Match vs Store Ammo

Fergus

Fergus

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The title may be a little misleading sorry about that but I have a question regarding ammunition for long range shooting.[I'm a newbie looking at getting into longer range shooting in particular coyote's].

What is the practical difference between store bought [higher end] ammo like say a Winchester accubond or ballistic silvertip versus Match ammo, which I really don't have a clue as to the latter, other than I saw the name and it appears to be very expensive.

I'm shooting a Sako 7mm right at the moment and I'm looking to buy something for long range shooting but trying to understand the difference between ammo types and their impact on accuracy.

Any help you could provide would be very much appreciated.
 
Match bullets are designed to be consistant in weight and shape and to bo of highly steamlined shape. Hunting bullets may well acheive these characteristics too, but they are designed for controlled expansion and minimal fragmentation when they strike an animal. So, you may be able to use hunting bullets for target shooting, but the reverse is not advised.
 
redleg said:
Match bullets are designed to be consistant in weight and shape and to bo of highly steamlined shape. Hunting bullets may well acheive these characteristics too, but they are designed for controlled expansion and minimal fragmentation when they strike an animal. So, you may be able to use hunting bullets for target shooting, but the reverse is not advised.
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This is a generalization typically talked about by the manufacturer for liability reasons. I could write a book on this question alone because there's so much more to either using store bought ammo or reloaded ammo. Hunting ammo typically has concentricity issues do to the way it's put together resulting in not so great accuracy at longer distance. My advice to you, call us and we'll explain how it all works based on the caliber you're using.
403-277-7786.
 
Fergus - just what is your idea of long range? Just about anything will work out to 400m. Beyond that it gets a bit more technical.
 
If I understand the question it was more to do with match AMMO versus hunting AMMO, not just bullets.
If I understand the question correctly, the biggest difference beteen the 2 types of ammo is that the match ammo is typically loaded with hollow point match bullets, that have higher BCs and hence better ballistic performance down range.
Also the ammo is supposedly loaded to a tighter tolerance, some brands are better than others in this dept.
In my experience Lapua, Ruag and RWS match ammo is more consistent in group size than say Federal or Hornady, but unless 1 has a rifle capable of discerning the small differences between the brands you are wasting money.

If true consistency and the ultimate accuracy is the desired end result, handloading ammo that the rifle performs with best is the better way to go.
Most rifles all have the ability to perform better with ammunition that is tailored to their particular harmonic stability.

I guess the real questions are what you consider long distance and whether thr rifle requires match ammo for the purpose you intend.
If real long range precision accuracy is the plan, reloading your own ammo is a must. Store bought ammo will get you close, hand loads can get you right on.
 
Sorry for not getting back to folks earlier I ended up having to go out of town and didn't get back until late yesterday.

My idea of long range is 600 - 700yards. But realistically I will probably be doing most of my coyote management at under 500yds. But I wanted to be able to test myself/rifle out to the longer distance. Best example I can give is if you are trying to make an accurate 20m fly cast under pressure then you should be able to make a 30yd cast accurately in practice.

I had a real great talk with Alberta Tactical Rifle regarding my 7mm and things I might be able to do regarding the rifle - we came to the conclusion that it will be more cost effective to buy a rifle specifically for long range shooting vs modifying the Sako. Unfortunately I didn't think to ask any questions about ammo at the time.

The rifle is well made and will have to suffice until such time as I can afford a gun made for longer range shooting. So that is why I'm trying to understand the nuances of ammo. Of course the good news is I have a selection of bullet weights from 140 - 170 grain. Just need to figure out which one is optimum. Funny how I really didn't worry about this stuff before when I was actually hunting - of course most of my shots then were less than 200yards.
 
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