Grendel at precision rifle match

[mlmiller1]

I shot in a little "precision rifle match on training wheels" competition the last Sat in March. It was my first time shooting like this with my new to me grendel upper shooting untested ammo with a scope that had not been fired since it was mounted properly on this rifle. We(me & the grendel) came in 3rd out of 8 behind two guys that have done a fair amount of this sort of stuff. On was shooting a bolt 260 with a big US optics scope & the other a JP rifles 260 AR-10 with a 4500 bushnell. I was plenty excited to have done anywhere near that well, even though I was a distant 3rd. Smallest target was a 4" circle at 100 & we shot at 6" diamonds, 12" diamonds, 10" circle, a small (approx 8") round topped popper, & a full size ipsc steel at distances varying from 100yds to 500yds. The targets out in the open weren't too bad with the wind but the one at 500 was right up against a dirt "wall" & the wind was playing funny tricks with that one. The 12" diamond at 445 was pretty cool, also, when I nailed it with my first shot!

They scored it time plus penalties for each varying distance, changing targets stage. Each target never hit was worth 20 added seconds. Each one not shot at added uhhh, can't remember, a bunch I'd say. hahaha. 20 plus the 20 for the miss? Something like that. Anyway, it was fun! 4 stages, 5-6 targets each stage.

MLM

[bwaites]

MLM,

What load/loads did you shoot?

There, not it is in the right thread!!

[mlmiller1]

BWaites,

I topped my mags with Black Hills gold 123 smk but two down in the mag, I went to the AA 120 BT Nosler rounds. I was afraid I would run out of the AA before the match was over, thus the BH for closer targets. Worked ok until I changed a mag mid stage. Hmm, wonder how the BH will hit compared to the AA???? hahahaha. Oh well, best laid plans of mice & men, right? Anyway, it worked out. I was safe, had fun & did ok. Pretty succesful day overall. I found out the grendel, even us unprepared as it (& I ) was for this match, can stand up with the bigger guns ok, at least to 500yds.

There was a 25-06, a 6.8spc, a 223(he had tough time at 500), a 308, HMMM, & a 7mm mag, maybe? Not sure & we were all newbies except the two guys that set it up & of course also won. This was a sort of introductory match to get us all hooked. I think it worked! hahaha.

Thanks for asking!

Mark

[bwaites]

Those kinds of matches are fun, of course it helps if you have plenty of the same ammo! LOL

I would have expected the 6.8 guy to have problems, even more than the .223 guy, but a lot of .223 success at long range is bullet dependent.

Have fun, shoot well!

[mlmiller1]

The 6.8 guy did have trouble, now that you mention it, but only at the longest distances & then only when the wind got up pretty good. He just knew when to quit. It was sort of strange as he had a forward mounted handle. Used that to monopod off of. Did pretty well considering the wind & the instability of doing it that way. He had a bipod but didn't want to put it on for some reason???????

The 223 guy empted a mag at the 500yd target. You could have numbered a clock with his hits. I bet he shot 12rds & each one hit a different spot around that target. It was weird. Then when he was out of rounds, he still had one target left he didn't engage. Big penalties! He was shooting factory 55gr. by the way. He actually thought it was a bench rest type of match & he had his F class single shot "artillery piece" with him but when he saw what we were doing, he grabbed his AR from the backseat & just went ahead & stayed to play. He knew he wasn't equipped right but he made a great showing on everything from @350 on in. He was beating me, by the way.

I had a couple of what I think were adjustable gas block issues along with everything else. Seemed it was closing by itself?????? I would open it up between stages, start the next stage works great, then a few shots in, started having feed issues. Opened it again next stage, same thing. I assume it was turning by itself as the screw was REALLY easy to turn. You could put your thumb on it & press & turn it. When I got home, I took it out & put some teflon tape on it which firmed it up some. We'll see if that works.

Mark

[bwaites]

Mark,

That makes sense. 55 FMJ is not exactly a wind cheating round! The 6.8 guys kick the velocity up and hope, since none of the 6.8 rounds have any kind of a decent BC, (well, they kick it up and hope if they handload, or they use Silver State Ammo combat loads and hope!) BUT...to not slap the Bipod on makes no sense if you want to win/place/show!

If I had my F class rifle under those circumstances, I would probably still have shot it, over an AR with 55's! There is just NO consistency to 55's in any kind of wind, that pattern you describe is pretty typical!

[RStewart]

Mark,

That makes sense. 55 FMJ is not exactly a wind cheating round!
If I had my F class rifle under those circumstances, I would probably still have shot it, over an AR with 55's! There is just NO consistency to 55's in any kind of wind, that pattern you describe is pretty typical!

+1. Anything under a 77 grain at distance in a .223 is problematic at best. I shoot 600 yards with 77's in my match AR without much issue (I single load 80's). 55's would be all over the place at that distance with anything other than almost calm conditions.

We will have our next FPR this Saturday and the 6.5G and I will be on the line again shooting at 600. Currently shooting 120 SMK's, but moving up to the 123 SMK's.

[bwaites]

+1. Anything under a 77 grain at distance in a .223 is problematic at best. I shoot 600 yards with 77's in my match AR without much issue (I single load 80's). 55's would be all over the place at that distance with anything other than almost calm conditions.

We will have our next FPR this Saturday and the 6.5G and I will be on the line again shooting at 600. Currently shooting 120 SMK's, but moving up to the 123 SMK's.

I have not been as happy with the 123 SMK's as the Lapuas and the Hornady's. I just can't get them to shoot as well. That said, my buddy says they are more accurate than any load he has tried out of his Grendel, so who knows!

[RStewart]

I'm getting 1/2 moa at 100 with the 120 SMK's, but the BC of the 123's is so much higher I thought I'd try them. But, I'm wondering if lighter might be better also. Any thoughts on weight? I only shoot 600 yard, so varying distances is not an issue.

[noone]

One of the fellows I shoot with (LRS Ranger) tried the 123 Scenars at 100 and didn't like them much. When he shot them at 600 yards though they worked fabulously well. He surmised that his rifle didn't settle them down at 100, but they shot wonderfully at 600 yards. So he is sold on the 123 Scenar for long range, and 120 SMK for 100-300 yards.