Xact Versus Midas?

[CharlieNC]

I worked in large scale manufacturing with strenous quality requirements for 50+ years. Over 30 years ago the notion of grading for quality at the end of the line was replaced with learning how to make a quality product from the begining; which costs less and yields superior quality. Otherwise don't expect that the quality within a lot is consistent, and that grading is therefore ineffective. Maybe a rant not worth discussing!

 

[davidjoe]

The ammo produced could have become sufficiently better over the years, that performance distinctions are not as self-evident in factory testing. The grade names have remained, but the distinctions have narrowed, a production plateau if you will.

We customers know that a box of XAct costs us the same as both a box of Midas and of CenterX. That is a huge distinction to us the end users, that possibly is nowhere near as clear cut at the sorting table.

If testers aren’t right 100% of the time, imagine that, or aren’t by nature as incredibly knit-picky as XAct buyers assuredly are, then they may not be looking at it this way, but a customer here and there could very easily end up believing they have paid four times what they should have. It could be their budget for two years of shooting in play.

I know Lapua reads and listens. XAct probably did dominate but if the distinctions since the 90’s have diminished, consider whether XAct should cost as much as both Midas and CenterX combined, not in terms of the very best XAct box that ever shipped, but the average to the worst.

And then think of it this way, are guys sorting production so detail oriented they are earning $100 an hour, because we are individually spending about $100 an hour shooting the good stuff.

 

[TRSR8]

I follow, my concern about XAct is that guys seemingly don’t pick that grade for the win, and don’t say they are getting beaten by it. Maybe at the biggest matches, it does win. If it was merely that on threads, there wasn’t much or any positive mention, I wouldn’t read much into it, but I’ve seen quite a few guys over the months and years go out of their way to say it actually shot less well than its inferiors, by the assortment process. If you buy it, you probably do have a very competent gun, (and only it is available to buy now) so that does get one’s attention. I do love Lapua though, I put their name on my license plate.

Well to finish, remember Midas is stocked by a pretty wide margin by vendors and, still, it’s all about lots, even the test centers availability of Midas is the sweet spot.