08-06-2011, 12:49 PM
Bill Alexander Wrote:No! Hornady did not make ammunition that would not work and no they did not change the specifications. Hornady ammunition has always been made to print but certain people took it upon themselves to vilify AA when the ammunition would not work in certain clone chambers. It always functioned in Grendel chambers. I find it interesting that AA was blamed for the problems despite the fact that we did not have knowledge of the geometry of the clones, so how could we work to make it not fit.
The Grendel chamber has a compound throat which in the rear section mimics the 6.5x55 and then runs into a standard 1 1/2 degree. The barrel quoted was inspected and the chamber was indeed correct. The customer in question did not like this and wanted the chamber modified to "his specifications" at our expense. We declined to undertake this and the detrimental postings were the result.
To answer the final observation it is always possible to stick a bullet in a barrel throat (any cartridge). We provide specific loading instructions which cite specific loads and the OAL is given. This does not excuse the reloader from using caution anymore than the maximum load can be taken as the first load to use. Substitution of components, run out and batch to batch variations may require the given figures to be changed to suit.
The tighter throat does not actually improve the accuracy of this cartridge in the specified chamber. We tested a lot of chamber set ups and spend a lots of cash finding out what works. One day I need to post a picture of what an $11,000 reamer windchime looks like. and that is just the stuff we did not trash. The tighter neck is detrimental to function because it is not matched to the case drawing.
Yes, it did take me a while to get used to loading for the Grendel, but when I finally did everything's ok with the Grendel chambers. In the past (for the 24 years I've been handloading), I've always just loaded to mag length or published OAL, and have always been ok. Yes, occasionally I would bump into the rifling when testing function, but not often and never in the AR. Mag length loads in 5.56 and .223 have always worked for me. I just have to pay closer attention to OAL with the Grendel. No big deal.
If, in fact, the .295" neck in my chamber is too small for my fireformed cases, then I am proof that the tighter neck does indeed impede function. At least for my purposes. I COULD use only factory brass, but I have so much 7.62x39 brass it just doesn't make sense. I'll save my factory Grendel brass for targets at longer range. Most of my shooting is done between 25 and 200 yards.
Thanks,
Will