Pre-Reloading: Commercial Bullet Expectations.

[howabouttheiris]

What was everyone seeing from commercial ammo before switching to reloading?

Here is what I see. I will find an example scan of my groups and post it eventually.

Shooting a box of PRVI Match 69g BTHP thru my Savage 12fcv .223 at 100 yards with front and rear bags in zero wind at a one shot per 2 minute pace, I get a single ragged hole from my best 5 shot group (if I shoot 3-4 of them I will get one in the .5" range) Some gun, some me, but I am very happy with it.

HOWEVER, If you look at a 20 shot (one complete box) of mine, you will see a single ragged hole (extents to MOA or usually better) and then 2-3 that are at least 1" below the group.

I am pretty sure the ammo is to blame (cause Lord knows none of us every misses).

Were folks seeing about 3 in 20 or so acting under charged?

 

[PJGunner]

"I am pretty sure the ammo is to blame (cause Lord knows none of us every misses)."

I'm sure we don't. : The last gun I bought was a Winchester M70 XTR with Featherweight shaped synthetic stock. (McMillan?) Rifle was chambered in .270 Win. I only shoot handloads in my rifles, reserving factory to take pressure measurements off the brass.
I bought a box of Winchester 150 gr. Power Point ammo and went to the range. The rifle came with a scope (gun show buy) and the guy selling it said it was sighted in 3" high at 100 yards. Guess he wasn't lying. 8) Anyway the first 5 shot group was right at half an inch. After letting the gun cool down, I fired 3 more 5 shot strings with proper cooling and the largest group was .80". This one is a keeper. i loaded up my pet load with the 150 gr. Sierra Game-King bullet and groups were all under an inch with .80 once more being the largest.
I took that rifle and load with me to New Mexico in 2009 for an antelope hunt and after a fairly easy stalk I shot my goat at 75 yards.
I don't think I'll be selling that one anytime soon.
Paul B.

 

[in2deep]

I shot some factory Lapua 6BR in a very accurate rifle at 300 yards on a calm day and it held 1 1/4" of vertical and almost straight up and down like a lollipop stick. But at the price of it some Swedish guy should come with it to haul the rifle around Lol.

 

[K22]

Federal Preimum is excellent factory ammo for hunting and works well in most guns if you're not expecting groups consistently under 1 moa. On the other hand I know at least one varmint hunter who uses this ammo and is able to acheive very close to 1/2 moa. What I've seen is it's pretty much a "hit" or "miss" situation, some rifles do well with it and others do not.

The problem is you cannot tune the ammo to a specific rifle such as adjusting the COL which can sometimes significantly reduce group size.

I reload for two reasons; (1) to save money since I shoot a lot and (2) obtain the best accuracy I can since I'm a prolific varmint hunter and demand 1/2 moa.