Ammo for Free Pistol

joel · Post by **joel** » Wed Dec 12, 2012 5:16 pm

I have just started to get back into free pistol and was wondering which ammo to use. Since there seems to be no need to worry about stressing moving parts, I would think that high velocity would be a good choice. I still have a few boxes of Eley Silhouette, but they don't make that anymore and was wondering if anyone else makes a higher velocity round like Silhouette. A friend offered advice to try the biathlon ammo, but it is extremely expensive.

What is everyone using? Perhaps I should just start out with the same stuff I'm using for my sport pistol and free rifle. (Eley)

All advice much appreciated,

Joel

Rover · Post by **Rover** » Wed Dec 12, 2012 5:38 pm

All the hot shooters I know are using the lowest velocity stuff they can find, even trying the new CCI "Quiet" ammo.

The only way to know is test it.

rmca · Post by **rmca** » Wed Dec 12, 2012 7:27 pm

I totally agree with Rover.

The slower ammo means less recoil, a more controlled shot and a better follow trough. You "only" need to make a hole in the paper at 50 meters... not to knock something down.

If you can, test different brands to see witch your barrel likes best.

C. Perkins · Post by **C. Perkins** » Wed Dec 12, 2012 8:00 pm

I currently have been using a Lot# of Eley match pistol at 998 fps.
You do not need a hot load at 50 meters, just an accurate one.

Clarence

djsomers · Post by **djsomers** » Wed Dec 12, 2012 9:22 pm

Give CCI Quiet a try for practice. Not sure if it meets the standards for competition but seems pretty consitent.

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Wed Dec 12, 2012 9:46 pm

Do not use high velocity. I would stick with the same stuff you are using for sport pistol and FR.

at 50 ft just about anything should shoot a good group.

joel · Post by **joel** » Thu Dec 13, 2012 11:00 am

Thanks for all the replies. Much appreciated.

Joel

conradin · Post by **conradin** » Thu Dec 13, 2012 8:44 pm

Eley match.

jbshooter · Post by **jbshooter** » Thu Dec 13, 2012 10:28 pm

Same, eley match in black box. Most acceptable felt recoil after trying many others. Semi-wadcutter point makes loading a bit more fiddly though.

madmull · Post by **madmull** » Fri Dec 14, 2012 6:13 pm

SK Rifle Match

Why?

it's ammo i can afford and is giving almost no recoil and a nice result.
i would like to shoot eley tenex or rws r50 but i can't afford it.
i own a house, have to eat, pay the bills etc.

joel · Post by **joel** » Fri Dec 14, 2012 6:25 pm

I am shooting the Rifle Match out of my 1813, so I'll give it a try in the FP. Thanks for the tip. Yep, housing, eating, bills, etc... I got that too. Hard to pay 30 cents a shot on my income.

Joel

djsomers · Post by **djsomers** » Fri Dec 14, 2012 7:09 pm

Try the CCI Quiet. Save the expensive stuff for your run up to the Olympics...

Rover · Post by **Rover** » Fri Dec 14, 2012 8:28 pm

If you'd start testing the stuff starting with the cheapest and working up, you would find something with acceptable (not necessarily the finest, but maybe) performance at a decent price.

Why worry about one-hole AMMO performance if YOU can't hit squat!

David N · Post by **David N** » Fri Dec 14, 2012 9:15 pm

joel · Post by **joel** » Fri Dec 14, 2012 9:25 pm

My original post was just curious about the different velocities and what many shooters were using. I'm not trying to be an Olympian, just a competent shooter and competitor some day.

Rover's advice is sound as I won't be able to hit squat for a while. Performance at a decent price is the goal.

David N, your info was exactly what I was looking for, thanks much.

As for the CCI quiet, I don't think that it was made to be accurate as much as it was made to be quiet so I think I'll skip that. Also, .22's aren't that loud in the first place and as far as noise is concerned, I am mostly focused on tuning out my shooting neighbors and not too worried about the sound from my gun. I try to do this by being as focused as possible on my routine and sticking to it.

Many Thanks,

Joel

Gwhite · Post by **Gwhite** » Fri Dec 14, 2012 9:37 pm

Unless the ammo is specifically "pistol" ammo, the "subsonic", "quiet", etc. is meaningless, as are the stated velocities. All that is based on rifle length barrels, and what they produce in a pistol is only somewhat related. Depending on the burning characteristics of the powder, you may find "slower" ammo shooting faster than "faster" ammo in a short barrel.

Until you get A) very good, and B), can do bench rest testing with your pistol, I wouldn't feed it anything special. Rest assured that it will outshoot you & focus on your technique.

David N · Post by **David N** » Fri Dec 14, 2012 10:11 pm

djsomers · Post by **djsomers** » Fri Dec 14, 2012 11:23 pm

joel wrote: As for the CCI quiet, I don't think that it was made to be accurate as much as it was made to be quiet so I think I'll skip that. Also, .22's aren't that loud in the first place and as far as noise is concerned, I am mostly focused on tuning out my shooting neighbors and not too worried about the sound from my gun. I try to do this by being as focused as possible on my routine and sticking to it.

Many Thanks,

Joel

Your nickel.

Just because the name has "Quiet" in it doesn't mean it is not good accurate ammo. It appears to me to be the same as CCI SV with less powder. Try a bunch of stuff and see what you like but if you dismiss the CCI Quiet because of the name it is your mistake. Guess that is why they get $20+ a box for "Super Accurate 100X Hyper Match Wammo Ammo".

I shoot it out of my TOZ 35M and love it. Just have fun and if you have unlimited budget, go for it.

jliston48 · Post by **jliston48** » Sat Dec 15, 2012 2:15 am

The smart answers here included the concept that the machine rest will conclusively give you your answer for accuracy - even with a barrel clamp.

David N's posting on wind deflection contradicts my understanding of vectors. Surely the wind deflection on a moving body is proportional to the period of time it is exposed to the wind so a slower body would be deflected more than a faster one. His figures show the opposite. I can't see how the rotation of the projectile would be a significant factor in this example.

Can someone explain this phenomenon - please?

Gwhite · Post by **Gwhite** » Sat Dec 15, 2012 9:55 am

David N wrote:Sorry, I don't see the "meaninglessness" here. Even though the speeds were produced with 150mm barrel for Pistol King, 550mm barrel for Polar Biathlon, and 660mm barrel for Speed Ace, their speeds and respective wind drifts shows OP that his statment in the first post: " I would think that high velocity would be a good choice" should be reconsidered! And that spending huge amounts of money to achieve this, is not just a waste of money, but destructive for his shooting performance (and possibly, economy): "A friend offered advice to try the biathlon ammo, but it is extremely expensive". So, "meaningless", huh?

What is meaningless is relying on the manufacturers information about how ammo performs in a rifle when you are going to shoot it in a pistol. I certainly wasn't making any recommendation about shooting high velocity ammo for free pistol. if you read his original post, he has (presumably standard velocity) ammo he shoots in his other firearms, and I was suggesting he just stick with that.