5R Rifling and Grendel Wolf Bimetal Bullets

[depletedyourcranium]

Got to shoot some Wolf ammo out of my Grendels, today. My PSA 12 incher was not redeemed. I was getting about a 4 to 6 inch group at 50 yards with it... that's a whole other story. However I was just as interested in seeing how well it shot out of my 20 inch ARP barrel with the 5R rifling. Its been often repeated that the undersized bimetal bullets wont engage 5R rifling well, or something along those lines, and to shoot it accurately it needs conventional rifling.

I shot the following 10 shot group at 100 yards off a bipod from the prone with a squeeze bag under the stock.



It measured 2.5 inches edge to edge at the widest measurement making for a 2.24 inch group center to center. For comparison in this same rifle I can get right around an inch with Hornady Black 123gr ELD-M, and about 1.5 to 2 inches with Hornady American Gunner 123 gr BTHP.

So, to me, that's phenomenal performance for cheap, bimetal bullet, steel case ammo. The best I ever got out of steel cased .223 (wolf, brown bear, silver bear, tula) at 100 yards was 5 to 6 inches across a 10 shot group.

This isn't a definitive test and wont put the myth to bed about 5R rifling and Wolf to bed permanently... but I think it clearly establishes it as a myth. If you want to shoot Wolf ammo well dont think you absolutely have to steer clear of 5R rifling in order to do so.

[Sticks]

Glad you got good results with the wolf, kind of disturbed that the American Gunner was that bad. It's usually on par with the Hornady Black

[wiguy]

Just another example how ammo experimentation can be beneficial. As a reloader it would be impossible to try every combination, but at least a handful can show the better performers.