Question on Lapua performance differences

B

bobhide

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Minuteman
Jan 4, 2014
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#1
I am not sure if question can be answered so I’ll try to ask it the best I can

First I understand all rifles and ammo lots perform differently.

My question putting different lots aside for the moment.

In a given rifle does Lapua ammo performance consistency get better groups as the type goes from:
center-x
super long range
Midas+
x-act

Or asked another way

Do all lots of x-act out perform all lots of Midas+ Do all lots of Midas+ out perform all lots of center-x?

I am not a big competitor just a local club guy.
 
Last edited:
#2
Xact is the top cut in factory testing. It may NOT be the best in your rifle.

I seriously recommend sending your barreled action to whichever of the two test centers lapua has is closest to you. You can buy 5k of the best performing lot.

Example: in my b14r, I hav3 a lot of sk standard plus that consistently shoots tighter groups than any midas+ I've tried with same ES average. Best centerx I tested beat the sk std plus but I've still got 1500 or so left of a lot of sk long range that beats the centerx for group.

It gets messy fast when testing rimfire ammo.
 
#3
All I can share from seeing what ammo wins/places at the top of our four local longrange matches is Super Long Range is by far the top ammo used. Some have tried Center-X and Midas but doesn't come close to the scores the Super Long Range produces. Might be a totally story/results for BR or close range matches but farther out there results don't compare. If it worked more of our longrange shooters would be using it.

Topstrap
 
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#5
Topstrap said:
All I can share from seeing what ammo wins/places at the top of our four local longrange matches is Super Long Range is by far the top ammo used. Some have tried Center-X and Midas but doesn't come close to the scores the Super Long Range produces. Might be a totally story/results for BR or close range matches but farther out there results don't compare. If it worked more of our longrange shooters would be using it.

Topstrap
Click to expand...
Is that a supersonic round? The SK "Long Range" is still subsonic but like 50fps faster than the red, Rifle Match.
 
#7
It almost looks like rimfire ammo performance is random.

I can’t afford to buy large amounts of ammo at one time. ( having a test center select one lot and buy a large amount)

I can buy a brick or two at a time that’s it for me.

I could (when ammo is available) buy a brick of Eley Match and a brick of Lapua center-x or Midas+ and see which shoots better. I understand the bullet shapes are different between Rley and Lapua
 
#8
Try the red, SK rifle match too. I have had really good results across several rifles with it, and it's a lot cheaper than TenX or CenterX.

I've found you can't buy precision with ammo. Yea, if varies lot to lot, but not nearly as much as brand to brand. Find what works best and go with that. There are definitely rifles that are more and less picky. I shoot a Vudoo, and for a long time I did not want to take a chance with a factory rifle, but I wanted to shoot silhouette, and my NRL gun was too heavy, so I bought a CZ457. That thing shoots lights out for $800 as opposed to my multi-thousand Vudoo. It shoots great with the SK too.
 
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#9
Fig said:
Try the red, SK rifle match too. I have had really good results across several rifles with it, and it's a lot cheaper than TenX or CenterX.

I've found you can't buy precision with ammo. Yea, if varies lot to lot, but not nearly as much as brand to brand. Find what works best and go with that. There are definitely rifles that are more and less picky. I shoot a Vudoo, and for a long time I did not want to take a chance with a factory rifle, but I wanted to shoot silhouette, and my NRL gun was too heavy, so I bought a CZ457. That thing shoots lights out for $800 as opposed to my multi-thousand Vudoo. It shoots great with the SK too.
Click to expand...
That’s a good suggestion. I will buy a couple of boxes each of:

Eley Match
SK Rifle Match
And one of the Lapua offerings. (Midas+ or Center-x)

Then see what shoots better in my rifle.
 
#10
I have lot tested Center-X and Midas+. I'm thinking the Center-X is as good or better than the Midas. I have a Garmin. ES and SD are all over the place with all ammo for me. One session might be great and the next session is mediocre. It can make a difference depending on how many rounds in a session. Random acts of accuracy. ;)

I have some Lapua Long Range that I'm going to try this weekend.
 
#11
Fig said:
Try the red, SK rifle match too. I have had really good results across several rifles with it, and it's a lot cheaper than TenX or CenterX.

I've found you can't buy precision with ammo. Yea, if varies lot to lot, but not nearly as much as brand to brand. Find what works best and go with that. There are definitely rifles that are more and less picky. I shoot a Vudoo, and for a long time I did not want to take a chance with a factory rifle, but I wanted to shoot silhouette, and my NRL gun was too heavy, so I bought a CZ457. That thing shoots lights out for $800 as opposed to my multi-thousand Vudoo. It shoots great with the SK too.
Click to expand...
My Duece shoots Eley Team the same as my wife’s stock CZ. The cost delta is painful sometimes.
 
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#12
I have found the added cost of premium Rimfire ammo generally means less “flyers” as you go up the $$ ladder. I use 20-80 shot strings to get an SD. ES seems to be a function of cost. Unless you are competing in BR, compare your positional groups and your bench groups using the same ammo. If the positional ones are significantly bigger, don’t waste $$ on better ammo. It’s practice you need.
 
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#13
Lot testing at 50 yards tells you nothing if you are going to shoot anything other than 50 yard BR matches.
A buddy and I were shooting a match with steel varying from 50-250 yards. He commented he didn't understand why his C-X was shooting so well at distances to 100 but fell apart quickly past that. Groups went from well below sub half MOA to well over 2 MOA.
I looked at the speed number on the box and he was shooting 24 speed in a 22" barrel. The velocity was too low for anything good past that 100 yard distance. I gave him a box of Lapua Long Range that shot over 1100FPS and the change in group was substantial.
 
#14
I’ve spent thousands over the last 6 months chasing ammo… I should’ve just sent the rifles out for testing right out of the gate!

Here’s what I’ve learned..
Center X, SKLR, and Tenex have consistently outperformed everything else more often, with less lot to lot variations..
When Lapua ammo hits the shelves, I buy it and hope for luck… I’ve been very very lucky with CX across both rifles, out to 260 yards.
 
#15
bobhide said:
In a given rifle does Lapua ammo performance consistency get better groups as the type goes from:
center-x
super long range
Midas+
x-act

Or asked another way

Do all lots of x-act out perform all lots of Midas+ Do all lots of Midas+ out perform all lots of center-x?
Click to expand...
X-Act, Midas +, and Center X are all Lapua standard .22LR rifle ammo, nominally factory-rated at the same MV of 1073 fps (of course, actual MV of lots will vary). Super Long Range and Long Range are nominally factory-rated at a faster MV of 1106 fps (actual lot MVs will vary).

X-Act, Midas, and CX are the product of a single production run produced on the same loading machine. Lapua grades the machine output -- the production run -- by criteria and methods that are not revealed to the public.

The top grade is X-Act followed by Midas and then Center X. (It's possible that one of the pistol varieties, perhaps the slower one, Pistol OSP, is a fourth and lowest grade of the output).

Not all lots of any variety, whether it's X-Act, Midas, or CX, will be of equal quality. Some will be better than others. For reasons likely related to how the ammo is graded, some X-Act is outperformed by some Midas and some CX.

In other words the name on the package isn't a guarantee of how that particular lot of ammo will perform. Generally and on average, however, X-Act will outperform Midas and Midas will outperform CX.

Generally and on average, lots that are of consistent quality and with consistent MV spreads will perform well in good rifles/barrels. No barrel will change inconsistent ammo into something else.
 
#17
bobhide said:
I am not sure if question can be answered so I’ll try to ask it the best I can

First I understand all rifles and ammo lots perform differently.

My question putting different lots aside for the moment.

In a given rifle does Lapua ammo performance consistency get better groups as the type goes from:
center-x
super long range
Midas+
x-act

Or asked another way

Do all lots of x-act out perform all lots of Midas+ Do all lots of Midas+ out perform all lots of center-x?

I am not a big competitor just a local club guy.
Click to expand...

No. And especially at long range. Center X, many lots, shot better out last 100 than about 4 or 5 lots of Midas or XAct. You really need to try your ammo in your rifle.
 
#18
I started this thread thinking I could choose an ammo, Eley Match for an example. And do the best I can shooting.

If I had my rifle tested and they recommended a particular lot would buying 3000 be a reasonable quantity to buy?

Estimating $250/500 that would be around $1500
 
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