Eric,

I've shot CCI Green Tag for at least the past 5 years without any
problems. One thing I learned last year is that if you buy ammo
and store it then be sure to rotate the boxes. If the rounds are
stored so that they lay horizontally then the primer will settle to
one side. Then when you go to shoot you can get a complete misfire,
partial fire, or complete fire. This might explain the variability
you were getting with both CCI and the Federal. By rotating the boxes
every couple of weeks you keep the primer more uniform and improve the
consistancy of ignition.

Keeping an empty clip in the action is a personal preference. It is
allowed by the IBU but you may run into a local venue which does not
allow it. Two reasons for doing so are to help keep snow out if you
fall and a small savings in time following the final shooting stage.
Just be sure it's an EMPTY clip.

Pete.......



--- In biathlonnorthamerica@yahoogroups.com, "ems151" <ems151@y...> wrote:
>
> Hello,
>
> I know this gets washed over all the time, but hopefully this is a
little different. I was out
> shooting today, using CCI green and a federal gold medal match.
With both rounds we
> would notice an occasional different sound as it was fired, much
louder, much softer,
> etc...sometimes this would result in a shot very far off from the
rest of the group, other
> times it would be right on...it was about 12 degrees F and I was
shooting with an anschutz
> fortner sprint. Was this due to the temperature or iregilarities in
the ammunition (both
> are pretty high quality rounds...)? Is this where I should keep
some of the "polar" stuff I
> see around in in my box?
>
> Also in watching some races live and over the net I've scene that
some people pull out the
> used clip right affter shooting and place it up, and others lieave
it in the action, and
> replace it as they come into shoot...what's the standard?
>
> thanks
>
> eric
>
> ems51@y...