TargetTalk

Does anyone has a long experience using Eley OSP and Lapua OSP for a Pardini SP-RF (for RFP or STP competition)? I'd like to know which brand feeds better, ejects better., fewer problems, and other good and bad points. I have used cheaper ammo or other brands and some of them have consistent jamming or ejection problems. Anyway I'm planning to put in an order for my supply next year, and I only plan to use one brand only, either Eley or Lapua. I am not concerned with accuracy since I am somewhat of a beginner when it comes to semi-automatic static target pistol competitions. Eley OSP is more expensive than Lapua OSP, usually by as much as 25%, so I'd like to know if the more expensive Eley OSP really worth that extra $2.50 per box in comparison to the Lapua OSP. Finally if you think that both Eley and Lapua have other lines of ammos that work better for rapid fire type of competition, please let me know too. Thanks.

You mean CCI Standard doesn't function in your pistol?

I have used quite a number of ammo types in my pardini.

The only ammo that I have had a problem with is Eley Target and Eley Sport. Both of which loose power in cold weather, such that they will not cycle to bolt back far enough to pick up the next round. There is zero problems in warm weather (above 60 degrees F). I have not tried other eley ammo though.

The ammos that I have used and have found to function flawlessly are:

CCI SV
Wolf (both flavors)
SK Rifle Match
SK Match Target
SK pistol Match
SK Pistol Match Special.
A number of other european brands other then eley.

I have had zero alibi's with CCI SV, Wolf, and SK. I have not used high velocity ammo in it either.

As for accuracy, I did an extensive test on Rimfire Central.

http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/sh ... ht=pardini

Another ammo test in pardini:

http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/sh ... nkythunder

Since I did those tests three years ago, I have found that CCI SV went through a period of heavy wax, then got cleaned up a bit and did some more testing with new lots. Accuracy improved to my standard limitations of 3/8 inch at 25 yards off a rest and with the lower cost compared to Wolf, along with the non greasy wolf snot lubrication, I have switched back to CCI SV. CCI works just as good as the expensive european stuff, is just as accurate in the best testing conditions I can come up with, and performs excellent with minimal recoil.

Regards,
Crankster

If you have problems with soft recoiling ammo "short cycling" in the Pardini, you can cut down the recoil spring. We have 3 cases of Eley Sport, which my wife likes, and I had to cut quite a bit off (~ 2 cm) the spring to get it to function reliably. The symptom is the slide closes on the first fired case in a magazine, when the upward pressure from the remaining rounds is maximum, adding drag. Just don't use that spring with regular ammo.

The team I help coach has five Pardinis, and most of them with shoot either CCI or Aguila standard velocity just fine. We have one that tended to trap brass after the 4th shot, and I traced that down to an extractor problem. It's now as ammo agnostic as the other 4.

Basically, if your Pardini won't shoot most standard velocity ammo, it's not the ammo's fault.

Rover wrote:You mean CCI Standard doesn't function in your pistol?

For some reason CCI has ejection problem on mine, on two different batches. Winchester also has some problems. But when I use Aquila and Remington, no problem. But this post has something to do with the new law for ammo import into California. That means both Eley and Lapua will be affected in my area, as both of them has to be ordered out of state since nobody carry them locally, other than maybe the lowest grade like Eley Club. To give you an idea, a regular RWS rifle match can cost as much as $18 per box as opposed to the regular out of state $12. I will not be surprised if Lapua OSP will be jacked up to $15 once the laws take into effect as opposed to the current $10 per box.

Gwhite wrote:If you have problems with soft recoiling ammo "short cycling" in the Pardini, you can cut down the recoil spring..... The symptom is the slide closes on the first fired case in a magazine, when the upward pressure from the remaining rounds is maximum, adding drag. Just don't use that spring with regular ammo.

The team I help coach has five Pardinis, and most of them with shoot either CCI or Aguila standard velocity just fine. We have one that tended to trap brass after the 4th shot, and I traced that down to an extractor problem. It's now as ammo agnostic as the other 4.

Ironically what you described on the first paragraph has been consistently happening to the CFP kit of my pistol. I have worked on the lip of the magazine and spend a bit more time to load in order to make sure the top round is secure. It solves 90% of the time, but there is still that 10%. However, it is difficult for me to really judge since I use both S&B and a reload 32S&WL-WC, and both have problems. But this is beyond the scope of my original question of whether I should pick Eley OSP or Lapua OSP, due to the new California law banning out of state sales without paying a ammo shop plus getting a ammo license/background check.

If you have problems with soft recoiling ammo "short cycling" in the Pardini, you can cut down the recoil spring..... The symptom is the slide closes on the first fired case in a magazine, when the upward pressure from the remaining rounds is maximum, adding drag. Just don't use that spring with regular ammo.

The truth of the matter is that to shoot well you need your pistol and ammunition to be in harmony and a malfunctioning pistol/ammunition combination will cost you many more scoring points than the brand of ammunition you use. Tuning a pistol to a particular ammunition is extremely important and slide return spring compression rates/length play a huge part.

I have used most brands of ammunition and my conclusions are that from CCI to Eley tenex pistol the accuracy varies only slightly and may only provide a slight advantage in favour of the most expensive brands if we had a ransom rest 25 m. event and removed the human element.

Many pistols unknown preference for a certain brand of ammunition lies largely in the science of slide return spring rates and lengths.

I have been able to make all pistols I have owned function on any given ammunition using this approach and only wish I had been aware of this thirty years ago.

deadeyedick wrote:

If you have problems with soft recoiling ammo "short cycling" in the Pardini, you can cut down the recoil spring..... The symptom is the slide closes on the first fired case in a magazine, when the upward pressure from the remaining rounds is maximum, adding drag. Just don't use that spring with regular ammo.

The truth of the matter is that to shoot well you need your pistol and ammunition to be in harmony and a malfunctioning pistol/ammunition combination will cost you many more scoring points than the brand of ammunition you use. Tuning a pistol to a particular ammunition is extremely important and slide return spring compression rates/length play a huge part.

I have used most brands of ammunition and my conclusions are that from CCI to Eley tenex pistol the accuracy varies only slightly and may only provide a slight advantage in favour of the most expensive brands if we had a ransom rest 25 m. event and removed the human element.

Many pistols unknown preference for a certain brand of ammunition lies largely in the science of slide return spring rates and lengths.

I have been able to make all pistols I have owned function on any given ammunition using this approach and only wish I had been aware of this thirty years ago.

I've actually found the majority of malfunctions to be problems with the extractor, but the symptoms are different from recoil spring issues. A tight/rough chamber can also also cause a different set of headaches. Some day I will sit down & put together a diagnostic chart. The EXACT details of the malfunctions are very important. " It jams on round #X" isn't very useful...