Match bullet at what range?

[HankC]

Long distance shooting will need good bullet for accuracy, but at what range the "match" grade bullet will really make a difference? If shooting pretty much limited at 100 yds or less, say mostly 50 yds, does it really matter much? Let's say 308. So far, I only shoot military grade ammo and mostly at 50 yds. Happy if 5 rounds touching each other (at 50 yds) and achieve that occasionally with mil surplus ammo.

 

[Orcon]

In my experience, the practical difference in my a A-max and SST loads are negligible out to 300 yards or so. I don't shoot bulk FMJ bullets but I would suspect that they have lower QC standards than match bullets, giving match bullets a leg up in consistency. If small shot groups are a product of consistency in components and marksmanship it would stand to reason that you would still realize accuracy gains at closer ranges, though they would probably be negligible. The high BC match bullets start to shine at ranges beyond 300 yards and get even better at ranges of 600 yards or more.

You might be surprised how accurate a flat base round nose is out to MPBR in a 308 Win even though it has a pitiful .241 BC.

 

[browningguy]

If you are shooting true matches then match bullets make a difference at even 50 or 100 yards. Five bullets touching is pretty meaningless. Measure in tenths or hundredths and you'll see the difference. But match bullets for short range, say under 300 yards are different. For instance in my .243 I shoot a light flat base bullet for up to 300 yards, and a heavy boattail for over 300. And the difference is noticeable when measured accurately.

 

[GooseGestapo]

My M1 (CMP Special, Criterion Barrel) at 200yds puts the Hornady 150gr FMJ's in the Xring with monotonous regularity.
Such that I don't bother with the 2X$ 155gr Amax. If the gun can't tell the difference why should I pay the difference.

My "Match" M1 does shoot better at 600yds with the Sierra Match Kings or Lapua Scenars. There, they make a small difference.

 

[WYOMan]

At 100 yards or less, you'll never see the advantages that match bullets provide. They don't become obvious until you start stretching out past 400 yards. For 100 and under, a flat base will suite your needs for 1/2 the price. Flat base bullets also have an advantage in bores that are more well worn. I had one barrel years ago that had rifling that was worn to the point that the lands were rounded. The nice sharp corners were long gone. It was also pitted pretty badly. Boat tails just would NOT achieve any sort of accuracy. Substitute Speer Hot Cores, and all of the sudden, nice groups magically appeared. The longer bearing surface of flat base bullets don't seem to care about the condition of the rifling, as long as it's there in some form. The biggest plus, was that the Hot Cores were dirt cheap.

 

[HankC]

Thank you for the feedbacks. I guess no need to bother with expensive bullets in my application. From time to time, I have this urge to try better bullets to see how much improvement will get, but I don't even shoot over 100 yds!

 

[berettashotgun]

Match bullets are "generally" much cheaper than premium hunting bullets.
Different performance matrix.

 

[coloradokevin]

Match and target bullets certainly make a difference at 100 yards, just as they make a difference at longer ranges. The bullet you want to use often depends on your specific application. But, I can tell you that some of this is a function of the rifle you're shooting, and your own capability as a shooter.

My competition rifle is an Accuracy International AX rifle in .260 Remington. When I shot plinking grade ammunition through this rifle (Remington factory ammo) I was only able to get my group size down to 1 inch, with many groups in the 1.25" range. When I switch to the Berger Hybrid bullets I use for long range use, I can now shoot groups smaller than 0.5" at 100 yards. But, even that bullet might not be the ideal candidate if my ultimate goal was to shoot 100 yard groups.

Bottom line? Pay for the bullet that provides the performance you need for the task. You don't typically hunt with match bullets, and you don't typically shoot matches with hunting bullets. And, "plinking grade" bullets are often the go-to choice for playing at the range in non-critical applications.

But, for whatever it's worth, unless I'm hunting I don't run anything except match bullets through my precision rifles, and I rarely pay for match bullets when I'm plinking with an AR-15. Your milage may vary.

 

[GooseGestapo]

There is also the question of the rifle....

As ColoradoKevin intimated, a 1/2 moa rifle will show a difference between 1/2 moa capable ammo vs. 1moa ammo. A 2-3moa rifle likely won't.