Just checking back in on this thread and saying that now, with about two hundred thirty something rounds through the barrel, I've got the Sierra 85 HPBT bullets holding 5 shot groups at about .75MOA consistently. And my first shot with them is inside of a 1.25" orange dot sticker I use for my POI at 100 yards. Usually the whole group is inside that sticker, some days it touches an edge, but still groups. Barrel still feels smooth, but I'm cleaning it much less, and still getting results that meet my expectations.
My load is using CFE223, and I had to bump it a bit when I went from an older box of bullets (20 years old) to new production bullets. The newer bullets are much more consistent at the tips, where the older ones were not, and the CBTO measurement is a little different too, must be different dies in use now at Sierra.
Anyway, I'll leave this as it is for deer season and maybe get back to messing with the other bullets after that.
My load is using CFE223, and I had to bump it a bit when I went from an older box of bullets (20 years old) to new production bullets. The newer bullets are much more consistent at the tips, where the older ones were not, and the CBTO measurement is a little different too, must be different dies in use now at Sierra.
Anyway, I'll leave this as it is for deer season and maybe get back to messing with the other bullets after that.