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Will Durant
Guest
Do we have any firsthand experience with the top three Lapua loadings,X Act,Midas+ and Center X ???.Will
"Do we have any firsthand experience with the top three Lapua loadings,X Act,Midas+ and Center X ???.Will"
Now, I know that “Eley” Tenex and Match .22LR ammo dominate every major rimfire benchrest event. One just has to look at the equipment lists, to verify same. RWS and Lapua are not even close in the standings.
However, on a local level this may not always be the case. At our club we have one individual who uses only Lapua Center-X and Midas + and he dominates our match’s, month in and month out. The fellow I’m speaking of is relatively new to rimfire benchrest competition shooting. He purchased a like new, (from an online seller) Anschutz 1900 series BR rifle a little over a year ago. He put on a Harrell tuner, a 36x Weaver scope, plus a mid-barrel dampener … other than that (best of my knowledge) it is factory. Over the past year or so, Bob has done his homework, range testing many, many lots of Lapua Center-X and Midas+ rimfire ammo, to acquire what he believes is the best tuner setting for his rig.
We shoot USBR targets at our club match’s and Bob seldom shoots scores under 240, most of his targets will average 242 to 245, sometimes higher. He also does not own a set of wind flags, nor does he use anything other than a surveyors ribbon or two. He claims he has tested some lots Eley Match ammunition, but that it has not provided good results in his rifle.
Several of our club members shoot custom BR rigs, put together by nationally recognized gunsmiths. Other’s shoot Suhl’s and Anschutz rifles, setup for bench rest. All either shoot Eley Match or Lapua ammo. None shoot better aggregate scores than Bob, with his factory Anschutz rifle, and Lapua Midas+ ammo.
Maybe it is all about the Shooter!
Now, I know that “Eley” Tenex and Match .22LR ammo dominate every major rimfire benchrest event. One just has to look at the equipment lists, to verify same. RWS and Lapua are not even close in the standings.
However, on a local level this may not always be the case. At our club we have one individual who uses only Lapua Center-X and Midas + and he dominates our match’s, month in and month out. The fellow I’m speaking of is relatively new to rimfire benchrest competition shooting. He purchased a like new, (from an online seller) Anschutz 1900 series BR rifle a little over a year ago. He put on a Harrell tuner, a 36x Weaver scope, plus a mid-barrel dampener … other than that (best of my knowledge) it is factory. Over the past year or so, Bob has done his homework, range testing many, many lots of Lapua Center-X and Midas+ rimfire ammo, to acquire what he believes is the best tuner setting for his rig.
We shoot USBR targets at our club match’s and Bob seldom shoots scores under 240, most of his targets will average 242 to 245, sometimes higher. He also does not own a set of wind flags, nor does he use anything other than a surveyors ribbon or two. He claims he has tested some lots Eley Match ammunition, but that it has not provided good results in his rifle.
Several of our club members shoot custom BR rigs, put together by nationally recognized gunsmiths. Other’s shoot Suhl’s and Anschutz rifles, setup for bench rest. All either shoot Eley Match or Lapua ammo. None shoot better aggregate scores than Bob, with his factory Anschutz rifle, and Lapua Midas+ ammo.
Maybe it is all about the Shooter!
T
TangoTwo
Guest
It may not be ALL about the shooter but, contrary to some claims, the shooter does have some impact on the end result.
Ken Henderson
Our Tuesday morning group consists of about 10 shooters who compete at 50 or 100 yards and match rifles or sporters on a given day. A few of us shoot Center-X while most of the rest use Black Box. Rules are pretty simple as to scopes, weight, no one piece rests and no tuners. We find little difference in performance between Center-X and Black box.
That said, I am concerned about the future performance of Lapua with the degradation that we are seeing in Wolf and SK products that are produced by the same company.
That said, I am concerned about the future performance of Lapua with the degradation that we are seeing in Wolf and SK products that are produced by the same company.
kevinnevius
Member
Lapua ammunition
Hi Will:
I thought I would respond - thanks for the question!
I am a prone shooter, currently sponsored by Lapua (since 2009). I just wanted to qualify my comments (the following is only opinion).
In my cronograph testing, the current offerings from RWS and Lapua are exceptional. The results were evident especially at longer distances. Accuracy from my lot testing of Midas+ and XACT exceeded my best Eley lots (which were already very good!).
I have just completed lot testing for the 2012 season, and the new lot numbers continue to excell in my equipment. I also see less dramatic lot to lot variations in performance with Lapua ammunition.
If you test the two together, make sure you clean throughly (the lubricants in my rifles must cause issues - it takes forever for them to settle down without cleaning).
I have been very happy so far.
To me, being successful in the sport was far more important than any sponsorship - I would never had agreed to it if the ammunition had not been superior in my testing.
Let me know if you need anything else - best of luck! (have a great New Year!)
kev
Hi Will:
I thought I would respond - thanks for the question!
I am a prone shooter, currently sponsored by Lapua (since 2009). I just wanted to qualify my comments (the following is only opinion).
In my cronograph testing, the current offerings from RWS and Lapua are exceptional. The results were evident especially at longer distances. Accuracy from my lot testing of Midas+ and XACT exceeded my best Eley lots (which were already very good!).
I have just completed lot testing for the 2012 season, and the new lot numbers continue to excell in my equipment. I also see less dramatic lot to lot variations in performance with Lapua ammunition.
If you test the two together, make sure you clean throughly (the lubricants in my rifles must cause issues - it takes forever for them to settle down without cleaning).
I have been very happy so far.
To me, being successful in the sport was far more important than any sponsorship - I would never had agreed to it if the ammunition had not been superior in my testing.
Let me know if you need anything else - best of luck! (have a great New Year!)
kev
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Finnshooter
Guest
Today I was testing a new fromtrest, temp was below freezingpoint so my tuning needed some fineadjustment. I took a box of Lapua X-act, tried three different settings on my homemade tuner and got it pretty right on the third attempt. Picture showing five shot groups at 50 meter. After tuning I shot one card, didn´t put up any windflags so result was not better than 247 but as I said, I was testing a frontrest not ammo.
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Will Durant
Guest
Thank you guys for the replies.I am a 50 meter prone and 3 position shooter.My home club is a Swiss club in BC Canada(I live 140 miles away in Washington state).Our targets are electronic and Swiss made.Will
G'day
I have a rifle that loves Lapua X-ACT more than anything else.
The price of X-ACT here is out of this world so I thought I would use the cheaper Center -X ammo for practice.
I purchased some and happily headed to the range but it wouldn't shoot at all in my rifle , I mean shotgun like patterns.I had assumed that the range of Lapua ammunition was like many of the other manufactures stuff, in that it is the same ammunition but has been graded, and tested ,and the most accurate and consistant stuff is labelled the best, and most exspensive.
I believe that the Lapua range is all completely different , can anyone confirm this.
As a matter of interest Lapua Pistol King is the second best ammunition in my rifle and is not far behind the X-Act, and for a fraction of the cost.
Thankyou for your time .
harro
I have a rifle that loves Lapua X-ACT more than anything else.
The price of X-ACT here is out of this world so I thought I would use the cheaper Center -X ammo for practice.
I purchased some and happily headed to the range but it wouldn't shoot at all in my rifle , I mean shotgun like patterns.I had assumed that the range of Lapua ammunition was like many of the other manufactures stuff, in that it is the same ammunition but has been graded, and tested ,and the most accurate and consistant stuff is labelled the best, and most exspensive.
I believe that the Lapua range is all completely different , can anyone confirm this.
As a matter of interest Lapua Pistol King is the second best ammunition in my rifle and is not far behind the X-Act, and for a fraction of the cost.
Thankyou for your time .
harro
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Finnshooter
Guest
harro!
I´m almost sure that the Lapua ammo is graded the way You say but to get a batch of the Center X that comes from the same line, same production date etc. as the one X-act that Your gun likes, that is not likely to happen. I have the priviledge of living near the Lapua manufacturing plant here in Finland so we do some testing once and awhile. One can find good batches of Center X as well as Midas+ and X-act but the fact is still that there will be more flyers in the long run with Center X than with X-act. But if a batch of X-act doesn´t fit Your gun then it simply doesn´t, whatever the cost of it would be. Batchtesting is difficult if You want to do it properly, it takes time and efforts, very often we fool ourselves by not beeing critical enough when making the choice. But very few shooters have the possibility to do proper batchtesting and thats why a lot of improper facts are circulated by people not knowing, rather believing. The Lapua rimfire ammo is produced in Germany. There is a testing facility there, the only way to know for sure is to go there, but not many of us can do such a trip, unless we are dead serious about what we want to achieve with our shooting.
I´m almost sure that the Lapua ammo is graded the way You say but to get a batch of the Center X that comes from the same line, same production date etc. as the one X-act that Your gun likes, that is not likely to happen. I have the priviledge of living near the Lapua manufacturing plant here in Finland so we do some testing once and awhile. One can find good batches of Center X as well as Midas+ and X-act but the fact is still that there will be more flyers in the long run with Center X than with X-act. But if a batch of X-act doesn´t fit Your gun then it simply doesn´t, whatever the cost of it would be. Batchtesting is difficult if You want to do it properly, it takes time and efforts, very often we fool ourselves by not beeing critical enough when making the choice. But very few shooters have the possibility to do proper batchtesting and thats why a lot of improper facts are circulated by people not knowing, rather believing. The Lapua rimfire ammo is produced in Germany. There is a testing facility there, the only way to know for sure is to go there, but not many of us can do such a trip, unless we are dead serious about what we want to achieve with our shooting.
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Will Durant
Guest
Finnshooter-if I take it correctly you are saying that all Lapua rimfire products are made in Germany,ie... Lapua,SK,Wolf !Will
EAL
Member
Lapua has been made in Germany for a few years now Lapua and Sk are all part of the Nammo group.
Wolf ammo is Sk ammo in a different box.
http://www.lapua.com/en/products/sport-shooting/rimfire-cartridges
http://www.lapua.com/en/customer-center/test-shooting.html
Wolf ammo is Sk ammo in a different box.
http://www.lapua.com/en/products/sport-shooting/rimfire-cartridges
http://www.lapua.com/en/customer-center/test-shooting.html
kevinnevius
Member
Finnshooter:
FYI - We (in the USA) will soon have the opportunity to lot test at a new indoor Lapua facility - currently being completed in Mesa, AZ.
Lapua has yet to release a date for the grand opening, but it should be available early next year.
Not that I would not love a trip to Germany!
Have a great New Year!
kev
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Peter Armstrong
Guest
Harro,
I’ve been to the factory in Germany and tested ammo and they told me X-Act is made separately to the other grades. I think Midas+ and Centre X are made the same and graded.
I too have a barrel that loves X-Act and shoots Centre X like a shotgun, even with about 40 lot of Centre X at the factory to choose from it didn’t like any of them but I did find a good lot of SK it liked for practice.
Peter
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Peter Armstrong
Guest
Will
These days it’s all made at Schonebeck Germany in what was the old SK factory.
Peter
Where in Mesa?
It been my personal observation that the most accurate lots of Lapua Center-X ammo require a strong firing pin strike, with a wide (retangular) foot print, to perform best. Light firing pin strikes on a Center-X ammo will cause groups to open up substantially. Eley ammo has performed better that Lapua with a weaker chisel point firing pin strikes. OMHO ... John
kevinnevius
Member
Hi Gordon
My apologies, I am not a distributor, just a shooter like you!
The ammunition I have is the same you will find anywhere.
Without context, I am not sure how to answer your question?
Hope you had a great New Year,
kev
kevinnevius
Member
Lapua has an existing facility there where HP /LR testing has been done forsome time.
They are currently adding to the facility to include facilities for indoor SB testing.
I believe there wasto be an announcement made at the Shot Show this year - will tell you more as I hear it!
Have a great 2012,
kev