Hornady Black 123 grain ELD-Match

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  • GaCop
    Bloodstained
    • Apr 2017
    • 56

    Hornady Black 123 grain ELD-Match

    Shot 40 rounds of the Hornady yesterday at 200 yards. Six 5 round groups were crap. Best was 2.6" and the worst was over 6 inches. 30 round average was 4.4" . This was out of my 20" HBar rifle. Velocity averaged 2545 fps, SD 19, ES 49. Temp was 57 degrees, humidity 89% wind was 6 mph out of the NE.
    Last edited by GaCop; 11-11-2017, 11:25 AM.
  • Sticks
    Chieftain
    • Dec 2016
    • 1922

    #2
    That's a big spread with that ammo...You either have underlying issues with your rifle, or shooter error - nothing personal. I have yet to read of anyone getting consistent +MOA groups with the proper equipment and skill.

    Tell us about your rifle - Specs
    Sticks

    Catchy sig line here.

    Comment

    • PVBoom
      Warrior
      • Oct 2017
      • 406

      #3
      Originally posted by Sticks View Post
      That's a big spread with that ammo...You either have underlying issues with your rifle, or shooter error - nothing personal. I have yet to read of anyone getting consistent +MOA groups with the proper equipment and skill.

      Tell us about your rifle - Specs
      Not everyone is in love with the Black. I was over on snipershide reading this. https://forum.snipershide.com/forum/...el-rifle/page5

      It might be his barrel hates it.

      Comment

      • GaCop
        Bloodstained
        • Apr 2017
        • 56

        #4
        Originally posted by Sticks View Post
        That's a big spread with that ammo...You either have underlying issues with your rifle, or shooter error - nothing personal. I have yet to read of anyone getting consistent +MOA groups with the proper equipment and skill.

        Tell us about your rifle - Specs
        20" HBar barrel, bolt and carrier from Bear Creek Arsenal, 1 in 8 twist. Upper/lower, is Anderson. Scope is a knock off 6X25X50 side focus I had lying around and will have to do until I an afford better. I'm no novice when it come to long range shooting. When I was active LE I was the Team sniper. I've attended the 2nd Marine Div Scout Sniper School at Camp Jejune in Aug 1990 and entry level, intermediate and advanced sniper schools at our state law enforcement training center. Though I've been retired since 2008, I keep my hand in long range shooting and building long range rifles as a hobby and am fortunate to have a friend who has a 1000 yard range I can shot on.

        I got the Grendel in a trade a few days ago and still have to work up some loads beginning with some 120 grain SMK's I have on hand.

        Comment

        • Sticks
          Chieftain
          • Dec 2016
          • 1922

          #5
          Barrel and gas block bedded? Might want to visit that.

          First 40 rounds in the barrels life? Might need to get her broken in a bit more.

          Lot of people/rifles love SST, but I could not get any groupings with it that were consistently below 1.5". My barrel loves the 123gr Hornady Black ELD, and the 120br American Eagle SMK. I know both of those factory rounds will shoot 5 round 1/4" groups when I do my part...which is not as often as I would like.

          Could be the barrel hates the Black ammo, but IIRC most of the people here shooting the BCA stuff were having great results with it.
          Sticks

          Catchy sig line here.

          Comment

          • GaCop
            Bloodstained
            • Apr 2017
            • 56

            #6
            Originally posted by Sticks View Post
            Barrel and gas block bedded? Might want to visit that.

            First 40 rounds in the barrels life? Might need to get her broken in a bit more.

            Lot of people/rifles love SST, but I could not get any groupings with it that were consistently below 1.5". My barrel loves the 123gr Hornady Black ELD, and the 120br American Eagle SMK. I know both of those factory rounds will shoot 5 round 1/4" groups when I do my part...which is not as often as I would like.

            Could be the barrel hates the Black ammo, but IIRC most of the people here shooting the BCA stuff were having great results with it.
            I inherited this rifle in a trade. Total round cont is 140 to date.

            Comment

            • VASCAR2
              Chieftain
              • Mar 2011
              • 6219

              #7
              Make sure the gas block is not hitting the hand guard, if there is no clearence issue I’d pull the barrel. I’d use a lapping tool to ensure the face of the upper is square. If the barrel fits loose in the upper I’d shim it, then bed the barrel with blue Loctite. I also use blue Loctite on my gas block.

              Your wise to try 120 grain SMK, they’ll shoot decent in most barrels. A Friend found an accurate load for his Brownell’s barrel and 123 grain SST using Leverevolution, Lapua cases and CCI 450 primers.

              Comment

              • Crews
                Bloodstained
                • Jul 2017
                • 31

                #8

                Comment

                • Lone Hunter
                  Warrior
                  • Jan 2017
                  • 170

                  #9
                  The Hornady 123 ELD M. in Black shot very,very good out of my BHW 20" BHW barrel. Also, the Howa Mini Action shoots it equally as well. If I hadn't had time to work up a load or two in the Mini Action the Black was going to be my hunting load. As with anything,something doesn't work in everything all the time. If that makes sense. What works in one rifle doesn't always work in another I guess is what I was trying to say. Keep trying GACop, you will find something that works. Those size groups to me are something is wrong with the rifle or the optic. Keep us informed.

                  Comment

                  • Cornbread
                    Warrior
                    • Dec 2015
                    • 288

                    #10
                    Bear creek arsenal that's the issue.

                    Comment

                    • Randy99CL
                      Warrior
                      • Oct 2017
                      • 562

                      #11
                      It sounds like something is wrong with the rifle to me.
                      If I bought someone else's build I'd want to take the upper apart, check everything and reassemble it myself.
                      And closely check over the lower too.
                      "In any war, political or battlefield; truth is the first casualty."

                      Trump has never had a wife he didn't cheat on.

                      Comment

                      • Lone Hunter
                        Warrior
                        • Jan 2017
                        • 170

                        #12
                        Originally posted by Cornbread View Post
                        Bear creek arsenal that's the issue.
                        I wanted to say that but honestly could not as I have never used their products. The reviews for the most part are not good.

                        Comment

                        • Troutguide
                          Warrior
                          • Jan 2017
                          • 380

                          #13
                          "Make sure the gas block is not hitting the hand guard, if there is no clearence issue I’d pull the barrel. I’d use a lapping tool to ensure the face of the upper is square. If the barrel fits loose in the upper I’d shim it, then bed the barrel with blue Loctite. I also use blue Loctite on my gas block. "

                          This
                          "I rarely give a definite answer" - TG

                          Comment

                          • GaCop
                            Bloodstained
                            • Apr 2017
                            • 56

                            #14
                            Originally posted by Troutguide View Post
                            "Make sure the gas block is not hitting the hand guard, if there is no clearence issue I’d pull the barrel. I’d use a lapping tool to ensure the face of the upper is square. If the barrel fits loose in the upper I’d shim it, then bed the barrel with blue Loctite. I also use blue Loctite on my gas block. "

                            This
                            Even at 70 Y/O I'm never too old to learn. Will bed the barrel and gas block with blue locktite. The lower is also used with my 24" S/S varmint weight 223 Wylde chamber upper, that rifle shoots 2.3 inches at 450 yards with a 77 grain SMK hand load and 3.7 inches with the same load at 650 yards so I don't think there's any issued with the lower. Gas block is a Lo Pro and clears the M-Lock hand guard but will check it closely.

                            Comment

                            • GaCop
                              Bloodstained
                              • Apr 2017
                              • 56

                              #15
                              Also had issues with failure to extract and traced that to a weak extractor spring. Installed a rubber O ring and that solved that issue.

                              Comment

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