I’ve been enjoying shooting longer range steel (50 yard mini poppers, etc) lately, particularly with my Pardini GT9, P210A and X5.

Interestingly, I’ve found that the Pardini isn’t super touchy about ammo, and I’ll frequently use generic stuff. When I’ve grouped it, nicer match ammo will only tighten it some somewhat. Whereas, my X5 Competition re-barreled with BarSto to 9mm is very sensitive, and good ammo reduces groups by more than half. The X5 with the Geco groups similar to the Pardini with cheap Blazer or similar.

What do folks recommend for more precision, match ammo? I have a pool of Geco I’ve been shooting through, but it looks like that has become unavailable these days. Any other recommendations? Bonus points if it’s not dramatically more expensive than normal ammo, and if it’s available in a range of weights and bullet type. I think I got the FMJ Geco a year or two ago just under $.30/rd when generic ammo was $.22-.24/rd. I have some Wilson Combat match ammo, but I remember it being much more expensive, albeit in JHP.

I've had excellent performance with the match variety of Federal Syntech (purple). I can't remember the last weight I tried, but they were all good. However, I have yet to own a pistol that doesn't like a certain type of ammo. I'd also recommend anything Cor-Bon makes. They are mostly concentrated in the defense side of things, but their 147gr 9mm FMJ is excellent.

Freedom Munitions Pro Match 9mm 124 gr has worked well for me. I don’t have any group measurements to share, however.

AtlantaArms if you can find it in stock is very good.

I have always found Federal 9BP quite accurate.

Twenty rounds out of a P226 Sport Stock. Fifteen yards, which is not that much distance, but this was shot off-hand.



Not inexpensive. Cheapest I see right now is a case of a thousand at 35 cents a round.

quote:

Twenty rounds out of a P226 Sport Stock.

I really like the P226 Sport Stock. I had the opportunity to shoot Bruce Gray's; he is also very fond of it.
I was never wild about the original X5.

I mostly reload my 9mm ammo because I have so many components, but if I wanted a 9mm match load I'd take a serious look at the Eley 9mm Minor Competition Pistol (they note pistol because they make a separate load for PCC). It is offered in 115gr, 124gr, and 147gr. They are loaded with the excellent jacketed bullets from Rocky Mountain Reloading

There was an article testing it in American Rifleman with this picture:



From left to right are the results of bullet weights 115gr, 124gr, and 147gr...again only at 15 yards