# Match grade ammunition



## robertcseg (Jan 29, 2012)

What is the defination of match grade ammunition?
My assumption is that match grade ammunition should function exactly the same each time if fired from the same gun, excluding human varations. With this in mind if a reloader minimizes all the variables he can and uses brass of the same weight, with the same case length, primers . weighed powder charges, exact bullett weights, measured crimps and exact cartridge overall lengths. Would this be match grade ammunition?


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## recoilguy (Apr 30, 2009)

If the bullet were made to specification and consistantly produced exactly identical.

RCG


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## TedDeBearFrmHell (Jul 1, 2011)

robertcseg said:


> What is the defination of match grade ammunition?
> My assumption is that match grade ammunition should function exactly the same each time if fired from the same gun, excluding human varations....


no bullet is fired from the same gun ever..... each shot would have to be thru a cold, clean barrel, the same air temp and humidity ..... the second you fire your weapon, those things change..... you can try to minimize them by firing fouling rounds and such but you are never going to get the exact same results.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

*Robert*;
Your description of process would indeed turn out "match-grade ammunition" of a sort, but that's not all there is to it.
First of all, you need to decide what it is that you are trying to accomplish. That is, for what kind of match are you loading? Different kinds of shooting matches have different requirements, and they are frequently either exclusive or conflicting.
For instance, if you are loading for a "bullseye" pistol match to be shot from standing, offhand, at 25 and 50 yards, your loads would be very different in composition, and in care taken during construction, from loads to be used in a "run and gun" practical-shooting match.

So please enlighten us: For what sort of match would you be preparing ammunition?


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## kg333 (May 19, 2008)

I'm not certain that's quite the definition he's looking for, Steve. The term "match-grade ammunition" is routinely slung around and "match grade ammunition" is sold by a number of manufacturers seemingly without regard to any specific kind of matches. I've always had the impression it's a bit like various "natural" certifications you see on food; since meaning varies from producer to producer, it doesn't mean much without an external standard.

Robert, to clarify the question, are you asking what a reloader would have to do to create what is sold as "match grade"?

KG


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## robertcseg (Jan 29, 2012)

I probably used the term "match' in error.Not sure what the better term would be. I came to ask the question after weighing a few bulletts i had ordered. The weights were to say the least, not close. However after weighing maybe 200 The weight that kept showing up most often was 203gr plus or minus one tenth of a grain.I had ordered 200gr.
Using these bulletts and keeping every thing else in the process as controlled as posible, my loads did shoot to a higher standard. Wondered if anyone else had same or similar experience. Regards


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## scooter (May 9, 2006)

My father used to make what he called match grade ammo by weight, size,etc. He would weigh 300-400 bullets til he found 20-30 that weighed exactly the same,weigh every case,powder chg,primer....the brass were all resized and trimmed to the exact same lengths and lastly each bullet was seated the same and case crimped the same. Tedious and time consuming just to be able to make a quarter size hole with ten rounds at 400 yards.
I can hit a watermelon at 400 yards with my ar15 almost without fail with mil. surplus ammo so I never understood all the hubbub about his match grade ammo.You stick up your head and Ill remove it for ya.


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## robertcseg (Jan 29, 2012)

kg333 said:


> I'm not certain that's quite the definition he's looking for, Steve. The term "match-grade ammunition" is routinely slung around and "match grade ammunition" is sold by a number of manufacturers seemingly without regard to any specific kind of matches. I've always had the impression it's a bit like various "natural" certifications you see on food; since meaning varies from producer to producer, it doesn't mean much without an external standard.
> 
> Robert, to clarify the question, are you asking what a reloader would have to do to create what is sold as "match grade"?
> 
> KG


 That is pretty close to what I would like to know. If you google Match Grade Ammo you will not find a defination, at least i did not. You will find many mfgs who sell match grade ammo with no explanation of what you are buying. What is the point of reloading if you are happy to produce a product that is inferior or equal to cheap stuff you can buy?


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## prof_fate (Jan 2, 2012)

All components have tolerances - bullet weight, diameter, powder measure, case length, overall length, case capacity, primer and depth of seating.

Now if you ask me with all factory components and bullets being machine made why there are such wide variations I don't know. The 'match grade' ammo is no doubt made to tighter tolerances.

Having been researching reloading I read a fairly long article on cases for 9mm - specifically length. The auther found great differences in case length from each manufacturer (new or once fired) and variances in length just from one 'batch' of new brass. He found that if he used the long cases (.750) he got very tight groups in his gun. If he used .743 to .749 he got bigger groups, even to twice the size.

OK, toss in mixed brass where the internal capacity will vary and you'll get varying pressures.
Add in variable bullet weight and you can have very different pressures even if the primer/powder and OAL are identical. Different pressures will of course affect bullet flight and therefore accuracy.

As has been stated, it depends on what you need, accuracy wise. I plan to shoot IDPA, steel and PPC. For PPC I need ammo (and a gun) that can do 2" groups or better at 25 yards to be competitive. For IDPA 6in or so at 15 yards should be good enough.

So my goal is to find a cheap, accurate enough load for IDPA and then work hard to find the most accurate combo of things for PPC. How many years will this take me is the only question LOL. Will I be edison searching for the ultimate filament to make a lightbulb? I fear so! I mean there are 6 to 8 possible powders, amounts, primer choices, 4 potential bullet weights, lead/plated/jackted and shapes of course, case brand and length, OAL. At least with only one gun to load for I should (at some point) be able to outdo factory 'match' ammo. I plan to try and find what the top shooters using my gun model use and starting there (with bullet/powder at least).


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## robertcseg (Jan 29, 2012)

kg333 said:


> I'm not certain that's quite the definition he's looking for, Steve. The term "match-grade ammunition" is routinely slung around and "match grade ammunition" is sold by a number of manufacturers seemingly without regard to any specific kind of matches. I've always had the impression it's a bit like various "natural" certifications you see on food; since meaning varies from producer to producer, it doesn't mean much without an external standard.
> 
> Robert, to clarify the question, are you asking what a reloader would have to do to create what is sold as "match grade"?
> 
> KG


 That is pretty close to what I would like to know. If you google Match Grade Ammo you will not find a defination, at least i did not. You will find many mfgs who sell match grade ammo with no explanation of what you are buying. What is the point of reloading if you are happy to produce a product that is inferior or equal to cheap stuff you can buy?


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

prof_fate said:


> ...The 'match grade' ammo is no doubt made to tighter tolerances...


...And there, Robert, is your answer in a nutshell.

To understand the process from a reloader's point of view, see *scooter*'s post #7.
That's real match-grade ammunition, if you're trying to make just one hole...with 10 shots.

However, most pistol shooters don't need that kind of accuracy. Neither do most rifle shooters.


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## TedDeBearFrmHell (Jul 1, 2011)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> ..... if you're trying to make just one hole...with 10 shots.....


i am more than happy with one hole with one shot, as long as it where i wanted the hole


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## Packard (Aug 24, 2010)

"Match grade" is whatever the manufacturer wants it to be. Presumably it is mild ammo produced to the highest standards with accuracy as the primary design factor. In most cases it is a semi-wadcutter design.

But one thing you can be certain of, it will command a premium price. And that is the only certainty. However the reputation of the manufacturer is on the line so you should get high quality ammo. This is a very measurable result, unlike "stopping power" which is hard to measure. The measurablity makes for accountability.


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