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Well I just fired for the first time a new upper in 6.5 and am a bit surprised how well it shot the Hornady Black Box ELDM. I had come back inside and wrote a short on it in the top forum when Fedex shows up with 500 rounds of Wolf Steel cased play ammo. Not caring wether or not I could prove it shot 3 inch groups I decided to try loading it. Breaking it down I thought about concocting a charge weight with the powder that came in the cases (30.1 grs. of ball powder) or just putting together a safe load that would probably be accurate.
I chose to start my work up with a 120 gr. Sierra Pro hunter on top of 26.0 grs. of AR Comp, loaded three and two more with 26.5 grs. of the same powder, coal is 2.250. Make sure to chamfer the cases. Not really knowing the case capacity of the steel cases I stopped there and as I was babysitting 5 kids I stopped at the 5 rounds, My son came to get em. I hesitate to report the three with the lighter charge actually made a tight little triangle 3/4 of an inch left of center. The other two hit 2 inches lower and an inch to the right of center slightly less than a half inch apart! I don't know why the groups were that far apart over just a half grain of powder. I do have a pretty solid bench and a good rest setup but personally I find it hard to believe this M4 clone can shoot this well.
Pulled the targets, As I was sighting in with ELDM I would shoot two shots and adjust. The scope is clocked with the windage knob at vertical witch caused me to turn the dial the wrong way several times. However out of this came 3 2 shot groups and one three shot group of .346, .206, .266, and .386. The three shot group fired with the Steel cased 26.0 grain reload measures .238! The 2 loaded with 26.5 grains of AR Comp measured .402 center to center. Now I know these were not actually 5 shot groups the rounds were pretty much fired one after another and I am stunned the rifle shoots this well. Further testing to come. Maybe I was wiggling just right and the bullets were working within the curve but I believe this rifle will make a fine Oklahoma mountain rifle!
I chose to start my work up with a 120 gr. Sierra Pro hunter on top of 26.0 grs. of AR Comp, loaded three and two more with 26.5 grs. of the same powder, coal is 2.250. Make sure to chamfer the cases. Not really knowing the case capacity of the steel cases I stopped there and as I was babysitting 5 kids I stopped at the 5 rounds, My son came to get em. I hesitate to report the three with the lighter charge actually made a tight little triangle 3/4 of an inch left of center. The other two hit 2 inches lower and an inch to the right of center slightly less than a half inch apart! I don't know why the groups were that far apart over just a half grain of powder. I do have a pretty solid bench and a good rest setup but personally I find it hard to believe this M4 clone can shoot this well.
Pulled the targets, As I was sighting in with ELDM I would shoot two shots and adjust. The scope is clocked with the windage knob at vertical witch caused me to turn the dial the wrong way several times. However out of this came 3 2 shot groups and one three shot group of .346, .206, .266, and .386. The three shot group fired with the Steel cased 26.0 grain reload measures .238! The 2 loaded with 26.5 grains of AR Comp measured .402 center to center. Now I know these were not actually 5 shot groups the rounds were pretty much fired one after another and I am stunned the rifle shoots this well. Further testing to come. Maybe I was wiggling just right and the bullets were working within the curve but I believe this rifle will make a fine Oklahoma mountain rifle!
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