Match Ammunition

[Gaz]

The NRA RWS is great ammo, but you'll need to sell a kidney if you want to shoot it in anything near match quantities! HPS is decent all-round ammo generally, shoots straight enough for me when I've used it.

[IainWR]

Indeed, the previous assessments are correct.

However:

RWS / RUAG ammunition sold by the NRA is backed by a very large company that owns:

Dynamit Nobel
Norma
RWS

and other brands.

The NRA tests the stuff when it arrives and it is required to be at least 2920 ft/sec out of a reduced dimensions .308Win barrel in accordance with British Proof House limits and under 3650 bar Max Average Working Pressure in accordance with British Proof House limits and to have a maximum velocity SD of 12 under specified test conditions and to group to (IIRC) an absolute max of 76 mm at 300 metres out of a test rig under standard conditions. We have tested about 15 batches over the last 3 years, and none have failed. I can sell you both 68NE (the 2010 Queen's Final batch) and 53OF (the 2011 Queen's Final Batch) in quantities large enough to run a club event. Both batches are significantly better than spec (as are several others I have available) and would rival all but the most carefully assembled handloads. And you can take the very robust RWS cases away and reload them several times over.

HPS Target ammunition is backed by a very experienced handloader and international competitor at the vey highest levels running a small industrial plant assembling ammunition components bought from the finest sources they can find. I do not know what the spec is. HPS tends to be rather cheaper than RUAG.

You take your choice, or build ammo yourself.

I have, and continue to, use both RUAG and HPS at elite level (I shot the last World Championships with off-the-shelf HPS ammo, and it performed to the standard of the competition. I didn't!)

Iain

[Dannywayoflife]

Roughly how much is the HPS 223 ammo? Both the 69&77grain loads

[JonC]

Out of interest, do the NRA buy back the RUAG brass? Thought I had heard it mentioned some place.

[Alpha1]

Or you could save your money and load your own. I would never pay that kind of money for off the shelf ammo when I could reload it my self even if the cost was the same why would I trust some body else to build the best round possible for my rifle when I know I can build it my self...
But its up to you my freind.

[dromia]

Roughly how much is the HPS 223 ammo? Both the 69&77grain loads

Why don't you ask HPS? Then you would know exactly.

[rox]

Roughly how much is the HPS 223 ammo? Both the 69&77grain loads

Why don't you ask HPS? Then you would know exactly.

Or just go and look at their web site.

..

[targetman]

IainWR.....thank you for your detailed and balanced post...most helpful.

For a newer shooter, or those that do not compete at a high level, the choices are somewhat limited, between the cheap(er) commercial ammunition of variable quality and the more expensive but better performing, such as RWS/RUAG and HPS.

Your post gives a clear and unbiased assessment.

Just as an aside, last year I shot at 900 yards, first with a Mk5 SWING using RUAG, then with a No4 Envoy using some 1980 RG, I got identical results.......

[GazMorris]

IainWR.....thank you for your detailed and balanced post...most helpful.
For a newer shooter, or those that do not compete at a high level, the choices are somewhat limited, between the cheap(er) commercial ammunition of variable quality and the more expensive but better performing, such as RWS/RUAG and HPS.

Targetman,

I would argue that it is even more critical for beginners to shoot using the best ammunition that they can afford, as using poor ammunition will make it much harder for them to work out when they're doing it right. How do they know if that thin inner they just shot was them doing something wrong or just the widest shot in the group? (This does assume that the shooter is trying to improve. If a shooter is happy with the level at which they shoot using whatever ammo they shoot, then fair enough! It's not always about bringing home gold for everybody. )

On the original question I reload as much as I can, although I do shoot a lot of competitions where issued ammo is the norm. I am generally happy using brass cased HPS and RUAG as they both work well in my rifles; however I do not like the steel-cased HPS stuff as it has a very square rim and is not good for swing-type extractors in particular.

Cheers,

Gaz

[Andy632]

[quote="targetman"]IainWR.....thank you for your detailed and balanced post...most helpful.

For a newer shooter, or those that do not compete at a high level, the choices are somewhat limited, between the cheap(er) commercial ammunition of variable quality and the more expensive but better performing, such as RWS/RUAG and HPS.

Your post gives a clear and unbiased assessment.

Just as an aside, last year I shot at 900 yards, first with a Mk5 SWING using RUAG, then with a No4 Envoy using some 1980 RG, I got identical results.......[/quote]

Yep I've also had days like that when I couldn't hit the target! :roll: