Need help selecting a brand of practice ammo

[ImNrml]

I've gotten into handgun shooting in the last year and I still need a good bit of practice time on the range. I've tried ammunition from a number of companies with widely varying results. It's remarkable how much tighter my groups are with high-end defensive jhp than with bottom-shelf white box.

I would appreciate some recommendations on brands to use as my regular practice ammunition. My criteria are:

- Their products are consistent from box to box (same gun, same shooter, similar groups)
- Their products are readily available for a variety of calibers (I have a few pistols)
- Their products represent a good value. I suspect that there are a number of high dollar brands that produce excellent results (and possibly some high dollar products that are snake oil), but I'd like to be able to shoot a couple boxes a week without a second mortgage.

Basically, what brands of ammo would you recommend for regular practice, and what would you avoid due to poor quality?

Thanks.

 

[mainmech48]

First of all, welcome to THR. Although every firearm I own seems to have a different favorite when it comes to delivering its absolute best accuracy, I've found that Black Hills' products are almost always right up there near the top. Remarkably consistent, and produced in lines with either new cases or "remanufactured". The only hitch is that either way it's fairly pricey, even when purchased in case lots.

This will certainly come up eventually so I'll get it out there now: IMHO, these days especially, unless you're independently wealthy I think you'll find that developing and maintaining an adequate level of proficiency with a handgun using only factory-produced ammo will prove challenging.

A great many, if not most, of us here began reloading/handloading for that very reason. It's not so much that one ends up spending less money on ammo, it's that one is able to shoot a LOT more for the same expenditure of cash. Look at it this way: two boxes of factory ammo per week, every week, amount to 5200 rds per year. Pick any brand and do the math yourself. Any way you go that's going to amount to a considerable sum.

Once the cost of equipment has been amortized (and you'd be amazed at how quickly that can happen) that same amount of money would yield on the close order of at least two or three times as many rounds.

Personally, if I wasn't a reloader I couldn't afford to practice more than perhaps 100-150 rds. once a month with my CF handguns and a good deal less with my CF rifles. Using commercially cast lead bullets for my handgun loads, I can afford 200-300 rds. per week without undue strain on the budget. I can reload 100 rds. of CF rifle ammo for about the same cost as 1 1/2 - 2 boxes of factory ammo, regardless of caliber. Something you might want to consider, IMO.

 

[JJE]

Maybe you could clarify what kind of shooting you do. If you can see a clear difference in groups from different kinds of ammo, that tells me that you are shooting from a rest at relatively long range. There are reasons to do that - hunting, competition - but most people just stand at the line, make a two-handed grip (one-handed for little-bitty guns) and shoot paper from 3 yards to 50 feet. For this kind of target shooting, most people wouldn't see a difference in group size from different ammo (maybe a difference in point-of-impact, but that's not the same thing). That's because most people don't shoot well enough to "outshoot" the ammo - in other words variations in point-of-impact are almost entirely caused by the shooter.

The bottom line is: unless you are a specialty shooter, the best ammo is whatever is cheapest because that's what allows you to shoot the most which is what improves your shooting. One exception might be lead bullets - they're cheap, but they usually smoke a lot - maybe OK at an outdoor range, but sometimes the smoke is just too much for indoor range use.

And Welcome!

 

[mgmorden]

If you can see a clear difference in groups from different kinds of ammo, that tells me that you are shooting from a rest at relatively long range. There are reasons to do that - hunting, competition - but most people just stand at the line, make a two-handed grip (one-handed for little-bitty guns) and shoot paper from 3 yards to 50 feet. For this kind of target shooting, most people wouldn't see a difference in group size from different ammo (maybe a difference in point-of-impact, but that's not the same thing). That's because most people don't shoot well enough to "outshoot" the ammo - in other words variations in point-of-impact are almost entirely caused by the shooter.

I'll agree with this. Varying up the brand (or more often the bullet weight) of ammo you're shooting may exhibit a change in point of impact, but actual group size will be minimally affected for most casual pistol shooting.

The effects you're seeing could just be psychologically induced. IE, you have better ammo in the gun, so you have confidence and shoot better. Same thing happened to me once. Had some really nice boxer brief underwear on that cost nearly $20 per pair. I could have sworn the gals in the club were responding better than if I'd been wearing Fruit of the Loom . . . ;-)

My advice is to pickup whatever is on sale. Alternatively, if you really want to make it easier to practice more frequently and with more rounds per trip (which is what will really improve your shooting), take up reloading. Not only will you get more rounds in per $$$, handloaded ammo is often a little more consistent as you're using premium powders and loading more slower than mass production machines would. I will say though that if you're like me, the more handloads you shoot, the more you'll lean towards practicing with revolvers. Less brass chasing .

 

[ImNrml]

Thanks for the quick replies and the welcomes.

mainmech48 -- I was fortunate enough to receive a single stage press for Christmas and am getting into reloading as well. One concern I have is that since I'm new to reloading I'd just be adding more variables to the mix. However, based on JJE's post I might be working from a false assumption (that different ammo will have a marked difference in my shooting). I will buy a box of Black Hills, though and give it a try.

JJE -- Uh-oh. I'm the latter type of shooter, the stand on on the line, paper target kind. Sounds like what I'm seeing on the range is a problem with the shooter, not the ammo. Go figure.

I have had some issues with specific ammo, such as Remington .22 having consistent F2Fs when CCI-brand fed every time. Or getting halfway through a box of Sellier & Bellot and realizing that batch wasn't copper FMJ as previous boxes were, but steel. I figured there was "poor", "good" and "great" ammo and I was buying a mixture.

It also sounds like the more I spent on the round, the more careful I was with my shot. I guess the takeaway is to find the cheapest ammo that cycles the gun, practice and save the brass.

 

[ImNrml]

Looks like I took too long composing and missed mgmorden's reply.

Yup, it sounds like it's the shooter's mental state and not the ammo. I also picked up a GP-100 recently and have new dies on the way for just the reasons you mention. On a good day I can only bring home about 1/2 the brass shot from a semi-auto.

 

[cheygriz]

If you don't want to reload, (and you should) get whatever's on sale for practice.

Wolf, Barnaul, S&B, Hotshot, Silver Bear, Brown Bear, PMC, Winchester USA, Remington UMC, Federal American Eagle.

AVOID "AMERC" LIKE THE PLAGUE

And don't let anyone convince you of the old wive's tales that steel case ammo is bad. It isn't.

 

[neilin]

If you reload your own, you can make them as consistant and accurate as you like, while enjoying a great hobby and saving money.

 

[klutchless]

Noone saves money reloading you just shoot more in some cases 45acp 10mm way more.

 

[ImNrml]

Sounds like I need to spend this weekend working on my reloading skills.

And don't let anyone convince you of the old wive's tales that steel case ammo is bad. It isn't.

I usually shoot at an indoor range that prohibits steel ammo. Whether it's good or bad I can't say, but I can say that it lights up like the 4th of July when it strikes something. I didn't notice it right away as the target obscured the hits downrange but I guarantee everyone else was wondering what the knucklehead on the end lane (me) was thinking.

I'm adding a magnet to my range bag.

 

[Hypnogator]

In answer to the OP's original question:

Winchester Range & Target - usually available at Mall Wart in 100-rd value packs for decent price.

PMC Bronze - Tends to shoot a bit softer, may leave unburned powder granules in the barrel. More muzzle flash.

Prvi Partisan - Shoots hard, burns clean, fairly inexpensive when available.

Any of these brands will give you good reloadable brass.

 

[heeler]

First I would scour the online places such as Natchez,AmmotoGo,etc. and see what's on sale and then of course Walmart as they at times have some pretty good pricing on ammo.
Just Sunday I was there and saw Winchester WhiteBox in the 100 round value packs chambered in 9mm for 18.86.
Bought two boxes.
Get on GunBroker and bid as well.
Generally I have found UMC,Winchester White Box,PMC,S&B,Blazer,Federal,to all be quality ammo.
However after a range session last week using a box of previously mentioned Privi Partisan I would not touch that stuff ever again.
I found it totally unreliable at best.

 

[Cop Bob]

Best prices for factory is WalMart hands down... you can find it comprable on the net, but after shipping and waiting.. Ah.. Hello WallyWorld..

However, if you want it right and you want it cheap... reload...

The Single Stage press is a good move...

no matter what you do later on, the single stage press will ALWAYS have a place on your bench... it will get you started, but be warned !!!

Reloading leads to more shooting, and that leads to more reloading, and that leads to, "Hey I think this may work better" and that leads to .... Awh Heck you will be on the phone with Dillon getting some REAL EQUIPMENT or checking yourself into a 12 step program before you know it.....

Welcome to the ADDICTION.......

 

[mgmorden]

Best prices for factory is WalMart hands down... you can find it comprable on the net, but after shipping and waiting.. Ah.. Hello WallyWorld..

I'll agree for the most common fare like 9mm and .22LR. Outside of that though, for stuff that's common not not quite as popular as those (eg, .32ACP for example), sometimes you really can find better deals online. Usually in the cheaper brands that Wal-mart doesn't carry, but to me ammo is ammo and I can reuse the brass anyways. For example, Fiocchi .32ACP is $11 per box at Aim Surplus. It's $20 per box for WWB at Wal-mart.

You'll just about make up shipping on a single box. Order more than one and you're good to go. Also, since I'm typically going to place an online ammo order every now and then for stuff Wally-world DOESN'T carry anyways (eg, 9mm Makarov), I can lump it all into one order.

I'll agree on the really common stuff though - when I buy 9mm Luger it's usually from Wal-mart .

EDIT: BTW, you can save money on reloading if you're frugal. I myself am on a strict routine - every weekend it's 100 rounds of rimfire and 100 rounds of centerfire (whether it's factory or reloads) - usually varying up which guns I take. It works out well and reloading helps keep it affordable for me to do that. Also, you don't need real expensive equipment to get started. You can get a good Lee starter kit for around $100. That's what I started with years ago and it's still going strong (I've gotten a tumbler and a few other goodies, but nothing too extravagant).

Heck if that "Smart Reloading" stuff was better Midsouth was running a kit special today that included a press, tumbler, trickler, digital scale, and priming tool, along with various other small things (chamfer tool, powder dippers, etc) for $59.

 

[JohnBiltz]

I'm fortunate enough to live 2 miles from a Cabela's. I was big on Wallyworld but I've moved away from them. WWB has gone up in price. I don't like the Federal Champion because its so weak. My favorite right now is Selior & Beliot. It seems to be on sale there quite often and buy 500 rounds when it is on sale. I don't know how hot it is but feels like my self defense rounds and how it feels is more important than how hot it actually is.

 

[Remllez]

On average premium or higher end ammo usually shoots better because it's built better.
Always try to shoot the same bullet weight as your carry load and and try to stay close to the same foot per second as you can. If you plan on shooting quite a bit reloading might be the ticket for you,as a bonus you can build em any way you want them. I have found that Mag-Tech ammo is very consistent,clean,and offers many calibers as well as practice and carry ammo that are the same weight. They make premium defense ammo as well. Mag-Tech is very cost effective and represents a good value.

 

[verge]

Depends on your defense ammunition choice. You should find something that closely approximates your defense load in a less expensive offering. For instance if your SD load is a 147 gr HP you should probably not practice with 115 gr +P. A 147 gr ball would be more appropriate.

 

[skiwi]

quote:

A great many, if not most, of us here began reloading/handloading for that very reason. It's not so much that one ends up spending less money on ammo, it's that one is able to shoot a LOT more for the same expenditure of cash. Look at it this way: two boxes of factory ammo per week, every week, amount to 5200 rds per year. Pick any brand and do the math yourself. Any way you go that's going to amount to a considerable sum.

Once the cost of equipment has been amortized (and you'd be amazed at how quickly that can happen) that same amount of money would yield on the close order of at least two or three times as many rounds.


+1

I couldn't have said it any better. You may eventually look at a progressive press down the road. Once you have the hardware, loading for additional calibers is relatively cheap. Another nice thing with reloading is you can develop loads that are similar to you defensive/carry ammo, so you can train with similar recoil for a lot cheaper.

Another option is to look at the commercially reloaded ammo. There are plenty of options. depending on what distances you are shooting at, the reloaded ammo is likely to perform as well as the new factory ammo.

Since you shoot better with more expensive ammo, I suggest you slow down with the cheaper stuff and continue to develop the fundamentals. I have a pistol which holds 18+1, but will load 10 into the magazine so I won't get carried away with simply blasting away...