How Much Does Ammo Affect Accuracy?
Alright, so we get the question all the time, “Does ammo matter that much for accuracy?” We say yes, it does, but decided to just prove it, at the same time proving our rifles can shoot 1/2 MOA as well. We have a Sub MOA guarantee with our rifles, but first, the ammo has to be capable of shooting Sub MOA. Let me demonstrate what I mean.
The Test
First things first, we have to explain the parameters of this test for all of you that question everything. We took 18 different types of ammo out that we bought from a store. We didn’t reach out to the manufacturer at all; we just bought what they had on the shelf. It’s a mix of 5.56 NATO and .223. We tried to keep as much the same as possible in order to maintain consistency. The rifle and the shooter were consistent throughout the test. After each 5-round group, we walked down, checked the group, and took the picture. So, there was a five-minute break between groups. Below, you will find the tables that serve as a quick reference guide. Also, the pictures of the targets with the information are provided below for a visual reference. We do have plans to do this with all our rifles, but this took way more time than I had expected. It will happen when it does and will be updated with another article. Please note, I am not the best shooter in the world, so there is a possibility of shooter error. If present, however, the error would be minimal.
Parameters
| Rifle | SOIDC DOC |
| Caliber | 223 Wylde |
| Distance | 100 Yards |
| Barrel Material | Proof Carbon Fiber |
| Barrel Length | 16 |
| Twist | 1:7 |
| Temp | 83 degrees |
| Group Size | 5 rounds |
| Barrel Cool off between ammo | 5 Mins |
| Shooter | Nathan Mitchell |
| Rifle Serial | MD15-00013 |
Raw Data
| Ammo | Caliber | Gr | MOA |
| Winchester Match | 223 | 69 | 0.435 |
| Hornady Varmint express | 223 | 55 | 0.55 |
| Hornady Match | 223 | 73 | 0.71 |
| Barnes Vortx | 223 | 55 | 0.748 |
| Barnes Precision Match | 556 | 69 | 1.06 |
| Wolf | 556 | 55 | 1.083 |
| Nosler | 223 | 40 | 1.091 |
| Hornady Varmint | 223 | 35 | 1.151 |
| Shenk Ammo | 223 | 62 | 1.418 |
| Federal premium Law enforcement | 223 | 64 | 1.422 |
| PMC Xtac | 556 | 62 | 1.495 |
| Cor Bon Performance Match | 223 | 55 | 1.533 |
| Range Master | 556 | 55 | 1.73 |
| Frontier | 223 | 55 | 1.837 |
| Remington UMC | 223 | 50 | 1.899 |
| American Eagle | 223 | 55 | 2.05 |
| Rifle Line | 223 | 55 | 2.696 |
| Armscor | 223 | 55 | 3.978 |
The Visual Reference
Winchester Match .223 69 Grain
Hornady Varmint express .223 55 grain
Hornady Match .223 ELD 73 Grain
Barnes .223 TSX Vortx .223 55 Grain
Barnes Precision Match 5.56 69 Grain
Wolf 5.56 55 Grain
Nosler .223 Varmint 40 Grain
Hornady .223 NTX Varmint 35 Grain
Shank .223 FMJ 62 Grain
Federal Premium Law Enforcement .223 64 Grain
PMC Xtac 5.56 62 Grain
Cor Bon .223 Performance Match 55 Grain
Range Master 5.56 55 Grain
Frontier .223 55 Grain
Remington UMC .223 50 Grain
American Eagle .223 55 Grain
Rifle Line .223 55 Grain
Armscor .223 55 Grain
Conclusion
As you can clearly see, the type of ammo does matter. This also doesn’t mean that these are the same results you will get in your AR you already own. You really need to do this test to find out which ammo your specific rifle likes. It’s going to be very interesting to see how these results change depending on the different barrel materials and lengths. You can tell we were able to prove the rifles are capable of 1/2 MOA. We had 4 ammos easily make Sub MOA and another 4 that were very close.
