Match Grade Ammo
Okay, I'll give you guys a chuckle. Would someone tell me what is the difference between "match grade" ammo and the ammo I might buy to hunt with? Different bullet? Powder? Is "match grade" mainly for target shooting? Reason I am asking is that I recently saw an ad (American Rifleman magazine) for 165 gr Match Grade 308 ammo (Federal Premium I believe) at a good price and was thinking about buying some. Didn't know if this ammo would be appropriate for deer hunting.
Hunt with your son today instead of hunting for him tomorrow.
Hunt with your son today instead of hunting for him tomorrow.
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Federal gold metal .308 is loaded w/ 168gr sierra bthp that is designed for accuracy, not terminal performance. you should stick with any bullet that is desigened for hunting. it would kill things, but would not make a good mushroom and wound channel 0 -
Stan,
Match Grade ammunition is manufactured to tighter tolerances for better consistancy and uniformity. Those 2 terms are critical to "match" performance.
Match rifle ammunition is usually loaded with what is termed as 'open point' bullets which resemble the more traditional hollow point but with the exception that the hole is much smaller in diameter. This is the result of making the bullet with a closed tail (base) as opposed to a full metal jacket (FMJ) which has a closed nose and exposed lead in the base of the bullet. It has been tested and demonstrated that the 'open point' bullets have superior accuracy when compared to other types of bullets fired under the same conditions.
FMJ (case)/ Match open point/ VMAX or AMAX/ Bronze Point/ Flat Base Hollow point
These match bullets are carefully manufactured to maintain an exact weight and jacket thickness for consistancy shot to shot. In fact all of the variables: powder, cases and primers, used to make match ammunition are held to this minimal variance which is a component of accuracy. Stringent manufacturing controls give us what many experts consider to be the most accurate match cartridges available in factory loads.
The hunting type bullets, however controlled, are not usually subjected to these tight manufacturing controls. But in my opinion, some of the current newer hunting bullets are gaining quickly in the accuracy department. As you can see below, the hunting hollow point is on the left and the match open point is on the right. The hunting bullets are made to open up upon impact with game animals to create a wound channel and penetrate deeply, while technically, match bullets don't. The concentration of manufacturing for hunting bullets is on consistant performance in tissue and the match bullets are measured by their performance on paper.
This is a pretty good descriptive illustration of bullets designs:0 -
Nononsense - Great information and illustrations!! Thanks a lot. I was pretty sure there would be a difference in the bullet but I did not know exactly what it would be. The illustration of the hunting hollow point versus the match open point clearly shows me how they would react differently on impact.
Hunt with your son today instead of hunting for him tomorrow.0 -
another point that is rarily mentioned is the variance on how perfectly true the bullet is seated into the case. during match shooting, i mike my loaded bullet in a gauge called a bullet spinner. it measures the 'throw' from left to right on a bullet seated in its case. if you could draw a line right down the middle of the bullet, the axis would go thru the middle of the primer and right thru the tip of the bullet. if this is done perfectly, the reading on how far the tip of the bullet is off center anywhere off that axis would be read as 0 or 1/2 for match bullets. as you get further away from match ammo, that reading can go as high as 8, which means, once fired, the bullet is not launched perfectly out of its case and it could tumble or spin with a wobble. at 600yds, it could mean 12" off the x in some cases. so to add to the excellent info, how well a bullet is seated perfectly in its case determines a match grade bullet.
former air operations officer SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 2. former navy skeet team, former navy rifle/pistol team member. co-owner skeetmaster tubes inc.. owner/operator professional shooting instruction. NRA certified instructor.0 -
Outstanding post nononsense![^] 0 -
and to really get the discussion heated, I will interject that I have taken many a whitetail with match ammunition and small hollow tipped pills. Let the argument commence[}:)][:D]
why chase the game when the bullet can get em from here?....
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