Hornady, from a couple American Gunner cans.What brass are you using?
Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
Hornady, from a couple American Gunner cans.What brass are you using?
Any 7.62x39 brass will do so long as it has boxer primers. The best process is hydro forming. Call Hornady and the will make you a die. After sizing the 7.62"with decapping pin removed"to 6.5G the spent primers act as a plug so the case will hold water or alcohol. You put the case in the hydro forming die and smack it with a big rubber hammer. This process eliminates having to fire form the cases. Hornady can custom make the die to match you chamberHas anyone out there used other brass to make 6.5 grendel brass? If you have what are you using? Thanks.
I run CFE-223 in my Grendel loads.And people laughed as I swept up range brass and put in my ruck.
LOL
Had a problem with my 6.5g scarring shoulders. I have polished the feed ramps, added an agb.
Only a couple boxes of factory rounds left, some sst123 and some 123 smk on the way.
I did some measurements and the smk is 0.030 longer than sst, the 130 Berger hybrid tac is longer and the 135 berger hybrid hunter I want to use is longer yet.
I'm thinking 223cfe is denser than the powders I'm nearly out of, maybe I can pack enough in the case?
@MudRunner2005I run CFE-223 in my Grendel loads.
I also used to pickup range brass everywhere I went. Folks thought I was cheap or crazy... Well, who’s crazy now.
I’ll have to look when I get home, can’t remember off the top.@MudRunner2005
Would you care to share your cfe223 loads for the gendel ?
I basically have to start from scratch for mine.
Saturn also uses, or used, a shorter freebore chamber that was geared more around the 107 & 123 ogive profile. May or may not be the case in your barrel but very distinct possibility you do not have a SAAMI 6.5 Grendel chamber.Snuby
I’ll have to respectfully disagree with your comment on secant ogive bullets not shooting in 6.5 Grendel. I have six of various lengths and twist rates and they shoot 123 Sierra MK and Scenars quite well at 2.265 over AR Comp. in fact, best group I’ve ever shot from an AR was with the 123 Sierra and ARC combo using CCI 41’s in a 24” Satern cut rifled barrel.
That said, have retreated to a more significant inventory of Nosler 123 CC’s that will also shoot quite well. YRMV, but this reflects a lot of rounds down range in a handful of Grendels.
Used a lot of CFE 223 as well, and it seems to perform best at near 100% case capacity. Have migrated largely to AR Comp in 120 class bullets for both accuracy and temp stability in range of conditions in Texas.
I tried them with Ramshot Tac, couldn't get them to shoot well and gave up on it. I was looking to use it as a gas gun for PRS matches but built a bolt gun instead so I didn't put too much time into it. Sierra lists the highest velocities with Tac and a couple other powders I haven't ever seen.anyone shooting the 107 SMK's?
Thanks .. I'll give this a try. I just picked up 1,000 and only have about 75 123 scenars left.107 SMK
29.0 gr. of Reloader 15
CCI 450 primer
OAL=2.27
Typically turns in 3/4 MOA. I'm running a 24" barrel with rifle length gas. Reloads done on Hornady New Dimension dies.
I have about 1/2 -5/8 of a pound of Tac left.... I'll try it ... I'm a bit nervous it works out and I won't have any left!I tried them with Ramshot Tac, couldn't get them to shoot well and gave up on it. I was looking to use it as a gas gun for PRS matches but built a bolt gun instead so I didn't put too much time into it. Sierra lists the highest velocities with Tac and a couple other powders I haven't ever seen.
Where in the hell did you find 1k of anything??? Good score! I can't find it in my notes but I recall Benchmark worked really well too.Thanks .. I'll give this a try. I just picked up 1,000 and only have about 75 123 scenars left.
it all depends on the throat in your chamber. My Criterion 18in barrel will shoot sub moa with smk 120g or 123ncc 107tmk 108 0r 123 lapuas but it just will not shoot 123smk. It has a longer throat and loves the shorter pills. On the other hand my buddy has a cheap BCA barrel that eats those 123 smks like tootsie rolls. BUT if he tried some 120elds and jammed em in the rifleing when he seated them at 2.225. I can load the same pills to 2.250. You have to measure your throat and also know if its a compound or one of those saturn throatsI'm still just learning and welcome all the mentoring I can get.
I have a box of the 123 smk's in transit . Thing is I was under the impression that smk's are more of a tangent ogive. I have had poor results with secant ogive bullets in short (mag length) actions.
My thoughts were that a longer nose robbed me of case capacity and created a long jump to the lands. In case of some the ogive was nearly back to the case mouth to get it to mag lenght.
The shorter nose of a tangent ogive bullet had me closer to the lands and less bullet in the case was what seemed like I was getting.
I just looked up all of Berger's and that appeared to be the case.
Most of the secant bullets tried (in 308) with a short mag lenght magazine worked poorly and the diffrent shape of the smk's quickly sorted that out.
Please advise. And please share any cfe223 or H335 loads that worked well because that's about all I have decent amounts of left.
I have thick skin so no need to allow for any stupidity on my part.
I know from my exp the 123 smk is a really long sleek bullet. You will run out of mag length b4 you get to the lands. If my memory serves the bto of the 123 smk was nearly as short as some 100g pills definitely the shortest 120 class bullet I've measured. If you have access to a lathe and some stock I would just machine a new one. I was using the Horney brand and for the most part it did the job. The bullet comp was better than the case comp. Depending on which case I was measuring none of the supplied comps would fit the shoulder in the right place. Either to small and was to high or to large and to far down the shoulder. The 308 and 223 had one that did a good job but with the Grendel for some reason it didn't have one that would read from a good spot. I just took measurements of the cuts that fit the comp body turned one down and cut the center to the right size and even added the shoulder angle so to get more even contact over a wider area. Since then I've made a custom comparitor for ea bottleneck case I reload.Ya if I cant find my 264 bullet comparitor I will have to order a new one. I have a modified case so that will get me max coal when touching lands but not the ogive.
I have the smk 123's and the hornady sst.
If someone would get me a (rough) bto on those it would help.
I don't figure iether will hit the lands before hitting the magazine.
I plan on running new tests starting just shy of mag max and then backing up from there to fine tune.
Think I will try H335 since I have 8lb.
I'm getting .660 bto on the 123 smk in a Hornady 5-26 comparitor no sst on handYa if I cant find my 264 bullet comparitor I will have to order a new one. I have a modified case so that will get me max coal when touching lands but not the ogive.
I have the smk 123's and the hornady sst.
If someone would get me a (rough) bto on those it would help.
I don't figure iether will hit the lands before hitting the magazine.
I plan on running new tests starting just shy of mag max and then backing up from there to fine tune.
Think I will try H335 since I have 8lb.
AT the time they were in Stock at Palmetto State ArmoryWhere in the hell did you find 1k of anything??? Good score! I can't find it in my notes but I recall Benchmark worked really well too.
Hey brother just wanna say ahead of time that I'm saying this to be a dickhead. You know snow is frozen water and fire is hot? Now I'm sure you do there's no way a fella making reloads n still has a face doesn't know those things. Fire + snow + metal pot =Agua. Ok seriously now I'm a plumber and so it's my brother. We just bought up every water heater in E.TN and loaded up his enclosed trailer. We are headed for Tyler TX in the morning to help out. Tell the truth to make some good money but either way be in TX soonThanks.
Power, heat and water outage has had me messed up for days.
Melting snow still today, at least roads are nearly clear so I can go get some water.
I had thought the SMK had a more forward ogive, not sure why?
Food for thought. I have noticed that the H brand loaded ammo has a very light crimp. Found this out when I encountered a double feed a few months back. When I got back to the bench I measured all the black box stuff ant it was all spot on. In the bulk can of American Gunner there were a few that was off either +/- a couple thous. After seeing this I grabbed my good ole hammer puller n gave ea rnd a tap or two to get em all over 2.260. Then I got the seating die out and re-seated ea one to a oal my rifle likes with the 123bthp and hit em with a light crimp in a Lee factory crimp. The results blew me away. B4 all this no factory loaded Hrndy ammo would shoot close to moa and after they were consistently moa or better. If anyone gets bored enough to try this pls let me know your results.Hornady Black 123 ELD was in stock on Midway USA a few nights ago, at like 11pm... Apparently in VERY limited quantities... I think I bought the last bit they had...And overpaid by about $14 a box compared to previous prices. Used to be $19.99-$24.99 a box, but it was $33.99 a box. I need the brass, and loaded ammo was the only thing available. A bit overpriced, but what are you gonna do right now otherwise... I hit submit order, and then immediately checked the product again, and it was out of stock. Damn, cut that close, glad I was awake to get the notification...Because I clicked IMMEDIATELY as that email came in.
Yeah, I've got quite a few manuals here. I've found over the years that book max is rarely the max for my guns. I'm not recommending anyone try anything over book max, I'm just saying how I do it. I accept my own risk. So I'm not going to tell anyone else how to do things.FWIW 31.2 grains is the Hornady book max for 120-123 grain bullets and CFE-223.
CFE-223 also seems to be what was used in the 123 grain American Gunner offering, pull and dump showed 29.9 grains.
From my own experience the American Gunner is very temperature sensitive and can get into unsafe pressures once it is hot out.
When I still had some left and was using it for matches I took to keeping it in my backpack in a soft sided lunch box with a blue ice pack. The flat primers went away then.
I checked my primers and the edges were still VERY rounded. There was no excess pressure signs more than factory Hornady ammo on the cases. Also, I didn't notice any extra thump or aggressiveness in the buffer or cycling... But I'll keep a watch on it. Thanks. I built the gun almost 10 years ago, but always shot factory Hornady because it was cheap and plentiful, shot around 1.5 MOA, and I never really needed to reload for it, even though I have had all the components for years. I've been reloading and doing load work forever, but never with the AR's because I always had an "in" for cheap bulk ammo with 5.56 & .300 BLK subs, and like I said, 6.5G was everywhere anytime for between $16-$20 a box, so I really only reloaded all these years for my bolt-action precision, hunting, and LR rifles.The danger on Grendel though is by the time you see a classic sign of pressure you are already way past what is safe. I do agree most reloading manuals seem to be written by lawyers at times. But Grendel is a different animal and needs to be approached that way IMO.
CFE is a great powder and can get awesome velocity, but it does not like heat.
When working up loads with the Grendel a Chrono is a must. Especially with IMR 8208The danger on Grendel though is by the time you see a classic sign of pressure you are already way past what is safe. I do agree most reloading manuals seem to be written by lawyers at times. But Grendel is a different animal and needs to be approached that way IMO.
CFE is a great powder and can get awesome velocity, but it does not like heat.
Ive got this exact setup, what kinda groupings are you getting?31.4 CFE with almost every 123 will get you 2525-2550 in a 20” barrel. My Satern and Bartlein say so, haven’t chrono’d Wilson Combat yet, but betting so.
oops31.4 CFE with almost every 123 will get you 2525-2550 in a 20” barrel. My Satern and Bartlein say so, haven’t chrono’d Wilson Combat yet, but betting so.
Mine are seated mag length...31.4g of cfe223?
Not going in a magazine is it?