Chapter 48 - Is match grade ammunition worth it? (Patreon)

Smyth Busters: Is Match Ammo Better Than Standard Ammo?

Brownells Gun Techs and Seekers of Truth Steve and Caleb are back to answer a critical question: Is match ammunition always better than standard ammo? If your gun doesn't shoot good groups with standard ammo, switching to the match stuff probably won't make a big improvement - even though it costs more. Match ammunition isn't a "magic bullet" (ahem!) that'll solve your gun's accuracy problems. It IS manufactured to be more consistent from round to round to minimize ammunition-induced variations in the groups your gun shoots. It does nothing to change your gun's inherent accuracy. Rimfire ammunition (.17 HMR, .22 LR, .22 Win Mag, etc.) sometimes varies widely in performance even among rounds that came off the assembly line close together. And some rimfire guns shoot great with inexpensive 1,000-rounds-in-a-bucket bulk ammo. A custom-built centerfire rifle will usually shoot well with just about any ammunition. Range has an effect, too: match ammunition's consistency is more important at 1,000 yards than at 100. When you get a new gun, try a lot of different loads in it; if it shoots great with budget "white box" ammo... it's a keeper! So the myth that match ammo always shoots better is... BUSTED.