Well...I guess that was a pretty broad statement, but yes I think the chambering is finicky...I don' think a AR platform would make it finicky...it would most likely be in anything.
6.5 Grendel Reloaders????
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Well...I guess that was a pretty broad statement, but yes I think the chambering is finicky...I don' think a AR platform would make it finicky...it would most likely be in anything.
Thomas A.ka Roe
Same guy - same gun His Youtube channel is a wealth of knowledge for LR Shooters and Hunters. YOUTUBE CHANNEL
Here is the videoblog with the gun. SAKO 6,5 Grendel
From what I see on thr Grendel site 1.5" is not horrible from a good/decent barrel (I'm not talking match grade). My 2.5" group was to be expected/exceptable from a lower tier barrel.
Guys have experienced improved accuracy after 100+ shots down the pipe with the lower tier barrel. One comment was that my barrel was already showing positive sighs..even at 2.5"
MudRunner2005
Well-Known Member
Mine is also a 1:8 twist, but with 5R rifling.
Lots of people get really good groups with these target bullets like the Sierra Match Kings, Nosler CC etc. but has anybody given them a try on game like white tail deer? I know, I know, don't start posting "you should not use a target bullet for game" but that is what they used to say when the Berger VLD came out years ago and also the Hornady Amax and they made really good white tail deer bullets. I did see one YouTube of where a girl took a deer with the Grendel with 120 Match Kings and it blew a golf ball size hole exit.
MudRunner2005
Well-Known Member
There have been a few posts on here over the years where people have successfully taken game with the Nosler Custom Comps. I haven't personally done it, but from what I've read, they function just like any other BTHP bullet.
My wife shot her turkey with a 123 ELD-M and it looks like bullet held together pretty well. It went through the neck, re-entered just above the beard, exited the breast and hit the base of the drum stick...foot end of drum stick.
The hole in the breast was smaller than a golf ball and had no blood shot or bullet fragments!
Then I took a shot at a rock that I guessed was 250yds...it was more like 300yds. I found the bullet in pretty good condition for hitting solid ground. I need to weigh it and take a picture.
The hole in the breast was smaller than a golf ball and had no blood shot or bullet fragments!
Then I took a shot at a rock that I guessed was 250yds...it was more like 300yds. I found the bullet in pretty good condition for hitting solid ground. I need to weigh it and take a picture.
I has been quite a few years ago when I was doing crop damage control that I shot a few deer with 168 Gr Sierra MK out of a 308 Win. It killed them like lightening struck most of the time with violent expansion but every now and then one would just pencil through like a FMJ. I wonder if the new tipped Sierra MK bullets will react like the Hornady A-Max or ELD-M does. My thought on the old Sierra MK sometimes not expanding was due to the tight nose HP not expanding but bending over or riveting. The new tip should initiate expansion.
MudRunner2005
Well-Known Member
Anybody got any updates? It's been raining here for 2 **** weeks... Not looking like it's going to letup anytime soon either. Hoping tomorrow the rain lets up during the day, and I can go over to the range and shoot some more...
Anyone in here running loads or has tested loads beyond 31.5 grains of CFE-223 with a 123 grain bullet? Reason I ask, is QL said not to go beyond 31.5...Period. But I've been reading alot of guys running in the 32 to 32.5 grain range.
Anyone got any input or experience?
Anyone in here running loads or has tested loads beyond 31.5 grains of CFE-223 with a 123 grain bullet? Reason I ask, is QL said not to go beyond 31.5...Period. But I've been reading alot of guys running in the 32 to 32.5 grain range.
Anyone got any input or experience?
Same here with the rain and does not look like it is going to let up until maybe next week. I have some different stuff loaded up to test.
In a specific 6.5 Grendel manual I have the max load with a Hornady 123 A-Max with CFE-223 goes up to 31.8 grs. Theses loads are for AR platform. We have to be careful with some of the loads people post on the net because some are using them in bolt rifles and they are WAY TOO HOT for ARs. It also is, and many concur on, the Grendel in ARs do not exhibit what would be called "normal" pressure signs until you are way over pressure for an AR. Sane load work up is done with a chrno watching for velocity which is normal with printed tested data and stopping when you reach that velocity area. It is like others have said, "If you want more velocity than what is normal with a Grendel then you need to step up to a 6.5 Creedmoor." Speaking of data, it seems to be all over the place depending on the source. Hodgdon 2011 annual manual list with 123 Sierra MK a max load with IMR 8208 is 28.5 grs. Sierra's data with the same bullet Max is 27.4 grs IMR 8208. Then there is Speer's data with the 120 gr Gold Dot which list a MAX load with IMR 8208 is 25.4 grs. This is lower than most data START loads. I got 150 of the 120 Gold Dots from Midway last week when they got them in because I think this will be a really good bullet for deer out of the Grendel but I am scratching my head over where to start. I want to use IMR 8208 because I have a few pounds of it and it shoots so good with 120 Sierra Pro Hunters in both of my Grendels. I use 28.5 grs IMR 8208 with a Hornady case CCI 450 in one rifle and CCI-br4 in the other, COAL 2.250 with a medium Lee Factor Crimp. MOA in one rifle and 1/2 MOA in the other and runs mid 2540s in 18" and 2560s in 20".
In a specific 6.5 Grendel manual I have the max load with a Hornady 123 A-Max with CFE-223 goes up to 31.8 grs. Theses loads are for AR platform. We have to be careful with some of the loads people post on the net because some are using them in bolt rifles and they are WAY TOO HOT for ARs. It also is, and many concur on, the Grendel in ARs do not exhibit what would be called "normal" pressure signs until you are way over pressure for an AR. Sane load work up is done with a chrno watching for velocity which is normal with printed tested data and stopping when you reach that velocity area. It is like others have said, "If you want more velocity than what is normal with a Grendel then you need to step up to a 6.5 Creedmoor." Speaking of data, it seems to be all over the place depending on the source. Hodgdon 2011 annual manual list with 123 Sierra MK a max load with IMR 8208 is 28.5 grs. Sierra's data with the same bullet Max is 27.4 grs IMR 8208. Then there is Speer's data with the 120 gr Gold Dot which list a MAX load with IMR 8208 is 25.4 grs. This is lower than most data START loads. I got 150 of the 120 Gold Dots from Midway last week when they got them in because I think this will be a really good bullet for deer out of the Grendel but I am scratching my head over where to start. I want to use IMR 8208 because I have a few pounds of it and it shoots so good with 120 Sierra Pro Hunters in both of my Grendels. I use 28.5 grs IMR 8208 with a Hornady case CCI 450 in one rifle and CCI-br4 in the other, COAL 2.250 with a medium Lee Factor Crimp. MOA in one rifle and 1/2 MOA in the other and runs mid 2540s in 18" and 2560s in 20".
MudRunner2005
Well-Known Member
Last night I got bored and did some reading on my reloading labels of Grendel loads I had made back in 2015, but never tried... Something didn't seem quite right as far as my base-to-ogive measurements... So, needless to say, I broke out the calipers & comparator, and then remeasured both the 123 Custom Comps and 130 AR Hybrids in my Grendel (Grendel II chamber) to get definitive measurements for both leade distance (just barely touching the lands), and lands distance (pressed fully into the lands, zero forward movement). Seems with the Grendel II chamber, and the 123 CC's I have about 0.040" of distance available between the leade and the lands (limited by magazine length). And with the 130 AR Hybrids, I have about 0.073" of difference between the 2 numbers (once again, limited by magazine length). So, I just used my leade numbers and ended up jumping both the 123 CC's and 130 AR Hybrids at 0.005". The 123 CC's still have 0.045" before its pressed into the lands, and the 130 AR Hybrids have about .078" of jump before hitting the wall. I think that's more than enough jump even though they're only 0.005" off the leade, being that there's still that much room to play before being "pressed". And they still fit in the C-Products 6.5G magazine.
My previous numbers were slightly off...Glad I noticed that and got it rectified, and now written down and documented on a sticky note inside my reloading die's case for future reference. So, that being said, I had to pull and reseat a bunch of bullets last night. But, at least they're all correct now, and I feel alot better about pulling the trigger on them.
It appears that properly using the Hornady OAL tool with the modified case gauges in an AR's is a bit different than with a bolt-action...Plus, being that an AR is not as strong as a bolt-action (AL vs. steel), avoiding pressure spikes is much more important. So, with this new measuring method I figured out with the Hornady OAL gauge, I guess I need to go back and remeasure my .300 BLK's chamber as well, just to make sure everything is on the level before shooting my test-loads, as well.
My previous numbers were slightly off...Glad I noticed that and got it rectified, and now written down and documented on a sticky note inside my reloading die's case for future reference. So, that being said, I had to pull and reseat a bunch of bullets last night. But, at least they're all correct now, and I feel alot better about pulling the trigger on them.
It appears that properly using the Hornady OAL tool with the modified case gauges in an AR's is a bit different than with a bolt-action...Plus, being that an AR is not as strong as a bolt-action (AL vs. steel), avoiding pressure spikes is much more important. So, with this new measuring method I figured out with the Hornady OAL gauge, I guess I need to go back and remeasure my .300 BLK's chamber as well, just to make sure everything is on the level before shooting my test-loads, as well.
After being a user and reloader of the AR, headspace makes more of an impact than seating depth, because of being mag feed exclusively. That's my take on getting the most accuracy out of them.
MudRunner2005
Well-Known Member
Yep, this is just part of the reason to always get a matching headspaced bolt with your barrel for your AR. My Grendel has a matching bolt that came with the barrel and they were already gauged and properly headspaced to each other.
