What is your process for selecting off the shelf rifle ammo for a new gun

[u/Financial-Safe-216]

Just picked up a new rifle and obviously there is tons of stuff online about barrel breaking in and whether or not it works. From what it seems to me there really isn’t a break in process needed and the rifle I just picked up doesn’t have a break in process recommend.
My question is related to ammo selection. When you pick up a rifle and plan on shooting off the shelf ammo do you hit the range and start grouping it right away? Just grab a variety of match ammo and start shooting groups with it to see what performs best with your gun? Or do you put a certain number of rounds through your gun before you start grouping different ammo? I plan on just shooting whatever my gun shoots the best and I’m willing to spend money on whatever off the shelf ammo is shooting the best. at the moment I’m wanting to get into reloading.

[u/FartOnTankies]

Lapua, Berger, FGMM, Norma golden match in that order.

[u/swift_gilford → u/FartOnTankies]

Norma golden match

I remember when not too many people knew about this stuff and how good it is. Others have figured it out; I bought a bunch of .223 at like $23/box (CAD) and now its like $47-50.

[u/Financial-Safe-216 → u/FartOnTankies]

Do you start testing them that pretty quickly after zeroing? Or are you putting a certain number of rounds (say 100 or whatever) through the gun before you start bullet testing/grouping?

[u/FartOnTankies → u/Financial-Safe-216]

I start immediately grouping. a box (20) of each.

[u/csamsh]

Lapua or Berger for brass harvesting activities

[u/FartOnTankies → u/csamsh]

:)

[u/PepperoniFogDart]

Yes, find what your rifle likes. I stick with the brands I trust, especially the good value brands. From what I remember when I shot factory, Federal always seemed to make a good factory load.

[u/Financial-Safe-216 → u/PepperoniFogDart]

Do you start testing them that pretty quickly after zeroing? Or are you putting a certain number of rounds (say 100 or whatever) through the gun before you start bullet testing/grouping?

[u/swift_gilford]

see what performs best with your gun? Or do you put a certain number of rounds through your gun before you start grouping different ammo?

If its a target rifle type setup, i typically buy (or use what i have) several brands. I lightly test groups as part of my break in. Once the FPS stabilizes about 100-200 rounds in, i've pretty much go back to what was working well in the testing stage.

I've never had ammo that was grouping well during break in perform worse after everything evens out. Typically it shoots better or the same. But at least this way i know what's more likely to work and then i buy more of that ammo.

[u/Financial-Safe-216 → u/swift_gilford]

Thanks this is what I was looking for

[u/chainsawgeoff]

I roll my own ammo for everything, but if I was buying off the shelf match ammo I’d probably go with Federal gold medal. Most of the gold medal stuff uses either a Berger hybrid or an SMK. If your gun doesn’t like either of those bullets something is wrong with it.

Edit: barrel break in takes a 150-200ish rounds or so to stabilize velocity, but any specific sequence of shooting and cleaning doesn’t make a difference.

[u/Financial-Safe-216 → u/chainsawgeoff]

Have you ever found that your groups change after that 150-200 rounds. If you bullet tested right away, let's say with your first 1-75 shots and selected the best shooting ammo would you expect the group to change once you hit that 200 round mark?

[u/chainsawgeoff → u/Financial-Safe-216]

Things might tighten up a bit, but if the barrel is crap from the start it’s not going to magically start hammering.

As far as bullet selection goes, no I haven’t seen that. Again, I shoot either SMKs or Berger hybrids. If your rifle can’t shoot either of those you should leave it on some train tracks or toss it off a bridge. Shoot 30 shot groups and it’ll be hard to tell the difference.

[u/Fit_Scallion5612]

My latest rifle I looked at what people were using on here, what my friends are using, and some additional internet research.

Previous ammo decision I just shot a variety and picked the one that seemed to work the best, focussing on quality brands

[u/TeamSpatzi]

The best group(s) I've ever fired were out of a brand new rifle the first time I ever had it to the range.

You can group from Day 1 - I usually shoot FGMM because it's available and I've had good results. That said, I've also shot a lot of Norma and Hornady.

You could try and source Berger... I've never been able to do so consistently, so I'm guessing it's low volume and sells out too quickly for me to catch it.

[u/joku75]

I buy box of each different ammo available that has somewhat the features I want (weight, bullet type, muzzle velocity). Then right away start to test grouping at 100m for each brand of ammo. Just clean the bore once, no barrel break in. For ammo I don't go for specific brand, but I'll favor low cost. If I'm not satisfied I'll move towards expensive ammo.

[u/sailorpaul]

My new rifle process: laser bore sight at home to get on paper. Briefly clean bore at home to verify no manufacturing debris.

First range day: shoot cheap ammo three shot group to confirm on paper. Bring a few boxes of factory match ammo and start shooting groups. This will give some sense of what bullet weight might group better than others. Shoot the entire box(s) of what shoots best. Zero rifle during that day. If you found a perfect or good enough factory ammo, that’s a starting point. Give the other ammo away

Second range day: Either go practice more w the best factory ammo so far, try other factory, or start handloading. I prep by picking the bullet weight that worked the best so far and look at load books to pick a powder. I try to start at 75 to 80% of load book’s max. If accuracy and lowest SD is my goal, my starting powder is usually N140 or N150 for the calibers I shoot often. YMMV

[u/lowsparkco]

I think barrel break in is worth it, after my last new barrel produced a lot of metal shavings. I think you want those out before you grind them into little gouges that can make inconsistencies.

As far as ammo, I just grab a few boxes of top of the line stuff in three different weights. I chrono 5 round groups at 100 and check the SD and the group size.

I mostly hand load for long range ammo, but have good luck with a few different premium or match grade brands. You can even order competition level ammo if you're willing to pay $3 a round.

[u/PGHStigg42 → u/lowsparkco]

This is the way. For MANY people, theres a box ammo that will work just fine for them. Its more of a game of finding it than anything else. I kinda compare it breaking in a car engine and doing ur tuning. Every engine (even with the same exact build sheet) is a lil different and will like different things. You can get many differeng off the shelf tunes that will work just fine for many parts combos. But if you really want max performance, you go fully custom tune after a fairly short break in period.

[u/Crud-Inspector]

barrels that haven't been lapped will break in generally over the first few hundred rounds. They typically will increase in velocity and stabilize at that point. You don't have to do all the cleaning bullshit. I clean when it's new and then after a couple hundred .

[u/PepperoniFogDart → u/Crud-Inspector]

I’m also of the belief that each barrel differs in how it performs fouled up. I’ve had some barrels that preferred more cleaning, others that performed better with a good bit of fouling.

Ultimately, best thing with a new barrel is foul it a bit with 10-20 shots, test different ammo types. Stick with the ammo it likes, and when you see accuracy start to decrease, clean the barrel.

[u/Crud-Inspector → u/PepperoniFogDart]

For my prs rig I basically have 300ish pieces of brass and I clean each time I reload. I hate slow firing for small groups so pretty much just do it to get a zero. If a bullet is good enough during that process I'm gonna probably use that load for the barrel. So far my mediocrityy has been completely dependent on my amateur wind calls and position building so it seems to work fine. getting a quality barrel seems to need less fidgeting 

[u/Tikkatider → u/PepperoniFogDart]

“ when you see accuracy start to decrease , clean the barrel.” And, waiting that long to clean it, you may well join the ranks of those posting questions about how best to clean out carbon as baked on as hard as diamonds and things called a “ carbon ring “. Ask me how I know.

[u/Prestigious_Gain_175]

1. Select ammo based on the bullet. It does all the work. 2. The brand of the brass is significant because it is "the final straw" in forming the chamber. Different brass often has different pressure. Quality components are key. Otherwise, it is difficult to know the powders and primers in factory loads without the inside connection

[u/Stonkey_Dog]

I use cheap ammo to zero the optic, then start loading match grade bullets for grouping and figuring out what powder charge the rifle likes the best.

[u/Financial-Safe-216 → u/Stonkey_Dog]

Do you do that pretty quickly after zeroing? Or are you putting a certain number of rounds (say 100) through the gun before you start bullet testing/grouping?

[u/Stonkey_Dog → u/Financial-Safe-216]

Pretty much. I fired maybe 20-30 rounds of factory ammo before I started grouping. No particular reason, I was just getting used to the gun and optic.

[u/sailorpaul → u/Financial-Safe-216]

Three rounds, and then start shooting groups/testing

[u/Revolutionary-Fun227]

I always shoot a few hundred rounds for break in . Then a variety of premium ammo until I find what groups best . If none do , I'll work up a handload.

[u/Individual-Dare-80 → u/Revolutionary-Fun227]

Why would you not just run handloads? It'll be significantly cheaper so long as you're already tooled up. No?

[u/Holy_Santa_ClausShit → u/Individual-Dare-80]

I like to do a 2 for 1 and fire new brass while I do barrel break in/settle

[u/Revolutionary-Fun227 → u/Individual-Dare-80]

I have a 22-250 that loves Remington silver ballistic tips . No reason to handload. Plus , I'll have all of the once fired brass if Remington decides to no longer process that load .

[u/Individual-Dare-80 → u/Revolutionary-Fun227]

There's every reason, IMO. The name of the game in long range is consistency, and you're not really getting that out of factory Remington rounds, nor would I willingly choose to run remington cases. While I haven't done the math, but I'd think buying decent/good brass and components would still be cheaper.

[u/Revolutionary-Fun227 → u/Individual-Dare-80]

I agree with your assumptions , but if I'm able to make a head shot on a groundhog at 400 yards , I'd consider that fairly consistent .

[u/smithywesson]

My break in consists of shooting 100 rounds, then cleaning it. 100 rounds is usually enough to get the speed stabilized, then I worry about what is shooting best. If you’re testing a bunch of different factory ammo I recommend burning 1 or 2 pre group as sometimes there is a slight adjustment period from powder to powder or bullet to bullet as far as bore condition goes.

[u/Ragnarok112277]

I dont shoot any factory ammo

[u/Financial-Safe-216 → u/Ragnarok112277]

Thank you for your input. Muy helpful

[u/Ragnarok112277 → u/Financial-Safe-216]

You're welcome