So, today was clean-out-some-old-ammo day. I shot through a few half-boxes of ammo. After just sending some downrange without any particular purpose, I decided to compare my standard practice rounds to some slightly better stuff. Both targets were shot at 50ft, single-action. .38 spc. ammunition. (And, used up the Shoot-N-C targets I bought for a new shooter to play with...)
16rnds - M&M Reloads 148 gr wadcutter (CPWC - I don't know what "CP" stands for) - cost $7.95
...and then...
20rnds - Fiocchi 158gr FMJ - probably cost between $10 - $12 for 50
So, the Fiocchi obviously shoots better. But I was surprised at the difference in shot placement. I figured that the M&M would have larger groups, and maybe fall a little (there's a substantial difference in recoil), but that seems to be about a 3" difference over 50 ft. Also, it's a little weird that one group tends to be high-left and the other is low-right. I didn't expect any change in windage.
What kind of balance do you strike between performance and price? Would you, seeing the difference above, drop the wadcutter and practice with the better stuff? I like the way the Fiocchi hit close to the point of aim, but being the cheap bastard that I am, I don't think I'll regularly pay $12 for ammo. (In fact, I'm pricing .22 pistols so that I can spend less on ammo...). But if I want to improve past my current plateau, it would be good to know that I'm seeing at my own error rather than ammunition. Maybe I just need to quit using the wadcutters and move up to full power loads that fly straighter.

16rnds - M&M Reloads 148 gr wadcutter (CPWC - I don't know what "CP" stands for) - cost $7.95
...and then...

20rnds - Fiocchi 158gr FMJ - probably cost between $10 - $12 for 50
So, the Fiocchi obviously shoots better. But I was surprised at the difference in shot placement. I figured that the M&M would have larger groups, and maybe fall a little (there's a substantial difference in recoil), but that seems to be about a 3" difference over 50 ft. Also, it's a little weird that one group tends to be high-left and the other is low-right. I didn't expect any change in windage.
What kind of balance do you strike between performance and price? Would you, seeing the difference above, drop the wadcutter and practice with the better stuff? I like the way the Fiocchi hit close to the point of aim, but being the cheap bastard that I am, I don't think I'll regularly pay $12 for ammo. (In fact, I'm pricing .22 pistols so that I can spend less on ammo...). But if I want to improve past my current plateau, it would be good to know that I'm seeing at my own error rather than ammunition. Maybe I just need to quit using the wadcutters and move up to full power loads that fly straighter.