I’ve looked around some and didn’t see what I was looking for. I’ve never done a 3 gun, but have the chance to attend a match. It’s nothing special, guy told me last time only like 9 people showed up, so it’s a real small event. Anyway. When it comes to 3 gun and ammo, what is the consus? Cheap target ammo or better?
I currently have:
Colt 6920: Shoots the Monarch(Academy brand) great, shoots cheap Tula with no issue, I’m actually yet to have any issue, with any cheap ammo.
M&P 9mm: Shots the Remington green and white 50 rnd and the Winchester red and white 50 rnd $17 boxes well. Yet to try anything else.
Don’t own a shot gun yet, looking for one for hunting season and will use it as I will probably only do a few events a year, nothing major. Leaning towards the Remington 870 Magnum so I can take the 3.5 shells and cover all my bases.
On all of our close stages (100 yards and closer) I shoot whatever will run because 8-10" steel doesn’t need a lot of accuracy. On the long range stages (300-500) I’ve used 75 BTHPs in the past but lately I’ve been using Federal 55 grain FMJs and do fine unless the wind picks up.
I shoot Winchester white box or Speer Lawman in training and at monthly matches because I get it free but I shoot Atlanta Arms pistol ammo at matches that matter.
Appreciate the feedback. I was thinking your response, just wasn’t sure.
I just couldn’t help but think people used cheapest they could shoot realibly and accuratly. With the ammount of shooting required this could very expensive other wise.
For rifle, really depends on target and distance. For hoser stages anything that your gun runs will usually do. For long range then I move on to the federal gold medal match with the 69 grain sierras.
Really depends on what you get accuracy out of YOUR gun with.
I shoot Wolf for matches in bays with distances under 100 and my 77 gr. SMK reloads out past 100. I even have two rifles for both scenarios with a DD 14.5" w/Micro shooting the Wolf for bays and 18" Noveske with a 1-4 Vortex Viper shooting the reloads for longer ranges. I am very happy with this set-up so far.
advisable not to shoot steel bullets at steel plates - bad for plates! there might also be increased frag/ricochet with steel bullets (i can’t recall…)
if you’re shooting paper, whatever will run.
longer range rifle shots benefit from better quality (i.e., more consistent) rounds, but not necessarily target/match.
Whatever I can get that is 1) available, 2) that shoots well and 3) is reliable. It varies depending on the division, match and guns I shoot but thats the truth for a bunch of us anyways.
Sorry if you read it that way but not at all what I meant. Most local matches around here are shooting bays so I use the 14.5" and if I’ll go to a bigger match like Blue Ridge where there will 400+ yard shots then the 18". Most say to stick with one barrel length and shoot it which why I am going to build a 14.5" with a ss barrel for longer range. YMMV…
I’m running Freedom Munitions 124gr mm and 55gr FMJ in my .223.
Shot Shells are usually Fiocchi, Remington AA’s or Remington Nitro’s in 7 1/2 running between 1145 and 1300 fps. Slugs Fiocchi 1oz 1145 fps, buck 1145 fps federal flight control.
[For rifle]I pretty much always use 55g FMJ brass, usually American Eagle, but I just picked up 1000 rounds from Freedom Munitions. It’s good enough to get hits out to 400 yards reliably. Most important is to zero your rifle with 1 type of ammo and stick with it.
75g or 77g SMK will certainly be more accurate at distance than ball ammo but if your rifle isn’t zeroed for it, it doesn’t help much at those ranges. I just am not rich enough to shoot 69g or 77g all the time and I’m a fan of sticking with one load.
Rifle: 69 grain SMK over 22.9gr of H322
Pistol: 147gr. over 3.4 gr. of VV N320
Shotgun: Cheapest birdshot and the Remington frangible sabot slugs whatever they’re called.