Help me understand these loads

Bob Vetter · Jun 20, 2017

I was also going to say that Nosler loads there own "factory" loading's for the 6.5 might want to check out their offerings as well before ordering anymore "custom ammo"

Cheers

Addicting · Jun 20, 2017

In order first to last: Fusion, Berger 130, 140, Hornaday 143 XDL, Accubond 140g. Looking like thunder storms tonight. I may have to push 5 shot grouping till tomorrow.

Addicting · Jun 20, 2017

Bob Vetter said:
I was also going to say that Nosler loads there own "factory" loading's for the 6.5 might want to check out their offerings as well before ordering anymore "custom ammo"

Cheers

Bob, I looked at them and the price point is higher than what you can get from going with Copper Creek or Choice Ammunition. I would also be limited to the 129G Accubond verses getting the 140G. That was a big point of why I ordered from Choice. I get a hand loaded round for $1.46 each putting me at $29.90 a box. The factory 129G retails for $3.24 each or $64.80 a box. Cabela's carries it for $52.99 a box which is still way too high for my comfort zone.

I am trying to get a the heaviest load combo for this rifle as its first trial will be on Elk in MT this fall. I have shot and killed big animals with smaller weight bullets but I always felt a little under gunned.

Addicting · Jun 20, 2017

jryoung said:
You aren't even broken in yet, what order did you shoot the groups? Here are the first 20 rounds down a barrel, I'd get to at least 50 and see what it likes bit the fusions and accubonds show promise at this point.

View attachment 71682

Were these all the same round type of rounds? The rifle just got tighter as the barrel broke in? That last group is very nice. I am going to head over to Gander Mountain for lunch and see what ammo they have left from the store closing. Hopefully they have some cheap ammo to run some more down the tube before I test.

Flatland Crusoe · Jun 20, 2017

Bergers and Hornady ELD-X loads are finicky bullets that basically require extensive load development with powder ladders followed by tweaking the seating depths They have the potential to be great long range loads hence why precision rifle competition guys overwhelming prefer that type of bullet. Expecting a factory load with those bullets to play nice with a given gun is unlikely based on what I've seen.

Fusions shoot really well out of the box with nearly any rifle to the point where I buy a box for any rifle even if I intend to handload for it just to see how it runs. Fusions are more than adequate for most all hunting situations. They seem to ballistically hit a wall around 300-400 yards in my experience, but that is beyond where most guys should be taking shots.

jryoung · Jun 20, 2017

Addicting said:
Were these all the same round type of rounds? The rifle just got tighter as the barrel broke in? That last group is very nice. I am going to head over to Gander Mountain for lunch and see what ammo they have left from the store closing. Hopefully they have some cheap ammo to run some more down the tube before I test.

Yep, that is a box of fusions, the first 20 rounds down the barrel in groups of 5. Pretty neat to see them tighten up as you go.

1_pointer · Jun 20, 2017

It won't take too many boxes of factory, especially premium, ammo to pay for the price of a loading setup...

I'd also quit cleaning the barrel. Keep shooting until the groups get worse then start over. I don't have rifles that shoot better freshly cleaned vs. after a few rounds down the bore.

Addicting · Jun 20, 2017

Once a bullet is figured out it would be interesting to see cost per round on ordering it verses reloading it. To see how many rounds I would need to reload to pay off the setup.

Flatland Crusoe · Jun 20, 2017

Addicting said:
Once a bullet is figured out it would be interesting to see cost per round on ordering it verses reloading it. To see how many rounds I would need to reload to pay off the setup.

At $25/lb powder at 45 grains/load, 4 cent primers and 70 cent cases getting 10 reloads, it is 27 cents/round before bullet selection. Your reloads will likely cost 60-70 cents versus $1.50-2.00 for premium loaded ammo. You could get the investment back inside of 200-500 rounds.

Reloading doesn't save money, you just shoot more in the process.

mtmuley · Jun 20, 2017

The Berger Classic Hunter would be easier to find a load for if you are set on a Berger bullet. The Accubond is a better bullet, and if you intend to shoot elk with a small caliber, better use a stout bullet. mtmuley

Gary · Jun 20, 2017

With the results you got from the Federal Fusions, I'd try a box of Federal Premiums. I've always gotten excellent accuracy from them in a number of different calibers.

Gary · Jun 20, 2017

1_pointer said:
It won't take too many boxes of factory, especially premium, ammo to pay for the price of a loading setup...

I'd also quit cleaning the barrel. Keep shooting until the groups get worse then start over. I don't have rifles that shoot better freshly cleaned vs. after a few rounds down the bore.

When you're testing new and DIFFERENT loads, how do you determine when accuracy is beginning to suffer?

Addicting · Jun 20, 2017

mtmuley said:
The Berger Classic Hunter would be easier to find a load for if you are set on a Berger bullet. The Accubond is a better bullet, and if you intend to shoot elk with a small caliber, better use a stout bullet. mtmuley

I am hoping that I can get the accubonds dialed in. I think I will burn the rest of the Bergers off as break in rounds as I wasn't able to find any cheap ammo locally. Then put the EDL thru in a group before trying the Nosler and fusion again.

Dougfirtree · Jun 20, 2017

A lot of rifles really like Fusions. I'm not all that surprised by your results.

1_pointer · Jun 20, 2017

Gary said:
When you're testing new and DIFFERENT loads, how do you determine when accuracy is beginning to suffer?

You don't unless you do repeats. Be easy enough to keep a box of Fusions around to test that. That said, no more than he's shot the rifle if it's needing the barrel scrubbed to maintain the accuracy currently shown I'd have a hard time settling for that. I have yet to have a squeaky clean barrel shoot as well as one that is fouled. YMMV.

Addicting · Jun 20, 2017

I burned off the Bergers before the rain made me come inside. Each is a 7 shot group( what I had left ) The low one on the 140 wasn't seated the same as the rest. It felt harder when I closed the bolt. The first 5 were just over an 1" MOA. I didn't let the barrel cool down as I was running them thru to get it broke in some more. The 130g were the same dismal performance as yesterday. They were seated way to high as all of them were harder to close with the bolt.

Addicting · Jun 20, 2017

I pulled the one fusion, so I sent one in its place and used my Mulligan.

Addicting · Jun 20, 2017

Fusions are still the winner. With the Accubonds a close 2nd.

Bob Vetter · Jun 20, 2017

Addicting said:
Bob, I looked at them and the price point is higher than what you can get from going with Copper Creek or Choice Ammunition. I would also be limited to the 129G Accubond verses getting the 140G. That was a big point of why I ordered from Choice. I get a hand loaded round for $1.46 each putting me at $29.90 a box. The factory 129G retails for $3.24 each or $64.80 a box. Cabela's carries it for $52.99 a box which is still way too high for my comfort zone.

I am trying to get a the heaviest load combo for this rifle as its first trial will be on Elk in MT this fall. I have shot and killed big animals with smaller weight bullets but I always felt a little under gunned.

Yeah I hear ya on the price! At any rate based on the grouping you got today I would still use the Fusion. I have shot one Bear with the Fusion Bullet out of an 06' and it worked perfectly. Had a dead bear, two holes in the bear and it only went 15 yards!

I m all about a heavy load combo for big game. However I m running a .35 cal with a 225 bullet this year soooooo I m not to worried about it having enough gun/bullet. Just my preference for bigger cal bullets is all.

Addicting · Jun 20, 2017

I contacted John at Choice Ammunition and he asked for me to send him the pics of the targets. I think if I scrapped the lead sled and went back to bags I could tighten it up a little. Looking forward to thier feedback as I had a couple the the bolt closed hard on and all the 130s did. Never would of guesses that the cheapest would shoot the best. Plus none of the tips on the Fusions are the same, the lead spill over on the tip worried me.

Help me understand these loads

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