ES13Raven Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 When making ammo for Major Matches, do you do anything different (besides chrono) than when you make your regular match or practice ammo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brisix Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 Components and load are the same for both. I go a little slower on my 550 for major match ammo and case gauge in my hundo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ES13Raven Posted August 9, 2015 Author Share Posted August 9, 2015 Ben Stoeger said he uses 124s for practice and 147s for matches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJE Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 I use the same load, but I will case gauge every round. I make sure my match ammo will make power factor in my backup and my backup, backup guns just in case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ano Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 I sort so I only have 3 different headstamps for 9 major, not.. the 20+ I have from misc pickup in .40 I use the 100 round case gauge, all brass goes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 Every round goes into my chamber (not a gauge). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve RA Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 Back when I used to go to a lot of major matches we'd sit around in the evening and run our ammunition thru our barrels to check. (barrel out of gun, of course) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldfieldshooter Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 +1 for using the chamber for drop test. Also have a set of match cases that only get reloaded 8 times and then chucked in with the practice stuff. I shoot Action Pistol and having a case split at 10yds doesn't make a lot of difference but at 50yds it is a loser. Having to leave your 38SC brass on the ground at the Bianchi Cup is getting expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 I only load one kind of ammo. To me there is no such thing as major match ammo. If it comes off my press it gets gauged, period. If it fails I toss it in a small box marked "practice" so I don't accidentally box it up for matches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Youngeyes Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 I never understood the idea of using ammo that doesn't gauge for practice. If it doesn't pass, it gets broken down. I don't want a problem round in practice or in a shoot. If it passes, it gets shot. No pass, no shoot. Just sayin'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcc7x7 Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 Short non firing "firing" pin goes in gun and every round is cycled through match mags and into gun and back out I take twice the ammo that is listed for the match i.e. a 300 round match I bring 600 rounds that have been cycled through the gun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDA Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 Just curious how many of the rounds that didn't pass the case gauge fail to chamber when used for practice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 how many rounds that didn't pass the case gauge fail to chamber? Very few of mine. You can tell which will really NOT chamber, but, if it fails The Plunk Test, I don't use it in a major shoot. I don't bother gauging ammo for local matches ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyD Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 I only load one kind of ammo. To me there is no such thing as major match ammo. If it comes off my press it gets gauged, period. If it fails I toss it in a small box marked "practice" so I don't accidentally box it up for matches. This. I use my barrel not a gauge though. Every match round falls out perfectly...if it sticks a lil it goes to practice box (never had a issue with these but added reassurance). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 I never understood the idea of using ammo that doesn't gauge for practice. If it doesn't pass, it gets broken down. I don't want a problem round in practice or in a shoot. If it passes, it gets shot. No pass, no shoot. Just sayin'. Problem rounds are great for practice. Learning to unlock a stuck round is better done off the clock. But I must say even with tight chambers in my guns even my "practice/rejects" all still worked just fine. I have even found a few high primers when using the shockbottle gauge and they ignite as well! Keep in mind I also look at my rejects to see what caused the failure. If it's a really FUBAR situation I throw it in the box marked "pull" but typically it's a small burr or ding on the rim. Just sayin' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 I only load one kind of ammo. To me there is no such thing as major match ammo. If it comes off my press it gets gauged, period. If it fails I toss it in a small box marked "practice" so I don't accidentally box it up for matches. This. I use my barrel not a gauge though. Every match round falls out perfectly...if it sticks a lil it goes to practice box (never had a issue with these but added reassurance). I only go to the trouble of checking with the actual barrel when testing new bullets for max oal etc. Once you try a hundred round case gauge EVERYTHING else seems so primitive. lol Of course I take the time to learn just how bad of a round will not fit my chamber. This allows the use of a gauge with confidence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowdyb Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 i used federal match primers versus regular fed spp or winchester spp. i try to use a common lot of gunpowder, no switching jugs in the middle. i also try to load the ammo all at once and if i run into any substantial stoppage i start over. other than that, ammo is ammo. i've been using the same settings, same dies, same components for so long now that i trust all of my ammo the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nwhpfan Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 All my ammo is the same. Practice, match, etc.... Except I only case gauge ammo I take to a match…usually the night before as I take It from the big box to the little ones I take to the match. I do take my Chrono to the range frequently and check it in different types of weather throughout the year. Especially this year since I started using an unfamiliar load. I've noticed it swing from 129 to 134 for no apparent reason. Nothing consistent or predictable that I could tell... But that's all within a margin of error I’m fine with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJE Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 I really don't have that many fail the cause gauge to start with, and it's been quite awhile that I had any of my practice rounds cause any problems. When I load my practice ammo, I attach a piece of fire hose to the chute on the 650 so the rounds travel into a 50 cal ammo can. I'll load 2,000 9mm to fill it up, then I'm done with my run of practice rounds. I don't remember the last time one of those didn't chamber in my guns (granted, I'm shooting Glocks with factory barrels in them). It simply takes too much time to case gauge every one of those rounds when I'm a) pretty confident they will almost all pass, and will probably work even if they don't pass. Those chances are fine in a practice session but I don't want to risk something stupid like flipped primer or split case in a match when it really doesn't take that long to double check. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ano Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 I have say 5-8% of my .40S&W doesnt pass my 100 round case gauge, and is borderline in barrel, but still works fine during practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cecil Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 (edited) I examine my brass very carefully after cleaning... take my time loading & case gauge every round ..if a loaded round does not case gauge, I break it down and find out why if I cannot fix it, the brass goes in the recycle bucket.. then i clean off the case lube by rolling them around in a bath towel.. Edited August 11, 2015 by cecil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcazes Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 Same charge, same everything and I case gauge every round practice ammo or not. The old saying "perform as you practice and practice as you want to perform" makes me use the same thing for all styles I shoot. If I use the same ammo, same grip etc weather it be idpa, uspsa or steel then the only thing that changes is if I have a cover garment, shoot from cover, or move. Everything else ie the fundamentals, stays the same. And that, makes for faster more consistent times Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FTDMFR Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 (edited) When making ammo for Major Matches, do you do anything different (besides chrono) than when you make your regular match or practice ammo? All my match ammo (major or not) I case gauge and inspect for fully-seated primers 100%. I have one of those 20-round DAA case gauges, which makes it quick to case gage and inspect primers at the same time. Edited August 10, 2015 by FTDMFR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3guns Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 I reconfirm chrono results and only use a single headstamp for the brass. Everything else goes through the same process. I case gauge all my ammo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d_striker Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 I only load one kind of ammo. To me there is no such thing as major match ammo. If it comes off my press it gets gauged, period. If it fails I toss it in a small box marked "practice" so I don't accidentally box it up for matches. This. After trying to shortcut my process I've been burned over the years. I would rather lose an hour of my life case gauging ammo than lose 2 seconds on the clock. Even at a local club match. I also check for high primers while case gauging. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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