Match barrel struggles, a love hate relationship. AKA First World Problems

[djsticky]

So I've never really seen this discussed. I've searched around here and the web and never found anything talking specifically about this.

We all know lots of ball ammo is going to have a different POI then our carry ammo, I think we all search out a practice load that has close to the same POI as our carry load. My issue is that I have been, for the most part, unable to find ball ammo that has a close enough POI to shoot 25y B8s with. I am shooting a G19.5 with a KKM barrel and comp. Even companies offerings that are supposed to be ball ammo for their duty loads are way off (124GD and 124 Lawman or HST and AE). I got one lot of Blazer Brass 124g that was spot on, then the next case I got is 2" high left at 25y. Some of the stuff groups great but I don't like the amount of Kentucky windage I'd have to put on it to shoot a score-able B8.

I guess my question is this: Is this normal behavior from match barrels? Do they vary from barrel to barrel even from the same manufacturer like a bolt gun? What are your experiences? If you share my problem, what have you done?

Carry load is Federal 124g +P HST

I have tried:
Fed AE 124g (unicorn fart load)
Fed RTP 115g
Speer Lawman 115g, 124g, 147g
Fiocchi 115g, 124g
S&B 115g
Win NATO 124g
Blazer Brass 124g (mixed results)
Atlanta Arms Premium 124g (this was the closest but also $14 per 50)

 

[ggammell]

+P is never going to be quite the same as practice ammo. Try AE 147 although I would think the Lawman 147 would be pretty close.

 

[tylerw02]

No two barrels are the same, nor is the rest of the pistol. I’ve taken the same barrel and attempted to use it in two guns. The impacts and accuracy were different. Don’t let it drive you crazy. Zero or the best you can with the ammo you intend to use, stick with that ammunition best you can and rock on.


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[djsticky]

+P is never going to be quite the same as practice ammo. Try AE 147 although I would think the Lawman 147 would be pretty close.

Yea I'm tracking that +P well QCed ammo is not going to be the exact same as bulk lower velocity stuff. The confusing thing for me is that things are all over the place. For instance I've tried all variants of Lawman. If I remember correctly they all group well but 115g was low left by several inches, 124 was high left by several inches and 147 was also high (wtf) right by several inches.

I guess I expected the elevation to follow some semblance of what I would expect based on grain weight. I'll try AE 147 but I don't have high hopes, AE 124 is the weakest load I've ever fired out of a pistol lol. Even on my 15lb recoil spring it almost NEVER locks my slide back.

No two barrels are the same, nor is the rest of the pistol. I’ve taken the same barrel and attempted to use it in two guns. The impacts and accuracy were different. Don’t let it drive you crazy. Zero or the best you can with the ammo you intend to use, stick with that ammunition best you can and rock on.


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That makes sense. I just don't have any other experience with match barrels so I didn't know if what I was experiencing was out of the norm or not. I knew I would have to find the right ball load to come close to my carry load and didn't expect to find something perfect. I just didn't expect to not find an analogous ball load at all!

The zeroing isn't a problem, I've been zeroed on the same load for 8 months or so. I have it down to a science, put two clicks into the RMR as the crown gets dirty, clean the crown and take them back out. Do that every 1k rounds or so.

I have good success what whatever I buy at 7 to 15 yards on ball ammo but it's frustrating that I've gone though 2000 HSTs in 6 months or so just because if I'm shooting 25 yards or further I have to shoot HSTs. Lawman groups well but I ain't shooting 50 yard B8s with it if I have to hold 4 inches off the bottom side of the B8 to get it on paper.

I was curious what you guys do for your distance shooting? Have you found a ball load that will work for your barrel or do you just suck it up and shoot the good stuff?

 

[tylerw02]

That’s one of the reasons why I roll my own. I shoot 124 gr FMJs at 1100 FPS. It shoots about 1” lower than 124 gr +p Gold Dots that I carry.


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[djsticky]

That’s one of the reasons why I roll my own. I shoot 124 gr FMJs at 1100 FPS. It shoots about 1” lower than 124 gr +p Gold Dots that I carry.


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Good point. The thought had crossed my mind before. Probably after I got done testing like 3 different ball ammo and that shit was all over the place haha

 

[Elite0651]

I've had really good luck with S&B 124gr. It's loaded pretty spicy and has a very similar poi to gold dot 124+p.