smallest groups.

You may be hard pressed to find more accurate ammo. Groups staying in the sub half MOA range at 50 yards are about as good as it gets.

Lapua C-X the very far left group were the foulers, then 5 5-shot groups. average group size .161 moa

 

[USMCDOC]

View attachment 1043885
I do have a Harrell’s tuner on the barrel but haven’t played around with it yet. I thought I would find the best grouping ammo with the least velocity spread first and then play with the tuner. Here are some of the 50 yard groups I have shot so far with a lab radar chrono.

Don't know the lot number of that SK RM in the middle of your test, but i believe you should be buying more of it!

 

[Mikemontminy]

Don't know the lot number of that SK RM in the middle of your test, but i believe you should be buying more of it!

The one group looks good but the other groups around it shot in the same conditions are opened up a bit. If you look at the Eley match groups they are pretty consistent and printing in the same area. I am looking to test more of the Eley match and trying different lot numbers to see what works best and then playing with barrel tuner to see if I can improve on anything.

 

[Mikemontminy]

Lapua C-X the very far left group were the foulers, then 5 5-shot groups. average group size .161 moa

Those are excellent looking groups. I did try shooting some center-x thru this barrel but the groups didn’t look small enough. I haven’t tried using the barrel tuner to see if there would be any improvements. My other rifle loves center-x so I may save what I have left for that rifle.

 

[Bart B.]

Best I've done at 50 yards from prone with a 22x scope. Center X ring is .391" diameter.

400-40X

 

[USMCDOC]

The one group looks good but the other groups around it shot in the same conditions are opened up a bit. If you look at the Eley match groups they are pretty consistent and printing in the same area. I am looking to test more of the Eley match and trying different lot numbers to see what works best and then playing with barrel tuner to see if I can improve on anything.

Oh so your saying that all those in that horizontal line are the same lot then.. Time to start getting that tuner set where it needs to be maybe as well..

 

[Billinoregon]

Geez, Hi-NV: After shooting groups like those I would probably just call it good and hang up my rifle -- having nothing more to accomplish.

 

[Hi-NV Shooter]

Geez, Hi-NV: After shooting groups like those I would probably just call it good and hang up my rifle -- having nothing more to accomplish.

Those groups were shot with a lot of C-X that I got for lot testing. that was the one and only box I got, the rest went to a bunch of guys in Texas. out of 10-lots I tested that day 9 shot really good with 3 that were really exceptional. my personal best 5-shot group is 0.007 shot with SK rifle match.
I shoot groups to see which lots I want to get and to see how the rifle is performing.
I shoot RFBR my best finish is a 2nd place in a ARA state championship match. I took my clubs unlimited for 2017 (unsanctioned RBA) that is where my challenge would be, shooting for score.

 

[Mikemontminy]

Tried testing ten different lot #s of Eley match today. Temp was 25 degrees when I started. The wind was calm but picked up after the first 10 groups. All shots were at 50 yards and the barrel was not cleaned prior or during shooting. This was after running a bunch of different brands of ammo thru it. I picked the lot # 1117-04144 from the top row with the dime for comparison. Each five shot group was shot at a different tuner setting starting at 0 and going up to 4 on a Harrell’s tuner. Let me know what you guys or girls think. I already ordered a bunch of the lot number I chose.