129gr ABLR Ammunition from Nosler (Blems)

[LRRPF52]

Shooter’s Pro Shop has 6.5 Grendel 129gr ABLR loaded ammunition available, listed as blems.

[kmon]

Bought a couple boxes last year for the Wife's Grendel shot well enough for the hunting we do. I do like that bullet for hunting.

[trubulator]

OK, so I was out testing some nosler blem ABLRs in hand loads. The fastest accurate load I got out of an 18" AR averaged 2217 FPS. This will do for up to 300 yard shots if we are using 1000 FPE as a cutoff. Has anyone shot deer with this bullet with lower impact energy than 1000 FPE? I know these will expand down to 1200FPS, but by then we are talking about less than 500 FPE which seems inadequate.

[bmash]

I have not, but I need to know! Go do it and let us know. I am planning to load that for my deer hunting this year so if I beat you to it, I’ll report back. (Most shots don’t get that far out…)
Personally, and based on an article I read a while back, I think FPE is over rated. I think 1200fps with a bullet that expands will kill just fine.

[trubulator]

I don't generally take shots over 300 yards, so this is all probably academic. At the altitudes I hunt, my chrono'd velocity is good to 300 yards with 1000FPE.

I don't worship at the altar of FPE, having killed lots of deer with round balls that have paltry ballistics on paper. But with a small diameter bullet that depends on expansion to get the job done, I pay a little more attention.

[grayfox]

On an 18" I would figure something like 2300 would be a good node also.

[LRRPF52]

OK, so I was out testing some nosler blem ABLRs in hand loads. The fastest accurate load I got out of an 18" AR averaged 2217 FPS. This will do for up to 300 yard shots if we are using 1000 FPE as a cutoff. Has anyone shot deer with this bullet with lower impact energy than 1000 FPE? I know these will expand down to 1200FPS, but by then we are talking about less than 500 FPE which seems inadequate.

There are some forum members who have used it from 11.5” barreled Grendels for hunting, dropped the deer in their tracks.

It’s a bonded bullet that is really soft, so it expands easily and penetrates deeply.

[LRRPF52]

OK, so I was out testing some nosler blem ABLRs in hand loads. The fastest accurate load I got out of an 18" AR averaged 2217 FPS. This will do for up to 300 yard shots if we are using 1000 FPE as a cutoff. Has anyone shot deer with this bullet with lower impact energy than 1000 FPE? I know these will expand down to 1200FPS, but by then we are talking about less than 500 FPE which seems inadequate.

It will do 2410fps from 18” barrels using CFE223 and still be around 50,000psi, depending on your chamber.

It expands down to 1300fps, which is well beyond what anyone would use it for, other than an inexperienced hunter throwing a Hail Mary shot at extreme distance they shouldn’t be attempting.

At 2300fps mv, it will maintain 900ft-lbs to 400yds with ~1776fps impact speed.

Use a VLD-seating stem and double-seat them, with a half-seat initially, rotate the cartridge in the shell holder, then fully-seat. It will tighten up concentricity and shrink the groups a little.

If you use magazines that allow longer COL, you can seat them out a bit and get a little more wiggle-room with your charge weights. Nothing crazy, but it might allow you to find the accuracy you’re looking for with some more velocity.

[trubulator]

It will do 2410fps from 18” barrels using CFE223 and still be around 50,000psi, depending on your chamber.

It expands down to 1300fps, which is well beyond what anyone would use it for, other than an inexperienced hunter throwing a Hail Mary shot at extreme distance they shouldn’t be attempting.

At 2300fps mv, it will maintain 900ft-lbs to 400yds with ~1776fps impact speed.

Use a VLD-seating stem and double-seat them, with a half-seat initially, rotate the cartridge in the shell holder, then fully-seat. It will tighten up concentricity and shrink the groups a little.

If you use magazines that allow longer COL, you can seat them out a bit and get a little more wiggle-room with your charge weights. Nothing crazy, but it might allow you to find the accuracy you’re looking for with some more velocity.

Yes, I may eventually go back to the well on loads, but temperature stability is important to me. CFE223 is a no-no when I might take a shot at 80F baking in the sun, or at 10F in the snow. I decided to play with H4895 and TAC because they are extremely (H4895) and fairly (TAC) temp stable. I eventually need to fool with this bullet in my Ruger Amer Predator to see what it can really do, but I am running out of time before Fall closes in. At this point, my choices for known good hunting loads for the 18" AR are a 123SST/H335 load that does 2363 FPS or the ABLR load. It appears that they are near ballistic twins down range.

[Huckleberry75]

H4895 is a great choice for the 129ablr.