Letters: Ammo-Testing Method

I am writing in regards to the article in the July 1996 issue of Performance Shooter entitled “Pricey .22 Ammo: We pick Fiocchi.” I started testing ammo in my custom Ruger 77/22, which was rebarreled with a Douglas Premium air-gauge barrel. The action and trigger have been gone over also. The work was performed by Mark Penrod of Penrod Precision of North Manchester, Indiana.

When I buy my .22 LR ammo for testing I buy a brick at a time. I pull 15 rounds out of a box and use five of them for fouling rounds, and then chronograph the other 10. Next, I start measuring rim thickness. After I measure a round’s rim thickness, I then weigh that round on my RCBS electric scale. After I have 10 rounds that weigh the same, and have the same rim thickness, I put them aside for shooting one group. I keep doing this until I have five groups of 10 rounds each. I then grab another three boxes out of the brick of ammo and head for my shooting range.

If I can’t get all my groups shot before the wind comes up (more than 5 miles per hour per my wind gauge), I quit and wait for another still day to finish. I don’t shoot the gun again until I finish shooting the groups I started. Before I start shooting my groups, I clean my rifle. I then fire 10 fouling/sighting shots, followed by five 10-shot groups of randomly picked ammo and then the five 10-shot droups of the weighed and rimthickness-measured ammo. The gun is supported by a Hart benchrest in front and a bunny bag in the rear. I shoot at a BR50 target, one group to the center circle of each of the 10 sections at 50 yards. All groups are center to center measurements. I have a Tasco 6x24 target scope on the gun and shoot the groups with it on 24 power.

As you can see from the enclosed data, I have only shot 14 different types of ammo for group so far, with another 24 types to go. Also, I have another 17 types of ammo on order (mostly Eley and RWS). I am now saving up the money to get the different varieties of Lapua and Fiocchi.

Mr. Penrod told me his reamer is set for Federal’s rim thickness, and that Federal ammo would probably shoot best in my gun. As you can see, he was right, as four of the top six types have been of Federal manufacture. In your testing CCI Green Tag didn’t do very well, but the lot I have shoots pretty well in my gun.

From the results I have gotten so far, I don’t feel measuring the rim thickness and weighing the ammo is worth the trouble. Maybe in a 12pound BR50 gun, or in a gun used in position shooting and fired by a topflight competitor, but not in a sporter rifle used in silhouette competition.

I also feel that any of the ammo that shoots under 0.625 inch would be good enough for me to use in silo competition.

I am looking forward to the rest of your test data to be published. Performance Shooter is my favorite gun magazine. Keep up the good work.

-Roger W. Mootz
Merrill, WI

----------

Carolina Correspondent
I recently started taking Performance Shooter on a trial basis. I’ve also just sent in my payment for a year’s subscription. After having seen a couple of copies, I had no doubts that you guys have a quality publication going. I’m hooked!

I know a lot of the contributing editors you have listed, and these guys always do a good job.

I particularly appreciated the piece on the high-tech shooting at the Olympics in Atlanta. I was at a lot of the shooting venues myself and have really been disappointed in the coverage that our regular press has shown the shooting sports. I did several pieces in my syndicated column on the shooting sports at the Olympics and, as far as I know, these were the only articles that appeared in our area. Keep up the good work. I’ll be depending on your reports to keep informed.

-Fred Bonner, Editor
Carolina Adventure Magazine
Raleigh, NC