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6.5 Creedmoor
- Thread starter Sportin Wood
- Start date
Yeah I've tested that in some loads but not my 6.5cm but I very much doubt it will change anything for you. It could give you a little more speed and pressure, so if you are on the edge of high pressure, back off before you try it. If your load is medium to mild, you should be fine and I doubt it will change anything at all
Yes. I run the 130eldm in my match rifle 7.5 twist and it’s been fantastic for almost 2,500 rounds now. Always hover in the very low 2,900fps zone.
Texashaag
I have that exact rifle and run the 140eldm with H4350 as well but, I am using Starline brass. My set up starts hitting pressure on the case and stiff bolt lift around 41.2, but it is also poking in the upper 2780ish on the FPS as well. That barrel/chamber on the Bergaras seem to be pretty tight and fast. As others have been saying drop down a bit and run a ladder test and see where your rifle combo hits pressure. Don't get to caught up the weeds to much on that combo, the 140 eldms shoot well.
Cool. Been seeing a few 7.5tw barrels for sale. Looking at building my first 6.5. Thinking Ill be running 130s and 140s at the heaviest.
How you liking the N555? I just picked up an 8# jug and have not shot it yet. Any ideas for starting load? Will be shooting 140 Eld and 143 Eld x. Thanks
I started with 40.5 and stopped at 43 grains which is now my standard load. Only shot it with Hornady 140 ELDM's
They absolutely used to. I don't know about now or when/if they changed it but it used to say so right on the side of the box
Yeah I run a 130 otm bullet in 6.5cm and I'm right at 2850 MV I think with a 24" barrel + Suppressor
Here is a ton of data. Suit your specifics
I bought some Accurate 4350 but only because I almost gave up on 6.5 Staball
I haven't had enough time to read every post to this thread but glad to see a few folks using 6.5 Staball...
I almost gave all of mine away due to continuous poor results but it seems like most barrels have liked the hotter loads with this stuff. With that in mind I bumped the charges up to 42.0-43.0gr in .2gr increments.
I found a node at 42.2-42.4gr behind 143 gr Hornady ELD-X bullets using 24" Proof carbon fiber barrel. Didn't get chrono data this time around but once I pick the tenths of grains apart in between and on each side of this new sweet spot I will have that data too next time.
Just wanted to post this in case anyone is getting as frustrated as I was at 6.5 Staball or their Carbon fiber barrels too
brass: Hornady (3x fired & annealed) - neck sized only
primer: CCI large rifle magnum
powder: 42.2-42.4gr 6.5 Staball
bullet: 143 gr ELD-X
Base to Ogive: 2.165
action: Falkor Defense Rem 700 SA
barrel: Proof CF 24" 1:7.5 - 4 groove
trigger: TriggerTech 2 stage flat
chasis: MDT ACC
glass: Leupold Mark 5HD 7-35 - PR2 MOA reticle
Banish 30 suppressor
Just used some today with really good results!
Hey everyone fairly new to reloading and my gun has really liked 40.2 gr h4350 with 140g smk. I don’t have access to a chronograph ( will be getting one in the next few months) and was wondering a roundabout fps this load would give me out of a 24 inch barrel
What brass? With Hornady, probably high 25s to low 26s, With Lapua or Alpha, probably high 26s.
Also, if you have ballistic AE, it’s very easy to calculate velocities based on your elevation required at a given distance.
John
When I get back to my load book tonight I will post it here. Gotta go do ymca 6yr old basketball
6.5cm
Beger 130 OTM
CCI- BR2
Starline Brass
H4350 - 42.65 gr
MV = 2878
COAL- 2.861"
BTO= 2.255" (Horn #375)
I have never used a neck sizer die, I've always done full length.... How is the bushing size determined? I know it is to uniform neck tension... The seem to come in .001 increments... bullet diameter is .264 6.5 creedmoor. Where to start?
texashaag
texashaag
For me, I do not believe just neck sizing is the way to go. There is a ton of info out there and some from professional competition shooters. I would do a lot of research before I went that route. That is my opinion, for what it’s worth.
It seems that with the 6.5 CM 123 gr ELD M’s that PP 2000 MR should work. Does anyone have any data or experience regarding such?
Thanks!
Thanks!
IF you read , the most normal way is to measure a loaded round neck OD's. There are usually .002 difference between the OD at the top of the case neck and at the bottom. Take the loaded round's OD measurements and subtract .002 and that will get you started. Some , suggest start with .001 and .003 or .004 when you get several firings on the brass.
Conventional neck and FL dies with the expender balls will require more often case trimming, but , that's another story.
I found scant information and have SWAGged a range of charges to look at. For 123 gr ELD I am thinking of between 42 and 44 as a range. Working up from 42 to 44 in .2 gr increments.
Sounds reasonable? Using Lapua brass. Will have to wait until I can get my hands on large rifle primers to test this out.
2000MR is pretty close to Varget in burn rate. Given 2000MR’s burn rate, 42gr to start seems pretty hot. I’ve used Varget behind 123s and it does very well but anything more than 40gr and I’m starting to see excess pressure signs. That clocks in the mid 2900s from a 24” barrel. If I were gonna work up with 2000MR, I’d probably start around 38gr.
John
I will keep your advice in mind, but I also will point out that it’s not only about burn rate but density as well. In data presented where both Varget and 2000 mr are both presented, Varget’s charge is normally a couple/few grains under 2000 Mr at similar muzzle speeds.
I will, however, take extra precautions and begin lower, move slower as a result of your caution. Only a fool would ignore caution. I have been reloading since the mid 70’s and have never blown up a gun, and do not intend to start now lol
However, should anyone else have experience with this combo I would certainly love to hear from you.
With much respect, thanks!
A lite update: I found some data for 120 gr Barnes and PP 2000 MR at 37.3 to 41.4 grains. I think I will run with that. Assuming I ever find some large rifle primers.
So the recommendation these days is to full length size every round for 6.5 from a bolt gun?
Sorry, I haven't touched my 6.5 setup in probably 3-4 years and I recall reading a bunch back then that neck sizing fire formed brass and only bumping the shoulder was the preferred method for a bolt action.
Any good place to start for FL sizing wisdom these day? Also is the Berger 130gr hybrid the new hotness over the Hornady 140gr?
Best place to start is to find out what the pros do. I follow a couple of them on YouTube as well as online. If they FL size, I do to. Back when it became popular to neck size only I never jumped in there. I had extremely small growth in my 30-06 cartridges years ago so felt no need to change what was working for me.
I FL size 6.5 only. Mighty Armory die’s are excellent if you don’t want to use a bushing die & mandrel set up.
For the later I use a Redding type S FL bushing die & then a 21st Century mandrel to set neck tension. If you want specific bushing and mandrel sizes LMK & I’ll check when I get home.
I wouldn’t call the 130 Hybrid the new hotness, but it’s been a very easy to tune bullet for me. Can get the 130 hyb’s 2900+ so for targets -1000+ they’re great. If there’s going to be targets 1200+ I’ll load 135 Atips, 144 Bergers. Those are my preference. Plenty of other good bullets to pick from & availability is improving.
Just recently heard Jake Vibbert on the Rifles Only podcast saying he likes running 153gr A-tips in his 6.5 Creedmoor and runs them slow, like 2700. Certainly can’t argue with his results.
Sure got me thinking a bit.
For sizing dies, Whidden Gun Works is a good place to start. He has a great article on Bushing vs Non-Bushing dies along with a lot of additional information on choosing bushings and die setup.
Standard Reloading Dies - Whidden Gunworks
Bushing vs Non-Bushing Sizer Dies Expand Quite often we hear the question "What is the difference between a bushing full length sizer die and a
www.whiddengunworks.com
Forster Dies is another good place to find a non-bushing die. They will custom hone your die to a specific neck size for a small fee.
Full Length Sizing Dies – Forster Products
Order according to the profile of the specific cartridge.
www.forsterproducts.com
The Hornady Custom Grade or Match Grade dies are surprisingly good for a 6.5 Creedmoor as well.
The Berger 130gr Hybrids are hot because they have been available recently as are the Hornady 140gr BTHP Match bullets. But they are good bullets and will shoot well in most guns.
I got a set of the Hornady custom along with the micrometer seating attachment to try with my 224 and was extremely surprised by the concentricity and overall accuracy, specially at that price. The micrometer was a bit touchy and a tad inconsistent but overall very nice.
I have been using hBn on my bullets a few years now, and I must say that my experience convinces me to make it a permanent part of my process.
I began using it with my 224 Valkyrie loads and experienced nothing but positives. The biggest impact was the effect on barrel cleaning. I would have very little carbon and copper buildup to clean. As a result my cleanings became very mild and less frequent.
Another aspect, which so far is only subjective, is that I am fairly certain wear is significantly reduced.
Anyone else here use that? I am going to be applying it to my Creedmoor process as well.
I began using it with my 224 Valkyrie loads and experienced nothing but positives. The biggest impact was the effect on barrel cleaning. I would have very little carbon and copper buildup to clean. As a result my cleanings became very mild and less frequent.
Another aspect, which so far is only subjective, is that I am fairly certain wear is significantly reduced.
Anyone else here use that? I am going to be applying it to my Creedmoor process as well.
Here is an interesting video regarding full length sizing vs neck sizing. Enjoy!
Factory T3x hunting rig
Cut the barrel to 19” with a nomad L
41.5 H4350
140 ELDM
MV 2617 with 35 rounds down the barrel right around 1/2 MOA
Cut the barrel to 19” with a nomad L
41.5 H4350
140 ELDM
MV 2617 with 35 rounds down the barrel right around 1/2 MOA
What I have done with my Hornady seating die is divide the top into 8 segments with permanent marker with one of the segments highlighted.
Its around .056" per revolution so each segment is about .007" I put a reference line on the step below (main body of die) and also wrote .007" there to remind me how much each segment is. A crude but cheap way to make semi-accurate adjustments to seating depth with a standard die.
Awesome! I have thought about doing something such as that. Since it is working for you, I will give it a go. I was also thinking about marking the threads so that I can adjust that way to “zero” the entire thing so that the zero reference mark would be facing me.
Finished up verifying some velocities today w/ 42.2 gr of H4350. CCI and Winchester primers w/ 140 EH and 143 ELD-X. Still a bit slow but it'll work for me.
What is your barrel lenghth?Finished up verifying some velocities today w/ 42.2 gr of H4350. CCI and Winchester primers w/ 140 EH and 143 ELD-X. Still a bit slow but it'll work for me.
I don’t think your speeds are horrible, more about what you should expect. I have a load right now in my 18” with dominus on there and definitely a well broken in barrel. With the 143eldx and 43g of h4350 I’m 2,670. This is my settled on hunting load now as I did play around with the 127 Barnes lrx which I still have plenty of for the future. That 143 load above though is so dam good that I’m sticking with it.Finished up verifying some velocities today w/ 42.2 gr of H4350. CCI and Winchester primers w/ 140 EH and 143 ELD-X. Still a bit slow but it'll work for me.
Those speeds are right at what my RPR with a 24 inch barrel gets with the ELD-X’s. My experience, is that the last few feet of velocity is rarely needed. However, not leaning too hard on the 6.5 leads to very long barrel life. I know, barrels are like tires, use them up and get a new one, but barrels are likes tires, they are not cheap. (Just dropped $250.00 on three bicycle tries and two tubes, so don’t tell me tires are cheap)Finished up verifying some velocities today w/ 42.2 gr of H4350. CCI and Winchester primers w/ 140 EH and 143 ELD-X. Still a bit slow but it'll work for me.
Most deer and even larger game and steel silhouettes, have a really hard time telling the difference between 2650FPS and 2575FPS, the windage down range is minuscule. However, your rifle and your wallet sure can. Think about it. Have an MPA, with 2250 rounds down the barrel, shooting 130’s with 44 grains of Superformance. Still putting the shots into sub half inch groups and hitting targets out to 1100 yards (Both in front of witnesses)
