Grendel at extended ranges?

[bwaites]

I have a 1/9 that will shoot a 2" ten shot group with 77s at 300. So it is possible

That's very good. I'm really suprised at that. I haven't found any 1/9's that will stabilize anything over 69's. 1/8's will usually stabilize up to 77's, and a few will stabilize 80's, I've heard. Even longer .223 barrels, like the 26-30" used in F Class have to be 1/8 to stabilize 77's from what those guys tell me.

Any chance that barrel is actually a 1/8? ( I ask because I have an upper that was sold to me as 1/9, but is actually marked 1/8 once I got the handguard off.

[ChellieWiles]

I second Bwaites remark concerning twist rate. I have used many NATO chamber 1:9" and haven't been able to stabilize anything over a 60grain bullet past 225-275 yards. I just tried a few months ago with barnes 62ttsx and it worked great, till about 250 yards where it began keyholing targets. I have a target I set out at 500yards and the 62 was perfectly vertical when it hit. very nice bullet hole in my target but that thing turns into a shuriken once past 200 or so.

[ricsmall]

I second Bwaites remark concerning twist rate. I have used many NATO chamber 1:9" and haven't been able to stabilize anything over a 60grain bullet past 225-275 yards. I just tried a few months ago with barnes 62ttsx and it worked great, till about 250 yards where it began keyholing targets. I have a target I set out at 500yards and the 62 was perfectly vertical when it hit. very nice bullet hole in my target but that thing turns into a shuriken once past 200 or so.

i guess all barrels are different because ive had good luck with an Oly arms K8 target match heavy stainless 5.56 with 1:9". Just this weekend my cousin and I shot several moa groups at 400 lasered yards. Im shooting 69 SMK's and hes shooting 70 berger VLD's. We finished up on a 732 yard lasered target just for kicks. He missed every shot due to double dialing his windage. I had three shots left and made good on one. Wind was gusty @ 20 knots, but the swirling wind was the challenge. My final shot I dialed back to 0 wind and waited for it to lay then squeezed off. probably some luck, but Ill take it. Were gonna try some more in a couple of weeks maybe ill have a good report! Be glad when my grendel is done, I expect much better from it. BTW my cousins gun is a DPMS special bull 24" (heavy sucka!) 1:9" in .223 rem . Edit: Im not disputing what you guys are saying, just telling my experience.

Richard

[ChellieWiles]

like bwaites mentioned before, it might be mismarked is what I was agreeing to.

[oxn316]

That's very good. I'm really suprised at that. I haven't found any 1/9's that will stabilize anything over 69's. 1/8's will usually stabilize up to 77's, and a few will stabilize 80's, I've heard. Even longer .223 barrels, like the 26-30" used in F Class have to be 1/8 to stabilize 77's from what those guys tell me.

Any chance that barrel is actually a 1/8? ( I ask because I have an upper that was sold to me as 1/9, but is actually marked 1/8 once I got the handguard off.

There actually is no markings on the barrel. It was purchased as a 1/9 24" bull barrel from i think centuron or something like that. I cut it down to 21" and have great luck with it. using a cleani.g rod its around a 1/9. I know thats not an exact way to measure. I haven even made hits on a 1000 yard target with it.

[noone]

With an unmarked, unknown barrel, I would simply check the twist rate myself. I trust makers like Obermeyer, Kreiger, Schneider, Lilja and so on to sell me a barrel with the twist that they stated. If I were to buy an unmarked barrel at a gun show, or from someone I didn't know really well, I would check the twist myself just to make sure. Even honest people can make mistakes.

[LRRPF52]

If the 77gr SMK or Scenar are pushed fast enough or in a node to that barrel, a 1/9 could stabilize them, but 1/8 or 1/7 are definitely the recommended way to go with longer bearing surface .224 pills.

The 77gr SMK with Cannelure is used for the Mk262 5.56 load, IIRC. 77gr is a great mag-length loadable pill for 5.56 work at intermediate distances.

[RStewart]

If the 77gr SMK or Scenar are pushed fast enough or in a node to that barrel, a 1/9 could stabilize them, but 1/8 or 1/7 are definitely the recommended way to go with longer bearing surface .224 pills.

The 77gr SMK with Cannelure is used for the Mk262 5.56 load, IIRC. 77gr is a great mag-length loadable pill for 5.56 work at intermediate distances.

I agree wholeheartedly on the 77's. I use both the 77 SMK and the Hornady 75's in my match AR. It's a 1:7.7 twist and is very competitive. These are also the last bullet weights folks should probably try load to mag length. For single load I use the 80 SMK's. In my match, I get 2871 with Varget. In my 1:6.5 twist bolt rifle with 30" barrel, I get 2960 with 8208.

[hrt4me]

I agree wholeheartedly on the 77's. I use both the 77 SMK and the Hornady 75's in my match AR. It's a 1:7.7 twist and is very competitive. These are also the last bullet weights folks should probably try load to mag length. For single load I use the 80 SMK's. In my match, I get 2871 with Varget. In my 1:6.5 twist bolt rifle with 30" barrel, I get 2960 with 8208.

+1

[Zach_J5]

I know this threads old, but I read through it and figure I'll put in my .02. I have a 16" dpms w/ bull barrel that's 1 in 9 and it shoots hornadys 75gn superformance quite well. I got groups under an inch at 100 with em. But, mine does prefer pills in the 60's range. 64-69gn is her favorites.