Hey folks,
I was at the range yesterday making sure my scope was holding zero after swapping stocks on my Ruger American .308. Here in Cali we can only use non-lead ammo for hunting, but it's so goddamned expensive (2 bucks a round at LEAST) that I wanted to get zeroed with the "cheap" stuff and then try it out. I started out with a few rounds of Federal softpoint 150gr and put them in a perfectly acceptable 1.5" group at 100 yards (no lead sled, just shooting off a sandbag rest at a range table.) Then I shot three of the GMX 150 grain and damned if they didn't fly all over. Two hit 4 inches high right and one hit 2 inches dead right. I repeated the experiment and the same thing happened. The Federal grouped well with no flyers. The GMX was consistently right but a much wider pattern.
The Federal muz vel is about 140 fps lower than the GMX, but that seems negligible to me... perhaps I'm wrong though... or perhaps the copper round just behaves differently despite being the same weight?
Anyone have any experience with the GMX .308 being all over the place? I'm willing to concede that I'm no benchrest-competition-level shooter by any means, but I was pretty taken aback by how much inconsistency the GMX was giving me.
-Crow

The GMX groups around 4"? That sucks. It sucks more that you have to pay so much to find that out.
Some guns just don't get along with some ammo.
Given the time frame, and the current availability issues, you could hunt with a 4 MOA rifle, as long as you didn't take any long shots.

Rust wrote: Tue Sep 07, 2021 1:41 pm The GMX groups around 4"? That sucks. It sucks more that you have to pay so much to find that out.
Some guns just don't get along with some ammo.
Given the time frame, and the current availability issues, you could hunt with a 4 MOA rifle, as long as you didn't take any long shots.

Yeah I ended up just adjusting my scope a few clicks so that I was at least shooting center. The GMX shot dead high and the Federal shot center left. The GMX does say that it shoots 1.5" high at 100 yds and flat at 200. I'm taking it hog hunting today but it's unlikely that I'll be much more than 75 yards out, and I won't take any shots over 100 for now.
I actually got lucky last night and found a box of Norma EVOstrike 139gr at Big 5. Cost like 2.50 a round but maybe it'll shoot better. After tonight I'll clean the rifle and head back to the range this weekend to try the Norma.
Sure do wish Cali let you order ammo online... this "no online orders / no lead ammo" bullshit is self defeating. No one is going to hoard copper .308 at 50$ a box just like no store is going to stock it consistently.
-Crow

UPDATE:
The questionable consistency of GMX does not seem to matter at 70 yards with a big ol target.

Have you had a chance to shoot the Norma ammo?

Rust wrote: Mon Sep 20, 2021 5:45 pm Have you had a chance to shoot the Norma ammo?

Not yet- I haven't gotten down to the range in the past couple of weeks. Thanks for checking in though! I'm hoping to try it out in the next week or so.
-Crow