Date: 12/30/2010
Range: Elm Fork (Irving, TX)
Distance: 100 yards
Gun: Savage Model III 30-06
Scope: Leupold 4.5-14/50

I have been wanting to test different ammo in my gun. Too expensive for complete test, but I tried to get a good variety for a small test. I
used a Lead Sled to get as accurate results as possible. I'm not a perfect shot, not perfect conditions, and not a perfect test especially only
taking 3 shots for each.

The ammo I tested in order...



Test 1: Fusion 165 GR
Result: 1.465 MOA

This is the bullet I've had in my gun all season, although I haven't shot anything with it yet. It performed great when I sighted in my new
scope and cost is 30-40% less than most of the high end stuff.




Test 2: Federal Premium 165 GR Sierra GameKing BTSP
Result: off the paper!

wow, when I sighted in my rifle the tech took 2 shots and said throw this ammo away, first shots after bore sighting he knew it was bad. From 50
yards bullets were varying 4-6" a shot. I just had to confirm and sure enough I couldn't get first 2 shots on paper. That bullet towards top
right is trying to aim for the very center target! Not only have I heard from others that this stuff isn't very accurate, I've also heard it has
way too much expansion.



Test 3: Winchester 150 GR PowerMax Bonded
Result: 1.978 MOA

I really liked this bullet, not the most accurate, but pretty good and I'll have to research its ballistics more.



Test 4: Winchester 150 GR SilverTip
Result: 1.977 MOA

Not bad, but I would put in my bottom half. Price wise it may be a good deal. Although sub 2 MOA like the PowerMax, just didn't feel as good about this round.



Test 5: Winchester 180 GR PowerPoint
Result: 3.301 MOA

This stuff was even worse than the SilverTip, 2nd worse round. But not completely ungrouped and unsafe like the Federal Premium GameKing.



Test 6: Remington Premier AccuTip 165 GR
Result: 1.050 MOA

This turned out to be my favorite ammo of the bunch and what I will use from now on unless I find something else studying the ballistics and exit wounds.



Test 7: Remington Premier Core-Lokt Ultra 168 GR
Result: 0.867 MOA

The lowest MOA by a little, shot an inch lower than most of the other ammo. Good group and I could always adjust my scope for it, just seems the AccuTip will work better for me.



Conclusion

In the end there were several good rounds and a couple simply bad ones. From this test I will switch from the Fusion to the Remington Premier AccuTip. Next test might be to shoot that rounds 150 and 180 GR version.

I then did a 5 shot group with it adjusting my scope as I went. Dead center was first shot, then I was adjusting for 1 inch high going too much at first. When happy with my scope I took extra long and more concentration for a single shot that was exactly center and about 3/4 inch high. Perfect!

That is an awful lot of rounds down range thru the same gun? Did you wait 30 minutes between shots to let you gun barrel cool off? If not then your test results are skewed? a hot gun barrel shoots completely different than a stone cold one.....

I know, especially since I'm using the Savage which is known to be an accurate cold gun and not durable for rapid shots.

I shot my current round (Fusion) first, followed next shots about every 1-3 minutes. And then about every 10 shots was the downrange break of 5-10 minutes.

Did you really think I waited 30 minutes between shots? You asked a dumb question. Just doing the best I could with what I had. It gives a good head to head comparison and now I can go back and make sure my cold shot is right on with the ammo I thought was best. cold shot is important, but also groupings under same conditions.

well IMHO your results are NOT accurate due to the amount of time between shots. I admit you went to a lot of time and effort here but if you were going to be as accurate as possible I would have waited 10 minutes between shots for one particular type of ammo and then at least 30 minutes between different types of ammo.....

You should do 5 shot groups instead of 3 too. That would take 80 minutes per brand. Times 7 which isn't a very extensive test and you have 560 minutes or over 9 hours. How much do winds and temps change? the goal was head to head comparison, not zeroing in, although I did try that at the end and can confirm it next time cold. I do understand the cold shot importance, but for what I was trying to accomplish here your argument is moronic.

Please explain "Way too much expansion" in re Federal 165's?

Each gun can and will like a particular ammunition better than others. What you have proven is what your barrel likes, not how the ammunition compares.

Also, I hope you are not paying $40+ a box for that Federal, or $32 for the Fusion.

I haven't shot anything with it yet and won't, but talked to someone at the range who had the experience of blowing out a shoulder on exit, I mean really bad.



That's what I paid for those two boxes as I was at Elm Fork, I usually buy ammo from Cabelas, Bass Pro, Academy, or ammoman. That's where all the others came from.

I have shot a lot of 308's, and a lot of different loads. For factory ammo, over a wide range of 308's, Federal's 165's are very close to the top in ammo and performance.

As for expansion, I have never heard of too much expansion. I want it to be about the size of a half dollar, and stopped only by the hide on the far side of the body...

Also, federal premium are generally faster/hotter than most factory loads and generally shoot higher than most others at set up. For a while I switched between 150 and 165's with the 150 being blue box main line federal classics and the 165 being Premium, and oddly enough the 165 would shoot higher in every gun we tried.

Now that my deer season is over, I am switched the two Savage 10FPs to 168 match ammo for the spring and summer. I'll try and remember to get some comparison pics for that. I also have acquired several boxes of Fusion 165's I want to try too.

I was surprised by these results too for the Federal game ammo because I tested 20 different rounds in my LaRue OBR 308 and the Federal Gold Match was the best by far. I love that stuff, all I shoot in the OBR at range now, but of course it is terrible for game.



I think there is a balance between clean kill and not wasting meat.

I think there is a balance too, but I'll trade the meat loss over expanded 308 soft point for something that doesn't expand enough and the game gets away, everytime.

Here's the 165's in a 3 shot group in 308. By far the best I ever shot. Even GMM doesn't do that for me.

seriously?

very nice, which Federal round was this?

Yeah, and what Sig isn't telling you is that's a 20 shot group.

Well no it's just three, I was out of ammo (bsflag goes here).

It's Federal 308 "C" loads, their 165 grain Sierra GameKings. That particular rifle loves them, in fact, it shoots better with them than even gold medal match 168 or 175's. It was done off a bipod front and small sandbag rear.

I am sure there are much better marksman on here than me, but that's my personal best in recent memory.

I did a similar test a few months ago, so if you want to swap a few loads of 30-06 you can get a few more bullets tested in your gun.
Mine shot best with black hills, but it turns out that they are too long and won't feed reliably in my gun, so I'm shooting my second best group, Winchester Supreme Elite 180 Grain XP3
This is the only centerfire gun I own that I shoot factory ammo in.

All I got to say is dont let BMD get ahold of this thread, because if that is all a savage can do off of a lead slead then they definately aint the most accurate out of the box...

Thanks for the info. You put some time into the testing.

I'm a little suprised at the group sizes shooting from a lead sled, I would have expected better.

Also, suprised at the comments. I want to know what I can expect from a rifle in field conditions, ie. rapid follow up shots. I've never taken a follow up shot ten or 30 minutes later nor have I had time for or needed five shots. Your procedure confirms what to expect when used as intended. Thanks for the report.

I have a good scope, but I am not the best shot, mostly limited by my less than 20-20 corrected. I consider the Remington groupings really tight though. People get better than 0.8 MOA out of a 30-06?

Since this ammo test last week I did confirm the Remington Accutip on a 175 lb. Buck. It didn't take a single step at 60 yards quartering away heart/lung placement. Field dressing we found the heart with perfect hole entering the very middle and then a little larger exit. We didn't spend a lot of time looking, but never found the exit, it would have come out somewhere in front of opposite leg. That would have been a bunch of mass to make it through.

Yes.

From autoloading rifles.

Firing more shots per group.

David

I appreciate your time and effort. I will take this into mind when i finished off my cheap ammo i bought to first play with the gun.