Accurate Factory Ammo

[Scalloper]

The last time I was in Texas the party I was with took me to their local gun shop. This guy was very passionate about shooting long range. He played a video of him harvesting a elk at 600 yds with a 6.5 cm. He was talking about the build and what not. I noticed some reloading equipment all set up inside the shop. I asked if he loaded for the 6.5. He said "why bother when you can buy Hornaday Precision Hunter?" He went on to say he would only gain 1/4" at best from great factory ammo."

What experience have some of you had with some of the better factory ammo?

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

The last time I was in Texas the party I was with took me to their local gun shop. This guy was very passionate about shooting long range. He played a video of him harvesting a elk at 600 yds with a 6.5 cm. He was talking about the build and what not. I noticed some reloading equipment all set up inside the shop. I asked if he loaded for the 6.5. He said "why bother when you can buy Hornaday Precision Hunter?" He went on to say he would only gain 1/4" at best from great factory ammo."

What experience have some of you had with some of the better factory ammo?

That's the exception. It happens but it's not like that very often and the barrels tells us what it wants to shoot...not the other way around. Another important factor is your specific discipline. Good factory ammo may cut it for you but it won't get it done in BR....even with a tuner.

 

[PWPUU]

Everyone will have unique experiences, but I have seen the 143gr Precision Hunter print clover leaf 5 shot groups at 100 yards from two different RPR's (6.5 Creedmoor). Both instances were with gentlemen wanting to get into longer range shooting but not wanting to go the reloading route. I did not have an opportunity to see how those same shooter/gun/ammo combinations performed at longer distances. I think certain calibers lend themselves to factory ammo. 6br? Probably not. 6.5 Creedmoor? you betcha.

 

[garandman]

If you want sub minute of heart / lungs, factory ammo will getcha there.

If you want sub minute of angle... roll your own.

 

[300_whisper]

When you have a $3000+ custom and you shoot any high end factory offerings through it, it will shoot. I shoot federal GMM, Hornady precision hunter, ELD Match, SST, Norma Match ammo, anything premium and heavy.it consistently shoots half inch or better at 100 yards. I’m set up for reloading and have messed around, but with a young family and two demanding jobs it hard to reload. I go buy top shelf ammo, run to the range on my lunch break, get some practice in and head back to work.

 

[jsn]

I can't speak for any factory ammo, but if I see boxes of Hornady Precision Hunter or ammo cans of American Gunner at the range, it's a good bet that the shooter has a 6.5 Creedmoor.

 

[Rob01]

I shoot sub MOA easily with factory ammo in my Creedmoors. I use the 140 and 147 ELDs.

 

[300_whisper]

I can't speak for any factory ammo, but if I see boxes of Hornady Precision Hunter or ammo cans of American Gunner at the range, it's a good bet that the shooter has a 6.5 Creedmoor.

Or a .308 or .223 or .300 win mag lol

 

[Texas10]

Hornaday's Precision Gunner 140 gr in 6.5 CM shot very well. But their Hornaday Black shot incredibly well. Probably why they pulled it from the market. I suspect they'll bring it back under a new label and much higher price. Bought some of the last of it a $16.99 a box at Academy. So now I've got about 800 pieces of that once shot brass.

FGGM in 308 with 168 and 175 gr. SMK's is extremely consistent.

Hornaday's 178 ELD-X will put two side by side at 200 yds in my carry rifle, a 308Win chambered Savage model 11 with a 9X Nikon.

Edit to correct: A call to Hornaday revealed that they do indeed still make the 6.5 CM BLACK with 140 BTHP. My bad!

 

[Rob01]

I believe the Black Creedmoor was made for Academy so if none is around then they might have changed the agreement or just out of stock. Don't read anything sinister into it. Those loads use the less expensive 140 BTHP so they will not be loaded more expensive like the ELDs.

 

[Kurz]

But their Hornaday Black shot incredibly well. Probably why they pulled it from the market. I suspect they'll bring it back under a new label and much higher price. Bought some of the last of it a $16.99 a box at Academy.

I found some at the Academy in Kennesaw:

 

[K22]

At the range I've seen some fairly amazing groups shot with factory ammo, namely, Federal Premium. However there are three issues I see going forward with factory ammo:

1. Having a steady supply of the exact ammo you prefer. In today's crazy consumer world, companies are almost constantly changing product lines as part of their marketing strategy something which I never understood for products that are popular and work.

2. The inability to custom tune ammo to your specific rifle, namely COL, powder charge, bullet, etc.

3. Consistency in factory ammo.

 

[clunker]

My .223 loves factory Lapua 69gr Scenar-L. I still have not found any factory ammo that my 6.5 CM likes.

 

[hunter67]

Sighted in a friends 7mm mag the other day. Federal 165 GK actually shot one hole. unreal

 

[rr2030]

Last Sunday, shooting at the 10" plate @1000 yards I was able to go 4/5 twice in a row, then checked my zero @ 100 yards with five rounds that could be covered with a Pencil eraser. 6 Creedmoor, Hornady 108 ELD, bone stock RPR off a bipod with a sock full of rice for a rear rest. I hope to reload rounds that perform that well.

 

[Forum Boss]

The most accurate factory ammo I've ever shot was Lapua 6mmBR with a 90gr bullet. Out of an Eliseo TubeGun, shot from Benchrest, it honestly shot multiple 4-shot groups in the low 0.2s. We were frankly quite amazed, and we could not better the accuracy with a variety of handloads. This was pretty old ammo, sold in a pale blue box with different graphics.

 

[coldboreshot]

+1 on the Lapua. Before I began reloading, I used 338 and 308 Lapua factory ammo. Came in handy to already have the fired brass ready to go once I began loading.

 

[Zero333]

Here is a pic of a 5-shot group at 109 yards shot with factory ammo...

Federal Premium 243win 100gr SGK.

The few boxes of ammo averaged a little under 1/2 moa

 

[NZ_Fclass]

and Polar bears have been shot with a .22 - but I ain't taking one hunting...

 

[Centuriator]

If you want sub minute of heart / lungs, factory ammo will getcha there. If you want sub minute of angle... roll your own.

That's not been my experience using high quality commercially loaded ammo. I've achieved, routinely, sub-MOA out of bolt guns, in .308, putting them nearly in the same hole at 100 yards. Ditto for 6.5 Creedmoor out of JP large frame AR-10. But perhaps I'm misunderstanding your comment?