Last spring I visited the Lapua test facility near Phoenix. Boy did I ever get my money's worth. Since then I've been thinking of doing this blog and so here we are. I understand that the typical testing is done with 8 different lots of ammunition and in this case I asked for Center X to be tested. The test is done in a tunnel so no environmentals are a factor. Then the gun is clamped to a vise that is literally tied to it's own foundation. (read tied to the earth directly) As per usual I had these illusions of a gun that would deliver 1/2" groups at 100 meters. That didn't happen. In fact by the time the test was done I was thinking crap! Guess I can send the rifle off to be rebarreled. The tester(Bob), asked about Midas +? So reluctantly I agreed. Never mind it's somewhat more money. But we're here and want good results right?
Let me start over and say that CenterX shot 100 meter groups anywhere from .9" to 1.6". Not exactly what I was hoping for. But for a minute think about that, of the 8 different lots of CenterX my groups varied by nearly 3/4" from the best to the worst. That means that whenever I bought CenterX before my results could vary by that 3/4" at the pig line. hmmm
So to the Midas +. It only varied by .5" from the best to the worst of 8 lots. Right at 1/2" at the 100 meter distance. Somewhat better and the best part was the best lot shot just inside 3/4" at 100 meters and the worst group was only 1.4".
Now the rebarrel project doesn't seem so likely. It was interesting to see the targets. Several more than doubled from 50 meters to 100 meters and some didn't quite double. For instance the lot my gun liked shot into .4" at 50 and only .745 at 100. The group shape suggested when this would happen. A scattered group would go ahead and open up and a nice tight group wouldn't splay all over when the distance started getting out there.