6.5 Grendel?

[LoonWulf]

Good buy, thats about what it costs me to load 20 rounds.

 

[Reuben McCoy Rankin]

I'm using Nosler 123gr HPBT.H335 powder and magnum primers.
With no wind and shooting off a rest I can shoot minute of coke can at 500 yards.

 

[David4516]

That does seem like a good buy, I don't think I can reload it that cheap...

 

[Rickt300]

I tested the 123 grain ELDM black box stuff yesterday. It was a bit windy but I learned a lot in 20 rounds. First three rounds with my scope set at 6x hit just right of center 1 1/4 group. I resettled and improved my shooting position and rests, the wind was gusting up to 25 miles an hour and actually moving me on my office chair. I shot two more hitting inside .5 once again hitting at three oclock. 4 clicks left and I repeat but at 9 0clock both shots just barely not touching. I turn the scope up to 9 and my shots hit at 6 Oclock, just barely not touching. So 4 clicks up and one right I move to the next diamond. Three shots under an inch At eleven Oclock. One click right and turn the scope to 6x. So now the bullets are impacting at 2 Oclock! 3 in .6. I fire one shot on the next diamond and give it one click left. The next two land on the tip of the 1 inch diamond. I learned my 3x9 Nikon Prostaf changes POI when change from 6 to 9 power of almost an inch in a horizontal pattern. I also found my rifle really shoots well with this ammo!

 

[Walkalong]

Accurate rifle, above average ammo, inexpensive scope, which one is going to get replaced?

 

[Blue68f100]

There is a good reason people spend good money on good scopes.

Parallax will give you a fairly big swing at POI. That's why they buy Nightforce Scopes and other highend scopes.

 

[Rickt300]

Well I used the Nikon because it is a light compact scope compared to many others. My real use for this rifle will be and is hunting at ranges generally under 250 yards with the vast majority of shots being at night on feral hogs. I am waiting for Leupold to send me the scopes I sent in to have the German #1 reticle installed. This won't improve accuracy but I will be able to see the reticle in low light! Presently though the cheap Nikon is doing it's job guiding bullets to the target.

 

[David4516]

Planning on doing a more extensive test soon (this weekend hopefully), using 4 different powders and the factory SSTs

I want to try IMR8208, H335, IMR4198, and CFE223, all on the same day, with the same conditions (temp, wind, etc) for apples-to-apples comparison. Going to use Hornady brass, CCI 400 small rifle primers, and 123gr SSTs for the test.

I tried H335 earlier but I'm thinking the load may have been too light. Going to try again using a little more powder this time...

Will report back my findings, maybe include some pics of the targets...

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

I've had good results with Hornady brass,123gr SST's , IMR8208, Tac, and RL-15. The SST's shoot better than Amax for me and they are a little cheaper.
I rarely buy factory ammo but couldn't resist 100 grain wolf steel case at 23 cents a round, it shoots great and, surprisingly, the same POI at 100yds as my 123grain loads.

 

[Dill]

I picked up 5 boxes of the Hornady Black in order to shoot my rifle some, and gather up the grass for reloading. That should keep me entertained for awhile. I built my upper with an Aero receiver and free float handguard, and one of the stainless 18" fluted barrels that Classic Firearms had on sale a month or so back. Hoping to shoot it this weekend if the weather cooperates (my range is on low land and is prone to flooding at times)

 

[David4516]

Posted range report here (with chronograph results):

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/ar-15-6-5mm-range-report.821757/

 

[hdwhit]

David4516 wrote:
I am under the impression that the .264, 123gr Hornady A-Max was designed with the Grendel in mind,...

I don't know about "designed with the Grendel in mind," but Hornady Handbook #8 speaks very highly of the 123 gr A-Max as the best choice among their bullets for long range shooting.

Looking at MidwayUSA, I see that the Hornady brass sells for about $0.70 each, and that the loaded ammo is about $1.00 per round.

For the price difference, I would just buy factory rounds. That way, you could shoot them for 30 cents and have brass you know for sure is "once fired". This is how I get my brass for 25 ACP.

Used Sellers, like:http://www.diamondkbrass.com/6.5mm-Grendel25.html do try to stock Grendel brass, but even with them its still about 55 cents per round and you don't know if its on its first or fifth firing.

Is this a dumb idea? Is the Hornady brass even any good? Should I spend the extra $$$ and get Lapua or something?

I have the unique experience of having brass with various headstamps that was stored in various ways when I was stricken with a disease that almost killed me and kept me from my reloading bench for nearly 21 years. Norma and Lapua brass suffered greater degradation from corrosion (in some storage methods, upwards of 35% had to be disposed of). U.S. military and U.S. domestic headstamps consistently performed better. I know both Norma and Lapua have reputations for making almost magical products, but as far as brass durability under a unique set of adverse conditions, their products failed to perform for me.

 

[Dentite]

Love my Grendel. And I agree, the factory SST ammo shoots very well based on my experience and my buddy's rifle as well. That being said, I'm using Lapua brass and CFE223 and load my own SSTs.

Glad you like it...good luck.

 

[barnbwt]

I don't know about "designed with the Grendel in mind," but Hornady Handbook #8 speaks very highly of the 123 gr A-Max as the best choice among their bullets for long range shooting.



For the price difference, I would just buy factory rounds. That way, you could shoot them for 30 cents and have brass you know for sure is "once fired". This is how I get my brass for 25 ACP.

Used Sellers, like:http://www.diamondkbrass.com/6.5mm-Grendel25.html do try to stock Grendel brass, but even with them its still about 55 cents per round and you don't know if its on its first or fifth firing.



I have the unique experience of having brass with various headstamps that was stored in various ways when I was stricken with a disease that almost killed me and kept me from my reloading bench for nearly 21 years. Norma and Lapua brass suffered greater degradation from corrosion (in some storage methods, upwards of 35% had to be disposed of). U.S. military and U.S. domestic headstamps consistently performed better. I know both Norma and Lapua have reputations for making almost magical products, but as far as brass durability under a unique set of adverse conditions, their products failed to perform for me.

It's probably just the presence/lack of a wax anti-ox coating or something called for by mil spec that isn't used otherwise (or would be removed during loading of empty brass). Put some floorwax on the finished rounds and there should be no issue. 20 years is still crazy fast for brass to fall apart, was ammonia invovled?