Hornady or Lapua?

[1951]

Thanks for the replies.
I should have said the only bullets in the 140 grain range I can get are the Hornady 140 HPBT and the Lapua 139 Scenar. Tried to get the Sierras but none in the country that I could find. Getting any kind of firearm related stuff exported out of the USA is nearly impossible. I had to sign a waiver that I wouldn't resell or export legally or illegally a rear bag to get it exported. Can't get firearms, ammo, reloading components etc exported. So right now I have only two choices.

Looks like the consensus is the Lapua. Which is what I kinda suspected and also pleased as after tax and shipping they will cost me $0.59 each and the Hornadys are $0.72 each but I just checked and they are now out of stock.
I ordered 1000 of the Lapua. Would have bought just a few to see how they shoot in my rifle before buying that many, but thought I'd better grab some while I could. I just checked and I must have got the last as they too are now out of stock. The reloading site I buy from now has three choices for 6.5 bullets, 100 and 120 grain, all the rest are out of stock.

Now if I can just find some reloading data for the Lapua and H3450. That's the only powder I could get when I started this reloading thing and I have about 5 or 6 pounds of it left.

Thanks again.

 

[Rob01]

Ah ok out of the US makes a difference. As for load data just use the 140 data with the 139s and you will be fine. Hodgdon has data on their site.

Reloading Data Center

www.hodgdonreloading.com

 

[wagonman]

Midway still has the 142's for sale but Creedmoor Sports is less expensive:

View attachment 1274578

$272 @ Midway
$250 @ Creedmoor Sports.

Might want to check around to see if someone else can better these prices...

got spoiled on paying 197.00 @ blue collar for 500 142 smk and balked at midway wanting 272.00 plus 9% calif tax and shipping, powder valley had 139 lapua scenars for 359.00 for 1000 no tax 17.00 shipping always wanted to try lapuas bullets they measure so constant going to find out sunday

 

[Dgd6mm]

Buy the Lapua and shoot them, I've never shot one!

 

[1951]

I wish I could buy that cheap. The online store that sells the cheapest I could find around these parts has listed:
Berger 140 VLD $80.49/100, long range target $82.49/100, Match hybrid $82.49/100;
Sierra MK $66.99/100, $320.49/500;
Nosler HPBT $62.99/100;
Lapua 139 scenar $515/1000.
None of those are in stock.


Cabela's has listed:
Berger hybrid target $109.99/100, OTM $99.99/100,LRT $112.99/100;
Sierra MK $79.99/100.
None of those are in stock.

Plus $27 to $49 for shipping plus 12% tax.
I would imagine Cabela's in the USA would be less than half of what it is here.

 

[1951]

I've read about the bullet weights being consistent but have never measured any before. I just weighed the 23 Berger hybrid target I had left in my last box.
6 are 140 gr, 13 - 139.9 gr and 4 139.8 gr. I don't know if that would be considered consistent or not. Most likely not enough samples to be a good test?

 

[Longtrain]

Shooting a Dasher with 108 Berger’s for most LR matches. With my supply of 108’s dwindling a bit. I found a local supply of 90 grain Lapua Scenar-L’s. I figured that I could shoot them in 300 and 600 yd matches.

My testing didn’t take long, with just about the same dose of Varget as my 108’s they grouped in the 3’s at 200 yards. It’s a good bullet, I wish I could have found the 105 brother to it, as it may take the place of the scarce and elusive Berger 108’s.

 

[AckleymanII]

Odd man out here. I had a 6.5 creed that shot bug holes with the 140g Hornady bthp, did not take long to work up a load with H4895 and Varget.

I found 1500 of the 140g eldm's, sounds like they are garbage from what I hear, never shot any. The 139g Scenars are money in the bank, tiny groups in the 6.5x47 Lapua.

 

[Rob01]

Odd man out here. I had a 6.5 creed that shot bug holes with the 140g Hornady bthp, did not take long to work up a load with H4895 and Varget.

I found 1500 of the 140g eldm's, sounds like they are garbage from what I hear, never shot any. The 139g Scenars are money in the bank, tiny groups in the 6.5x47 Lapua.

They are not garbage. Shoot them. Don’t listen about them.

 

[Mark W]

They are not garbage. Shoot them. Don’t listen about them.

They didn’t work in my 6.5-284, but 139 grain Scenars are like magic!

 

[Rob01]

They didn’t work in my 6.5-284, but 139 grain Scenars are like magic!

Can be said about any bullet. Not everyone works in every rifle but doesn’t make them garbage.

 

[Mark W]

Can be said about any bullet. Not everyone works in every rifle but doesn’t make them garbage.

True!

 

[Longtrain]

Although my previous post lauds the Lapua Scenar-L’s, I didn’t criticize any Hornady product, as I’ve shot many of their products over the years with good results.

I guess it comes down to a bullet having been built within the finest tolerances, having batch consistency in weight and the LTO measurement. I shot Sierra SMK’s exclusively in XTC competition and still do shoot them. But, when extreme accuracy is demanded of our loads, Sierra LTO measurements varied a great deal. Now, when I took the time to measure and sort them, the ammo I loaded had few peers. I actually shot my best 1000 yard iron scores with them. I find these tight tolerances in Berger and Lapua bullets, I’ll be testing Bart’s and other custom bullets during this drought, as I need to find a bullet that doesn’t make loading more work and one that I can’t blame for the odd shot in the 8 ring, if it ended up there it was all me.

 

[AckleymanII]

Also, I do not shoot competition....just a retired guy that loves to shoot and clean guns.

For competition, I would go to the ends of the Earth for the best bullets made, and have a great gunsmith that takes his time in indicating a barrel in to the .0001, using reamers with leade and freebore for the bullet I intend to use.

 

[1951]

I got the Lapua 139 Scenars and weighed the same amount as I did the Berger. 137.6 grains - 1, 137.7 - 7, 137.8 - 9, 137.9 - 5 138.1 - 1.
More of a spread than the Bergers, but I only weighed 23 as that was all the bergers I had left.

 

[Rsadams]

Hornady is hot gobbidge.

I use them for practice and range fodder because their cheaper , I also have just not gotten them to shoot like the more expensive brands... I have some Amax I have picked up for playing around with and maybe whitetail killers in .308 but just haven't gotten around to loading any yet... I would say in .223 AR platform they do shoot better than cheap factory loads but that's probably because of all the work and consideration going into even my blaster reloads... But once again replace them with something like a Sierra and the results are definitely different even though they are reloaded the same way etc....

 

[Fuj]

140 ELD-M's did good by me, but found the Nosler 140 RDF's
did better in my particular 8 twist barrel with 42grs of R-16
and BR2 primers.

 

[garandman]

I use them for practice and range fodder

If I don't understand this concept. What are you practicing? Range inaccuracy? Frustration? Missing the target? larger groups than what you are actually capable of?

If you mean just blasting ammo, I get that.

But if you know your bullet is giving up accuracy, What have you really practiced or learned? "I shot a 2" group, but really it's 1.4" cuz Hornady bullets are substandard. "

I don't get it.... might just as well stay home and dry fire practice.

 

[Rsadams]

If I don't understand this concept. What are you practicing? Range inaccuracy? Frustration? Missing the target? larger groups than what you are actually capable of?

If you mean just blasting ammo, I get that.

But if you know your bullet is giving up accuracy, What have you really practiced or learned? "I shot a 2" group, but really it's 1.4" cuz Hornady bullets are substandard. "

I don't get it.... might just as well stay home and dry fire practice.

LOL , I mainly use them in range ammo because of the price for .223 I can't see very well anymore up close so with iron sights at 100-200 it's hard to get the accuracy of the rifle.... The A-max I thought of turning into a hunting bullet , I was able to get a pretty good deal on some before all this mess and thought it would be interesting to see how they shot... But if I am shooting tight with a scope I do use a different bullet....