|
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,728
Campfire Regular
|
OP
Campfire Regular
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,728 |
Finally popped my CM cherry and bought a Fieldcraft off a gent on here With a 14x Leupold at 100 yards I wasn’t thoroughly impressed with the accuracy. Shot the following... Hornady 143 ELDX, Hornady 140/147 ELDM and Nosler Trophy 142 ABLR.
Groups were floating around 1”, 2” with the Nosler.
Wondering if even with the twist rate the Fieldcraft likes the lighter 120-129’s.
I figured with the twist, it would like the heavier bullets.
Thoughts on the Hornady Outfitter 120 GMX or Hornady Superformance 129 SST’s (in a Fieldcraft if you have one)
Thanks
Drink and be merry for soldiers die for your freedoms.
Semper Fidelis!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 1,313
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 1,313 |
Twist rates don't make guns "like" a bullet. Either the twist is sufficient to stabilize the bullet, or it's not. If it is, you're good.
Throat geometry has a much bigger effect.
What animals are you shooting? The ELD-X and ABLR have very questionable terminal performance. The regular Accubond, Partition, Scirocco, A-Frame and Weldcore are generally much better behaved.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,553
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,553 |
Should shoot better than that!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,728
Campfire Regular
|
OP
Campfire Regular
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,728 |
Twist rates don't make guns "like" a bullet. Either the twist is sufficient to stabilize the bullet, or it's not. If it is, you're good.
Throat geometry has a much bigger effect.
What animals are you shooting? The ELD-X and ABLR have very questionable terminal performance. The regular Accubond, Partition, Scirocco, A-Frame and Weldcore are generally much better behaved. Mainly coyotes, hogs and deer. I know those are well constructed bullets, but this is my first go at the CM, so trying to see if other Fieldcraft owners saw similar results. My 260 Kimber way outshoots this one so far.
Drink and be merry for soldiers die for your freedoms.
Semper Fidelis!
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 2,262
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 2,262 |
Should shoot better than that! Perhaps that’s why it got sold.
What could be a sadder way to end a life than to die having never hunted with great dogs, good friends and your family?
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,728
Campfire Regular
|
OP
Campfire Regular
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,728 |
Should shoot better than that! Perhaps that’s why it got sold. Wondering that myself...
Drink and be merry for soldiers die for your freedoms.
Semper Fidelis!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 69,338 Likes: 19
Campfire Kahuna
|
Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 69,338 Likes: 19 |
Heck my Ruger American shoots better than that. 😬
"Allways speak the truth and you will never have to remember what you said before..." Sam Houston Texans, "We say Grace, We Say Mam, If You Don't Like it, We Don't Give a Damn!"
~Molɔ̀ːn Labé Skýla~
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 3,639 Likes: 1
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 3,639 Likes: 1 |
Don’t laugh, but get some cheap Hornady whitetail 129s and try, just for giggles.
I’ve not had as much luck with factory heavies. Small sample, but so far.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,881
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,881 |
You need to shoot a variety of ammo and maybe handload. Both my Tikkas shoot outstanding with handloads but couldn't get factory 147's to shoot worth a chittt....... One tikka loves 120's and I shoot 140's in the other. One Tikka will shoot factory 143's ok but the other will shoot them in tiny little groups. Good luck.
HMM-161, HMM-364 Semper Fi Brothers
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 770
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 770 |
Try the Remington HTP copper loaded with the 120 TSX. My Kimber classic shoots them 1/2 “- 3/4” but it hasn’t shot any of the heavier loads good.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 32,229
Campfire 'Bwana
|
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 32,229 |
I really like the 125 grain Winchester/Olin Deer Season XP. This factory load has shot MOA or better in a variety of rifles, including a $200 Savage Axis. The only rifle that I've shot it in and didn't get it to shoot MOA or better is a Mossberg Patriot and that economy grade rifle shoots them into groups between 1 and 1.5 MOA at 100 and 200 yards. My local W-M sells this ammo for around $18.50, the least expensive factory ammo that I know of.
The 129 grain Hornady American Whitetail load shoots MOA or better in my RAR-P and very close to MOA in my Marlin XS7 parts gun with a Savage 11 barrel.
The only factory ammo that I never got to shoot good groups was a 140 grain American Eagle HP load. It might have been the production lot that I had, but it was so inconsistent that I didn't buy more of it.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 1,313
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 1,313 |
[quote=Llama_Bob] My 260 Kimber way outshoots this one so far. I agree the results you're describing are unimpressive. One possibility is bench shooting technique for light rifles, especially if the big dimension of your groups is vertical. Have you gotten consistent sub-MOA groups out of any 5lb rifles in the past?
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 48,179 Likes: 19
Campfire 'Bwana
|
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 48,179 Likes: 19 |
Damn, that's too bad. And I thought those new fieldcraps were supposed to be good shooters?? All of my creeds shoot lights out, even with el-cheapo sellior and bellot $14.00/box ammo....
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style. You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole. BSA MAGA
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 12,201 Likes: 9
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 12,201 Likes: 9 |
I'm in the "Try a variety of factory ammo until you find something your rifle really likes" camp. Then buy a case (or two) of it... I feed three different .270's that all like the factory Nosler Trophy Grade 130gr AB load. So, I poke around until Nosler or SPS runs a deal on that load, and then buy a case of it. I have a life time supply of .270 reloading components to tinker with. But, it helps to have one "go to load" if you don't happen to have home grown loads ready to shoot...
There are sufficient goodly number of factory 6.5 CM offerings these days that you should be able to find something that works acceptably in your rifle.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 3,444
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 3,444 |
Don’t laugh, but get some cheap Hornady whitetail 129s and try, just for giggles.
I’ve not had as much luck with factory heavies. Small sample, but so far. I've heard several guys who's rifles like the Hornady 129 Interlock (American Whitetail 129). I have a few and I'd like to load some to try in my Tikka. Would one of you guys mind measuring the OAL of a factory loaded Hornady 129 SP and 129 SST for me? Picture of side view of the cannelure crimp on the 129 SP?
Liberalism is a cancer Support Christian Family values
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 75,000 Likes: 5
Campfire Oracle
|
Campfire Oracle
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 75,000 Likes: 5 |
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,728
Campfire Regular
|
OP
Campfire Regular
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,728 |
[quote=Llama_Bob] My 260 Kimber way outshoots this one so far. I agree the results you're describing are unimpressive. One possibility is bench shooting technique for light rifles, especially if the big dimension of your groups is vertical. Have you gotten consistent sub-MOA groups out of any 5lb rifles in the past? Kimber 260 shoots between 1/4”-1/2” Kimber 308 shoots 1/2” Rem Ti 270 5/8” Rem Ti 30-06 smidge under 3/4” Fieldcraft 308 5/8” Browning Ti 270 WSM 5/8” Weatherby UL 30-06 5/8”
Drink and be merry for soldiers die for your freedoms.
Semper Fidelis!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,728
Campfire Regular
|
OP
Campfire Regular
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,728 |
Thanks fellas,
I already picked up some 120 GMX and Superformance 129 SST’s yesterday, I’ll grab a box of Whitetail 129’s too
Drink and be merry for soldiers die for your freedoms.
Semper Fidelis!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 75,000 Likes: 5
Campfire Oracle
|
Campfire Oracle
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 75,000 Likes: 5 |
129 sst shot very well out of my PVA 6.5
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 13,138
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 13,138 |
My Tikka likes Hornady Superformance 129 Interbonds
|
|
|
|
171 members (12344mag, 10Glocks, 44mc, 470Evans, 7887mm08, 17 invisible),
1,602
guests, and
927
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
Forums81
Topics1,193,455
Posts18,507,971
Members74,002
|
Most Online11,491 Jul 7th, 2023
|
|
|
|