Lets start over: how do you design a GPC?

[JASmith]

I listened to a discussion by Bill A. awhile back that helped illustrate Stan's concern. Paraphrasing:

• The current 5.56 ball projectile started out being a rather accurate and reasonably well streamlined bullet.
  
  
• The specs written by the government, however, allowed the manufacturer to relax the dimensional tolerances of several key features to allow for minimum cost fabrication.
  
  
• This they did, resulting in increased profits and a comparatively inexpensive bullet that meets minimum performance standards.
  

My take away:

1. We will get what we pay for.
   
2. Comparing the best shaped and finished 6.5 slug against the M80 is indeed an apples to oranges comparison.
   
3. Make the comparisons between comparable bullet types, e. g., a 150 gr .308 Sierra Matchking for for the 'super M80' and your favorite 6.5 SMK or your favorite 6.5 Lapua against the 150grain-class LockBase, and so on.
   
   Folks have done this off and on. My own assessment suggested that the Grendel still fares well, just not as dramatically as one might expect with a 144 gr Lapua vs the standard M80.