I know the feeling. Been looking for “that ammo” but the results are not what think are acceptable. So far, SK Match is grouping the best. My wallet likes it better with SK.

 

I guess I've been lucky so far. Almost everything I have Lapua and SK shoot decent out of my Vudoo. The first six groups were shot with the worst lot of Rifle Match I'd ever seen. If you search you will find it's so bad I had posted about it in the 22lr section. Out of both my Bergara's it's nothing to produce a 1.5 inch 50 yard group with it but out of the Vudoo it produces not great but good groups and it is so slow that it doesn't produce a cold bore flyer so I've started shooting it first every day now. The second row is some Pistol King and the third row is a lot of Center-x I purchased a large amount of that shoots great out of everything I own.

 

Do you regularly experience better performance with Center X over Eley Team or from the SK line up, Pistol Match, Rifle Match or Long Range?

 

The days of lot testing before a large purchase are over.

You should probably try the CX on a day with better conditions than what you described in the OP. Switching conditions will throw flyers with a good lot if you are not on top of the conditions.

 

Yes to much wind for good test. When I had my Vudoo it shot Lapua Long Range ot Midas+ best, I saw no difference with Super Long Range other than $5 a box more, but accuracy was the same. I have a couple of bricks of SK Match shoot really well also.

 

I would also suggest trying different action torque. Had one lot that wouldn't shoot well at all.
Changed action torque from 35 inch/pounds to 27 and it's one of my better lots now.

 

Went to the range again today. Same results…one lot of center x was consistent .2-.3 groups. The bag lot was .8 or higher with flyers. Even my SK rifle match was .3 or better. Decided to let my friend try shooting in his Annie…same results. luckily he had a chrono…27.7 SD.

 

Looks like your tightest groups came from the CX, even though there were a number of flyers in several of the CX groups. To me, this signifies that some of the bullets you shot had very similar characteristics, more so than some other ammo you used to obtain other groups. I've experienced similar at times. For example, when using some SK PM in my CZ457 w/Lilja barrel, I'll have 3 of 5 at times in one hole measuring .25"(hole size) then a high and a low that don't even correspond to the chronograph FPS readings. The low shot would have a higher FPS than the high shot. After many thousands of dollars and thousands of bullets, I've never found a way out of paying for and lot testing the better quality ammo. Even still, that's time consuming and has a financial burden also. Henceforth, I have scheduled lot testing at the Lapua facility in Mesa, AZ. That is 7 months away. I'm thinking of using Eley Team or Match in the mean time. I can easily lot test it and I can hardly find ANY center X, much less a variety to lot test.

 

The one lot of Center X groups well with an SD around 7. The Center X with flyers has SD 27.7. I have 3 lots of SK long range of which one lot shoots on par with my good center x. Just shows that you can’t generalize that one type of ammo will shoot better than another. There’s so much variation from lot to lot. My lot of Midas + is just slightly than my SK rifle match.

 

When I had my Vudoo 360 I shot all the top ammo. With out a doubt Lapua Long Range was the best. I saw no difference with the Super Long Range other than $5 a box more. I never could get any RWS or Eley to shot worth a crap and I tried all levels of both. I will say SK Match shot about the same as Center X with SK Long-Range falling off a bit. I ended up selling the Vudoo because my custom CZ 457 with 23in Lilja shot better.

 

Rifle/barrels don't shoot ammo well by the name on the package. In other words, it's not that a rifle will shoot Lapua Long Range but not other Lapua or RWS or Eley.

They all shoot good ammo well. There's good ammo made by all the big three match ammo makers. Ammo is made in batches or lots. Not all lots are equal, no matter the name on the package. In other words, some lots of Lapua CX, or M+, or Long Range will be better or worse than others. Same for Eley and RWS.

Entry level match ammos such as SK may have considerable performance variation within a lot. Same for Eley and RWS entry level match ammos.

 

Speaking just to Vudoo I had it would shoot all Lapua and SK pretty good IF it was a good lot. As stated, I was never able to get ANY RWS R-100, R-50, Special Match or Eley Tenex, Match or Team to shoot. Now I am able to shoot ELEY Tenex and Match in my 26X1.0 inch Lilja. When I ordered the Vudoo I to was told the chamber was cut for Lapua.

 

When I ordered the Vudoo I to was told the chamber was cut for Lapua.

That doesn't mean that it's a Lapua-only rifle. A good chamber will shoot all good ammo well. To illustrate, in the past when Eley dominated, many serious shooters had Eley-friendly chambers. Those same rifles now shoot good Lapua well.

 

So I took a few min this morning to get some measurements on ELEY and Lapua ammo. I took the avg length and ogive of 10 cases.
COL / Ogive
Eley Ultra Long Range (round nose) .9775 / .7630
Eley Biathlon (round nose) .9773 / .7775
Eley Match (flat nose) .9570/ .7505

SK Rifle Match .9800 / .7665
SK Long Range Match .9795 / .7650

Lapua Long Range .9760/ .7665
Lapua Midas+ .9735/ .7640
Lapua Polar Biathlon .9790/ .7610

There is difference in case overall length and ogive even in same brand of ammo. And yes, it is a slow morning here...lol
I my 2500X Lapua goes right in the chamber and up to the lands. With any Eley when I chamber a round I can feel it going into the lands.

 

Went to the 50yd range the other day to try a bunch of different ammo. Wind was 5-10mph and switching. Tried some SK rifle match, SK long range, and CenterX. My “control” ammo was a lot of center X that the Vudoo likes. Surprisingly, one lot of center x was so inconsistent with a bunch of flyers. ☹. Wish we could lot test before ordering…

So before I make a flat statement about testing in 10 mile/hour switching winds can you tell us:
Were you shooting using wind flags?
Were you shooting from a one piece rest?
What was the scope and its power that you were using.

I am working on the assumption that your scope and rifle are tight and level to the target.

Reason for the questions, I just came back from a N50 comp that had some of the better, if not best shooters in the area and there was only one 250 score. The wind was similar to what you described. I know my score dropped 7 points as the wind picked up. Disclaimer...I was watching the flags from another competitor. I was now convinced the need for flags so I went home and ordered a set of three flags and stands. LOL....they are only about cost of a couple of bricks of Lapua Center-X, which I could waste trying to improve my score without flags.

 

I shot off the bench with Accutac bipod and rear bag. Scope is Nightforce competition 15-55. I only had wind flag near the target. I’m just saying that my one lot of CenterX had SD 27.7. The other two lots that produce much more consistent groups have SDs under 8. Even the high end ammo not prone to inconsistencies.

 

String was 25 shots. I’m. Going to test another brick but same lot. I got four more bricks of this lot. So far we shot this out of 3 different rifles. All had a bunch of flyers.

 

Only shoot SK and Lapua in ours. So for, 2200+ rounds, probably best shooting precision rifle we own. No worries about which type or which lot, doesn’t care. However, I believe SK Rifle Match may shoot slightly tighter groups the SK Standard Plus.

 

Went to the range again and tested another brick of the same lot of CenterX. Winds were 10-15 but switchy. Give a box to two other shooters. Same results with flyers and drop shots. Garmin chrono of 25 shot strings. SD 20 & ES 86. Random lot of SK Rifle match was better.

 

It would be great to know that magic that makes a gun barrel prefer one lot over another so much. While my Vudoo shoots most everything I have SK and Lapua very well I have two bricks of Lapua long range and two bricks of SK long range that both shoot great out of my 20" Bergara but shoot like a 12 gauge shotgun out of my Vudoo. I only have a small sample admitidley but my Vudoo seems to favor ammunition that remains at or below 1,100 FPS.

 

I must have gotten really lucky....my Vudoo 360 Shilen select match Ratchet barrel 26" shoots select lots of Eley match as good as Midas+ and RWS 50

 

Better conditions this morning…winds blowing 5mph. The range we shoot is in a bowl so still switching back and forth. Shot SK Rifle match, long range, and Center X. Nothing really stood out but all pretty good.