6.5 AR Build - Back to the range

[VASCAR2]

When the Hornady 123 grain SST ammo was introduced it generally shot as well as the 123 grain A-Max ammo. The 123 grain SST cannelure is there to help hold the lead core into the jacket since it is designed as a hunting bullet. Once Hornady dropped the 123 grain A-Max and started selling the 123 grain ELD-Match ammo is when reports of poor accuracy surfaced with the 123 grain SST factory ammo.

I have never accuracy tested the 123 grain SST Bullet as a reloading component but would be curious if the accuracy is better than the factory ammo. A Friend used to load 123 grain SST in Lapua cases with CCI 450 primers and around 31 grains of LeveRevolution powder. He shot several hundred of these in his SAAMI spec Brownell’s/Liberty barrel. His barrel had a short throat but since it was accurate and he rarely shot factory ammo he kept it. This was one of the very first Brownell’s 6.5 Grendel barrels before Satern/Liberty switched to the Grendel II chamber.

I suspect the current 123 grain SST ammo doesn’t have the tighter tolerance control as the 123 grain ELD-M ammo or the previous 123 grain A-Max which are sold as Target ammo. I’d say the 123 grain SST ammo has a larger accuracy standard lot to lot compared to the ELD-M.