Hunting Ammo Testing Has Begun...

[81police]

the ole 123gr SST is tried, true and never a let down. Redemption is just around the corner Brian!

[Drift]

Bummer!

[HONDO]

Dang. That sucks... Did you FL size your brass? Does it need trimmed? Gotta watch both in autoloaders. Or was it magazine related? Just trying to help ya out man. If ya gotta go factory at least there's great options available.

[rabiddawg]

Hondo, per his first post the reloads were given to him to test.

[LRRPF52]

Well, this evening I had trouble with rounds chambering and lost 2 pigs as a result because my gun would not fire. My relationship with the landowners is that I will kill their pigs for them and instead I just scared the pigs by making to much noise trying to chamber new rounds. As such, I have to go back to factory ammo. These two nights were very costly for me in terms of time, fuel expense, loss of hogs, and one pissed off landowner.

I would be upset as well for the reasons listed. I was really looking forward to the results.

It's extremely difficult to try to develop loads long distance without having access to the rifle to determine exactly where the chamber is.

Usually there are 3 particular areas where a cartridge will bind up or fail to go fully into battery:

Projectile engages the lands, COL too long.

Shoulder too far forward.

Case body not sized down circumferentially enough.

I received fired cases from Double Naught Spy, measured their fired length at the shoulder with the Hornady comparator, then made sure the shoulders were set back even more than the .003" I normally use.

I tested my first loads in several different chambers of mine, ranging from my Lilja 18", AA 16", Satern 18" (shorter chamber), and tested chambering in 2 of my rifles from bolt lock into battery, as well as manual extraction. I ended up using at least .005" of shoulder set back, with some measuring .006".

I'm wondering if we're hitting the lands, as he had difficulty manually extracting. Pictures of the problem cartridges would help, with close-up showing the projectiles and the case body.

[HONDO]

Hondo, per his first post the reloads were given to him to test.

Indeed. Pardon my oversight. Sounds like it's getting tracked down tho.

[catorres1]

Curious about that 129 ABLR load, as it seems your velocities were pretty impressive and would definitely stretch the legs on the Grendel at those velocities. Where did you get that ammo, and is that load data available anywhere, perhaps in the Grendel loading manual that is for sale online?

I was not planning on handloaded for my still-in-process Grendel, but that load might make me rethink it, though I really hope it's a commercially available load. I have too many rifles to handload for already.

[37L1]

Well, this evening I had trouble with rounds chambering and lost 2 pigs as a result because my gun would not fire. My relationship with the landowners is that I will kill their pigs for them and instead I just scared the pigs by making to much noise trying to chamber new rounds. As such, I have to go back to factory ammo. These two nights were very costly for me in terms of time, fuel expense, loss of hogs, and one pissed off landowner.

Wow, feel your frustration there brother!

I am constantly reminded that Mr. Murphy lurks everywhere, all the time, so I try to duplicate hunting conditions before I go, when time permits. He still pays me a visit sometimes no matter what I do to prevent it!

[sneaky one]

I honed those GMX down in 2010, to my best version of a 95grn. L52 contacted me 1 fine day, asking if he could try a few for me at long range targets- medium range hunts.

Cool. I sent a package of 28 out west,,, he never really got many hunt opps. He Tried a few close in, targets- as they were intended for. - not bad !


So, L52 came up with the idea to have DNS try them on hogs. I agreed - if anyone can shoot a lot of animals per week---- Dns has proven himself as a terminator x 2.


The coal's of the rounds might be the issue, as Hornady started a few ? different frontal ideas on the Gmx's. About the timeframe of Oct. 2011- my send point to L 52. Of the pills.

So, one must check that area of rifling contact through the comparator- mite be the mistake.. If so ? Push the pill in .030 deeper. Easy fix. No big pressure changes should happen.

Not a big issue- just takes a few of us to dial it in , is all.

If it truly is all bad,,,,,
I will send some fresh ammo with New Lapua brass, asasp.

[Double Naught Spy]

Wow, feel your frustration there brother!

I am constantly reminded that Mr. Murphy lurks everywhere, all the time, so I try to duplicate hunting conditions before I go, when time permits. He still pays me a visit sometimes no matter what I do to prevent it!

It is a simple matter. Hornady SST 123 gr. works fine. Alexander Arms 90 gr. TNT works fine. Precision Firearms VLD-Hunting 130 gr. works fine. At least 4 out of the 10 GMX rounds I was provided would not chamber properly or 2 of the 129 gr. Accubond (so about 6 out of 25 rounds in total were no good between the 2 loads).

[79inpa]

I'm really curious as to how the 100 grain ballistic tip works on hogs. Almost enough to send you a few tips for you to try.

[customcutter]

Dang 00Spy, reminds me of when I was first starting out with the Thermal. If anything could go wrong it did, but eventually it all got sorted out. Sorry it's costing time and money, not to mention the frustration for you and the landowner. I'm sure you'll get it sorted out soon, waiting for the video's and autopsies.

[Double Naught Spy]

Well, I moved on to the 129 gr. Nosler Accubond Long Range ammo. We have 2 kills to date with it so far, but the first, by my daughter last Friday, does not have video. Both kills have been head shots @ approximately 120 yards. I really did not expect her to place a shot between the eyes, but she did, dropping a 110 lb boar quite nicely.



This is the video from last night and the summary terminal damage assessment. I spotted the hog at about 230 yards, made a 110 yard stalk up hill to a tower blind and used its ladder as a rifle rest. As near as I can tell, the bullet broke the left jaw (ascending ramus) and passed beneath the skull with no direct CNS involvement, tearing through some major blood vessels, and existing behind the right jaw. Most of the damage was just subsequent to penetrating the jaw and then tapered off considerably such that the bullet exited with a fairly small hole (compared to the damage done before exiting).

Here is the video...

https://youtu.be/PHxtsYv7oFA

[LRRPF52]

Some great news! Looks like impact speed was in the neighborhood of 2327fps, with 1552 ft-lbs of energy.

[Drift]

Impressive head wound! And between the "no smell" and the fat I saw on the hog, the backstraps should be good eating.