TargetTalk

What is the best way to test ammo? I know there are a lot of different ways to do it, I would just like know what some people do so I can see what works for me.

Smallbore?

The basic idea is to get hold of a good number of different batches/brands, test fire them and then buy a substantial amount of the best performer.

In the UK many shooters will test at the Eley customer range, or at the test days held by Lapua and RWS during the national meeting at Bisley. Some UK shooters have travelled to Germany to test at the Lapua and RWS plants. Testing is at 50m, and the rifle is fired from a test rig. Electronic targets are used at the factory. Eley use an alumium slave stock held in a vice (so the barrel is still free-floated). Testing at the national meeting is done form a recoil vice. Groups are fired from a number of batches, which are then culled, and more groups shot form the most promising.

In the US the Eley and Lapua test centres follow the same pattern, although the Lapua extends to 100m I believe.

Some shooters will test at their home club/range from a vice/test rig or prone with telescopic sights and using what ammunition they can source from their club or local dealers.

There are arguments that recoil rigs and vices don't fully replicate the results you get shooting the barrel isn the stock and from the shoulder. Some find that what shoots well from the test rig shoots better from the shoulder and do no further testing. But others use the rig to narrow their search, and make the final choice based on shooting prone.

One US shooter, Paul Gideon, follows a particularly exacting regime. He tests at 50m with telescopic sights, then performs further tests both at 50m and 100 yards to determine the optimum bedding torque for both distances with 'scope and iron sights.