Better Accuracy from Bulk Ammo

[KCSO]

I have found that this simple tool helps give better accuracy from the bulk ammo packs. I also use it to grade my match ammo but I find there is a lot less variation iin match ammo. The gauge measures rim thickness and I sort into 3 piles, +,- and on to 1/2 of a thou.

I made mine from scrap aluminum and a dial indicator from a sale bin.

[troy_mclure]

I used to sort by weight, it got tedious so I quit. If I want match ammo I'll buy it.

[uscra112]

I've sorted, spindled and mutilated a ton of bulk ammo. After weight-sorting, the most effective thing I found was "bumping" the bullet in a die I made. This expands the OD to fit the chamber of my 10/22 better. Ultimately I have found that it is not possible to make match ammo out of junk - there's too much variance in factors that can't be rectified, like priming. But it was fun, and I learned a lot. CCI MiniMags, sorted and bumped, turned a virtually worthless 10/22 into a rifle that will kill chucks at 75 yards. I have a brick of Federal Auto Match to try that on, but it's summer on the farm, and there's too darned much to do.

[KCSO]

Well with CCI green tag runnning $20 for a hundred and bulk runnning $20 for 500 I thought I might get the bulk ammo up to hunting specs and I am up to ground squirrels to 50 yards. A friend of mine is big into sillouette and he does this to his MATCH ammo.

[FLINTNFIRE]

Have a tool like that an old friend gave me before he passed away , it works , and yes I also have match ammo ,of different makes , as the anschutz and the target remington like different fodder ,sorting does become tedious , always nice to see someone making something for their needs

[uscra112]

If I were a match shooter, I'd filter all my record ammo by any method available. I'd want confidence that no "outliers" were in my block. Weight, rim thickness, bullet diameter, and bullet runout are easiest to measure. So far as I have gone, significant outliers occur so rarely even in "low-price" match ammo such as Wolf Match ammo that I haven't found one yet. That doesn't mean that I won't. I'm just getting started with my Ballard, but it'll be October before I get time to do much.

Regarding rim thickness sorting: My rim gauge resolves to .0005". I can identify rim thickness variance in the really gross bulk ammo like Remington Thunderbolt, but if there's any significant effect on accuracy it is submerged in the variance of factors other than weight and bullet diameter, at least as far as I've gone testing with my bone stock 10/22. Weight variance has been by far the biggest factor that I've been finding.

Things you can't measure that probably have a significant variance in cheap ammo are powder charge weight and priming, (both volume and distribution in the rim), but try weight sorting, if you have the patience, (and a reliable scale that resolves to .1 grain or better).

BTW if you're hunting, the flat point that the "bumping" process puts on the bullet is more effective than a hollow point, or so it is said. Indeed, the original intent of "bumping" was to improve terminal effect, not accuracy. But if the tool is properly made, the accuracy improvement is obvious.

And the MiniMags I'm using on chucks this year are less than $8.00 a hundred.....