Match Grade Ammunition
Many shooters tend to think of the
firearm as being responsible for the accuracy, but that is only half the story.
What many ignore is the role ammunition plays in accuracy. There is truth to
the statement “…it’s all about the
bullet.” Lower quality ammunition is going to result in lower performance
from any firearm. For serious target or competition shooters the best choice
for their ammunition is Match Grade ammo. What exactly is Match Grade
ammunition?
To be label Match Grade means it is
ammunition that is loaded to be more consistent and therefore more accurate
than say general-use ammunition. It is
ammunition which requires extremely tight tolerances and quality control. While the origin of the term “match” is a bit
fuzzy, the term became a way to identify especially consistent ammunition that
would be suitable for use in formal shooting matches or competitions. Therefore, match grade ammunition is meticulously
loaded cartridges. While some manufacturers simply load their standard
ammunition with a match-type bullet and call it match grade, and others use the
same machines as all the other ammo. True match grade Ammunition is much
different.
Match grade
ammunition is developed using the finest components available, meaning the best
brass available, the best powder, primers and true match grade bullets. And, that’s
just the beginning. So let start with the brass. The brass casing is – for lack
of a better term – the “vessel” from which the cartridge is built. It matters
not how good the bullets are, the quality of the primers or powder, if the
components are loaded into low quality brass. The shoulder length, primer
pocket tension, and neck concentricity are all important characteristics of
good quality brass. But, most important is case wall thickness. Good quality
brass must remain consistent from casing to casing, especially with regard to
the thickness of the casing.
The key to good
quality brass is consistency is the construction and characteristics of the
brass, but as noted, most important is the thickness of the brass. It must be
equal for all the casings, and it is the resulting consistency in case volume
which insures a consistent burn from each shot. It’s all about the internal
case capacity, which if allowed to vary from casing to casing will result in an
inconsistency in pressures, and – as noted – this will result in less than
desired accuracy. It is the case
internal volume predictability that increases accuracy, and enables the shooter
to have confidence in his or her shots. If the internal capacity of the brass
various from round to round, the pressure is going to vary. This in turn will
affect the velocity and thus the accuracy of the cartridge. Manufacturers of
premium brass go to great lengths to insure their casing are held to extremely
tight tolerances; therefore the internal volume remains the same across the
entire lot of casings. So, it goes without saying, the perfect cartridge begins
with the brass. Premium brass will cost you more, but in the end will be the
foundation for consistent shots every time.
