Im about to do my black badge course and start competing with my shadow in the production class. I am looking for ammo recomendations prior to a bulk purchase. I also reload so bullet/powder combinations and recomendations are welcome as well.
cz shadow competition ammo choice?
- Thread starter martinjozwa
- Start date
If you have access to a chronograph the hot setup is 147gn bullets set to hit a "safe" PF of 130. I can't guide you on a load since all the testing I did used Bullseye. I found that it's highly temperature sensitive and rounds which cycled the gun fine in an indoor range would barely get the empties out the port and frequently jammed.
I've since switched to Tightgroup based on many local recomendations. But I haven't chrono'ed any 9mm loads since.
Watch your overall length. Especially with the fat nosed 147's. The CZ's have relatively shallow chamber throats before the rifling starts. An overall length that is fine in almost all other 9's will cause a failure to return to battery in the CZ's. This is HIGHLY dependent on the bullet profile. But with the plated Berry's I used I had to load the 147's down to 1.09. The same Berry bullets in 124 were fine at 1.10 to 1.11.
The key is to chamber check the first round and occasionally as you go in your barrel.
When all was said and done though I went back to 124 grain loads. The bullets are cheaper and that gave me the chance to shoot more for the buck. And I'm simply not good enough to go all OCD over the 124 to 147gn difference. For me more practice is worth more than shooting a slightly lower recoiling load. When I get to where I' hitting second or third consistently and can't quite seem to bust my way up I'll get more serious about loading 147's.
As for buying some bulk ammo I'd definetly suggest 124 if not 147. There's quite a difference between 115 and 124. But I found that for commercial loads not that much from 124 to 147. If you're reloading then there's a goodly but not huge difference between 130PF loads in 124 and 147.
I've since switched to Tightgroup based on many local recomendations. But I haven't chrono'ed any 9mm loads since.
Watch your overall length. Especially with the fat nosed 147's. The CZ's have relatively shallow chamber throats before the rifling starts. An overall length that is fine in almost all other 9's will cause a failure to return to battery in the CZ's. This is HIGHLY dependent on the bullet profile. But with the plated Berry's I used I had to load the 147's down to 1.09. The same Berry bullets in 124 were fine at 1.10 to 1.11.
The key is to chamber check the first round and occasionally as you go in your barrel.
When all was said and done though I went back to 124 grain loads. The bullets are cheaper and that gave me the chance to shoot more for the buck. And I'm simply not good enough to go all OCD over the 124 to 147gn difference. For me more practice is worth more than shooting a slightly lower recoiling load. When I get to where I' hitting second or third consistently and can't quite seem to bust my way up I'll get more serious about loading 147's.
As for buying some bulk ammo I'd definetly suggest 124 if not 147. There's quite a difference between 115 and 124. But I found that for commercial loads not that much from 124 to 147. If you're reloading then there's a goodly but not huge difference between 130PF loads in 124 and 147.
