Question re inconsistencies in commercial ammo

D

DarkRayz

New member
Sorry if this is wrong area for this question.

I've noted big differences in my group sizes with different factory ammo.

I'm just now easing into reloading, but my question is: what is(are) the reason(s) for artfully created reloaded rounds (or "premium factory ammo") being more accurate than the El Cheapo stuff I bought at Wally World? Is it the bullet quality? How the round is pressed together? Many different reasons?

Ive heard many describe creating many different combos of powder type, amount and bullet type and noting that one particular combo may work much better than another in a given pistol....this intrigues me...what is the....physics, I guess, to explain this? Anyone have a validated explanation for this?

Thx

DR
 
What is "big differences", and at what ranges are you shooting?

It has been my experience that even the cheap ammunition will shoot pretty good groups, especially if distance is limited to about 15 yards or less. WWB will hold group sizes around 1" or so at 15 yards with a good gun and shooter. I've even loaded magazines with a variety of ammo (different bullet weights, types and loadings) and shot decent groups out to about 15 yards.

If you're seeing big differences in group sizes at 15 yards or less due to ammunition choices, I think that a lot of that is probably your expectations creating reality. I was sort of forced to this view after I took some of the worst/cheapest foreign ammo I had on hand to a match one time, mostly just to get rid of it, and, to my surprise, actually shot a very good score with it. Previously I had "tested" it and "proved" to myself that it didn't shoot very accurately. At the match there was too much else going on to think about what ammo I was using and apparently that's all I needed to allow me to shoot accurately with it.

My guess is that if you load up a batch of magazines, each one with a different type of ammunition, take them all to the range and shoot them all without checking to see which one is which, you'll probably find that they all shoot much more alike in terms of accuracy than you expect.
 
There are many reasons for handloading ammunition.

The #1 reason that folks handload is that it's less expensive to shoot; or, in most cases, you can shoot more for the same money.

In some cases, when done correctly, it can be more accurate...or, more consistent, since you can put the same exact components into the cartridge each time you load them. Factory loads from different lots aren't usually loaded with the same exact powder, although in a handgun the difference is seldom seen in real-world shooting.

I've been loading since 1976, and the biggest difference I've seen in handloaded handgun ammo is cost. For my rifles, I can assemble ammo that will ourshoot factory loads. The ability to adjust primer/powder/bullet combos gives a lot of flexibility, and then you add in bullet seating depth, different ways of resizing cases (FL VS neck), and so on, and the variations you can work on become increasingly endless.

It's also an enjoyable hobby that can increase your knowledge of shooting.

Daryl
 
Ive heard many describe creating many different combos of powder type, amount and bullet type and noting that one particular combo may work much better than another in a given pistol....this intrigues me...what is the....physics, I guess, to explain this? Anyone have a validated explanation for this?
Click to expand...


Well it's a deeeeeep question, but the shallow answer is the combination of bullet characteristics, the exact pressure on the back of the bullet at each instant as it travels down the barrel and it's ultimate speed will be different for different guns. With hand loading, you can diddle with the mix to get a bullet spun by the barrel with just the right amount of friction and accelerated by the pressure to just the exact right speed to be optimally stabilized by your gun. With factory loads, you get what they give you and it may or may not be satisfactory with the gun you are using. What may work well in your long slide 1911 will be not so good in my 3" sub-compact.

I'm not so sure that the days of greater round to round consistency with hand loads over factory loads are still with us. Manufacturing quality and consistency in the volume factories has greatly improved in the past 20 years.
 
I see the same inconsistency in cheap factory ammo you describe as well.

I think it comes down to cost of the components / where a factory will obviously have a "range" of acceptabiltiy on powder, bullets, etc when they run thousands of rounds an hour. On their more expensive ammo / I think they fine tune the components a little more / spend more time setting the tolerances on their machinery as well -- and they probably run them at a slower speed in the machinery.

I'm confident that I pick the best components I can on my reloads / and I think my consistency of powder drops, depth of bullets, depth of primers, etc is more consistent ....so I get better accuracy out of my reloads ( plus I like doing it ) ...

My reloads are significantly cheaper than retail ammo / and more accurate ...what's not to like ??
 
Thanks for replies and info.

I've done some experiments with different ammo (all commercial so far) using a bench rest, and when I return home next week I'll post pics of the targets to demonstrate. There is a clear difference between the Walmart Federal ($9.47/box), and the others (including the Winchester white box, winchester nato, magtech, remington, etc)

Interestingly, the groupings using the 22lr conversion for my cz (the Kadet) were the tightest of all.

Looking forward to seeing how hand loads shoot...

DR
 
I didn't see where you stated it, but it sounds like you are looking primarily at 9mm Luger ammo, right?

As to handloading, the answers given are generally correct. But the amount of "adjustment" to ammo via handloading, and specifically its effect on what goes down range varies comsiderably with the cartridge, and the "platform".

The effect of tailored handloads can be huge in rifle calibers, and also in some pistol calibers, but not so much in others. Since this is in the handgun forum, we'll just look at handgun rounds, and handguns.

Besides cost, the primary advantage to handloading is flexability. IF you are shooting an auto pistol, you have the least amount of flexability available, due to the nature of your gun. Revolvers can shoot anything from max loads to loads that just barely send the bullet out of the barrel, and still function the same. Autos cannot. Auto pistol ammo has to operate within a fairly narrow range of energy (pressure, recoil impulse, etc.) or the mechanism will not work reliably.

Another thing is the distance being shot. At close range (7-15 yds), just about everything of the same weight and speed is going to go in about the same place. Move out to 25yds, and the differences between "grades" of ammo become more pronounced. And so on at 50yds, and beyond.

Remember also that factory ammo has to be made to perform the best practical, in the widest possible range of guns. Handloads can be made to perform to the best possible in your gun.
 
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