Howa...most accurate bullet?

[Longbow]

I sold off my Cooper bolt 6.5 Grendel, nice gun but can build two++ Howa Minis for the $$$ I sold it for. So what bullet have you found for the 20" heavy barrel being most accurate? Will be using Lapua brass, I still have a box. Thankyou

[tdbru]

LB,
that's kind of an impossible question to answer. each individual rifle is unique unto itself.

what kind of end use do you have in mind? Hunting? Plinking? competitive target shooting?

many have had good luck as far as target shooting for small groups with the 120gr. Sierra Match King.

typically VLD match bullets take a bit more variables to try as far as getting them to do tight groups, and the 120gr. SMK is a bit more tolerant in that regard.

for varmints, many are having good success with the 90gr. TNT from Speer.
for bigger game hunting, there are several good choices from Hornady, Nosler, Barnes, and Sierra, among others.

of course for target shooting where tiny groups are the goal, you have various offerings from Hornady, Sierra, Berger, Lapua, etc.

you'll just have to try several bullets and see what your individual rifle likes the best.

if you intend to use the rifle as a single shot, then COL will be limited by how far out you can seat the bullet before you jam it into the lands. if you plan on using the rifle as a repeater, then the magazine will set your COL.

for powders IMR 8208 is well regarded, as well as H4895 for the heavier bullets. Benchmark works for the lighter bullets as do many others. for ball powders many like AR-Comp. and ProPower Varmint delivers top velocities across most of the bullet weights.

your biggest challenge right now is component availability as almost everything is out of stock from almost every vendor.

so you may be stuck with getting the best group(s) out of the components you can get your hands on at the moment.

have fun. lots of the fun of a new rifle / caliber is working up one or more suitable loads for it.
-tdbru

[Stinky Coyote]

My Howa and cz and ruger all shoot Hornady black factory ammo sub moa, how accurate are your needs? I only hunt so that’s plenty, nothing to turn out 4” groups at 500 yards on steel and when I do mark part and the wind dies down can pull off 2 1/2” groups. Safe to say more accurate than me.

[Stevil]

just had my HB Grendel at the range last week, 108gr Scenars at 2.260 28.9gr of 8208 and they started stackin them in the same hole at 50m, will take em out longer shortly

[Longbow]

I know,should of been A little more direct. My Cooper liked the Hornady 123's sub 5 shot group at 200 yds.With suppressor installed same group just one inch off. I did see with researching out more that the 123's and the 95 V-Max both shot well in the Howa. So will order up some and some Sierra...when I can find some! Election year, always the same, with the price now for ammo components, getting pretty expensive. So by narrowing down what works for others in same gun helps me watch the $$$. Appreciate your time.Thankyou, Pete in Montana

[murfvol]

My 20" HB loves Hornady SST 123 factory loads. On a good day with the barrel cooling between rounds it's .5 MOA. I just my shaky hands were as steady as the rest.

[grayfox]

the 95 vmax and the sst were the 2 my howa liked, when I had it.
Work up your loads. AR comp worked best for me on the sst's. H335 and xbr 8208 for the Vmax.
The federal 90 Tnt factory loads also did well.
And... I had a good workup with 130 Accubonds and 129 Ablr's.

There are a few choices for you, depending on what you can find on the shelves. Even 125 Partitions, but they are relatively expensive.

[usmcm16a2]

I ordered the full Monty, a stock, trigger, and Wayne’s bottom metal. $750, But a fine action, deserves the best! This is for my 22 inch #1 contour barrel in 6.5 G! Arrival sometime in November, just in time for coyote season! A2