Robert Whitley has a new .224 version of the 6.5 Grendel cartridge. The goal was to create a low-recoil but high-BC round to use in AR-platform match rifles. Based on the performance Whitley is getting, we think this wildcat would also be an excellent bolt-gun round.
Whitley tells us: “I have recently been working on another 6.5 Grendel progeny I have made up and call the ‘.224 AR Mag’, which is the 6.5 Grendel case necked down to accept .224″ bullets. I am very impressed by this cartridge and Berger Bullets’ .224″ heavy, high-BC bullet offerings are just beautiful (dimensionally and otherwise) for use with the cartridge. I also have reloading dies for the .224 AR Mag and I am going to make up a page on my website for the sale of AR-15 uppers chambered in the .224 AR Mag.
Above you can see the new 224 AR Mag cartridge (right) next to a .223 Rem (left) and a Berger 82 gr BT bullet (right) next to a Sierra 77 gr BTHP bullet (left bullet). The Berger bullet has a good bit higher BC than the Sierra 77 BTHP (.432 BC for the Berger vs. .362 BC for the Sierra). In the 224 AR Mag, the Berger 82 gr BT bullet sits at 2.260″ OAL (.010″ off the lands and a perfect magazine length) with the junction of the boat tail and bearing surface just ahead of the neck and shoulder of the case. You cannot properly load the 82s to mag length in a .223 Rem because the case is so long the bearing surface of the bullet starts to disappear into the mouth of the case, and at magazine length the Sierra 77s sit so far back in the .223 Rem case they hog valuable powder capacity.
The .224 AR Mag has a powder capacity of 36 grains of H2O vs. about 29.5 grains of water weight capacity for the .223 Rem. That’s a major difference in powder capacity. In addition you have bullets like the .224 Berger 90gr VLD and 90gr BT bullets that have BCs of .552 and .525 that can be driven very effectively and fast by the .224 AR Mag because of its case capacity. Bear in mind the brass is all Lapua small primer brass as well — what’s not to like?
I have done chrono testing of the cartridge with Varget and RL-15, using the Berger 82 gr BT and the Berger 90 gr BT bullets. This cartridge really can spit them out fast! (See load data below).” NOTE: Whitley could drive both bullets about 100 fps faster using 28.0 grains of Varget or RL15, but those loads approached max practical pressure. Start low and work up.
Garand Matches are among the most popular of CMP events, and the M1 Garand, acquired direct from the CMP, still represents a great value among collectible, military-style firearms. Recognizing the demand for accurate, yet affordable ammunition for M1 Garands and M1As(civilian version of m14), Federal® has introduced new American Eagle ammo expressly designed for these popular classes of rifles. M1 Garand and M1A shooters now have a quality yet economical ammo option, which reduced risk of slam-fires.
Special Loads for Special Rifles
The M1A and M1 Garand are storied rifles with a huge following. Unfortunately, much of the hunting ammunition today isn’t suitable for these special rifles. “We know there is a very large number of shooters who use the M1A and M1 Garand rifles at the range,” said Kyle Tengwall, Federal’s director of marketing. “Whether it’s practicing for a competition, or just spending some time at the range, these shooters need affordable loads that perform well. These new loads cater to this special segment of shooters, and we’re proud to offer them something that shoots great and is available at price that can’t be beat.”
These special loads use staked primers to reduce the risk of firearm malfunction, including slamfires. The M1 Garand load features a 150-gr FMJ bullet and a carefully selected propellant that produces pressures that match the gas system design. The M1A load utilizes a 168-grain Open Tip Match (OTM) bullet that gives match-grade accuracy at an unbeatable price.
Given the many matches won and records set by 6BR Improved cases, both 6 BRX and 6 Dasher varieties, product planners at Nammo Lapua have shown some tentative interest in manufacturing an official 6BR Improved case. This would be something very similar to a 6BRX, with about 41-42 grains of capacity, compared to about 38 grains for the 6BR. The case would be bigger than a 6BR, but smaller than a 6-6.5×47 or 6XC. The case would retain the small primer pocket and small flash hole of the 6BR case. A “bigger BR” would easily drive the 105-108gr 6mm bullets at 2950-3000 fps, where they often seem to shoot the best.
Before you jump out of the chair shouting “Oh Boy!”, keep in mind that Lapua’s interest is very preliminary — the engineers are merely fact-finding. This is just in the “idea stage”. Lapua’s cartridge designers are, however, intrigued by the accuracy and efficiency of the 6BR Improved case. Anything that regularly sets world records is worth considering. And Lapua would like to have a cartridge that will prove superior to the 6XC in international 300m competition.
AccurateShooter.com’s Editors have advocated the production of an “official” 6BR Improved. This wildcat deserves to become standardized. We suggest that it be similar to the 30-degree-shoulder 6BRX, but with a longer neck than a BRX (which loses neck length as the shoulder is moved forward). Existing BRX shooters could simply trim the necks shorter as needed to fit existing chambers. Dasher fans could proceed to “improve” the shoulder to 40 degrees, for their preferred configuration.
Obviously, as with any potential product, the question remains “is there sufficient market demand to justify production set-up and tooling costs?” We think the answer is yes. Not only would a factory 6BR Improved case be popular with Benchrest and across-the-course shooters, but this case would be great for varminters looking for something with more velocity than a 6BR but better barrel life than a 22-250. So, would you be interested in a factory 6BR Improved? Express your views in our Product Poll.
You may have heard rumors about a new 100gr projectile from Berger Bullets. Eric Stecker, Berger’s Master Bulletsmith, confirmed that there will be not one but TWO new 100gr match bullets coming soon from Berger, one in 6mm and one in 6.5mm. These are both boat-tail designs using J4 jackets. Eric explains: “Both these bullets are based on Berger’s proven designs, with standard length ogives and 9° boat-tails. Nothing radical. They are built in response to shooters’ requests to expand our bullet line-up to include new weight options in 6mm and 6.5mm.”
New 100gr 6.5mm Bullet for High Power
Berger’s new 6.5mm 100gr BT Target projectile provides a low-recoil, lighter-weight option for target rifle shooters using the 6.5×47 Lapua, 6.5 Creedmoor, 260 Rem, and 6.5-284 cartridges. The new 6.5mm 100-grainer was created in response to requests from High Power and Across-the-Course shooters for a lighter-recoiling, accurate boat-tail bullet for “short line” work. We predict this bullet may also work well for varmint and small-game hunters. This bullet features a short boat-tail and a “mildly secant” design which should work well either seated into the lands or jumped away from the lands. Bryan Litz says: “it’s definitely not a VLD, but it has a different ogive curve than a typical tangent-ogive bullet.” The shorter length of the 100gr bullet, compared to 140gr-class 6.5mm bullets, should also allow tactical shooters to easily load their ammo to mag length. The calculated BC of the new bullet is 0.370, significantly higher than flat-based 100gr 6.5mm bullets from other manufacturers. A minimum twist rate of 1:10” is recommended for Berger’s hew 6.5mm 100gr Target Bullet.
New 100gr 6mm Match Bullet — More Velocity Than 105/108
Long-range benchresters have had great success with the Berger 108gr match bullet, introduced in 2007. Given the popularity of its tangent-ogive 108, Berger has been developing a shorter, lighter version, which can shoot faster than the 108 in small cartridges such as the 6mmBR, 6mmAR (6-6.5 Grendel), and 6 PPC. The new 6mm 100-grainer will be very similar to the 108. The 100 has the same ogive curve and boat-tail as the 108 but has a shorter OAL and shorter bearing surface (0.368″ vs. 0.409″). A minimum twist rate of 1:8” is recommended for the new 100 — same as for the 108. In a 6BR rifle, the 100-grainer’s reduced bearing surface, combined with reduced mass, should enable Berger’s new 100gr 6mm bullet to fly 50-70 fps faster than the 108 (with charges of equal pressure).
However, there is a trade-off. Being shorter and lighter, the 100-grainer has a lower BC compared to its 108gr big brother. While the Berger 108 has a 0.511 BC, the calculated BC for the 100-grainer is 0.475. That BC difference will show up at long range, but the extra speed of the lighter bullet may enable it to reach a higher, optimal “velocity node” which may deliver superior accuracy in some rifles. We will be testing the new 100-grainer soon. In a 6BR that might max out at 2850 fps with the 108s, we predict the 100gr Berger should run close to 2900 fps. In a 6BR that delivers 2900 fps currently with the 108s, you may see 2950 fps (or more) with the new Berger 100s. The 2900-2950 fps speed range is a well-known “accuracy node” for both 6mm and 6.5mm bullets.
Forum Member Boyd Allen discovered that MidwayUSA is offering great prices on some high-quality Berger Match bullets. MidwayUSA has 6mm Berger 68gr FB Match hollowpoints, product 584518, on sale for just $20.19 per hundred. These are outstanding bullets. I have personally witnessed seven successive 5-shot groups shot with these bullets (at 100 yards) from a 6PPC and the average group size was less than 0.180″. Six out of seven groups were under 0.200″. Will you get that kind of accuracy? We certainly won’t make any promises. But we were mightily impressed with the Berger 68s we tried… they shot every bit as well as more expensive “boutique” bullets in a Shilen-barreled 6PPC built by Ron Hoehn.
Midway is also discounting ($2.30 off retail) Berger’s 35gr FB 20-caliber varmint bullets, MidwayUSA item 584073. These bullets shoot great in .204 Ruger, 20 Vartarg, or 20-223 (aka 20 Practical) varmint rifles. They have very low recoil but expand explosively on small varmints. The current sale price, good through the end of May, 2009, is $20.19 per 100-count box.
Randy Robinett of BIB Bullets is well-known for his exceptionally accurate flat-base bullets. Used with 30BRs, Randy’s 112-125gr flat-base BIBs have won countless BR for score matches, and Robinett’s 30-caliber 187-grainer recently set a new 1000-yard IBS world record in the hands of Joel Pendergraft.
Robinett announced something new this week — a 108gr, 6mm boat-tail projectile. Yep, that’s right … a BIB boat-tail. The new bullet features a conventional, tangent ogive shape, but the boat-tail is only .082″. That’s quite short compared to other 6mm bullets in the same weight range. Why the shorter boat-tail? Randy believes that a short boat-tail delivers the desired drag-reduction in a long-range bullet, while offering a larger base for the expanding gas to push. In addition, Robinett strongly believes that short boat-tails can be made with much less run-out (on the tail section). With longer boat-tails, Randy says, there is much greater risk of the tail section being swaged off-center.
Looking at the new bullet, we were concerned with the long bearing surface. Would that increase in-barrel friction and thereby reduce velocity compared to other 6mm bullets of similar weight? Apparently not. Our Asst. Editor Jason Baney has tested some BIB 108 prototypes. Jason’s Oehler chronograph revealed the BIB 108s will run within 10-15 fps of other similar-weight 6mm bullets, with the same powder charge. Jason pushed the BIB 108 up to 3200 fps without problems. (Test rifle was a 6-6.5×47 with 1:7.8″ twist barrel). Jason has not done extensive group testing, but he says these bullets definitely show promise accuracy-wise. He notes, however: “with the BIB 108s you’ll want a bare minimum 0.090″ freebore, and a longer freebore would be better.”
BC and Bullet Specifications
What about BC? Calculated (G1) BC for the new 108s is 0.543, but Robinett says “real world testing suggests an actual BC of about .52, as opposed to the calculated 0.543″. The new bullet is designed to perform well in the popular 8-twist 6mm barrels. According to Randy, the “ideal twist rate is 1 turn in 8.3 inches. This produces a 1.5 Stability Factor (Sg) 1.5 at sea-level, standard conditions. The Sg with 1:8.5″ twist is still a very good 1.4 Sg.”
The BIB 6mm, 108gr BT features an 11-caliber tangent ogive, 0.052″ meplat diameter, and a 12 degree x 0.082″ long (abbreviated) BT. The BIB 108s are fairly “fat”, measuring 0.2435+ at the pressure ring and 0.2433 in the middle of the bearing surface. Given the bullet shape and dimensions, Randy believes “this bullet will prove easy to tune.” For more information visit BIBullets.com.
Robinett is now accepting orders for the new 108gr 6mm BIB. The 108s will cost $320.00 per 1,000, plus shipping. Minimum order quantity is 250 bullets. To order, please call (515) 438-4010, or e-mail bibrob [at] netins.net.
Some good deals are to be had among Midsouth Shooters Supply’s April Specials.
Barnes M/LE Bullets on Sale
Barnes Bullets has introduced a new line of Military Law Enforcement (M/LE) lead-free bullets. Based on technologies Barnes developed for military applications, this new line of bullets should be popular for self-defense, hunting, and the fast-growing Tactical market. Sale items include include the all-copper TAC-X™ rifle bullets and Barnes’ new RRLP™ (Reduced Ricochet, Limited Penetration) bullets. TAC-X are a solid copper projectile that provides controlled, double-diameter expansion — a good choice for hunters. The RRLP bullets feature a frangible, powdered-metal copper-tin core inside a guilding metal jacket. These open-tip bullets combine accuracy with explosive fragmentation.
Last but hardly least, Midsouth offers the new 50-Caliber TAC-LR™ Long Range bullets. These high-BC, solid-brass beauties are individually milled on CNC equipment. Two types are available, a long-nosed secant ogive style (035-51075) and a tangent ogive style (035-51076). Both 50-cal projectiles are priced at $32.90 for 20 bullets. That’s expensive yes, but still much cheaper than comparable milled 50-cal solids from “boutique” bullet-makers. Barnes’ 750gr secant ogive TAC-LR bullet has an amazing 1.070 BC.
Allen 50″ Euro Gun Case
The Allen “Euro” is a quality 50″-long case with enough interior space to handle 29-30″ barrels. This deluxe case features a fatter/taller front section to fit guns with wide forearms or attached bipods. This is a very nice soft case for a long-barreled varmint rifle or F-Class gun with a larget scope. It features very thick foam padding (1.5″ per side) and multiple, velcro-closed external pockets. Midsouth Shooters Supply offers this case in hunter green (item 168-91550) for $35.09. Supplies are limited so don’t hesitate! A similar Allen-made case in blue or tan sold as the Remington Yukon.
Montana Xtreme Solvent with Free Bolt Grease
Though the end of April, if you purchase a 4 ounce bottle of Montana X-Treme bore solvent for $5.86, Midsouth will include a FREE syringe of X-Treme Gun Grease as no extra cost. The Gun Grease normally retails for about $4.50 buy itself. Every bolt-gun owner should have some grease in a syringe applicator to prevent galling of the lugs.
Midsouth Owner Interviewed
In related news, Midsouth Shooters Supply owner David King was recently interviewed by WKRN television in Nashville, TN. When asked about the current ammo shortage, King said this is the most accute shortage he can remember: “I’ve been doing this since the early 60s and it’s never been like this … The ’94 shortage was tough, but not like this.” In fact, King said it’s so bad one of his dealers sold more ammunition in one day than he did in all of 2007. According to King, the surge in ammo sales began after the Presidential election in November and has continued unabated due to concerns that Congress will impose new regulations on firearms, ammunition, and reloading components. King said ammo-makers are producing product as fast as they can but he expects in may take a full year before the balance of supply and demand situation returns to normal.
Asst. Editor Jason Baney recently commenced load testing with our 6-6.5×47 Lapua project rifle. (Built as a dual-caliber, switch-barrel test bed, this gun also has a 6.5×47 barrel). Our goal at this stage is to find basic starting points and max loads for a variety of popular powders. This is important because the 6-6.5×47 is a wildcat cartridge and very little “official” load data is currently available from the powder makers. We initially hope to give our readers a starting point when loading for the 105-108gr class of BT match bullets. Later we’ll work up load points for both heavier and lighter bullets.
Thus far, Jason has tested 6 powders: Alliant Reloder 17, Hodgdon Hybrid 100V, Hodgdon H4350, Norma N204, and Vihtavuori N160 and N550. With these powders, Jason shot ladders with charges in 0.5 grain intervals. All initial testing was done with Berger 105gr VLD bullets. Jason will continue testing next week with other bullets, including 115gr DTAC, 107gr Sierra MK, 105gr Hornady A-Max, 95gr Berger VLD, and 80gr Berger FBHP. He will also try some faster powders (Varget and Reloder 15) with the lighter bullets.
Reloder 17 Very Impressive and H4350 Performed Well
Thus far, the most promising powders, in terms of velocity, accuracy, and vertical dispersion, have been RL17 and H4350. According to Jason, “N204 was also very intriguing, displaying tight vertical, but it showed a lot of horizontal–though it was windy during that testing phase”. Shooting ladder tests at 200 yards, RL17 exhibited very tight vertical over a wide velocity spread, and 4 out of 6 loads went into a 1/2″ group at 200. Max RL17 velocity in our 30″ Bartlein barrel was 3199 fps. H4350 topped out above 3150 fps, but some pressure signs appeared at about 3120 fps. To top 3100 fps with H100V, Jason needed a compressed load. Velocities with N160 were quite slow compared to the other powders, and N550 maxed out at 3095 fps.
CAUTION: Jason was shooting with a 30″ barrel and a strong, custom BAT action. You may not be able to achieve the stated velocities in your barrel. When we’ve completed testing we will publish suggested starting loads for these powders.
More than a week after we ran the story as an April Fool’s hoax, our feature about U.S. Army testing of dimpled “golf-ball” bullets at Aberdeen Proving Ground continues to delude readers on dozens of web forums. This is the spoof that won’t die. Posters on numerous websites continue to be “suckered-in” by this story despite many obvious “clues” that the story is a hoax. An active debate still rages on one forum as to whether the dimpled “golf-ball bullet” complies with the terms of the Hague Convention on munitions. On the Gunsnet Forum some posters have gone to great length to prove the dimpled bullets really work. One duped reader posted: “Looks awesome… where can I buy them?” Another lamented that this was “another example of great technology monopolized by the military, but not available to civilians.” But, eventually, in most of the threads, savvy shooters saw through the hoax. One reader asked: “Will Army snipers now get to claim a 2-shot handicap?” Another clever poster wrote: “I have been shooting [dimpled bullets] for years… as long as there’s no water or sand traps around they work[.]” On the Handloads.com Forum, a reader quipped: “I wonder if you can chip, slice or put backspin on these rounds?”
.338 Projectile with MIM Exo-Jacket (3D-CAD Artist’s Rendering)
If you want to have some fun, check through these forums and read some of the posts by folks who remain convinced that dimpled bullets are real…
Many Obvious Give-Away Clues Overlooked
The golf-ball-bullet story had some clues that should have tipped off smart readers to the fact that it was an April 1st spoof. First, the last name of the development team leader was “Eldrick”. Hmm… sound familiar? Google “Eldrick”. That’s right, “Eldrick” is Tiger Woods’ actual first name. At the end of the story we quoted a make-believe Capt. Sarazen. Well, again, “Sarazen” is the last name of golf legend Gene Sarazen. We published a photo of what was purported to be “advanced Doppler Radar”. In fact, the equipment shown is a battlefield sonic sensor array (sort of electronic ears) that has nothing to do with radar. Interestingly though, some readers thought the story was false because Doppler Radar wouldn’t be used to clock bullet speeds. In fact, Doppler Radar IS used to measure bullet speeds over long range, and it is probably the most sophisticated system currently available for this task. Lapua recently released Coefficient of Drag (Cd) data for its bullets; this data was compiled by “continuous Doppler radar measurements”. CLICK HERE for explanation of Doppler-derived Cd with sample charts.
Now through April 30, 2009, MidwayUSA has the Hornady (formerly Stoney Point) Lock-N-Load Overall Length Gauge (item 570611) on sale for $25.99. That’s $4.50 off the regular price. Note, in addition to the Gauge itself, you’ll need a threaded modified case for each caliber you shoot, and we recommend having a comparator body with caliber-specific insert. The comparator allows you to measure from base of case to bullet ogive (rather than bullet tip).
OAL Gauge shown with Comparator to allow measurement from bullet ogive.
This Editor personally uses the Hornady Overall Length Gauge to find the distance to the lands for all his centerfire rifles. With practice, using the right technique, you can achieve measurements that are very repeatable. Here’s my method:
1. After screwing the modified case securely to the gauge, insert the case (with a bullet in neck) into the chamber. Make sure the modified (threaded) case goes ALL the way into the chamber. (Note: a heavily-fouled chamber can interfere with the seating of the modified case.)
2. Slide the gray pusher rod gently forward until you feel the first, slight resistance, then stop.
3. Now with the tip of your finger, tap the gray rod gently two or three times. This should give you a good, repeatable bullet contact with the lands, without going into the rifling.
4. You do NOT want to push hard on the gray rod. This will cause the bullet to engage the rifling. That will cause the bullet to stick, and you will end up with inconsistent length-to-lands measurements.
Some folks complain that this tool is not particularly repeatable. Well, if you use and practice the technique above, I think you’ll find the opposite is true. Using the Hornady OAL Gauge with a Berger bullet in a 6PPC, I recently measured length to lands five times in a row, with a couple witnesses to the procedure. Each of the measurements was consistent within .0007″ as recorded with a set of Mitutoyo Digital calipers. The key is using the same technique and pressure every time. CLICK HERE for a complete review of the Hornady OAL Gauge, with many photos
Given the many matches won and records set by 6BR Improved cases, both 6 BRX and 6 Dasher varieties, product planners at 
Forum Member Boyd Allen discovered that 
Robinett announced something new this week — a 108gr, 6mm boat-tail projectile. Yep, that’s right … a BIB boat-tail. The new bullet features a conventional, tangent ogive shape, but the boat-tail is only .082″. That’s quite short compared to other 6mm bullets in the same weight range. Why the shorter boat-tail? Randy believes that a short boat-tail delivers the desired drag-reduction in a long-range bullet, while offering a larger base for the expanding gas to push. In addition, Robinett strongly believes that short boat-tails can be made with much less run-out (on the tail section). With longer boat-tails, Randy says, there is much greater risk of the tail section being swaged off-center.
Reloder 17 Very Impressive and H4350 Performed Well
FOOLED FORUMS…
