I waited for a month and a half for my local Murdochs to get 6.5 Stabal in stock. It was the powder I wanted to use for my 7mm08 because it gave incredible velocities according to load data, and I had a gift card.
They finally got it in stock. I already had brass prepped, and being that this X Bolt had shot everything I've ever put through it at 1" or less I loaded one, shot it into the dirt to check for pressure and then proceeded to load 30, to go zero and start to true my dope based on load data velocity as my starting point.
I set up prone out of the bed of my truck and took 5 shots at 100 yards. The group was 3.5 inches. I shot another 5 and the 10 round group was almost 4 inches. Throwing shots wildly. I had just mounted the scope, an SWFA, degreased, torqued loctite, the whole nine yards.
I proceeded to shoot all 30 at distances from 100 yards to 300. The 300 yard group was over 12" wide with shots all over the place.
Demoralized and bewildered I went home and figured I would look at the gun another day.
But I couldn't let it go. So I went down to the bench and loaded 5 with IMR 4895 and 5 with Varget, and 5 more with 6.5 SB, took the gun down the road to the BLM and set out at 100 yards. The 4895 and Varget shot at an inch and the 6.5 SB shot around 3 inches.
That's my very limited experience with only one rifle. I really wish it would have worked out. It was perplexing because that gun shoots everything including cheap blue box at an inch or less. But not 6.5 SB.
Here are the pics from my confirmation trip to the range, 5 shot groups. The 3rd pic being the 6.5SB.
Edit, I know 1 1/8 MOA is not correct. Not sure why I wrote it that was..it was 1 inch and 1/8.
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