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Posted: 2/12/2017 9:05:59 PM EDT
| What defines match grade. When I buy plinking rounds my goal is 30cent per round with free shipping and no tax. I pay$1.25 or more for .223 match grade rounds. So what do I get for that money? Of the four components of a round, bullet, case primer and powder are they close to identical? Is every round exactly the same weight and length? So what makes a match grade round better and worth the price? |
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Btw... you can get much less expensive match ammo....lol
ultimately.... imho, you are paying for better quality control, better materials , and tighter production tolerances. Remember, there are other things you don't see.... primers that produce smaller groups, a more uniform neck tension, etc. |
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Quoted:
The difference is on paper. Tighter groups due to tighter quality control on every component. Quality control costs money. |
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OP:
There is no specific definition of what a "match" cartridge is. Now most Military rounds, including the various Match rounds have accuracy requirements but to be honest, they are quite generous. Next: What are your requirements for the ammunition you want to make? What I mean is this: I shoot a lot of 223 bullets out to 600yds for Service Rifle shooting. What I need in a cartridge is different than if you are only shooting 100yds. Components: 1. Quality bullet. One that is seated for chamber. 2. Powder- one you've found works the best for your rifle. 3. The case: Reasonable case prep will get you there. 4. Primer: there are differences that show up. But tune them with your load and be done. These are listed in diminishing returns...... ie. the bullet has the most effect, followed by the powder etc....... YMMV PS........... Do you have an accurate enough rifle to take advantage of the "match" ammo? |
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From Molon here
“MATCH GRADE” Unlike caliber .30 and caliber 7.62mm ammunition, there has never been a National Match standard for caliber 5.56mm/223 Remington ammunition. In 1965, the caliber 7.62mm Match ammunition was standardized as M118. The 1965 lot of 7.62mm M118 National Match ammunition had an acceptance testing mean radius of 1.9” for 10-shot groups fired at 600 yards. At that time, this was the smallest acceptance mean radius ever achieved for National Match ammunition since records were kept, starting in the year 1919. Naturally, the ammunition was tested from machine-rested, bolt-actioned, heavy test barrels. The composite target pictured below shows the twenty-seven, 10-shot acceptance groups (that’s 270 rounds!) of the 1965, M118 National Match ammunition fired from the test barrels at 600 yards. The small circle has a diameter of 6” and the large circle has a diameter of 12”. 
From American Rifleman, September 1965 
From American Rifleman, August 1962 Everything else being equal, (which of course, it seldom is) a mean radius of 1.9” at 600 yards would have a mathematical equivalent of 0.32” at 100 yards. Now, 100 yards is not 600 yards, but then, a semi-automatic AR-15 is not a machine-rested, bolt-actioned, heavy test barrel either. For those reasons, I like to use the mean radius of 0.32” for three 10-shot groups fired in a row (30-shot composite group) at 100 yards as the benchmark for 5.56mm/223 Remington match-grade ammunition, when fired from a semi-automatic AR-15. The pic below demonstrates jut how far the AR-15 and its ammunition have come since their introduction. On the left side of the pic is a 30-shot composite group obtained from over-laying three 10-shot groups that were fired in a row off my bench-rest set-up from an AR-15 with a free-floated 20” Colt M16A1 barrel (chrome-lined, 5.56mm chamber, 1:12” twist) using IMI M193 ammunition. The 30-shot composite group has a mean radius of 1.09”. The 30-shot composite group pictured on the right was obtained from over-laying three 10-shot groups that were fired in a row off my bench-rest set-up from an AR-15 with a free-floated 20” Lothar-Walther barrel (stainless steel, 223 Wylde chamber, 1:8” twist) using factory loaded Barnes Precision Match 5.56mm 85 grain OTM ammunition (magazine length). That 30-shot composite group has a mean radius of 0.22”. 
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| Thanks for the input. To date all of my AR shooting is 100yards and in with iron sights and red dots. For longer distances I have a .308 bolt gun. I plan to add a match grade barrel to my rock river arms 20inch with a Bushnell ar optic that I just bought. I want to see how far I can push it out. I want to use the characteristics of match grade rounds to develop the loads that I will use. |
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Quoted:
Thanks for the input. To date all of my AR shooting is 100yards and in with iron sights and red dots. For longer distances I have a .308 bolt gun. I plan to add a match grade barrel to my rock river arms 20inch with a Bushnell ar optic that I just bought. I want to see how far I can push it out. I want to use the characteristics of match grade rounds to develop the loads that I will use. Ok..... well I gave you my 2% already.............. Reload the GOOD bullets.... for distance: 75...77's pick a good one. I use the 77's either SMK or TMK- can't go wrong. I use the 80SMK too but they require hand loading into the chamber (not magazine length). Those bullets will easily do around 2700 fps so for reloading.......get your ES as low as you can. (That is where a good powder comes in). |
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Quoted:
Ok..... well I gave you my 2% already.............. Reload the GOOD bullets.... for distance: 75...77's pick a good one. I use the 77's either SMK or TMK- can't go wrong. I use the 80SMK too but they require hand loading into the chamber (not magazine length). Those bullets will easily do around 2700 fps so for reloading.......get your ES as low as you can. (That is where a good powder comes in). |
| It's been covered but there is not a definition of match, match grade or national match. Much of what you are paying for in terms of "match" ammunition is that the ammunition includes a match bullet, the components for that ammunition are from the same lot(s) and the ammunition was loaded on the same machine under the supervision of a senior technician. Compare this to standard ammunition where several lots of components might be used in several machines to produce one production lot. |
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