Why would any home loader want to duplicate any factory load..... or am i missing something?
There was a time when I would NEVER consider shooting factory ammunition in my rifles, and frankly, I still don't shoot it other than the odd box of bargain .223 or 300 Blackout. I simply can't afford to feed my rifles at the rate I consume ammunition. If I could, I probably
would unless there was a load that absolutely couldn't be had over the counter, or there was the
unlikely happenstance that NO factory ammunition shot well in my rifle. The truth of the matter is that factory ammunition from a reputable maker is generally quite good. It has to be or it won't sell. In the case of the 6.5CM, as Laurie mentioned, the chamber spec was developed specifically around that Hornady factory round, using equipment that you and I probably don't have in our loading rooms, by people who make their living engineering cartridges. I don't own a 6.5CM yet (I have one coming) but I shoot with three people who do. They are handloaders but have no problem shooting factory ammunition in their rifles and indeed, usually keep a box around to use as a benchmark load if they suspect something might be amiss. One of my friends shot his new Ruger Predator in 6.5 the other evening, fresh from the box, and was dropping factory rounds into a half MOA from a bipod rest. The load is listed on the box and his handloads will probably follow those specs exactly. His other 6.5CM will sometimes get fliers with the AMax so he loads the Sierra 142 Match King over the same charge -but in this instance, a "flier" means "not in the same little hole as the other 9 rounds." I'm talking opening up a 1/4MOA to half MOA @ 200 yards. Like all of us, he wants fliers gone so he has tweaked his load to the Sierra pill. Would he hesitate to use the factory Hornady round knowing that he will get only half MOA? I doubt it.
I wrote that I try to duplicate factory ammo every time I get to the loading bench. What I meant was that I try to duplicate the engineering that goes into the load: A well balanced, consistent, useful load that will work well
in a number of rifles of the same chambering. That is the other facet: I have more than one rifle in a given chambering (I have 5 three-oh-eights) so I build my ammunition with an eye towards interchangeability much as the factory does. For example, I load a 168 grain A-Max in small-base, full length resized cases, trimmed to exactly the same length, primer pockets prepped, charged, the bullet seated to listed OAL, and crimped.This load functions flawlessly and shoots to varying degrees of sub MOA from three of my 308's; a Savage Long Range Hunter, a Ruger Precision Rifle, and a 25 year old Winchester Model 70 hunting rifle. It is my long range 308 load for the RPR and will screw bullets into a single ragged hole at 100M when I don't mess up. The 'worst' accuracy is from my 1-11" twist Savage. It shoots about 7/8 MOA but it isn't fond of A-Max and likes the Sierra 155 MK's better. Still, it's good enough for busting steel plates at 700 yards. This 308 load is one of my favorites and I have yet to find a rifle that will not shoot it well. It even functions in my DPMS 308 AR-10 and shoots as well as my eyes will allow with iron sights.
It takes a while to assemble this ammunition and I take great care in its construction. Making accurate ammunition for one specific rifle is easy. Making ammunition that will function, and be accurate in a multitude of rifles of the same chambering is a little more challenging. That's why I give a lot of respect to factory ammunition.~Muir