Why use Fiocchi Exacta .308 Winchester 175 grains?
The Fiocchi Exacta .308 Winchester 175 is commonly present in our rifle tests. You asked why, we answer the questions.
Perché usare le Fiocchi Exacta .308 Winchester da 175 grani?
We have been asked why in our rifle tests and reviews we use, or anyway include among the loadings used, the Fiocchi Exacta cartridge.
Let's first state that, when we review and test a firearm, we use commercial loadings only for relevance and repeatability reasons. While using carefully crafted handloads you can surely squeeze the last ounce of accuracy out of your rifle, handloads are not standard nor easily repeatable.
They are not standardized - because even the most careful handloading has a much larger number of variables injected into the process than what commercial, large scale ammunition production has.
Not repeatable - because even if I were to provide all details about my handload, there would be too many possible variables involved in a loading process actuated by human beings (as opposed to machines) with different loading equipment, and the results wouldn't be consistent enough and reliable enough to compare results.
There is no "absolute" load, but if you know which one to use depending upon circumstances, the fatctory loadings from the main ammunition manufacturers provide useful data pertaining a given rifle's performance, with cartridges any shooter can source to replicate tests within reasonable limits, accounting for season and weather variability.
Fiocchi Exacta is a carrtidge line manufactured by Fiocchi, presented about 15 years ago, as ammunition dedicated to precision rifle shooting. They are not, nor they have ever been intended, as Bench Rest or F-Class ammunition; they are instead a very good factory loading for those who "know how to shoot" (due clarification) and want to evaluate the performance of their carbine beyond 100-200 meters.
The Fiocchi Exacta loading is available in two varieties, both with Sierra Match King bullets: the first has the 168 grain bullet, the other the 175 grainer. While not exclusive in our accuracy and precision tests, we use the Fiocchi Exacta 175 grains SMK loading whenever possible.
Setting aside any (often futile) debate about which are the absolute "best" commercial ammunition loadings for precision shooting testing, we believe it is useful to explain why we consider this load simply the "most suitable to the purpose", purpose which is not winning the F-Class Championship final, but just determining a good baseline performance of the rifles we happen to test, usually in the .308 Winchester chambering.
Fiocchi Exacta 308 Win 175 gr - Sabatti TLD 200m
First and foremost, we use the Fiocchi Exacta loading for the most mundane of reasons: we are in Italy and perform our tests in Italy, and Fiocchi ammunition is among the most easily sourced on the market and, as said, whomever reads our tests and is willing to repeat them himself, can do so using the same ammunition, available in any gun store.
Other than being easily available, there is how Fiocchi Exacta ammunitions offers a good precision level at a reasonable price. Unless you can regularly print 1/4 MOA groups but, like us, you believe that about a 1/2 MOA precision is enough to cover most of real world tasks, the Fiocchi Exacta loading is the right tool for the job.
The Fiocchi Exacta use Sierra Match King bullets, considered by many the benchmark against which the performances of other bullets and loadings are compared. Overall, the Fiocchi Exacta is a loading suited to a lot of shooting purposes, both at close range within 100 meters, and middle range up to 600 meters.
Finally, concerning the Fiocchi Exacta 175 specifically, there is the matter of its ballistic specifications: as said it is loaded with the SMK 175 grains bullet, leaving the muzzle at 2520-2570 fps (770-780 m/s) depending upon barrel length.
These characteristics make the Fiocchi Exacta 175 grains a ballistic equivalent of the US M118LR sniper cartridge: so, not just any commercial cartridge, but a commercially available version of the standard NATO service loading for US snipers.
We know very well how, when talking about loadings and rifle performance, particularly beyond 300 meters, you are opening a can of worms where everyone believes (and sometimes pretends) to be "Right", but these are our own simple reasons why we believe the Fiocchi Exacta .308 Winchester loading, and particularly the 175 grain one, is a very good baseline upon which to evaluate the precision of a .308 Winchester rifle, up to the 5-600 meters line.
