ammo choice?

[billdncn]

What do you use, and why? What's most important to you? Performance, cost, availability, all of these? What rifle are you using this ammo in?

I'm thinking of trying some "Eley Silhouex". Who here uses, or has tried this? How is, or was, the 100m performance? Also, who has the best prices on Eley ammo?

Thanks for the info.!
Bill

[greer]

Bill, for any Eley questions you might contact Bob Collins at C & S Accuracy.  He knows Eley backwards and forwards, is very friendly and takes time to provide explanations and answer questions.  He has good prices and fast service too.  Sarah

[shootingpaul]

Although I can see that you already decided what to use, I will share my secrets, I use Lapua Master in Anschutz 54 (factory) with a good lot I got 7/8 at the 100m (11 shots), and I also use same in my 52B although the lot # is different, I found that both rifles will not shoot the same lot, price wise is about $600 US / case, most important is the consistency of ammo, I tried some eleys but had no luck to get good groups.
good luck!

[jneihouse]

There are lots of folks on here with way more experience than me and their opionions should be valued as such, but I'll put my 2 cents worth in.  I shoot an Anschutz 54:18 in standard and a Kimber HS in hunter and I tested lots of different brands early in the year with the goal being good groups at 100m, shot to shot consistancy, and price all factored in to try to find one brand that was good enough and inexpensive enought to shoot both in matches and practice.  I tried all the major labels from the most expensive to the cheapest and SK Jagd standard plus came out the overall winner with Wolf Match Target being a close second, losing out to the SK on consistancy (I know they are virtually the same, produced in the same plant, but there was a slight difference.  Maybe the SK boxes were just prettier?)  Some shot better at 100m but at 227 plus 17.50 per case shipping form Champions Choice it came out the winner.  Best 5 shot group at 100m from the Kimber was .405 the best from the 54:18 a little better, but with the human element (me) factored in they shot virtually the same.

John

[jneihouse]

By the way, I forgot to add in my earlier post, when you find that magic bullet buy up all of that lot that bank account can stand.   Ammo changes from lot to lot and today's diamond can be tommorrow's turd.

John

[Arizona Jake]

Bill:

Each rifle will have a preference to certain brands of ammo, due to barrel harmonics, rifling, etc.

Try different brands, shooting groups of 10 shots at 100 meters and make your selection, based on your budget.

My rifles all produce excellent groups with Lapua Midas ($900 / case). They also produce excellent 100 meter groups with Fededral 900 (around 0.80 inch) and 1.25 inch groups with Federal 711B.

Like most all of us, I have to pay bills and put food on the table, so  I use Federal 711B ( around $200 / case) on chickens and pigs, saving the Federal 900 (around $360 / case) for rams & turkeys. I do this for big matches with my Anschutz, Remington 40X or Sako Finnfire rifles).

My Anschutz really likes Wolf Match target ($250 / case), but the ammo produces 3 or 4 fliers out of every 50, so I use that stuff for normal matches. My Sako Finnfire hunter class rifle does not work well with Wolf MT, but does so with CCI Std. Velocity, so that is what I use for normal matches.

None of my rifles care for Eley Silhouex, RWS, PMC or Aguila ammo.  

I have found CCI Std. Vel. ammo to be very consistent with all my rifles. At $180 / case from Grice, it is not a bad deal for informal matches. You might want to try it. Best of luck,  :cb2:

[billdncn]

Thanks to all! I am currently using Wolf MT. Best 100m group is .640", but in reality it averages about 1.25" @ 100m. I guess this is pretty good for $3 a box stuff. There is so much out there that I have yet to try. I was just curious about Eley Silhouex, and may still order a box or two.

[jneihouse]

Just a FYI for those who may be shooting Fed 711B.  Champions Choice has bought up a lot that was intended to go overseas and are selling as F714 !Special Target-Std (Subsonic) for 135 dollars a case.  I don't use it but I spoke with the lady at Champions Choice last summer about it when ordering samples of different ammo and she said it was identical to the 711B.  Might check it out, it's cheap and if your gun shoots it it's a good buy.
John

[Jerry G]

My guns all like Eley Black Box.  It is a little pricy.  I get good groups with Wolf Target but it has been hard to find.  I found some Eley White Box that was advertised as Red Box seconds (I don't know what it is) but it will shoot 1 minute in both my hunter and heavy gun.  I payed less than $2 a box for the stuff.  What to buy is a good  question that mobody seems to have a good answer for.  You need to try the stuff out.  Always test your turkey and ram loads at 100m, because some of the stuff seems to fall apart between 60m and 77m.

[flintski]

jerry g:

how in the heck did you buy eley for less than 2$ a box?  Tell me your secret, now.....

are you telling me that some brands will shoot like gangbusters at 0-65 yards and then fall apart at 109?  And then will the good 100 meter bullets shoot like srape at the shorter ranges?  Can't see that, please explain if you can.  I would think that if you have a 1 MOA load at the rams that it would be great all the way there......

as you can see i have a lot to learn about rim fire.

thanks, flint

[hh4064]

In my 54MS custom I use eley red box for the turkeys and rams. I use the black box for the chickens and pigs. I use this comb because Tom Volquartsen chambered it specifically for eley ammo and the black box is a little easier on the wallet. In my 54MS factory gun I use Federal Gold Medal match 900. In my CZ 452 silhouette I use the Federal as well. I have tried everything over the years. And I mean everything. This is what works for me. When conditions are great and I am shooting my best off the bench my custom gun shoots groups the size of a dime at 100m. My factory guns shoots less then a nickel at 100m. I have comfirmed this with an anchored shooting machine. Unfortunately you can spend a ton of money trying to find out what works in your gun.Because bullet lubes are different ALWAYS remember to clean in between shooting different brands of ammo. If you clean in between it will take only a few rounds to settle down and start grouping. I hope you are like a friend of mine who tested years ago with his guns. Jon is still using the same ammo that he did 15yrs ago. He found it on the first pass.