Ammunition Matters

Ammunition can make your target larger or smaller.

Ammunition really matters.

Tighter groups effectively mean a bigger target.

Every rifle has favorites when it comes to ammunition.

Why does ammunition matter for your rifle? 

It matters because ammunition performance varies.  Performance of ammunition for target shooting essentially means consistency.  Consistency means two things:  where each bullet in a group hits (the “spread”) and consistency in velocity to help predict where the bullet will hit.  The components of consistency are discussed later in this document.  

How can a tighter group make the target bigger and why does that matter?

It matters because in a dynamic shooting discipline the shooter rarely, if ever, has a perfect sight picture centered exactly on the center of the target.   The weapon is almost always moving despite the best efforts of the shooter to hold it steady.   It’s moving because the shooter is tired or out of breath or the shooting position is demanding.  Often, all three factors are going on at the same time. 

“Tight group” means that the impact of your bullets cluster tightly around the aim point of your rifle.  It’s often used in conjunction with “zeroing” a rifle but it applies at other distances as well.  “Loose group” means that the impact of the bullets cluster over a larger area.  We think of these clusters or groups as circular even though they may not be actually circular.