Free pistol match ammo

[Westporter]

What are the current common ammo choices for 50mm free pistol matches?

[David M]

If you cannot shoot above 550, then don't worry about which ammo.
And remember price does not determine the best ammo for your pistol.

[mld]

After testing the usual high end brands, Eley, Lapua etc. in my TOZ35 I was a bit surprised that Winchester T22 was the most accurate.

Go figure.

Unfortunately that particular brand is not available in Canada right now.

Have to go back to using Eley...

[Rover]

I use CCI SV (blue box) for everything. Very reliable and CHEAP!

I've tried others with good results, but they were not CHEAP.

[jenrick]

Vice'ing my Toz I found that pretty much anything I put into it would shoot a score that would win me a gold medal. Eley's higher end stuff tended to group tighter, but the shooter is by FAR the limiting factor. If you just want peace of mind that your ammo is performing the best of anything I'd recommend benching or putting your pistol in a vice and testing it. On average the higher end stuff (Tenex, etc.) tends to do better then the lower end, but you might be surprised. Mine LOVES Federal Gold Medal (not match or ultra match, just plain jane GM), which sells around here for about $5 a box.

-Jenrick

[shaky hands]

I understand this is a slow day, but seriously, folks, the world record holder could not keep his shots in the 9-ring, which is 10 cm in diameter, and you are discussing which brand of ammo shoots better in anyone's free pistol?

[Westporter]

Thanks for everyone's comments. I have shot pistol, rifle and shotgun all my life, but am new to the free pistol game, although with no intentions of becoming an Olympic contender. This is strictly for fun and personal challenge. I am fortunate to belong to a local club that has ideal facilities for both indoor and outdoor pistol shooting, albeit not strictly free pistol. The reason for my original post was curiosity for what people were typically shooting. I will say this, that based on 50+ years of experience, the right ammunition does matter. For example, that is why serious big bore rifle shooters load there own and work up a load for a particular rifle. Granted, that is not possible for .22LR, but even if one can't shoot a 550 as one respondent suggested, and I doubt many out there can, it still pays to try eliminate all the variables possible. Consequently, I have ordered from my local shop a selection of match ammo from various makers and intend to test using a rest, though not an actual vice. I will post my results in the future. Again, thanks for all your responses.

[Rover]

I see you insist on wasting your time against the advice of the posters here.

Forget any testing except in a vise/Ransom Rest. You aren't good enough.

[JiriK]

I bought a second hand Morini CM84e 50m pistol a year ago.
The pistol was very cheap so I thought maybe there is something wrong with it..
My club has a testing jig for 50m rifles that can be used for some pistols too, so shot 10 shot groups using different cartridges I had at the time. All were low to middle price range (3,5-11€ / box of 50).

Conclusion; Barrel seems to be ok. All tested cartridges give 100p score, Some give 100p/10X groups.
So no matter what cartridges I use, pistol is way more accurate than I´ll ever be.

Those Eley pistol standard rounds are old. I have maybe 1500 of them left.
When they are gone, I´ll start using cci std, Topshot comp or SK Magazine. Not because of their accuracy but because they are inexpensive and work reliably in my standard pistol. That SK magazine is good training round for my 50m rifle.

[deadeyedick]

Could you be more specific regarding Eley std. Looking on the Eley website shows no product that matches your description.

[David M]

The old Eley Pistol Standard (about 2010) is now called Eley Sport.
Its a general purpose pistol cartridge - Muzzle vel. 314m/sec (1030 fps)

[deadeyedick]

Thanks David.

[Gwhite]

At least in the USA, "Eley Sport" came in a purple cardboard box, and was made in Mexico (probably by Aguila). That disappeared off the market a couple years ago. "Eley Sport" now seems to be sold in a plastic box similar to the rest of the Eley line, with a green label. In the USA, it is sold as "Eley Target", with a bright yellow label.

The purple stuff was quite good, and relatively inexpensive. Early on, it was less than $20 a "brick" (500). I picked up a couple cases a few years ago for a bargain price because nobody seemed to know what it was good for in the US, and my local gunshop's distributor decided to stop selling it. Eley Target is considerably more expensive (but all .22 ammo is these days), selling for between $65 and $75 a "brick" (500).

[JiriK]

Like I wrote, those Eley pistol standard rounds are old.
Don´t know how the "FL90" lot number relates to mfg year..

Box picture attached.

[deadeyedick]

Thanks....interestingly the best group by JiriK came from what is now Eley Sport....the cheapest in Eley's lineup.

[john bickar]

What are the current common ammo choices for 50mm free pistol matches?

I doubt there's a common ammo for such an uncommon distance.

[rmca]

What are the current common ammo choices for 50mm free pistol matches?

I doubt there's a common ammo for such an uncommon distance.

Quite the contrary... I would say ALL! ;)

[flolo]

as freepistol is also a very sensitive discipline, and dependent on the way of your hold/grip, i'd get every different ammo i could get and check for feedback while shooting first, then test the sorts/brands you liked best/ got the highest scores with, and get as much of the best grouping ammo from them as you can. testing the ammo first often masks the fact that the whole system doesnt end with the pistol, as you're an integral part of it.

[Neon21]

for training purpose, I'm shooting CCI - it's just cheap, so you can practice more with the same money.

For competition, I use RWS Pistol Match SR since I sometimes had lower loadings at the CCI so it went down in a 5 or 6 instead of a 9 or 10.. (you can even hear it..)
But I haven't tested how accurate it is - I just wanted a reliable and consistant ammo that is not too expensive.

[Gwhite]

as freepistol is also a very sensitive discipline, and dependent on the way of your hold/grip, i'd get every different ammo i could get and check for feedback while shooting first, then test the sorts/brands you liked best/ got the highest scores with, and get as much of the best grouping ammo from them as you can. testing the ammo first often masks the fact that the whole system doesnt end with the pistol, as you're an integral part of it.

This is important. Unless it's specifically made as "pistol" ammo, the stated velocities are all measured in a rifle barrel, and have very little to do with how they will behave in a much shorter barrel. Depending on the burning characteristics of the powder, some will produce a sharp shove rather than an abrupt kick. The amount of unburned powder left behind will also vary. Some ammunition will not chamber at all in some free pistols (which tend to have tight chambers), or it burns so dirty that it won't chamber easily after 10 or 20 rounds. Depending on the combination of the leade design in the barrel and the bullet shape, some cartridges will still chamber more easily than others.

My highest score in a match is only 537, but I have shot individual targets as high as 95. If they don't go into the 10 ring, it's invariably my fault and not the ammo. I try to find ammunition that burns cleanly, chambers well, and has a mild recoil. Cheap is also nice. Given that it's hard to get any .22 ammo these days, I tend to shoot whatever ammunition is too feeble to cycle my semi-autos reliably. That usually means rifle stuff designed for proper combustion in a longer barrel than a standard pistol. Other than rounds that don't go bang at all or won't chamber, I've NEVER felt that my choice of ammo had anything to do with my scores.