Quality Practice Ammo

[TheProf]

Guys...

Which top 3 manufacturers would you consider to produce quality practice ammo? I'm looking for a brand with good quality control.

What's the consensus with Federal brand (best price at Walmart in my area) and PMC brand (this is what the gun range sells) ?

(The gun being used is a G27.)

Thanks.

 

[Deus Machina]

I've never had any problem with either. In fact, Federal is my preferred for both plinking (FMJ, LRN) and self-defense (HST) ammo. Have yet to find anything by them that was any worse than anyone else.

My one complaint is that Federal .38 brass feels a little thin or soft, when I reload.

PMC ranges a bit. Never any problem on my part, but I have a friend that swears it's not as consistant in 5.56x45 or 7.62x39, and that it's loaded pretty stout in .45.

 

[heeler]

This is a very timely tread because I have been stocking up on ammo for my 9mm,.380.and .38 Special.
I hear someone say well I dont like so and so ammo because it's dirty and sooty.
So what ammo is considered "clean" and what ammo is known as "dirty".
I am not really interested in the special primered stuff that is specifically meant for indoor ranges but like the original poster just good target ammo.
Right now I have quite a bit of .380 made by Selliors & Bellot and Winchester White box.
In 9mm a lot of Blazer and Remington UMC.
How does all the above ammo rate?

 

[Gordon_Freeman]

I prefer Federal.

 

[oldbear]

It's not among the big three, but of late my range ammo has been Georgia Arms .357 Magnum 158Gr. SWC's. at $44.00 per 100 rounds it works just fine for me. I have been very pleased with Georgia Arms, pricing, shipping, and the quality of the products I have purchased from them.

 

[Ole Coot]

For my Glock I use Wally's white box Winchester target, no problem yet. I use decent SD ammo when I carry in all of my handguns.

 

[baronello]

I always use Federal Hollow Points for self-defense purposes. Guess because that was the ammo that the Sheriff's Office gave us for duty purposes.

 

[Justin]

Both Federal and PMC make reasonably good ammunition.

 

[Hypnogator]

I carry Federal Tactical Bonded, HST, or Cor-Bon DPX for "serious social occasions" depending on weapons platform.

I use WWB, Prvi Partizan, PMC, or Federal FMJs for practice. The WWB I get at Mall Wart seems to be very consistent, accurate, and, in .380, quite a bit more powerful than other brands. The Federal cheap stuff has been consistently good also. The PMC shoots good, but is more prone to leave unburned powder residue, and has noticeably more muzzle flash than the other loads. I suspect they may use a slower-burning powder that doesn't quite all burn in short-barreled weapons. Never had any problem with it, but it just doesn't seem quite as robust as some of the others. My PF-9 just loves Prvi Partizan -- shoots hard, burns clean.

BTW, AIM Surplus has Prvi Partizan .380 JHPs at almost the same price as FMJs. I've gotten to buying them for range use -- closer to premium JHPs in bullet shape (although my LCP feeds anything flawlessly) and I get range ammo that, in a pinch, would double as SD ammo, being somewhat more effective than FMJs, but nowhere near as effective as DPXs.

 

[heeler]

That's interesting what you say about Prvi Partisan burning clean Hypngator because I have read many accounts of it being one of the most dirty and sooty.
Might try some because it's usually pretty cheap price wise.
How about Indepedence ammo,anyone have anything to say about it??

 

[JohnBiltz]

Selleir & Bellot seems pretty good to me. Its what I've decided to stack up on when its on sale.

 

[FatPants]

I buy the federal in the 9mm flavor. 12,000+ rounds last year without a single malfunction.

 

[bannockburn]

For practice ammo I like Winchester and Federal, pretty much always bought at WalMart. Very consistent, clean shooting, and few if any duds. PMC, Fiocchi, Remington (Green Box), and Sellior & Bellot also make decent ammo, and I will usually pick up a box or two when I can find it.

 

[Screendmon]

walmart winchester whitebox works well

 

[skoro]

Winchester White Box is my go-to regular stuff. But Federal is good, too. Remington's UMC isn't bad, but it's dirty.

 

[22-rimfire]

I see little good in practicing with ammo that does not match your regular ammo that you shoot with a particular firearm. Federal and PMC ammo are fine.

 

[c1ogden]

I buy Federal ammo almost exclusively because that is what's most readily available in my area. I have never had any problems with it.

The only factory ammo that I've had problems with was Speer 9mm, one round had a primer installed backwards (cost me a match win when it locked up my gun) and one with a primer installed sideways that I noticed when I was loading the mag. They were more than a year apart so I don't think they were from the same lot.