I really love this series. It's been fascinating seeing what does and does not shoot well through the rifle. Keep up the good work Halftime, it keeps me coming back.
Ya know this is an amazing idea I'm glad it has worked out this way. I wish I would have thought about doing this years ago. Well maybe not it was much cheaper back in the day. Really looking forward to the next couple video's.
Now I am really curious how the next round will go...shoot, they will be just like home rolled, lol. I am still amazed at how much variance there was to seating depth and to charge weights...no consistency at all.
@@Halfmilesniper even more so the differences in the boxes but actually with a few other video's about 22 ammo I worry about all the factory purchased ammo when things " started " getting back to normal. Really hope America gets back to producing more of it's own stuff. And not just in this line of stuff. If ya know what I mean. Back on topic maybe an additional load eith on this next video or maybe even another follow up. Just for the hell of it. Try purchasing all the individual components ( same, same stuff or as close as possible ) and loading a few to see how that might compare as well.
@@JeRKII ...I am using Hornady brass (originally from once fired 6.5 PRC that Randle sent me) and Hornady 147 ELD projectiles. Not sure which primer they use, and we will do another visual comparison on the powder. But the main items, brass and bulllets are the same. we'll see what happens Forgot to add that I think the efforts to recover for the great ammo shortage could definitely have an impact on the quality or quality control on US made ammo.
Gosh must be same women telling you the velocity that I have! Great analysis. In the last 40 years I have shot less than a 100 rounds of factory ammo. Thanks for the video
The first time the chronograph talked to me is scared the tar out of me...on video even, LOL. Made me jump. Thanks for watching, I really appreciate it.
When I get done or give up on the 147 gr Match I might see if I can get any of the 143 ELDX...you know, for science. I appreciate you watching, thanks!
Your videos are great with the 6.5 PRC. I have a CVA Cascade XT in 6.5 PRC and have been using your research to help improve my loads. I don't have time to get to the range as much as I like and your testing helps me. Like you, I have been very disappointed in the performance of the Hornady "Match" loads. The velocity is low and accuracy is not there with my rifle with the 147 ELD-M factory ammo. The discrepancy on the charge weights when you pulled the bullets was shocking. "Match" ammo to me means precision in every aspect of the loaded cartridge. Keep up the good work and greetings from Southeast Georgia.
Thanks! Wow, Southeast Georgia...spent a lot of time in the area...Brunswick, Saint Simons Island, Jekyll Island, Darien...LOL between my time there at the academy training and my time teaching at FLETC. You ever get out to the Southeast Coastal Gun Club? The firearms staff would occasionally get to spend a day out there and do some long range plinking.
@@Halfmilesniper Wow! It's a small world. I am still on the job, but at the county level. Been in for almost 30 years. I am in the opposite direction and use a private range for load work and plinking. I just haven't been able to find that perfect combination yet for my XT, but I'm working on it. Keep up the good work and don't get clapped!
Remember. The length that is important here is from shoulder to ogive. If the case is pressed a lot, as it most often is at factory amo, you are in danger of putting the bullet in the rifling.
I honestly thought you'd get much better sd with the consistent neck tension. Very surprised. Will be very interesting to see what the more accurate powder charges will do. My savage highcountry 6.5prc loves these. Haven't run tgem through a chrono yet. I will on next months range trip and let you know how my results compare. Really great content. Much appreciated
I thought so too...I did get a better group, and slightly higher velocity but the extreme spread killed the numbers. I am certain that is 100% due to the wacky powder charges. I have posted plenty of .2 and .3 inch groups in the load testing so it stands to reason I should be able to do it with factory ammo too...but, not this rifle, lol. I really do appreciate you watching, thanks.
@@Halfmilesniper , yeah, haven't seen that kind of snow levels since the early 1980s. And before that at least 1977, if not 75. There were times where the snow pack was so low that you couldn't even go play in it..
Grew up in the Sierras near Twain Harte a couple hours from Tahoe. Definitely some heavy snows that come through every now and again. Beautiful area though.
Looking good. On the right track with exact measurements. Got some 380 fmj in today & on a whim broke out scales & 4 other 380 rounds/fmj & hp- to check weights. Some brands were off as much as 1.2 gns. S&B hp 4 out of 5 were all 136.8 gns odd one was off .04gns. Guess which I loaded in magazines? 1,115fps helped chose also. Consistent!!
Consistency is key. That is one reason I continue to load the bipod for all testing...it is keeping every test on pretty much the same plane...the only thing I can't control is the weather. Now, once I have settled on a load I can relax and just let the gun do its thing, we'll see if that tightens things up or loosens them, lol.
Even if only weighing 5 rounds of each brand or design it lets you know who has better Quality Control in rifle or pistol ammo. Sellout & Bellot surprised me. Underwood I knew would be good also. Some USA brands are slacking.
I bought one box of Hornady 6.5 PRC 147gr Eld-M about five years ago. I pulled a bullet, and the powder looked identical to Alliant RL26. (This is an extruded powder - not "ball powder".) I had a hard time beating the accuracy and could not reproduce the velocity (average of 3025fps) without excessive pressure signs. I settled at 2960fps with RL26 in a 26 inch barrel.
RL26 is still on my list of powders ti find. When I broke these down, the powder sure did look like StaBall...when I do the next test I will get a side by side shot on StaBall and the powder in this batch of factory. I imagine they have several recipes for a given offering based of powder availability.
The differences in charge weights and COAL is why I wonder how anyone gets good groups out of factory ammo. This also affirms that my hand loaded ammo is superior to factory ammo.
I was really surprised by both the OAL and the charges on this lot of ammo...it was all over the map for sure. For "match" ammo I definitely expected somewhat more equal charge weights at a minimum... Thanks for watching, I really appreciate it.
i was on when this was live i had a 7mm prc i shot 26 rounds threw it & got cleaning rod stuck in it what a mess! the 176 hunter was 2651 speed teat & fastest was 140 at 2715 & h4831 it most loudness & force from muzzle break they low amount of powder on the load book too! there was workers at the ranger today too washing fence off with pressure washer & running power tools! i asked they said just shoot away from there work area! the cleaning rod end out the 7mm now it came out with some force & use of the car door frame of suv to hold rifle firmer I have stuff that knock stuck case out in my back pack for shooting!
Wow, sounds like a mess at the range for sure. I did get a rod stuck once too...I didn't go all the way through with a brush...big mistake. But I finally got it out but destroyed the rod.
Hi Mike You had better performance by removing some variables however the large powder charge discrepancies are not helping. Your idea to dump 5 charges into 1 pile and divide into 5 equal charges is a good idea. Also liad the rounds 1 at a time to remove the variable of a loaded cartrige slamming back in the mag up to 4 times. Also be carefull even though it looks like Staball 65 it is likley a bulk batch of powder that does not match perfectly to commercial grade powder Good luck hope this last test is the one
I might try single loading just to avoid the possibility of set back. When I do my next test I plan to compare on video the powder in the rounds to the StaBall I have...just to show how similar they look. I know sometimes the ammo manufacturers have proprietary blends so looks can be deceiving. It wil be interesting to see what happens.
Ok so here's some thoughts. There's a popular youtube channel, a shooting school but they also build nice custom rifles and they are pricey at just over $6000. They guarantee half minute to 1100 yards (IIRC), with Hornady factory ammo, I think specifically, the Match eldm and precision hunter eldx, 30 cal and under. They have multiple videos showing it done and hitting golf balls at 1000 yards with Hornady match ammo. Thus, the rifles are built to excellent standards and tolerances to control mediocre ammo with such variances. Second, if a rifle can do that, it demonstrates that the variables in the components of the ammo, including inconsistent neck tension, bullet weight, seating depth, powder charges, aren't that important in many cases. On the flip side, I've seen budget rifles, (what I keep hearing them called), such as Ruger Americans, Mossberg Patriots, Savage, etc., shoot several factory ammo very well, like Adam does on WTW. I've seen those same rifles do even better with consistent sorted handloads. Ultimately, I think If I were to shoot a few factory ammo and they did well per LOT number, I'd leave them alone. If they shot like crap, I'd seriously consider pulling a box of 20, equalize the powder charges accordingly, run the brass in a bushing die and choke 'em down .003, then run 'em over my turning mandrel to expand them consistently per inside neck sizing and start with bullet seating 10 thousandths off the lands. Shoot 5 see how they do. If not so great, take the next 5 and seat deeper, and so on. The catch is getting factory ammo that isn't crimped, which exists but I've not paid much attention to all the Hornady ammo I have on hand Another great video and thanks for sharing!
I don't think I have seen that gun building series...sounds nice. Thanks for giving me something to look into. I don't know that I will every get factory ammo to run in this rifle and that is OK...as I said, some people have great results with the Hornady Factory Match but it doesn't work in my rifle for squat...which really is disappointing. I am pretty sure both boxes of factory I bought are not crimped...I barely have to tap them with the inertia puller to knock the bullet out.
when i chrono i never mess with sd's. i alwasy go to ES . if your ES is down your sd will be lower. i don't care what groups do until i get a node with low ES. Once i get a node with ES I recreate that node and test it again. if it repeats . i load up 20+ rods amd shoot a couple 10 shot groups to see how the group. I also run Eric Cortina's ec tuner so i dont have to push and pull bullets to get harmonic tune. i just tune that node with the EC tuner and just smile.
In my load testing I have had a number of great groups with poor ES/SD and a couple loads that had good ES/SD...latest example is the H1000 test at 57.6 (IIRC) I have a low ES/SD and will revisit that load plus 57.5 and 57.7 as well as start playing with seating depth. It had great numbers but a poor group...but that low ES has my attention.
I have a bergara wilderness in 6.5 prc and I struggled to get a good group with hornady match. I switched to norma golden target match 143 grain and shot phenomenal groups. Shot 5 groups and every group was .75 moa or better. Best 3 shot group I shot was all in one hole
Glad to see there are others who get poor results from the Hornady match...I haven't seen any Norma match around here, but I'll keep my eye out. I will at least have me 40 new pieces of once fired Hornady brass when I finish testing this box of factory, LOL...that;s a win!
Love this investigation series. Awesome video!!! The measuring results are a bit surprising given all the Hornady marketing chest pounding. Over 0.3 grain spread on the powder … I do better than that with my Lee Auto-Drum on a Turret
Adding the five charges based on the pulled charge average would be just like loading them yourself. It might be a way to get custom loads with only the labor component added to the cost of factory ammo(Sadly, purchasing components is more expensive than it once was. Loading ammo was once a savings, even for plinking, but I cannot seem to get that discount in today's market). 👍👍
This factory match ammo runs like $55 a box of 20 here William....The bullets cost me $49/100, the brass I am using is on its 10th load, powder is about $50/pound. So, that pound of powder will make me 125 rounds, give or take...add in the bullets and primer and I am looking at $1.19 per round versus $2.75 per round for factory. And, as we have seen, my ammo shoots a lot better than the factory ammo, lol. Saving on the per bullet cost but dang if I don't shoot more, lol...never did save any money loading my own!
@@Halfmilesniper Loading it using that fired brass is only where your savings kick in. New brass is nearly $2/piece, primers $.20/ea, powder($50÷116[7000 grains @60grain load]) $.43/shot, bullet $.40/ea{I saw same bullet for that price, but shipping might bump them to $.48-$.50}, for a cost of $60.60/box. And your labor is a constant , but setup cost diminishes over time. The pursuit of accuracy adds a value beyond a mere $ measure. My lament is that one cannot match even factory perfomance at a savings as was feasible in the not so distant past and exceeding it was still better and cheaper then.
@@williamgaines9784You are right William, it definitely is not the cost savings it used to be back when powder was $20-$25 a pound, and primers were $30/1,000. When I started loading match ammo , I was cleaning up as my 9mm match ammo cost me then about $6 a box and my wadcutter ammo only cost me about $2 a box. I am pretty sure my rifle press is fully diminished, lol...been running that Rock Chucker since 1978 or 79, lol.
@@Halfmilesniper my rock chucker needs to come out of retirement. Loaded a lot of 38spl/357, 30 carbine, and 25-06 with it. I bought mine around the same time.😎 If I can just find some hen's teeth, I mean primers, at a decent price, I might set up a reloading bench again.
Both boxes I bought have had large ES/SD, this second box I think showed why...no consistency in bullet seating nor powder charges. I expected match ammo results that's for sure. We'll see what happens on the next test.
@Halfmilesniper I was thinking similar. I think different charge weights are the biggest problem. The ones you dumped out had about half a grain difference. Then, seating depth can sure make the jump different and then make the timing of the bullet leaving the barrel off.
I see Heath has already filled you in on the Howa long action. I called MDT to find out which MDT mag I needed. You need the ACIS 5 round 300 Win Mag 3.715" magazine. You can find that on MDT's website.
The only thing wrong with it is that is sure doesn't like the factory ammo, lol. This rifle has posted a number a nice groups of .3" and smaller with various loads. This is only the 2nd box of factory ammo I've run in this rifle and neither box has shot worth a hoot yet I have gotten tiny little groups during my load tests. Weird, but it is what it is...all but 5 shots in the rifle have been on video too.
@@blaiz4 I talked to Erik about it...to run my brake for my suppressor I have to have the barrel modified to work with his new tuner that works with suppressor/brakes. I will consider that option when/if I rebarrel this budget build. Of course, I have the option of not running my muzzle device that works with my can, since I am only able to use the can when I am out of California.
Not sure what you mean by "breathing nonsense. " ... if you're talking about hearing me exhale it because the mic is under my chin, which puts it closer to my face when I wrap into the rifle.
I really love this series. It's been fascinating seeing what does and does not shoot well through the rifle. Keep up the good work Halftime, it keeps me coming back.
LOL, thanks, I really do appreciate it. It will all come together (I hope) when I zero in on "the load" and start stretching this thing out.
Great video. Looking forward to the results of the next video.
You and me both! Thanks for watching, I really appreciate it.
Ya know this is an amazing idea I'm glad it has worked out this way. I wish I would have thought about doing this years ago. Well maybe not it was much cheaper back in the day.
Really looking forward to the next couple video's.
Now I am really curious how the next round will go...shoot, they will be just like home rolled, lol. I am still amazed at how much variance there was to seating depth and to charge weights...no consistency at all.
@@Halfmilesniper even more so the differences in the boxes but actually with a few other video's about 22 ammo I worry about all the factory purchased ammo when things " started " getting back to normal. Really hope America gets back to producing more of it's own stuff. And not just in this line of stuff. If ya know what I mean.
Back on topic maybe an additional load eith on this next video or maybe even another follow up. Just for the hell of it. Try purchasing all the individual components ( same, same stuff or as close as possible ) and loading a few to see how that might compare as well.
@@JeRKII ...I am using Hornady brass (originally from once fired 6.5 PRC that Randle sent me) and Hornady 147 ELD projectiles. Not sure which primer they use, and we will do another visual comparison on the powder. But the main items, brass and bulllets are the same. we'll see what happens
Forgot to add that I think the efforts to recover for the great ammo shortage could definitely have an impact on the quality or quality control on US made ammo.
Gosh must be same women telling you the velocity that I have!
Great analysis. In the last 40 years I have shot less than a 100 rounds of factory ammo.
Thanks for the video
The first time the chronograph talked to me is scared the tar out of me...on video even, LOL. Made me jump. Thanks for watching, I really appreciate it.
I have 3 6.5 prc’s from three different manufacturers. All shoot sub MOA with 10 or better SD’s. 143 ELD-X Hor factory! Good luck!
When I get done or give up on the 147 gr Match I might see if I can get any of the 143 ELDX...you know, for science. I appreciate you watching, thanks!
Your videos are great with the 6.5 PRC. I have a CVA Cascade XT in 6.5 PRC and have been using your research to help improve my loads. I don't have time to get to the range as much as I like and your testing helps me. Like you, I have been very disappointed in the performance of the Hornady "Match" loads. The velocity is low and accuracy is not there with my rifle with the 147 ELD-M factory ammo. The discrepancy on the charge weights when you pulled the bullets was shocking. "Match" ammo to me means precision in every aspect of the loaded cartridge. Keep up the good work and greetings from Southeast Georgia.
Thanks! Wow, Southeast Georgia...spent a lot of time in the area...Brunswick, Saint Simons Island, Jekyll Island, Darien...LOL between my time there at the academy training and my time teaching at FLETC. You ever get out to the Southeast Coastal Gun Club? The firearms staff would occasionally get to spend a day out there and do some long range plinking.
@@Halfmilesniper Wow! It's a small world. I am still on the job, but at the county level. Been in for almost 30 years. I am in the opposite direction and use a private range for load work and plinking. I just haven't been able to find that perfect combination yet for my XT, but I'm working on it. Keep up the good work and don't get clapped!
👍👍great test, thanks Halfmile
Glad you liked it! Thanks for watching!
Appreciate the test. Many thanks.
Thanks for watching! I really do appreciate y'all watching, it makes the effort worth it for sure.
Remember. The length that is important here is from shoulder to ogive. If the case is pressed a lot, as it most often is at factory amo, you are in danger of putting the bullet in the rifling.
👍
I honestly thought you'd get much better sd with the consistent neck tension. Very surprised. Will be very interesting to see what the more accurate powder charges will do. My savage highcountry 6.5prc loves these. Haven't run tgem through a chrono yet. I will on next months range trip and let you know how my results compare. Really great content. Much appreciated
I thought so too...I did get a better group, and slightly higher velocity but the extreme spread killed the numbers. I am certain that is 100% due to the wacky powder charges. I have posted plenty of .2 and .3 inch groups in the load testing so it stands to reason I should be able to do it with factory ammo too...but, not this rifle, lol.
I really do appreciate you watching, thanks.
Thank you Halfmile, great vid!
Glad you liked it! I will be working on the 3rd round of adjusting ammo soon...I sure hope I can improve it to match my home rolled stuff.
@@HalfmilesniperI can't wait until I start doing the home rolled stuff. Hopefully soon
@@Game_Stalker_MNit brings a whole new level of addiction, lol.
@@Halfmilesniper I'm already getting the itch. lol
Yep, The Sierras can get rough. Was born and raised 15 miles west of lake Tahoe
I saw some video from that storm...wow, what a dump of snow. Donner Pass was something else..
@@Halfmilesniper , yeah, haven't seen that kind of snow levels since the early 1980s. And before that at least 1977, if not 75. There were times where the snow pack was so low that you couldn't even go play in it..
@@Thousand_yard_King hopefully tis really helps the snow pack and continues to refill the reservoirs.
Grew up in the Sierras near Twain Harte a couple hours from Tahoe. Definitely some heavy snows that come through every now and again. Beautiful area though.
@@Roninx1980This winter and last I believe are fine examples of the sudden storm that trapped the Donner Party.
Looking good. On the right track with exact measurements. Got some 380 fmj in today & on a whim broke out scales & 4 other 380 rounds/fmj & hp- to check weights. Some brands were off as much as 1.2 gns. S&B hp 4 out of 5 were all 136.8 gns odd one was off .04gns. Guess which I loaded in magazines? 1,115fps helped chose also. Consistent!!
Consistency is key. That is one reason I continue to load the bipod for all testing...it is keeping every test on pretty much the same plane...the only thing I can't control is the weather. Now, once I have settled on a load I can relax and just let the gun do its thing, we'll see if that tightens things up or loosens them, lol.
Even if only weighing 5 rounds of each brand or design it lets you know who has better Quality Control in rifle or pistol ammo. Sellout & Bellot surprised me. Underwood I knew would be good also. Some USA brands are slacking.
I bought one box of Hornady 6.5 PRC 147gr Eld-M about five years ago. I pulled a bullet, and the powder looked identical to Alliant RL26. (This is an extruded powder - not "ball powder".) I had a hard time beating the accuracy and could not reproduce the velocity (average of 3025fps) without excessive pressure signs. I settled at 2960fps with RL26 in a 26 inch barrel.
RL26 is still on my list of powders ti find. When I broke these down, the powder sure did look like StaBall...when I do the next test I will get a side by side shot on StaBall and the powder in this batch of factory. I imagine they have several recipes for a given offering based of powder availability.
The differences in charge weights and COAL is why I wonder how anyone gets good groups out of factory ammo. This also affirms that my hand loaded ammo is superior to factory ammo.
I was really surprised by both the OAL and the charges on this lot of ammo...it was all over the map for sure. For "match" ammo I definitely expected somewhat more equal charge weights at a minimum...
Thanks for watching, I really appreciate it.
i was on when this was live i had a 7mm prc i shot 26 rounds threw it & got cleaning rod stuck in it what a mess! the 176 hunter was 2651 speed teat & fastest was 140 at 2715 & h4831 it most loudness & force from muzzle break they low amount of powder on the load book too! there was workers at the ranger today too washing fence off with pressure washer & running power tools! i asked they said just shoot away from there work area! the cleaning rod end out the 7mm now it came out with some force & use of the car door frame of suv to hold rifle firmer I have stuff that knock stuck case out in my back pack for shooting!
Wow, sounds like a mess at the range for sure. I did get a rod stuck once too...I didn't go all the way through with a brush...big mistake. But I finally got it out but destroyed the rod.
Hi Mike
You had better performance by removing some variables however the large powder charge discrepancies are not helping.
Your idea to dump 5 charges into 1 pile and divide into 5 equal charges is a good idea.
Also liad the rounds 1 at a time to remove the variable of a loaded cartrige slamming back in the mag up to 4 times.
Also be carefull even though it looks like Staball 65 it is likley a bulk batch of powder that does not match perfectly to commercial grade powder
Good luck hope this last test is the one
I might try single loading just to avoid the possibility of set back. When I do my next test I plan to compare on video the powder in the rounds to the StaBall I have...just to show how similar they look. I know sometimes the ammo manufacturers have proprietary blends so looks can be deceiving. It wil be interesting to see what happens.
Ok so here's some thoughts. There's a popular youtube channel, a shooting school but they also build nice custom rifles and they are pricey at just over $6000. They guarantee half minute to 1100 yards (IIRC), with Hornady factory ammo, I think specifically, the Match eldm and precision hunter eldx, 30 cal and under. They have multiple videos showing it done and hitting golf balls at 1000 yards with Hornady match ammo. Thus, the rifles are built to excellent standards and tolerances to control mediocre ammo with such variances.
Second, if a rifle can do that, it demonstrates that the variables in the components of the ammo, including inconsistent neck tension, bullet weight, seating depth, powder charges, aren't that important in many cases. On the flip side, I've seen budget rifles, (what I keep hearing them called), such as Ruger Americans, Mossberg Patriots, Savage, etc., shoot several factory ammo very well, like Adam does on WTW. I've seen those same rifles do even better with consistent sorted handloads.
Ultimately, I think If I were to shoot a few factory ammo and they did well per LOT number, I'd leave them alone. If they shot like crap, I'd seriously consider pulling a box of 20, equalize the powder charges accordingly, run the brass in a bushing die and choke 'em down .003, then run 'em over my turning mandrel to expand them consistently per inside neck sizing and start with bullet seating 10 thousandths off the lands. Shoot 5 see how they do. If not so great, take the next 5 and seat deeper, and so on. The catch is getting factory ammo that isn't crimped, which exists but I've not paid much attention to all the Hornady ammo I have on hand
Another great video and thanks for sharing!
I don't think I have seen that gun building series...sounds nice. Thanks for giving me something to look into.
I don't know that I will every get factory ammo to run in this rifle and that is OK...as I said, some people have great results with the Hornady Factory Match but it doesn't work in my rifle for squat...which really is disappointing. I am pretty sure both boxes of factory I bought are not crimped...I barely have to tap them with the inertia puller to knock the bullet out.
Yes I’ve had very mixed results with various Hornady ammo in multiple rifles
@@Halfmilesniper It is Barbour Creek channel. James Eagleman former Army sniper is the instructor. Excellent content
@@Accuracy1stThanks, I'll have to look into that.
That last round fired in the 2700's ruined what was looking like a promising low sd/es
Yes it did...I blame the inconsistent powder charges for that. That is why I will do a 3rd video and make the charges all the same.
when i chrono i never mess with sd's. i alwasy go to ES . if your ES is down your sd will be lower. i don't care what groups do until i get a node with low ES. Once i get a node with ES I recreate that node and test it again. if it repeats . i load up 20+ rods amd shoot a couple 10 shot groups to see how the group. I also run Eric Cortina's ec tuner so i dont have to push and pull bullets to get harmonic tune.
i just tune that node with the EC tuner and just smile.
In my load testing I have had a number of great groups with poor ES/SD and a couple loads that had good ES/SD...latest example is the H1000 test at 57.6 (IIRC) I have a low ES/SD and will revisit that load plus 57.5 and 57.7 as well as start playing with seating depth. It had great numbers but a poor group...but that low ES has my attention.
I have a bergara wilderness in 6.5 prc and I struggled to get a good group with hornady match. I switched to norma golden target match 143 grain and shot phenomenal groups. Shot 5 groups and every group was .75 moa or better. Best 3 shot group I shot was all in one hole
Glad to see there are others who get poor results from the Hornady match...I haven't seen any Norma match around here, but I'll keep my eye out. I will at least have me 40 new pieces of once fired Hornady brass when I finish testing this box of factory, LOL...that;s a win!
@@Halfmilesniper you will have to order from a website. ammoseek will be able to help you
Love this investigation series. Awesome video!!!
The measuring results are a bit surprising given all the Hornady marketing chest pounding. Over 0.3 grain spread on the powder … I do better than that with my Lee Auto-Drum on a Turret
Thanks, and I do way better on the charges using an old RCBS Uniflow and trickler on a beam scale, lol. Very curious results thats for sure.
@@Halfmilesniper 😂 yeah can’t wait for you properly reloading the things with an exact powder charge. Very interesting what difference that‘ll make
I wish they had a concrete bench for you.
It would be nice, but that portable bench is actually doing a pretty good job. Once I am locked in nothing moves until the bullet has left the barrel.
Adding the five charges based on the pulled charge average would be just like loading them yourself.
It might be a way to get custom loads with only the labor component added to the cost of factory ammo(Sadly, purchasing components is more expensive than it once was. Loading ammo was once a savings, even for plinking, but I cannot seem to get that discount in today's market).
👍👍
This factory match ammo runs like $55 a box of 20 here William....The bullets cost me $49/100, the brass I am using is on its 10th load, powder is about $50/pound. So, that pound of powder will make me 125 rounds, give or take...add in the bullets and primer and I am looking at $1.19 per round versus $2.75 per round for factory. And, as we have seen, my ammo shoots a lot better than the factory ammo, lol. Saving on the per bullet cost but dang if I don't shoot more, lol...never did save any money loading my own!
@@Halfmilesniper Loading it using that fired brass is only where your savings kick in. New brass is nearly $2/piece, primers $.20/ea, powder($50÷116[7000 grains @60grain load]) $.43/shot, bullet $.40/ea{I saw same bullet for that price, but shipping might bump them to $.48-$.50}, for a cost of $60.60/box. And your labor is a constant , but setup cost diminishes over time.
The pursuit of accuracy adds a value beyond a mere $ measure. My lament is that one cannot match even factory perfomance at a savings as was feasible in the not so distant past and exceeding it was still better and cheaper then.
@@williamgaines9784You are right William, it definitely is not the cost savings it used to be back when powder was $20-$25 a pound, and primers were $30/1,000. When I started loading match ammo , I was cleaning up as my 9mm match ammo cost me then about $6 a box and my wadcutter ammo only cost me about $2 a box. I am pretty sure my rifle press is fully diminished, lol...been running that Rock Chucker since 1978 or 79, lol.
@@Halfmilesniper my rock chucker needs to come out of retirement. Loaded a lot of 38spl/357, 30 carbine, and 25-06 with it. I bought mine around the same time.😎
If I can just find some hen's teeth, I mean primers, at a decent price, I might set up a reloading bench again.
Your lot of ammo had very large ES and SD. Much higher then the two boxes I shot to help break in barrel.
Both boxes I bought have had large ES/SD, this second box I think showed why...no consistency in bullet seating nor powder charges. I expected match ammo results that's for sure. We'll see what happens on the next test.
@Halfmilesniper I was thinking similar. I think different charge weights are the biggest problem. The ones you dumped out had about half a grain difference. Then, seating depth can sure make the jump different and then make the timing of the bullet leaving the barrel off.
I have a Weatherby Vanguard Outfitter in 6.5 PRC and the 147's shoot 3 inches at best, the 143's shoot 3/4 inch.
Wow, the factory 147 ELDM shoots that poorly for you? I thought I had it bad. And to think they call that "match ammo".
@@Halfmilesniper they suck for me....wasted money...
@@randy-x9f That is how I felt when I only had one group under an inch...
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Thanks for watching Mr Pearson, I really appreciate it.
Is that a howa action and if so what magazine you running?
It's a Howa long action in an Oryx chassis. I don't know what mag, but I figured I'd give you what I know.
@@heathadams1274 ty I'm having trouble getting the correct mag for my Oryx stock and I cannot find a 6.5 PRC long action mag listed
I see Heath has already filled you in on the Howa long action. I called MDT to find out which MDT mag I needed. You need the ACIS 5 round 300 Win Mag 3.715" magazine. You can find that on MDT's website.
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Thank Jc, hope you enjoyed that!
There something wrong with that barrel it should shoot better than that
The only thing wrong with it is that is sure doesn't like the factory ammo, lol. This rifle has posted a number a nice groups of .3" and smaller with various loads. This is only the 2nd box of factory ammo I've run in this rifle and neither box has shot worth a hoot yet I have gotten tiny little groups during my load tests. Weird, but it is what it is...all but 5 shots in the rifle have been on video too.
@@Halfmilesniper
slap a Ec tuner on it . 200$ best investment ever .
@@blaiz4 I talked to Erik about it...to run my brake for my suppressor I have to have the barrel modified to work with his new tuner that works with suppressor/brakes. I will consider that option when/if I rebarrel this budget build.
Of course, I have the option of not running my muzzle device that works with my can, since I am only able to use the can when I am out of California.
Ojeeve? Come on man.
LOL...I seem to say it different every time...that word causes me fits!
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@@Halfmilesniper Ha. For the record it is pronounced OWE JIVE. The "I" is like your EYE as in eyeball
@@Accuracy1stLOL...across the videos I have called it O Jive, O Give and O Jeeve ... it just comes out different every time.
You have to learn how to shoot on a bipod. Quit the breathing nonsense. That's only for the movies.
Not sure what you mean by "breathing nonsense. " ... if you're talking about hearing me exhale it because the mic is under my chin, which puts it closer to my face when I wrap into the rifle.