The history of U. S. Military match ammunition is a long one, spanning more than 125 years. It may not be as exciting as my other narratives but it is an important part in the story of competition cartridges nonetheless. Here are three of the oldest, the .45-80, the .30-40, and the .30-06.
In 1879 the National Armory in Springfield began the development of the first competition cartridge ever undertaken by the U.S. Army. But, as curious as it may sound, you will not find any records as such. In 1879 the United States Congress was not likely to approve appropriations for arms and ammunition for things such as “target shootingâ€. So, under the pretext of producing a “sniper†or “long range†military rifle, the first competition rifles and ammunition were manufactured. The rifle was the well known 45-70 Springfield “Trapdoor†with modifications including vernier tang sights and spirit level front sights. The cartridge was a specially made 45 caliber copper cartridge, with 80 grains of black powder and a 500 grain bullet. Officially called the “Lengthened Chamber Cartridge†or “2.4 inch Case†the cartridge is known by collectors today as the 45-80-500 Sharpshooter.
Beginning with its adoption in 1892, though hardly considered a match cartridge, the 30-40 Krag with its slow moving 220 grain bullet was good enough to win many matches using the standard ball ammunition. Attempts were made to increase long range accuracy through the use of specially made bullets, such as the Remington 172 grain Thomas Pencil Point,very similar to today’s modern VLD). Even though such improvements succeeded, the cartridge itself was short-lived and was destined to be replaced a few years later by one without equal, before or since, the 30-06.
For most of the first half of the 20th Century the 30-06 was the predominant long range competition cartridge, in all its various military match configurations. Civilian shooters had neither the financial resources nor time to experiment, so supported by organizations such as the NRA and National Guard units, military rifles and cartridges were the norm at all tournaments. Prior to WW I it was usual to hold a competition to determine which manufacturer would furnish 30-06 ammunition for the National Matches. Though commercially manufactured, the cartridges were all standard Cal .30 M1906 ammunition with the 150 grain flat based bullet made to arsenal specifications. Then in 1925 the 30 Caliber M1 service ammunition was standardized with a 172 grain boat tailed bullet and ordinary ammunition was taken from stock to be used in competition. Starting in 1930, National Match ammunition was selected from arsenal lots showing better than average accuracy. For Palma and other International matches where extreme long range accuracy is required, specially prepared cartridges, usually commercially loaded, were used.
After the new 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge,aka 308 Winchester) was adopted in 1954 the ‘06 was used less and less. It’s seldom seen on the firing line today since most shooters, including the military, prefer to use one of the newer, more modern long range cartridges. In 1992 it was officially dropped as a Palma cartridge but it remains legal for most classes of competition and is one of the required cartridges for “as issued†matches.
Showing all of the various 30-06 competition cartridges would take more space than we have here and would likely bore you to tears. I will picture just a few of them for you.
In 1879 the National Armory in Springfield began the development of the first competition cartridge ever undertaken by the U.S. Army. But, as curious as it may sound, you will not find any records as such. In 1879 the United States Congress was not likely to approve appropriations for arms and ammunition for things such as “target shootingâ€. So, under the pretext of producing a “sniper†or “long range†military rifle, the first competition rifles and ammunition were manufactured. The rifle was the well known 45-70 Springfield “Trapdoor†with modifications including vernier tang sights and spirit level front sights. The cartridge was a specially made 45 caliber copper cartridge, with 80 grains of black powder and a 500 grain bullet. Officially called the “Lengthened Chamber Cartridge†or “2.4 inch Case†the cartridge is known by collectors today as the 45-80-500 Sharpshooter.
Beginning with its adoption in 1892, though hardly considered a match cartridge, the 30-40 Krag with its slow moving 220 grain bullet was good enough to win many matches using the standard ball ammunition. Attempts were made to increase long range accuracy through the use of specially made bullets, such as the Remington 172 grain Thomas Pencil Point,very similar to today’s modern VLD). Even though such improvements succeeded, the cartridge itself was short-lived and was destined to be replaced a few years later by one without equal, before or since, the 30-06.
For most of the first half of the 20th Century the 30-06 was the predominant long range competition cartridge, in all its various military match configurations. Civilian shooters had neither the financial resources nor time to experiment, so supported by organizations such as the NRA and National Guard units, military rifles and cartridges were the norm at all tournaments. Prior to WW I it was usual to hold a competition to determine which manufacturer would furnish 30-06 ammunition for the National Matches. Though commercially manufactured, the cartridges were all standard Cal .30 M1906 ammunition with the 150 grain flat based bullet made to arsenal specifications. Then in 1925 the 30 Caliber M1 service ammunition was standardized with a 172 grain boat tailed bullet and ordinary ammunition was taken from stock to be used in competition. Starting in 1930, National Match ammunition was selected from arsenal lots showing better than average accuracy. For Palma and other International matches where extreme long range accuracy is required, specially prepared cartridges, usually commercially loaded, were used.
After the new 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge,aka 308 Winchester) was adopted in 1954 the ‘06 was used less and less. It’s seldom seen on the firing line today since most shooters, including the military, prefer to use one of the newer, more modern long range cartridges. In 1992 it was officially dropped as a Palma cartridge but it remains legal for most classes of competition and is one of the required cartridges for “as issued†matches.
Showing all of the various 30-06 competition cartridges would take more space than we have here and would likely bore you to tears. I will picture just a few of them for you.
