Factory match ammo question

[dryhumor]

So just really curious how factory match ammo like federal gold medal match , hornady and the military match is so accurate in multiple rifles? Is it load density, burn rate ?
Another im interested is it would be nice to have a hunting load with ballistic tips and soft points that I could use in all 3 of my 308 . We hunt short range , 100-180 yards max so if I have 1.5in groups at 150 or 180 yards thats plenty
Im gonna use a 150 gr

I would speculate barrel twist, profile, and similar chambers. For many years I had a good stash of Fed GMM 168 grain. Many rifles were 1/2 MOA, almost always 12T, varmint weight.


For hunting with 150 grain, I’ve got a 13T that 44 grains of Varget will work with several 150 grain SP projectiles. The only variable is seating depth. Same cases, and primers. If I change cases, I might be 1/2-1 grains different.

 

[jk80]

I bought some black hills 308 with the 175 gr. Sierra years ago for an unbelievable price at cabelas. It shot almost as well as my reloads in two different rifles. I bought every box with the same lot number they had in stock. I grab it sometime when I don't have time to reload and figure I'm not giving up much, especially for just banging steel. As an aside I've had really good luck with their 223 match also.

 

[Mark W]

Sierra and Lyman manuals have accuracy loads or best powder tested, that might be a good place to start.

I shoot a lot of Sierra bullets and it’s very rare that Sierras accuracy load isn’t really close in my rifles.

 

[Hoekight]

Another im interested is it would be nice to have a hunting load with ballistic tips and soft points that I could use in all 3 of my 308 . We hunt short range , 100-180 yards max so if I have 1.5in groups at 150 or 180 yards thats plenty
Im gonna use a 150 gr

It is funny you posted this because I just took on this mission for myself with 3 different rifles chambered in 308. I wanted to use one load for all of the rifles. I wanted to use the 2.8 oal for all 3 so they would feed from a Remington box. I tested varget, n150 and shooters world match powder. I used all sorts of primers and cases. Incidentally, I found the bullets, powder and primers to be the least changing variable. The brass made more difference than the rest of the components. I found a combo that worked with all the rifles and they all shoot sub 1” groups with 168 nosler BT, Hornady Amax or Remington core locks. It’s possible to do what you were asking or at least it was for me. It just takes some testing.
Blessings.
Dwayne

 

[mgunderson]

Should be asking a slightly different questions. Why does factory ammo shoot well in some factory guns? It is an ammo and chamber reamer compatability. I enjoy the 6.5 creedmoor example. At introduction, we have few reamers and chamber designs. All the ammo is optimized to those reamers. As more people create new reamers the ammo manufactures have a harder time. Somehow all the new cartridges seem to test awesome....

Try a seating depth test on factory ammo. Pushing the bullet deeper will tell you if the chamber and ammo are working together.

 

[Pirate69]

It would probably be good to search Dan Newberry and Optimum Charge Weight. His OCW site is being redone but go here and you'll get some info.

BangSteel Long Range shooting School

Training Long Range American Riflemen

bangsteel.com

Whether OCW exists or not will be debatable but it and what Chris Long theorized in Optimum Barrel Time do seem to have merit. BUT, when you go on the internet you will see everything from it works great to never seen it. Remember that you are seeing tests run in 22 lb F-Open rifles with 1.25" bull barrels to pencil thin 6 lb hunting rifles. It matters.

I believe in OCW. This is the graphed results for a 168 gn Nosler in a 300 Win Mag. Each point is the center of a three-shot group for that powder charge. Round robin firing of the different loads. Targets at 300 yards.





Data

Targets at 30 yards.