Changing brand of ammo on a hunting rifle will it effect accuracy enough that you should site in your scope before you hunt

[Hunter007]

Changing  brand of ammo on a hunting rifle will it effect accuracy enough that you should site in your scope for a particular ammo every time you change before you hunt .

Just wondering if I  change ammo will it make a big enough difference that it could cause me to miss ? 

I always have used the same brand ammo at the range that  I use for hunting.

But I just got some different stuff I would like to try out . before the deer  season I  will try it out at the range more then likely anyway but my question is could it really change point of impact enough that I would miss a, deer at 100 yards ?  

What kind of difference have you gotten from one brand to another.

 

 

 

[nyslowhand]

Wouldn't you rather find  out if there's a difference at the range...? At least for me, after spending countless days sitting in a tree waiting for that possible one-time opportunity at the deer of my choice, I want complete confidence in my gun, bow, ammo, arrows, etc.

FYI - I saw about a 5" difference @80yrds  between 2X different brands in 130 & 150gr ammo in a 270 rifle. My initial assumption was like yours.. how much difference would there possibly be??? Well, enough to matter!!!!

[Hunter007]

10 minutes ago, nyslowhand said:

Wouldn't you rather find  out if there's a difference at the range...? At least for me, after spending countless days sitting in a tree waiting for that possible one-time opportunity at the deer of my choice, I want complete confidence in my gun, bow, ammo, arrows, etc.

FYI - I saw about a 5" difference @80yrds  between 2X different brands in 130 & 150gr ammo in a 270 rifle. My initial assumption was like yours.. how much difference would there possibly be??? Well, enough to matter!!!!

Yea guess your right worth the 40 min drive to the range  to check 

[wolc123]

Even if you don't change ammo, it is a very good idea to check the zero of your rifle before deer season each year.   I always dedicate some time to that task over Labor day weekend.  I like to do it then, because it is close to deer season, but far enough ahead to not disrupt archery hunters.   I fire at least 2-3 shots from every gun that I intend to hunt deer with at 100 yards, except for a smoothbore slug gun, which I only check at 50 yards.   A couple years ago I took a shortcut, trying to save ammo.   That cost me a poor hit on a doe, requiring a second shot to finish her off.  I would rather have "wasted" that extra shot on the range and had my first shot hit her where I wanted.   Instead, it struck high and destroyed a considerable amount of backstrap.  Venison is worth a lot more to me than ammo.   

I do think some people go a bit overboard and fire their deer guns more often than they should, but that is a lot better than not shooting at all.  Extra shooting wastes ammo, causes noise pollution, hearing damage, and wears out barrels.  The mechanics of shooting can be practiced with a bb or pellet rifle at a fraction of the cost and without the noise.   I especially do not like it when neighbors practice with their deer guns, during archery season, because I have seen that practice reduce deer activity.   

[stubborn1VT]

Changing brands of ammo can absolutely change the accuracy of your hunting rifle.  I think that you need to shoot several brands to determine which brand your rifle prefers.  After that, I only shoot a few rounds each year to check zero.  The difference between Remington and Federal in my 7mm is as much as 6 inches!  

At ranges under 100 yards, you would most likely be fine.  I had to sight my rifle in one year because I couldn't find 150 grain Federals, only 165 grain.  Maybe I was being too picky, but there was a difference.

[turkeyfeathers]

You answered your own question.  Yes , re sight 

[bugsNbows]

1 hour ago, stubborn1VT said:

Changing brands of ammo can absolutely change the accuracy of your hunting rifle.  I think that you need to shoot several brands to determine which brand your rifle prefers.  After that, I only shoot a few rounds each year to check zero.  The difference between Remington and Federal in my 7mm is as much as 6 inches!  

At ranges under 100 yards, you would most likely be fine.  I had to sight my rifle in one year because I couldn't find 150 grain Federals, only 165 grain.  Maybe I was being too picky, but there was a difference.

Agree 100%

[G-Man]

Yes my friends father sighted in a rifle and then loaded a different manufactured ammo then when he sighted in cost him the biggest buck of his life when he shot 12 in higher and just clipped the top of it's back at 100 yards..thought he pulled shot till he got back to cabin and put on bench and hit 12 in high..  always use ammo you sight in with!!!!

[turkeyfeathers]

I’ve shot a lot of turkey loads experimenting over the years. Crazy how an almost identical load but different manufacturer pattern differently  Same load of 2.75 versus 3.5” not so much as longer shell primarily gives a longer shot string. Winchester XR 2 ounces of 5’s were noticeably different than 2 1/8 ounce of 5’s. , both 3.5” at same FPS. 

Edited April 29, 2018 by turkeyfeathers

[Jeremy K]

My 30-06 will not shoot remington core lok , switching to the winchester silver tip and it's a completely different rifle . 

[wolc123]

My .50 cal T/C Omega muzzleloader is the most finicky deer weapon I own.   I tried a few other bullet and sabot combinations, when I first got it, and none of them approached the accuracy of a small sleeve of T/C ammo that came with it.   With those (T/C 240 gr XTP bullet in Mag Express Sabot) it has always held a 1" group at 100 yards.    The best I could do with any of the others I tried was 4".   Fortunately, they still sell those T/C combos in 30 packs and that is all I have used thru the 20 or so years I have owned it, and it has always put the bullet right on my point of aim on deer.       

 

[ny hunter]

Always always sight your rifle before deer season.........No matter if you switch ammo or not,always zero in before the opener,

[helmut in the bush]

Regardless of changing brands of ammo, everyone should spend some time at the range during the year, not just a couple of shots before season. Get in some practice.

[Buckmaster7600]

Guy pays 50k a year in taxes and worried about a few bucks worth of shells. I don’t get some people.


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[Hunter007]

18 hours ago, Buckmaster7600 said:

Guy pays 50k a year in taxes and worried about a few bucks worth of shells. I don’t get some people.


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Actually more about having to drive up to the range 40 min drive just to test them .

But I grow up kinda of poor got a few bucks now 30 years  later  but fear of being poor always in back of my head   keeps  you  from waisting money if i dont have to even if its,  not logical 

Especially when they tax the living crap out of you .  

I plan for the worst and hope for the  best ..

Just like you do when you go big woods hunting .

 

 

 

 

 

[Buckmaster7600]

Actually more about having to drive up to the range 40 min drive just to test them .
But I grow up kinda of poor got a few bucks now 30 years  later  but fear of being poor always in back of my head   keeps  you  from waisting money if i dont have to even if its,  not logical 
Especially when they tax the living crap out of you .  
I plan for the worst and hope for the  best ..
Just like you do when you go big woods hunting .
 
 
 
 
 

Too each’s own, I’m tighter than bark to a tree with my money but I would never even consider hunting with a bullet I haven’t shot at the range.


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[FallAir]

I have found little difference when using different brands of QUALITY ammo of the same grain. Some of your cheaper stuff is where I've seen some poor performance.  For example, next time you come across a box of Remington core lokt, check out the bullet seating depths.  They're typically all over the place.  Anyone that reloads knows that an important part of the equation is consistency in the overall composition of your round. I'm not really knocking core lokt's as the green and yellow boxes have probably killed more big game than any other brand.  If you're not looking for 1 inch groups at 100yrds and you're fine with "pie plate" accuracy at that distance, there's usually no issues there.  Sorry to bring this thread back up.