As I am shooting more than ever, I’m beginning to look at bulk ammo as a way of shooting even more with paying less. I had the oppurtunity last year to see a shooter with a CZ 452 varmint perform very well at 100 yards with bulk CCI blazer ammo. He let me use 10 rounds, which worked well out of my savage MKII BV. I also had the pleasure of watching a fellow knock down many targets at a silhouette match using the same ammo through an anshutz sporter. Obviously, I had to try some out more extensively.
It took most of the winter to find some coming back into stock at the usual ammo places on the net, and I finally had got 2 bricks., $15.99 each, + $8.39 shipping ( .03 a round without shipping or .04 with). My first impression was good as they had lead bullets with a waxy lube on them (like many match style ammos). I had weighed out a brick (I’m a big believer that it helps with groups and reduces fliers).
Through the chrony (set 10 feet away from the muzzle), I shot 5 rounds of each weight through a savage MKII F model with a 2lb. 12 oz. trigger, from a bipod and a rear bag, and took an average FPS. The most consistant was the 50.7 through 51.0 grains, averaging 1211 FPS, with 51.0 grains being the most consistant at 1214 FPS 5 shot average with a 36 FPS deviation between the highest and lowest recorded FPS. The average of all 50 was 1208 FPS. Temperature was 22 degrees F, low humidity, calm to no wind. Scope was set to 12x, and I used a 1” cirle target.
“MG” is the major group measurement without obvious fliers, “EG” is extended group measurement with fliers. “CB” is for clean barrel (swabbed before each 5 rnd group of each weight), “DB” is for dirty barrel (not swabbed / cleaned). “FL” is for flier, which I’m considering anything over .25” or more away from the main group to be a flier (what you would call a flier may be different). Anything I knew I pulled I reshot the round. Number of rounds per weight out of 500, FPS info, groups At 50.
49.8 through 50.3 grains, 17 rounds, will used them for foulers / sighters
50.4 18 rnds 1135 – 1285 FPS, 1205 AVG, 150 DEV, CB–MG 1.5” / EG 2.25” / 1 FL DB-MG .5” / EG 1” / 1 FL
50.5 28 rnds 1175 – 1225 FPS, 1200 AVG, 50 DEV, CB-MG 1.25” / EG 1.75” / 2 FL DB-MG .75”/ EG 1.75” / 2 FL
50.6 38 rnds 1198 – 1278 FPS, 1227 AVG, 80 DEV, CB-MG 1” / EG 2.5” / 1 FL DB-MG .75” / EG 1.5” / 1 FL
50.7 46 rnds 1201 – 1257 FPS, 1219 AVG, 50 DEV, CB-MG .75” / EG 1.5” / 1 FL DB-MG .1.25” / EG 1.5” / 1 FL
50.8 67 rnds 1169 – 1217 FPS, 1197 AVG, 48 DEV, CB-MG 1” / EG 1.25” / 1 FL DB-MG .5” / EG 1.25” / 1 FL
50.9 68 rnds 1189 – 1243 FPS, 1216 AVG, 54 DEV, CB-MG 1” / EG 1” / 0 FL DB-MG .75” / EG .75” / 0 FL
51.0 104 rnds 1199 – 1235 FPS, 1214 AVG, 36 DEV, CB-MG.75” / EG 1.25” / 1 FL DB-MG .5” / EG .75” / 1 FL
51.1 65 rnds 1151 – 1221 FPS, 1186 AVG, 70 DEV, CB-MG .75” / EG 1” / 1 FL DB-MG .5” / EG 1” / 1 FL
51.2 38 rnds 1206 – 1244 FPS, 1221 AVG, 38 DEV, CB-MG 1” / EG 1.5” / 1 FL DB-MG 1” / EG 2” / 2 FL
51.3 11 rnds 1177 – 1217 FPS, 1200 AVG, 40 DEV, CB-MG 1.25” EG 1.75” / 1 FL DB-MG 1” / EG 1.25” / 2 FL
With 51.0 grains being the most plentiful and consistant, I have to believe that this is the weight of the combination of things that CCI was looking for in this ammo.
The Blazer ammo definitely likes to be shot out of a dirty barrel and leaves a very dirty black clumpy residue. I shot a 5 round group at 50 yards of each weight, swabbed the barrel clean before each shot. The average lowest group was 1.03” and the average largest group 1.57” of a 50 round total.
Shooting 10 foulers, and then shooting 5 round groups of each weight without cleaning the barrel produced tighter groups. The average low group was .75” and the average largest group was 1.28” of a 50 round total, so a dirty barrel decreased group size about .25” or more.
At 100 yards I didn’t do any clean barrel groups as it was apparent the ammo performs much better through a dirty one. I had changed the magnification on the scope to 14x, and switched to a 1.5” circle target. There was a 6" drop from a 50 yard zero to 100 yards.
50.4 DB-MG 1” / EG 2” / 2 FL
50.5 DB-MG 1.25”/ EG 2” / 1 FL
50.6 DB-MG 1.5” / EG 2.5” / 2 FL
50.7 DB-MG 1.25” / EG 2.5” / 2 FL
50.8 DB-MG 1” / EG 2.75” / 2 FL
50.9 DB-MG 1” / EG 1.75” / 2 FL
51.0 DB-MG 1.25” / EG 2.25” / 2 FL
51.1 DB-MG 1” / EG 2.25” / 1 FL
51.2 DB-MG .75” / EG 1.25” / 2 FL
51.3 DB-MG 1” / EG 1.25” / 1 FL
At 100 yards, 50 round average lowest group was 1.1”, with the highest average group being 2.05”
There were some impressive groups (for bulk ammo) under 1” with a flier ruining the string. This happened at both 50 and 100 yards, but still with bulk ammo, the largest group of the day was 2.75” at 100 yards (including fliers) and the smallest was just a hair under .75” at 50 (including fliers). I had also shot 15 rounds at 100 yards through a MKII heavy barrel, which produced a 2.25” group. Perhaps I should have used the heavy barrelled Savage rather than the regular barrelled, but at least I now have an idea how the Blazers work in an average setup, and can only perform better in more specialized equipment.
After approximately 175 rounds there were no misfires, misfeeds, non ejections, or any other ammo related malfunction or anything that caught my attention, so the reliability is pretty good, and the fliers where not so extreme as to cause any major disappointment, and a decent bulk ammo that’s worth trying.
It took most of the winter to find some coming back into stock at the usual ammo places on the net, and I finally had got 2 bricks., $15.99 each, + $8.39 shipping ( .03 a round without shipping or .04 with). My first impression was good as they had lead bullets with a waxy lube on them (like many match style ammos). I had weighed out a brick (I’m a big believer that it helps with groups and reduces fliers).
Through the chrony (set 10 feet away from the muzzle), I shot 5 rounds of each weight through a savage MKII F model with a 2lb. 12 oz. trigger, from a bipod and a rear bag, and took an average FPS. The most consistant was the 50.7 through 51.0 grains, averaging 1211 FPS, with 51.0 grains being the most consistant at 1214 FPS 5 shot average with a 36 FPS deviation between the highest and lowest recorded FPS. The average of all 50 was 1208 FPS. Temperature was 22 degrees F, low humidity, calm to no wind. Scope was set to 12x, and I used a 1” cirle target.
“MG” is the major group measurement without obvious fliers, “EG” is extended group measurement with fliers. “CB” is for clean barrel (swabbed before each 5 rnd group of each weight), “DB” is for dirty barrel (not swabbed / cleaned). “FL” is for flier, which I’m considering anything over .25” or more away from the main group to be a flier (what you would call a flier may be different). Anything I knew I pulled I reshot the round. Number of rounds per weight out of 500, FPS info, groups At 50.
49.8 through 50.3 grains, 17 rounds, will used them for foulers / sighters
50.4 18 rnds 1135 – 1285 FPS, 1205 AVG, 150 DEV, CB–MG 1.5” / EG 2.25” / 1 FL DB-MG .5” / EG 1” / 1 FL
50.5 28 rnds 1175 – 1225 FPS, 1200 AVG, 50 DEV, CB-MG 1.25” / EG 1.75” / 2 FL DB-MG .75”/ EG 1.75” / 2 FL
50.6 38 rnds 1198 – 1278 FPS, 1227 AVG, 80 DEV, CB-MG 1” / EG 2.5” / 1 FL DB-MG .75” / EG 1.5” / 1 FL
50.7 46 rnds 1201 – 1257 FPS, 1219 AVG, 50 DEV, CB-MG .75” / EG 1.5” / 1 FL DB-MG .1.25” / EG 1.5” / 1 FL
50.8 67 rnds 1169 – 1217 FPS, 1197 AVG, 48 DEV, CB-MG 1” / EG 1.25” / 1 FL DB-MG .5” / EG 1.25” / 1 FL
50.9 68 rnds 1189 – 1243 FPS, 1216 AVG, 54 DEV, CB-MG 1” / EG 1” / 0 FL DB-MG .75” / EG .75” / 0 FL
51.0 104 rnds 1199 – 1235 FPS, 1214 AVG, 36 DEV, CB-MG.75” / EG 1.25” / 1 FL DB-MG .5” / EG .75” / 1 FL
51.1 65 rnds 1151 – 1221 FPS, 1186 AVG, 70 DEV, CB-MG .75” / EG 1” / 1 FL DB-MG .5” / EG 1” / 1 FL
51.2 38 rnds 1206 – 1244 FPS, 1221 AVG, 38 DEV, CB-MG 1” / EG 1.5” / 1 FL DB-MG 1” / EG 2” / 2 FL
51.3 11 rnds 1177 – 1217 FPS, 1200 AVG, 40 DEV, CB-MG 1.25” EG 1.75” / 1 FL DB-MG 1” / EG 1.25” / 2 FL
With 51.0 grains being the most plentiful and consistant, I have to believe that this is the weight of the combination of things that CCI was looking for in this ammo.
The Blazer ammo definitely likes to be shot out of a dirty barrel and leaves a very dirty black clumpy residue. I shot a 5 round group at 50 yards of each weight, swabbed the barrel clean before each shot. The average lowest group was 1.03” and the average largest group 1.57” of a 50 round total.
Shooting 10 foulers, and then shooting 5 round groups of each weight without cleaning the barrel produced tighter groups. The average low group was .75” and the average largest group was 1.28” of a 50 round total, so a dirty barrel decreased group size about .25” or more.
At 100 yards I didn’t do any clean barrel groups as it was apparent the ammo performs much better through a dirty one. I had changed the magnification on the scope to 14x, and switched to a 1.5” circle target. There was a 6" drop from a 50 yard zero to 100 yards.
50.4 DB-MG 1” / EG 2” / 2 FL
50.5 DB-MG 1.25”/ EG 2” / 1 FL
50.6 DB-MG 1.5” / EG 2.5” / 2 FL
50.7 DB-MG 1.25” / EG 2.5” / 2 FL
50.8 DB-MG 1” / EG 2.75” / 2 FL
50.9 DB-MG 1” / EG 1.75” / 2 FL
51.0 DB-MG 1.25” / EG 2.25” / 2 FL
51.1 DB-MG 1” / EG 2.25” / 1 FL
51.2 DB-MG .75” / EG 1.25” / 2 FL
51.3 DB-MG 1” / EG 1.25” / 1 FL
At 100 yards, 50 round average lowest group was 1.1”, with the highest average group being 2.05”
There were some impressive groups (for bulk ammo) under 1” with a flier ruining the string. This happened at both 50 and 100 yards, but still with bulk ammo, the largest group of the day was 2.75” at 100 yards (including fliers) and the smallest was just a hair under .75” at 50 (including fliers). I had also shot 15 rounds at 100 yards through a MKII heavy barrel, which produced a 2.25” group. Perhaps I should have used the heavy barrelled Savage rather than the regular barrelled, but at least I now have an idea how the Blazers work in an average setup, and can only perform better in more specialized equipment.
After approximately 175 rounds there were no misfires, misfeeds, non ejections, or any other ammo related malfunction or anything that caught my attention, so the reliability is pretty good, and the fliers where not so extreme as to cause any major disappointment, and a decent bulk ammo that’s worth trying.
