Has anyone shot and/or have data on the 144 grain Lapua FMJ Boat tail

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  • Has anyone shot and/or have data on the 144 grain Lapua FMJ Boat tail

    I have lived on the internet the past few days trying to locate ballistic data on the Lapua 144 grain FMJ boat tail from a 16" barrel. I am interested to know its muzzle velocity, as well as the 1000 yard velocity, energy and drop. The largest bullet Alexander Arms provides data on is a 129 g. What say you?

  • #2
    I have them, but wouldn't really consider loading them in my Grendel. I am going to load them in my .260 Rem to see how they actually drop at distance, as well as penetration through certain barriers.

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    • #3
      I think you would need a fast twist rate of at least 1 in 8 to stabilize them. Without knowing the components you are using it would be dangerous to recommend a load. I have had success with both the 139 lapua and 140 amax using either re-15 or imr8208 in Hornady brass and 7-1/2 rem primers.

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      • stanc
        Banned
        • Apr 2011
        • 3430

        #4
        In the early years of the old forum - circa 2005 - some members did shoot the Lapua 144 FMJBT.

        Unfortunately, I didn't keep any of that info. The best I can offer is my (possibly faulty) recollection that MV was ~2200 fps. If you wish to run ballistics tables using that figure, listed BC was 0.636 the last time I checked.

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        • #5
          I have a Les Baer Grendel 6.5 (made before he did the name switch) with a 16" barrel with a 1:8 twist if that helps. By the way thank you for your input

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          • rasp65
            Warrior
            • Mar 2011
            • 660

            #6
            AA had some data for the 144 Scenar using 29 grs of AA2520 but did not provide any velocity figures. It seems as though there was more data for the Grendel last year at this time on the AA site.

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            • jmkhenka
              Bloodstained
              • Mar 2020
              • 57

              #7
              A bit of thread nectro but for someone looking for information!

              I have used the 144 FMJ in my grendel. Mostly because i have had it since my 6.5x55 days. Howa mini 1:8 20" barrel.
              Welocity with N540 are around 2340 f/s or 715 m/s. Accuracy at 100 meters was exceptional, 0.5".. like most bullets in that rifle.

              In sweden we have a tradition of "top bird" hunting, is like a small turkey, grouse perhaps like a rawen or similar. shots are taken at 100-300 meters, so accuracy is importaint.
              For this the bullet is exceptional with great precision, not to high velocity and mild terminal effect (you want to eat the birds) with minimal entry and exit wounds - hits in bone not included.

              I am not going to buy more of them, I have plenty of 120 norma FMJ for this next season and accuracy is fine there to, but with better velocity and less drop inside 200 meters (v0 800mps), my desired max range for this kind of hunting as you only get 1 shot and you want to minimize ranging errors.

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              • MikaS
                Unwashed
                • Nov 2019
                • 20

                #8
                Vihtavuori 6,5grendel reloading data have this. You can find that vihtavuori home pages.

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                • mel
                  Chieftain
                  • Nov 2019
                  • 1478

                  #9
                  i know from my shooting 140g stuff that u could get away with the 144's i also know from my testing that every 5g increase in bullet wieght = about a 100 fps decrease in mv atleast on the heavy side of things with the powder i use
                  that being said i can push the 140g bullets to 2400 fps out of my 20" gren on the top end accuratly , so id expect around 2250-2325 on the top end for a 144 for most ppl out of a 20" barrel gas gun

                  Comment

                  • pomofo
                    Unwashed
                    • Apr 2017
                    • 5

                    #10
                    I don't normally like to resurrect threads from the dead, but in this case I have something useful to add. One of the reasons I got into the Grendel was for the ability to shoot the 144 Lapua Scenar.

                    My first attempt at chronographing the 144s was on April 29, 2013 at an indoor range. Rifle used was an Alexander Arms upper from ca. 2007, midlength gas, 16" barrel. Speed was calculated using a Magnetospeed. Results were as follows:

                    Group 1
                    Wolf brass - once-fired
                    Lapua Scenar 144 FMJ
                    CCI 34
                    Accurate 2520
                    28.0 grains
                    COAL 2.250"
                    No crimp
                    Average velocity: 2265 fps
                    Extreme spread: 37 fps
                    Std. deviation: 15 fps
                    4 shots

                    Group 2
                    Wolf brass - once-fired
                    Lapua Scenar 144 FMJ
                    CCI 34
                    Accurate 2520
                    28.5 grains
                    COAL 2.250"
                    No crimp
                    Average velocity: 2307 fps
                    Extreme spread: 31 fps
                    Std. deviation: 14 fps
                    4 shots

                    Group 3
                    Lapua brass - virgin
                    Lapua Scenar 144 FMJ
                    CCI 41
                    Accurate 2520
                    29.0 grains
                    COAL 2.250"
                    No crimp
                    Average velocity: 2309 fps
                    Extreme spread: 31 fps
                    Std. deviation: 14 fps
                    4 shots

                    My second attempt at chronographing the 144s was today. Rifle used was the same Alexander Arms upper, 16" barrel, midlength gas. I believe the twist rate is 1:8. Chronographed using a Labradar. Results are as follows:

                    Group 1
                    Lapua brass - once-fired
                    Lapua Scenar 144 FMJ
                    CCI 41
                    27.2 grains Accurate 2520
                    COAL 2.250"
                    Crimped with Lee FCD
                    2191, 2184, 2188 fps
                    Average velocity: 2188 fps
                    Extreme spread: 7 fps
                    Standard deviation: 4 fps
                    3 shots

                    Group 2
                    Lapua brass - once-fired
                    Lapua Scenar 144 FMJ
                    CCI 41
                    27.5 grains Accurate 2520
                    COAL 2.250"
                    Crimped with Lee FCD
                    2223, 2214, 2232 fps
                    Average velocity: 2223 fps
                    Extreme spread: 18 fps
                    Standard deviation: 9 fps
                    3 shots

                    Group 3
                    Lapua brass - once-fired
                    Lapua Scenar 144 FMJ
                    CCI 41
                    27.8 grains Accurate 2520
                    COAL 2.250"
                    Crimped with Lee FCD
                    2261, 2262, 2279 fps
                    Average velocity: 2267 fps
                    Extreme spread: 18 fps
                    Standard deviation: 10 fps
                    3 shots

                    Group 4
                    Lapua brass - once-fired
                    Lapua Scenar 144 FMJ
                    CCI 41
                    28.1 grains Accurate 2520
                    COAL 2.250"
                    Crimped with Lee FCD
                    2270, 2263, 2263 fps
                    Average velocity: 2265 fps
                    Extreme spread: 7 fps
                    Standard deviation: 4 fps
                    3 shots

                    Group 5
                    Lapua brass - once-fired
                    Lapua Scenar 144 FMJ
                    CCI 41
                    28.4 grains Accurate 2520
                    COAL 2.250"
                    Crimped with Lee FCD
                    2277, 2277, 2280 fps
                    Average velocity: 2278 fps
                    Extreme spread: 3 fps
                    Standard deviation: 1.7 fps
                    3 shots

                    Group 6
                    Lapua brass
                    Lapua Scenar 144 FMJ
                    CCI 41
                    28.7 grains Accurate 2520
                    COAL 2.250"
                    Crimped with Lee FCD
                    2306, 2301, 2302 fps
                    Average velocity: 2303 fps
                    Extreme spread: 5 fps
                    Standard deviation: 2.6 fps
                    3 shots

                    I had one more group loaded with 29.0 grains ready to go, as that is the max load in Alexander Arms' load data. But because I was already starting to see light ejector swipes at 28.4 and 28.7 I decided to forgo it, especially since I already had the data from 9 years ago. 28.4 grains was the most accurate of the loads, so I think I'll search around that 28-28.5 grain range to find what the most accurate load could be.

                    ETA: In 2013 I was running a carbine buffer tube, spring, and buffer combo. And I don't remember checking the brass for ejector swipes afterward, but I do remember seeing some brass after the fact from other loads with heavy swipes so I suspected the gun was overgassed. Today I was running an A5 buffer system with the VLTOR A5-3 buffer.

                    I'm in the middle of building another 6.5 upper with an adjustable gas block, so I hope to test some of these loads soon on that upper to see whether this is a gas issue, a pressure issue, or merely a strong ejector spring. Primers looked the same at 28.7 as they did at 27.2.
                    Last edited by pomofo; 09-14-2022, 03:40 AM. Reason: Added more information

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                    • JASmith
                      Chieftain
                      • Sep 2014
                      • 1620

                      #11
                      Thanks! Your information helps fill in some blamis.
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                      • Happy2Shoot
                        Warrior
                        • Nov 2018
                        • 624

                        #12

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