6.5 question... why does this ammo suck?

[Low Fence]

Myself and 3 others in our hog hunting team bought 6.5 grendel this season ( one guy bought2)

So we have 4.... but 2 were so horrible (9” @100) were sent back and replaced with 12” @ 100!!!!

6 total guns from 3 manufacturers and NONE will shoot 123gr hornady SST’s. Mines the best @ just under 6”.... but as bad as 9”


.... BUT.

123gr Hornady BLACK ELD- match shoots 1 1/2”- ragged hole in all of them!

I know nothing as far as bullets and guns. Just seemed odd. All the web forums say SST is way to go.... but that’s probably coming from a tactical ninja that shot a turtle on time at 30 yards

Anyone had anything close to this happen or help me understand why it sucks so bad?



Note: Hornady has consistently been the worst ammo I’ve shot in any of my calibers... but it’s about the only available option

[kcmarullo]

My Grendel loves the 123 SST. But I have a Satern barrel in my gun.

[BrianL]

I would say being that off it would have to be a bad batch. Call Hornady and see if they had a recall on that batch run.

[Low Fence]

Eld match from prone. And all 4 guns are this or close

[Low Fence]

SST’s

All 6 guns were this bad or worse with ammonia bought in 3 different parts of the state. That eld group is mine and I’m by far the worst shot of the 3 of us.

[kcmarullo]

Are you using Bear creek uppers ?

[Low Fence]

Mine is, and is the best of the 6
4 were PSA
1- ar stoner

[BrianL]

You might as well get a bayonet and learn to throw it.

[Low Fence]

You might as well get a bayonet and learn to throw it.

I can...and did out shoot in at 70 with my bow!.... with 1 1/4” broadheads

I can probably throw the SST’s at 100 close to that tight

[Killer]

How many rounds down the pipe? My BCA barrel got a lot better accuracy after about 200 rounds down the pipe. When I first shot it 2 to 4" 3 shot groups at 100yds was the best I got from anything I shot, some was even worse. Bullets flying everywhere!

I do not know if the PSA or Stoner is the same. Some of the cheaper barrel manufactures don't polish the cuts on the lands as some of the more expensive manufactures do. It seems like these barrels take a lot more break-in.

Still that seems like a large difference for accuracy between two similar loads.

My BCA did not like SST but shot it 2" to 2 1/2" 3 shot groups after 150 to 200 rounds. It shot ELD 3/4" to 1" 3 shot groups after 150 to 200 rounds.

That is a head scratcher for sure.

[Killer]

The most accurate bullet I shot out of my Grendel was the 120gr Speer Gold Dot, but I believe you will need to reload to use these.

[Low Fence]

How many rounds down the pipe? My BCA barrel got a lot better accuracy after about 200 rounds down the pipe. When I first shot it 2 to 4" 3 shot groups at 100yds was the best I got from anything I shot, some was even worse. Bullets flying everywhere!

I do not know if the PSA or Stoner is the same. Some of the cheaper barrel manufactures don't polish the cuts on the lands as some of the more expensive manufactures do. It seems like these barrels take a lot more break-in.

Still that seems like a large difference for accuracy between two similar loads.

My BCA did not like SST but shot it 2" to 2 1/2" 3 shot groups after 150 to 200 rounds. It shot ELD 3/4" to 1" 3 shot groups after 150 to 200 rounds.

That is a head scratcher for sure.

What gets me

My worst group with ELD’s has been under 2”... and that was off a field pod and one knee

Is ELD “useable” for deer? Uppers purpose is for my daughter a 100 and in deer gun to replace the .223 currently shooting. But I limit her to 50

[kcmarullo]

I have heard bad things about Bear Creek ? I have never used one so I have no experience , but I use Satern barrels exclusively !

[BrianL]

My son bought an AR10 a few years back and we went to sight it in. It had 8"+ groups. I told him he got screwed and time to sell that POS. Well, he went and got a box of his Federal 168 grain deer hunting ammo. 5 shots touching! I never knew till that day how bad some ammo can shoot.

[sierracharlie338]

This won’t make you feel better but my Grendel shoots but Hornady rounds under an inch. 12” at 100 yards is crazy.

I also have to disagree on the general reputation of the brand. I’ve had more Hornady factory loads outperform other brands than not (the superformance being the only exception, I hate that stuff). Maybe it’s a mental thing?? Like the guys that swear by core-lokts, that garbage won’t shoot in any weapon I own no matter the caliber.


Sierracharlie out…