I recently mounted and zeroed a scope on a Dakota M10 in 7x57. Starting with Hornady ammo, the rifle was a pain-in-the-ass to load---the lever had to be struck heavily by hand in order for the cartridges to chamber. Accuracy was erratic and I suspect the Hornady cartridges were too long in the headspace dimension. Next up was $100 a box RWS ammo which chambered effortlessly and grouped around 4" at 100. Saving economical (cheap) S&B ammo for last, I was pleasantly surprised. Price aside, it was very consistent, chambered easily and grouped about 7/8" at 100 yards. I had begun to think the Dakota was a lost clause. but the S&B ammo proved me wrong.

We all know that every good story has a moral. In this case it is that rifles can be very ammunition sensitive and that the high-priced ammo cannot always be depended upon to be the best. It always pays to experiment!

Best from Georgia,

Roger

Rifles can be finicky. S&B ammo almost always good stuff.

I have both experienced and heard of more complaints about Hornady ammunition than any other. I had some .300 Blackout of which 10 of 20 refused to go "bang", and some 7mm Rem many of which randomly refused to chamber.

That said, I was furnished with el-cheapo Hornady Whitetail Hunter in .270/140 grain by my guide in Africa for the ancient Musgrave rifle he furnished. It was accurate, functioned flawlessly, and killed large animals as dead as anything I've ever used.

I guess the verdict would be "inconsistent".

I have always thought the same about their ammo. Changed my mind when I had to test fire a 9.3x62 I recently built and it was the only ammo I could find.

In some calibers they really seem to have it dialed in. Everyone I speak with says the 6.5 Creedmoor ammo shoots lights out. Same for the PRC ammo...Maybe they are really concentrating on the ammo for the cartridges that are popular at the moment?

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Kobe:
I have always thought the same about their ammo. Changed my mind when I had to test fire a 9.3x62 I recently built and it was the only ammo I could find.

Funny you should mention Hornady 9.3x62 ammo. Recently, a client brought in a brand new Ruger M77 in 9.3x62 because it would fire <50% of the time with Hornady ammo. I checked the rifle with handloads and other brands of ammo and the Ruger fired 100% of the time.

Have any of you with such problems

called Hornady to discuss it?

George

quote:

Originally posted by RogersGunWorks:

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Kobe:
I have always thought the same about their ammo. Changed my mind when I had to test fire a 9.3x62 I recently built and it was the only ammo I could find.

Funny you should mention Hornady 9.3x62 ammo. Recently, a client brought in a brand new Ruger M77 in 9.3x62 because it would fire <50% of the time with Hornady ammo. I checked the rifle with handloads and other brands of ammo and the Ruger fired 100% of the time.

I probably should have clarified this, the ammo was S&B

Yes, and you can get maybe 1800 FPS with it sometimes a bit more!!

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
Yes, and you can get maybe 1800 FPS with it sometimes a bit more!!

Then that would be good for you old farts who can't handle recoil

NOw thats the pot calling the kettle black!

Atkinson,

I tried out some cheap PPU ammo in 7X57R and it had a nice 3 shot group at 100 yards. Group was 5 inches lower than two other loads, one was factory, other hand loads. Light powder charge/low velocity was my guess.

I seldom use factory ammo except in the 30-30s 25-35s and 250-3000 sometimes, but never any problems..

PPU brass is great brass IMO, RWS is the best and most expensive...most brass today is good enough to suit me...Im favoring Starline as of late, both ammo and brass...mostly brass..

As far as IM concerned the 7x57 is strictly a handloading propasition, and a damn good one at that..give me any 130 gr. and up bullet and a bucket of H414 or 760 and lately CFE-223 and its a dandy all around killer of anything short of perhaps a sperm whale..

I’m late to reply to this.
Just bought a Winchester 1885, new production, in 22H. Loaded up some new Hornady brass. At least 50% won’t eject.
Loaded some Winchester brass. 29 of 30 ejected.