Nosler markets its Match Grade 123-grain for target and match shooting. It carries Nosler's Custom Competition bullet, a match hollow point with a boat tail. The bullet is rated at a G1 BC of .514, and the load leaves the muzzle at 2,400 fps, a gentle start for a 6.5 Grendel match load that keeps recoil light.

Compared with Hornady's 123-grain ELD Match, the Nosler starts 180 fps slower and stays behind all the way out. At 500 yards, a steady 10 mph wind blowing across the range pushes the Nosler about 23 inches sideways and the ELD Match about 21. Zeroed at 100 yards, the Nosler drops about 75 inches at 500 and the ELD Match about 64. In return, the ELD Match kicks about 8 percent harder in the same rifle. Compared with Federal's American Eagle 120, the Nosler starts 210 fps slower but handles the wind better: the same wind pushes the American Eagle about 25 inches at 500 yards.

Buy the Nosler if light recoil matters more to you than drop and you want a load Nosler markets for target and match shooting. Pick Hornady's 123-grain ELD Match if you want a flatter path and less wind drift out to 500 yards and can accept a harder kick. Pick Federal's American Eagle 120 if you want a faster start and less drop, and can live with more drift. For practice, Hornady's Frontier 123-grain FMJ is a full metal jacket load that leaves the muzzle 180 fps faster.