This was sent to me yearsssssssssss ago from another forum that no longer assists and the topic was PPC accuracy. it has some loads I too want to try. I was also given a box of match 115's made by Precision Delta by a buddy who has been shooting PPC for a long time. he has the money to drive to the state and national matches to play (WOW)! I do want to pull one of them and see what in it or call and see if I can duplicate and just buy enough for a match that requires new factory ammo, which is a killer for us reloaders!!!!!!!!
I dont remember the year, but if I had to guess the time of this post, 2002 and 2003.
enjoy
TO: SW CQB 45
You were obviously the only one who had a clue as to what I was talking about when I was talking "ACCURACY".
I am talking about bottle cap size groups at 50yds., not 15 !!
A gun that won't hold well inside the 3"x5" X-ring on a NRA B-27 at 50yds is a looser. When you consider that last years Semi-Auto 1500 was won by Agent Clay Tippet with a 1498-105x, shooting a $3,000.00 Alan Tanaka 1911 built on a Caspian Stainless 6"slide and frame with an Aristocrat rib, you get the real idea of what accruacy really is all about.
This years nationals was won with a 6" PPC-9 @ $1250.00. S&W really dosen't make money off these guns as they use them to "seed" the law enforcement market for their regular production guns.
You really need to use a premium grade of ammunition to get the accuracy potential out of your Performance Center guns.
The source you referenced concerning the 124gr. was right on target. I've seen better results from my guns with the 115gr and 124's. Because of the price differential and availability, I have gone to the 115's because I really can't shoot the difference at 50yds. Usually 1/2" to 3/4" more: 1.2"grouops vs 1.75-2.0"
The best generally available 124 is the Federal Hydro-shok but they are very expensive. A very close -essentially a tie- is the 124 Speer Gold Dot, also very expensive.
Most of the competitors are using either Precision Delta (Ruleville,Ms), or Anderson Cartridge (Memphis, Tn). A few use the Zero ammo, and some Master Cartridge/Georgia Arms.
The Precision Delta/ Anderson use Starline brass with proprietary head stamps, Hornady Bullets, and Winchester primers to ignite Winchester 231 in the 115's and Win. Superfield in the 124's and 147's. Dennis with Anderson was showing a photo of a custom 1911 he uses to do ammo testing with a group that measured 1.2"wide by 2.2" tall fired with the 147's at 50 yds. He has discontinued the old 115 load, but Precision Delta still loads it. Last night I pulled one from the latest lot and it had 4.6gr of Win-231 which is the lightest load that will reliably cycle most guns. He claims 5.0 but I was suspicious for years that it was less, as my powder measure throws 4.9 and mine was running a little warmer.
The 5.0 Win-231 loaded with any of the "premium" 115's will give excellent accruacy. The Hornady's are favored as Hornady is supporting the custom "small" factory companies with very good bulk rate prices. This is why companies such as Black Hills (also very good ammo at decent prices- USAMU is using their ammo in 9mm and are loading with an unspecified Vita Vouri powder in the .45gr 185 match loading- 4.3gr of N-310 I'm told) and others such as Precision, Anderson, Atlanta Arms use the Hornady bullets. And by the way, the 147gr Hornady is a boat tail ! Most are loading 4.4gr of Win Superfield in the 147's and seating to 1.125" oal.
From the S&W's you will get best accuracy from 115's and 124's as they are using the old barrel rifling equipment and using a 1-18 3/8" twist in their barrels. This is why the Miss. Hyw Patrol team used the 115gr this year, however Jim Reyes (S&W PC) said that they may go to a 1-16 twist on account of many competitors prefering the 147gr bullets. My PPC-9 (yes it's the 5"bbl) dosen't group well with the 147 ( by this I mean 2-21/2" groups at 50yds- hence with my zigs and zags means un-called 9's at the 50yd line.
My nemisis in the local league is an ancient retired trooper who shoots for SpringField Armory. He uses a home-built (realize he's been shooting NRA bullseye for 43yrs! and has lathes, milling machines,ect. and a range behind the shop) He uses a Clark barrel with a 1-12" twist and the 124gr Speer Gold Dot on top of 4.8gr of Win. Superfield, and seats them to about 1.14"oal. He and his son still hold the 2-man team record. I've watched him put 18 rds through the same 1.5"x2" hole shooting the 25yd Match 2 stage.
He had Master Cartridge load him 5 cases of that load, (for shooting the "Distinguished" matches requiring factory ammo) several years back. If you don't reload, contact them and ask for Curtis Shipely and see if they still use that recipe in their 124's. I know that their 115's and 147's are hot as all get-out, and have been know to blow cases in Glocks and other guns with unsupported case heads, so they aren't good in match grade pistols.
Lastly, my PPC-9 came with a test target fired by Smith&Wesson that was 5 shots of Fed. 115 Classic (I used to could by this at Walmart !) that was shot from a machine rest at 25yds that measued .675" outside-extreame spread !! Thats about the size of a finger nail. So, the Federal Classic is a good "less" expensive alternative. If I were limited to a Walmart offering, it would be the Winchester White Box 115jhp. Although I usually load the Remington or Rainier 115hp's for practice and league competition, the Winchesters are nearly as good and very predictable on performance, however I quit using them when I got a bad lot of them one time; accuracy was in feet not inches at 50yds !!!
I hope in all this rambling you find some pieces of useful information.
Good luck with the 945, they too are very accurate! Try the Nosler 185 JHP with 4.3 gr of VV N-310. I'm told the US Marines are kicking butt with this load. However, you may need a 12-14lb spring if you use it in a 1911 et-al.
