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So I need some help. My BCA 18? upper has been sub moa at 100yds from the beginning so I did not worry much. I thought I found a nice load for deer next month but really opens up at 200-300yds. Gun likes H335 28g 123g SST at 100yds 1? but man at 200 its like 6-8inch groups. Maybe its me but I was using a lead sled and all the shooting techniques from a life shooting. I have shot hundreds through the gun. Kind of slim on powders where I live no xbr or ar comp. Any recommendations? Bullet? Powders? Gun hates CFE223...
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Ditch the Lead Sled and shoot off real bags. Check your scope and mounts as well. It's very unusual for a load to shoot well at 100 yds, and then shoot poorly at 200-300. When it does occur it's usually not the load. -
Agreed ditch the sled and go double bag.
What did the sd and es look like for that load when you worked it up?Comment
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Get rid of the lead sled. I have never seen a rifle that would shoot the same when you take it out of the sled. The recoil impulse and movement of the rifle is way different out of the sled. I suggest you either get you a front rest and rear bag or just make up some sand bags for front and back support. Now to the 123 SST. In either factory or handloads with a host of suitable powders for the 6.5 Grendel I could not get this bullet to shoot consistently out of two rifles. With the best loads I might get three bullets in a tight group then off goes a flier an inch or more out. One of my rifles has a BCA 20" and the other is an Oden Works 18". Both of these rifles really like the 120 Sierra Pro Hunter and 120 Speer Gold Dot with IMR 8208. They both shoot consistently sub MOA with these bullets. Others have had trouble getting 123 SST to shoot. It seems that either your rifle loves it and will shoot it with many powders or hates it and will not shoot it well with anything. My first 6.5 Grendel was a Anderson lower that I built and a BCA complete upper. I bought 100 rounds of Hornady 123 SST to break in the rifle and then have the brass to reload. I have been shooting rifles in competition and hunting for 54 years and have rifles that I can shoot bug holes with in my sleep. When I went to the range with this BCA it shot patterns not groups at 100 yards. I ended up having to send it back to BCA and they replaced the barrel. It took around 100 rounds down the tube before it started to shoot well with my hand loads. It still will not shoot Hornady 123 SST better than 1 1/2 to 2 inches at 100 yards. I set this rifle up to shoot the 120 Gold Dot and killed a deer with it last year. It did an awesome job on it. I tried some CFE223 and could not get it to shoot well but then I went to IMR 8208 and found what I wanted. Once I find a powder that shoots like I want I usually pick up a few pounds when ever I can find it. I understand that IMR 8208 is hard to find right now. Read someplace that a shipment is going out sometime this fall from the factory.Comment
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Well before I flip out I will get my sandbags out and try again. I do not own a chrono cause I am a poor boy. I check religiously for pressure signs. This load is under max but still up there and showed good accuracy at 100yds. I have read a lot of complaining about SSTs lately so I was kind of wondering. Thanks guys... first post. Only been reloading for about 1 year.Comment
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Thanks man... may be killing my deer with my 300 BKL this year. LolComment
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For some reason the SST do not shoot well out of a 6.5 for whatever reason. The ELD bullets can and do shoot very well for a lot of people though. Load up 123 ELD and see what it does. ELD will kill a deer just fine as well. They are just Amax bullets rebrandedLast edited by delt475; 09-22-2019, 12:24 AM.Comment
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At grendel speeds in an 18" either hornady 123 Eldm/Sst bullet will do fine for hunting.
You might try to get some of 3 or 4 factory loads since season is coming up, then work on loads after deer season.
It's harder to find your sweet spots without a chrono but for your budget, granted it is what it is...
Hornady 123 Black Match (Eldm) (not the hpbt stuff)
Hornady 123 custom (sst)
Federal 120 fusion
Look at Precision Firearms ammo, they load good stuff.
If you have someone who is a known good shooter have him try your rig out to give you some more insight into its performance. (I'm personally not real convinced on BCA quality, but like I said right now it is what it is for you).
Final thought is your primer... if you're not using cci 450 that could be part of the MV issue... the 450 is the most popular primer here for the Grrr."Down the floor, out the door, Go Brandon Go!!!!!"Comment
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Ya I always use the cci 450s. I really wonder if it isn?t the bullet and powder. I really just need to branch out I suppose. I have not shot any designated hunting loads other than the SSTs. Lots of HP and fmjs that all flew fine. Being fairly new I just assumed I would be able to find a sweet spot for the SSTs. The more I read the more I begin to doubt them.Originally posted by grayfox View PostComment
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My PSA 20" shoot the SST 1" groups at 100 and about the same at 200 , I use 28.7 gn H335 for this load .Comment
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So very likely it is me and or the lead sled. I got the hint.... lol. Thanks broOriginally posted by sundowner View PostComment
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Are you chrono'ing and checking your SD/ES?Comment
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$69 https://www.amazon.com/Caldwell-7200.../dp/B00HTN5DTEOriginally posted by 13232 View PostComment
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You really should try and get your hands on a chronagrah. Without it you really don't know what you have. And looking for pressure signs on cci450 primers and grendel brass can get you in trouble with pressure very quickly.Originally posted by 13232 View Post
Grendel brass won't show pressure signs till it's way over pressure.Comment
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Well I went out and shot with sandbags and took my time and the groups sucked again. Shot some 95 VMax that I had loaded and the groups were 1/2 the size of the SSTs at 200yds. Guess its the 123 SSTs. Thanks for all the recent input...Comment
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