130 Eld-m 18” gas gun

[19dsniper]

I’m looking for powder recommendations for my gas gun running 130 eld-m. I have been using varget and it’s just not really doing it for me. It works, as I took 17 deer with this combo last year (contracted work) but the velocity isn’t what I prefer. I’m not looking for a barrel burner in a 18” gas gun, but I would like more velocity.

Right now it’s being used in a “custom” DPMS G2 6.5 Creedmoor with a 18” Bartlein 8 twist, rifle gas +2”, with AGB. Had to locate an individual who was making custom G2 barrel extensions, then have the barrel spun up for the extension.

I have tried heavier bullets and this rifle just doesn’t seem to like them. Right now with 36.9 grains of Varget I’m getting 2,489 FPS avg. accuracy is right at 0.6” over 3 different range trips. I sit at 980 ASL.

I have loaded up 41.5 and 41.7 grains of H4350 with the 130 eld-m and will report back tomorrow on accuracy and velocity. I picked this load data up from Aero precision as their go to match load for their 18” 6.5 cm gas rifles. Figure I will try it and see how it fairs.
Anyone else who is running a gas rifle, especially a 18”, what is your load?
I would prefer to keep with the 130 eld-m as it works extremely well on deer and I have 1,700 of them sitting here. Our average shot is 200 yards of less so the velocity issue isn’t always a problem, but we do have a number of places that we have to reach out to just over 500 yards. The accuracy is there but my velocity is down to 1,787 by then. My other rifle is still at 2,132 FPS at this same distance but it’s 5 lbs heavier and about 12” longer. Not something that fits well with how we operate.

Thanks for any help.

 

[19dsniper]

Nothing?

 

[gnatmm]

I have a 18” DPMS AR, BA barrel. Best results with H4350 and 130 Berger Hybrids.
41.5 with hornady at 2550 fps or 40.5 with Peterson at 2525.
123 Scenars with 40.5 of VV 150 resulted in a 2750-ish speed and almost the same accuracy.

 

[19dsniper]

Good to know. Thank you. Velocity is within about 100 FPS. I will try my H4350 loads soon I hope. We set a record heat day today. Hottest day since 1960 something. 117 without heat index.

Thanks for the info!

 

[19dsniper]

Still too hot today to get out and shoot. I did go ahead and load up 41.7-43.5 grains of H4350 in 0.3 grain incriminates. I will try these with my magnetospeed V3 with my suppressor attached and see how my velocity, accuracy, and pressure is looking. I will report back when I can.

Any other load suggestions?

 

[bfk4lyfe]

Reloader 16. Their website says 44 gr in creedmoor, my gas gun is a 260 so not exactly transferable data. I worked up to their published 260 load which is 42.9 and had no issues...

 

[19dsniper]

I’ve looked for reloader 16 everywhere in a 100 mile radius for the last 5 months with no luck. I finally did find 1 lb of RL17 and I’m going to try that. I’m also about to order up some Reloader 26 and give that a shot with the 130’s. Thanks for the recommendation, I will give it a shot if I can find the 16.

 

[bfk4lyfe]

Fwiw midway has it.

 

[19dsniper]

Yeah, they are out of RL26 though so I’m adding a lb to my other order so I’m not paying hazmat twice. Good call though. Thanks for looking out.

 

[19dsniper]

Have RL 26. Going to try the 10 round load development by Scott Satterlee.going to try the 130 eld-m with 47.3-49.7 gr. In 0.3 increments over a V3 chrono and look for the velocity flat spots. Never tried this technique before. Should be interested. Anyone else have load data for RL 26 with this bullet?

Will report back with my findings.

 

[1jonathan1994]

With a jp 22" I got 130 eldm to 2851 sd of 11 with 40 gr Varget, Hornady brass, CCI LR primer. Laser to 600 yds.
Slr adjustable gas block and jp SCS with the weakest spring makes a big difference.
If you don't have adjustable gas don't even think of that hot.

 

[Kiba]

Have RL 26. Going to try the 10 round load development by Scott Satterlee.going to try the 130 eld-m with 47.3-49.7 gr. In 0.3 increments over a V3 chrono and look for the velocity flat spots. Never tried this technique before. Should be interested. Anyone else have load data for RL 26 with this bullet?

Will report back with my findings.

I have 20" and 22" 6.5 Creedmoor gassers, and for 123s/130s RL16 is the best powder I've tried in both rifles. Great accuracy, very tight ES/SD, very good velocity, and temperature stable. I've also ran H4350, Varget, and AR Comp.

In regards to RL26, Quickload shows 50.0gr of RL26 behind a 130 ELD loaded to 2.825" OAL at 55ksi and a 105% compressed charge. You really can't put enough RL26 into a 6.5 Creedmoor case behind a 130gr to overpressure the load especially at AR mag length. Quickload says RL26 will give even more velocity than RL16 even though it's somewhat slow burning for the short barrel and lighter 130s. Gas port pressure with RL26 will be higher than RL16, so you'll probably have to dial your gas block down and even then you may have ejector marks/swipes.

 

[19dsniper]

So to update everyone on what I found. When I tried getting my velocity up to something that I was looking for with the H4350, I started getting pressure signs and the groups fell apart. I departed from that and tried RL 26. After some testing I finally settled on 49.0 grains of RL26. That gives me a velocity of 2,714 with an SD of 14.8. I wish the SD and ES are better, but I’m getting good velocity and excellent groups. So I’m leaving it alone. If it was a rifle I used for 1,000 + yards, I would work on getting the ES and SD down, but it’s not. I, like many others, don’t get to shoot that distance as often as I would like, and 500 is pretty much the limits of what this platform is used for. So for me, it’s working great! I will take the 2,700+ FPS I’m getting out of an 18 inch barrel Andy be happy.