The Limit Ammunition Company

CZ IPSC Shooting Team

CZ IPSC Shooting Team

Several members of the CZ IPSC Shooting Team use Limit ammunition. The company also makes specalist ammunition for the law enforcement market both in the Czech Republic and for export. I have tested both Limit factory ammunition, reloaded ammunition and I have also loaded their 9mm 124 grain full metal jacket bullets using three different types of powder that are in common use by practical pistol competitors.

 

                                    CZ Shooting Team member Miroslav Zapletal competing at the 
                              Limit 2012 European Challenge with his 9mm CZ75 SP01 Shadow pistol.

Accuracy Testing

Accuracy Testing

I carried out a series of accuracy and velocity tests on a selection of the Limit 9mm ammunition. This included their factory 9mm and factory reloaded ammunition and three reloads assembled using their 9mm 124 grain FMJ bullets.

Using a CZ75 SP01 9mm pistol the accuracy of the factory and reloaded ammunition was tested in a Ransom Rest. I measured the velocity of the five different loads with a CED M2 Chronograph. I also used a Glock 17, Grand Power X Calibur and a Sphinx Production 3000 to check the hand held accuracy and functional reliability of the factory and reloaded 9mm ammunition. These four 9mm pistols are among the most commonly encountered at practical pistol events.

 
                 I also found the 9mm Limit Ammunition to function perfectly through the
                 Slovakian X-Calibur pistol. Here Anastasia Chernenko, a member of the winning
                 Russian Ladies Production Team at the 2011 Practical Pistol World Shoot, blasts
                 through a stage with her X-Calibur at the 2012 Czech Extreme European Open.

With the CZ 75 SP01 secured in the Ransom Rest and the target set at 25 metres range the 9mm 124 FMJ factory load was able to produce a five shot group of 2.48 inches ( 63mm ) at a velocity of 1184 feet per second ( fps ). The Limit factory reload produced a five shot group of 2.40 inches ( 61mm ) in size at a velocity of 1052 fps. The Limit factory load had an IPSC power factor of 146.8 and the factory reload power factored at 130.4.

 
                                 From the Ransom Rest the Limit factory ammunition produced a group 
                                                             of 63 mm and a velocity of 1184 fps.

The IPSC power factor is the bullet velocity in fps multiplied by the bullet weight in grains divided by 1000. A lot of competitors on the practical pistol competition circuit load 9mm ammunition, with what ever bullet weight, to a power factor of 130 to 140. This ensures that the pistol will function properly and also have enough energy to knock down steel targets. IPSC rules state that to score minor calibre on the target the power factor must be greater than 125.

 

                                             From the Ransom Rest the Limit factory reload produced  a
                                                        group of 61 mm and a velocity of 1052 fps.

Reloaded Ammunition

Reloaded Ammunition

Using the Limit 124 grain full metal jacket ( FMJ ) bullet I assembled three reloads using Alliant Power Pistol and Hodgdon Tite Group and Universal powders. These three powders are popular with those who compete in practical pistol competitions. The ammunition was loaded to an overall length ( OAL ) of 29.45 mm, which matched the OAL of the Limit factory ammunition.

 

Calibre	Bullet Weight Grains	Powder Make	Powder Weight Grains	Velocity in F.P.S.	IPSC Power Factor	Group Size Inches / mm
9mm	124	Hodgdon Tite Group	4.3	1125	139.5	2.36 / 60
9mm	124	Hodgdon Universal	4.4	1116	138.4	2.64 / 67
9mm	124	Alliant Power Pistol	5.4	1129	139.9	2.01 / 51

 



              Our reloading tests were carried out using Limit 124 grain FMJ bullets with Hodgdon
              Tite Group and Universal powder and Alliant Power Pistol powder, as these powders are
                                        in common use with practical pistol competitors.

Accuracy and Functional Reliability

Accuracy and Functional Reliability

Accuracy results with either the factory or reloaded ammunition showed a consistency between 2.01 to 2.64 inches. Primer ignition and functional reliability was 100 % with all five 9mm loads in the four pistols used. Examining the primer indentation I could see that they were all well struck. All four pistols were fitted with the original factory parts, with some minor detailing and smoothing of parts to improve the feel of the trigger. In Production Division IPSC rules limit the amount of changes that can be carried out and that all internal parts must be from the pistols original manufacturer.

 

                      The Ransom Rest eliminates all human error when accuracy testing ammunition.

If you take part in any graded practical pistol competition and use the ammunition that is supplied by the competition organisers you will have deemed to have made the power factor for the IPSC Division you are competing in, so you not have to worry about the chronograph result. This will be of benefit to those who fly to competitions and purchase all the ammunition they will require at the match, or fly with 5 Kg weight of ammunition and need to purchase additional ammunition to enable them to complete the competition. It will also be useful to people who live in countries were you are not permitted to reload ammunition;

 
                                        The CED M2 Chronograph is set up in front of the Ransom Rest to
                                                  record the velocity of the ammunition being tested.

Ordering Limit Ammunition

Ordering Limit Ammunition

If you intend to use the 9mm Limit ammunition at the Extreme European Open, then the information in this article will also enable you to reproduce these loads with your own reloaded ammunition. Also on the Extreme European Open competition web site ( www.extremeeuroopen.eu ) there is a link to a section on ammunition, which lists all of the calibres and bullet weights of ammunition being provided by the Limit Ammunition Company ( www.limit.cz ). This will enable you to check for functional reliability, accuracy and point of impact in your own pistol before you go to the competition.

To order ammunition to use at the Extreme European Open contact Mr. Martian Koutny by mobile phone on +420 774 744 784 or by e mail at

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Orders need to be placed by 21st May 2013.

 
                    Running to another shooting position Russia’s Svetlana Nikolaev reloads her
                         9mm CZ75 SP01 Shadow. Svetlana is one of the world’s top women Production
                                                      Division practical pistol competitors.

For Further Information

Ransom Rest products can be obtained from

www.ransomrest.com

www.brownells.com

Ransom Rest products can be obtained in Europe from

www.ballisticservice24.eu

For CED Chronographs contact

www.CEDhk.com

CED Chronographs can be obtained in Europe from

www.doublealpha.biz