Shooting any amount of ammo or testing is useless unless REAL target measurements are taken!! All rimfire ammo is junk but some junk’s better than other junk… High price ammo means nothing other than more cash out of your wallet. LapuaExact @ $45 plus tax a box, what a joke !!
.22LR Ammo Testing and Sample Sizes
- Thread starter grauhanen
- Start date
My final process to test ammo for LR PRS needs (CRPS, BCPRL, ORPS, etc out to 400yds). 2 rifles with established performance and likes. One with a tuner set to what has shown to be the best for the barrel (rarely moved for a different lot of ammo). The other had no tuner but shot great with preferred lots.
Only ammo tested Lapua CenterX and SK Rifle match. I never shot ELEY due in large part to the big difference in rim thickness vs my rifles headspace. Before group shooting, 10rds with similar type of ammo into the berm to foul the barrel.
Started with a case of ammo if possible. I took 5rds (shot as a group) from 5 boxes of ammo taken from 5 different bricks in that case. One target 5X5rds with each target having a very defined aiming point and comparing POI and group size.... always at 100yds in calm conditions
If this lot works, all 5 groups will be at 1" or smaller AND POI overlays into that 1" target (1 1/4" at the very most). Great lots would have 80% of shots fall under 1" with rest at 1". Workable would have only a couple of shots out to 1 1/4".... training lots would have errant shots out to 1 1/2". Not the average group but just the occasional 'flyer'.
To confirm, do another 5X5rds with the other 5 bricks and the group sizes should be consistent. If the results are much worse, time to look for another lot. I have shot "1box" of ammo but sampled the entire case.
I only watch the impacts on target (relative to conditions). I don't care about ES/SD. confirm shooting at 200 and 300yds.
Let the target sort out all the math and worries.
Jerry
Only ammo tested Lapua CenterX and SK Rifle match. I never shot ELEY due in large part to the big difference in rim thickness vs my rifles headspace. Before group shooting, 10rds with similar type of ammo into the berm to foul the barrel.
Started with a case of ammo if possible. I took 5rds (shot as a group) from 5 boxes of ammo taken from 5 different bricks in that case. One target 5X5rds with each target having a very defined aiming point and comparing POI and group size.... always at 100yds in calm conditions
If this lot works, all 5 groups will be at 1" or smaller AND POI overlays into that 1" target (1 1/4" at the very most). Great lots would have 80% of shots fall under 1" with rest at 1". Workable would have only a couple of shots out to 1 1/4".... training lots would have errant shots out to 1 1/2". Not the average group but just the occasional 'flyer'.
To confirm, do another 5X5rds with the other 5 bricks and the group sizes should be consistent. If the results are much worse, time to look for another lot. I have shot "1box" of ammo but sampled the entire case.
I only watch the impacts on target (relative to conditions). I don't care about ES/SD. confirm shooting at 200 and 300yds.
Let the target sort out all the math and worries.
Jerry
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