Today I found a brick of the federal gold medal match 22 lr ammo that has a dimple in the base of the case. This seems to be pretty good stuff. I can;t find it listed ( 22 lr gold medal match 900) anywhere and the federal web site doesn't list it . Does anyone know where I can find more of this ammo?

There are some undated references to it on the internet, but you're right - it doesn't look current.

glen ring wrote:Today I found a brick of the federal gold medal match 22 lr ammo that has a dimple in the base of the case. This seems to be pretty good stuff. I can;t find it listed ( 22 lr gold medal match 900) anywhere and the federal web site doesn't list it . Does anyone know where I can find more of this ammo?

They stopped making it a few years back. I still have one brick of their Ultimate UM1 that was real good shooting too.

Found it! Page 102 of Rifleman's Guide to Rimfire Ammunition says the 900 series is UM1 that's slightly out of specification, so this is ultra premium ammunition that's no longer available. Federal UM1 ceased production in 2004 when a box of 50 sold for $19.50.

(I can't believe I actually researched this...)

Man, your research was much more thorough than mine! I guess I better save this ammo.

Heh.. you found a brick of the old Federal "dimple butt" ammo that will probably shoot great in any gun capable of it. Just for giggles, post the lot number if you have time. That old 900 and UM1 Federal ammo was amazingly good, even if it cost an arm and a leg then. I don't think I ever got any of a lot number less than 2000 that wasn't great.

Jason, the lot number is 499, at least thatt's what it looks like without my glasses on.

The UM1 /UM2 ammo is the stuff that ammo sellers make the Olympic claims against in their current literature for 711. The 900/900B was a grade below the UM1/UM2, and 711/711B was a grade below the 900. Both the UM1 and 900 had the dimpled cases on the primer which was suppose to increase ignition consistency. Unfortunately, when Federal was bought by Blount in 1997, the UM1 and 900 were dropped and we were left with 711, which is not a close competitor.

There were two profiles available for each grade, sonic, and sub-sonic. The UM1, 900, and 711 had muzzle velocities above 1100 fps. UM2, 900B, and 711B had sub-sonic muzzle velocity.

It would be nice if Alliant TechSystems, who now owns Federal, would bring back the UM1 and 900 line of ammo.

Silo65 wrote:It would be nice if Alliant TechSystems, who now owns Federal, would bring back the UM1 and 900 line of ammo.

Seconded! But it will take more than two customers to make it worthwhile, and at four times the cost of 711B it's hard to visualize shooting very much of it.

Older reports on the accuracy of 711B don't match my recent experiences with it, but then everyone has their favorites. My bias is anything US made, hence some of my well known peculiarities, but 711B purchased in 2007 and since has shot very well, so maybe they are making a real effort to meet the needs of target shooters.

That ammo was made for the Olympics. I don't remember when Launi Meli won her gold, but that is what she was shooting. Lones Wigger was at one time the "guy" for Federal ammo, he was telling us one year at Raton, that Federal never promoted the ammo to take off with shooters. I guess at that time Eley had some not so great ammo on the market and the Federal was much better, but Federal never took advantage of it. I shot some 900 and 900B at one time, but my rifle really didn't like it.

It was good ammo, a little pricy, but I too feel Federal's bean counters screwed up by cutting production of it. I still have a brick of the UM1 left and had a case of the 900 left that I sold to one of the guys who's Annie loved it. At the time is was double the price of RWS & SK and RWS shot just as well in my rifles so I bought 2 cases of the RWS

It was one of the best Federal rounds going and equal to Eley at the time and like Jim said Eley was having some quality issues at that time.

Interesting stuff. I bought a brick recently from a freepistol champ in our club for $40. Haven't tried it yet, but now I don't think I'm going to waste it on some steel animals. It is UM1B lot 1B2315 with Launi's picture on the front

tbone49 wrote:Interesting stuff. I bought a brick recently from a freepistol champ in our club for $40. Haven't tried it yet, but now I don't think I'm going to waste it on some steel animals. It is UM1B lot 1B2315 with Launi's picture on the front

You got a great deal... UM1 was well over $450 a case when it was being made. In fact I think it was the Federal Gold Match at that price and the Ultra Match was over $600, but that was a long time ago. The UM1 was going for about the same as the Eley Tenx at the time and I've seen it going for as high as $145 a brick.

This was an older fellow, and he showed me a single box with a 10.95 price tag. Just how old is this stuff?

I saw a brick of UM at a gun show this weekend for $175. First time I've seen it since 1999. Instead of buying it, I went to all the Dick's and bought all the 714 I could find. 6 bricks for $115. I think I came out way ahead.