Looking for some advice on getting started with 6.5 Creed reloading components

JeffLebowski

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I've got a new MPA BA PMR Pro and I figure with the current panic; I should just take the plunge and buy big on whatever components are in stock. I'm sitting on a bit of Varget and four separate 1lb containers for 4350.

I think (hence this thread, seeking knowledge) that the lighter (130 gr and below) bullets would do well with Varget, correct? Or should I bite the bullet and stick with perhaps Berger 140gr hybrids and attempt to source more 4350 or a 4350 alternative? Or are there alternative approaches that I'm not considering? I haven't had this rifle long and I've only had one range session with it, but it seemed to shoot everything quite well (factory Sig 120s and 140s, factory Hornady 120s and 140s, the Hornady 120s shot very well). I'm also trying to decide what brass I should stock up on.
 
I've got a new MPA BA PMR Pro and I figure with the current panic; I should just take the plunge and buy big on whatever components are in stock. I'm sitting on a bit of Varget and four separate 1lb containers for 4350.

I think (hence this thread, seeking knowledge) that the lighter (130 gr and below) bullets would do well with Varget, correct? Or should I bite the bullet and stick with perhaps Berger 140gr hybrids and attempt to source more 4350 or a 4350 alternative? Or are there alternative approaches that I'm not considering? I haven't had this rifle long and I've only had one range session with it, but it seemed to shoot everything quite well (factory Sig 120s and 140s, factory Hornady 120s and 140s, the Hornady 120s shot very well). I'm also trying to decide what brass I should stock up on.

I don't shoot 6.5 CM, but I've witnessed many who do and the bullet that's done outstanding for all of them were the 140 ELD's with 4350 pushing them. Berger 140 hybrids a good and you can no doubt work up a load that works well with them. But if I were to go to a 6.5 CM, the first place I'd look would be the 140 ELD's. And if you want some "good" brass, look to Peterson or Lapua (the price is well worth it).
 
That's what I've heard and read about the 140 ELDs, but they're out of stock nearly everywhere; so I figured if I can source the powder,; just to buy a bunch of the Berger 140 Hybrids if they are well thought of here.
 
I've never tried the 140 ELD's but have a bunch of 147 ELD's I am working with. They are really impressive in terms to consistency. More so than any bullet I've ever used.

So far, I have only run H4350 in 6.5 Creedmoor with 140 grain SMK, Nosler CC, Berger VLD Target and 123 grain Lapua Scenar. The only bullet that hasn't shot lights out so far, was the Lapua 123. Not had the best of luck with it, but pulled this off yesterday " .471" 5 shot, 2900 FPS, 15.01 SD and 22 FPS spread." Not horrible, but for this rifle, it's not the best.

My Bergara HMR (stock) loves them long and an amazing rifle for the caliber.

I plan on snatching up some Winchester StaBall as it's in stock and giving it a try.

Edited to add: I did run 140 grain ELD Match, but factory loaded ammo when I bought the rifle. I needed brass and fire formed a hundred rounds of it. All under a 1/2" though.
 
I've got a new MPA BA PMR Pro and I figure with the current panic; I should just take the plunge and buy big on whatever components are in stock. I'm sitting on a bit of Varget and four separate 1lb containers for 4350.

I think (hence this thread, seeking knowledge) that the lighter (130 gr and below) bullets would do well with Varget, correct? Or should I bite the bullet and stick with perhaps Berger 140gr hybrids and attempt to source more 4350 or a 4350 alternative? Or are there alternative approaches that I'm not considering? I haven't had this rifle long and I've only had one range session with it, but it seemed to shoot everything quite well (factory Sig 120s and 140s, factory Hornady 120s and 140s, the Hornady 120s shot very well). I'm also trying to decide what brass I should stock up on.

Do you have primers? Do you have all of your reloading tools and equipment? How much Varget do you have?

The Berger 140 hybrids will probably be just fine. Just work a good load up for them with H4350. Keep in mind, with 4lbs of H4350 you're only gonna get about 600-700rds out of that. I'd try and find a keg of it somewhere.

There was just a sale on some Lapua 6.5cm brass on a website for like $80, but heres some for $85 in stock, SRP...but if you don't have any primers you might wanna go large primer as they're easier to aquire now.
 
I have three rifles in 6.5 Creedmoor. Two of the three shoot the 140 grain bullets very well using H4350 from Lapua SRP brass, using CCI450 primers. Five shot group size (aggregate) of around 0.35” from the Savage 12 and the MPA.

The Remington 700 ADL sadly was a dud and shoots 0.7” to 0.9” groups, had burrs in the chamber and had to send it back, it is now a dedicated 200 yard capable hog hunting farm implement with permanent night vision.

When the Savage factory barrel was still fresh (<2,000 rounds), it shot 120 SMKs and 130 TMKs very well, as well as 140 Berger Hybrids and 142 SMKs, often into 0.25” three shot groups. Outperformed the rifles of my buddies who shoot F class. It was funny to watch the expression on their faces when they shot my cheap rifle and their groups got 30% smaller than i was capable of at the time.... At 600 yards on steel, the Bergers performed the best, i guess the high BC starts to show its worth at that distance. A rather pricey bullet - but highly recommended!

The new Berger 144 grain projectile apparently has better BC consistency compared to most other hollow point bullets (it is factory pointed), so probably the natural heir to the Berger Hybrid crown. Have used it and it shot small groups, with no fliers, using Reloder-16 (compressed load, need to vibrate the case to settle the powder and prevent a crunch if you load to mag length).

My MPA is throated for the Hornady 140 ELD-M bullet. Have used only 140 ELDMs, 140 Berger Hybrid factory anmo, and 142 SMKs so far. All shot well (but i have the superb Kinetics Solutions barrel tuner on this rifle, which makes it quick and easy to tune a load at the range). You can accomplish the same with optimized bullet seating, but it takes many more range trips... unless you buy an arbor press and the LE Wilson seater die, and that combo costs more than the tuner.

The Savage is now past 3,600 rounds and the lands have moved forward significantly, and still shoots the 147 ELD-Ms very well. The 147 ELD-M does not fit in the MPA, not enough freebore. Once the lands erode enough i will switch to longer heavier projectiles.

Have once shot a series of remarkable groups with RL-16 and 135 Atips, it was almost a dot drill, 2 shots per group, and later on measuring distance from aim point and calculated what a 5 shot group would have been, it appeared capable of 0.22” (at least in theory). Too expensive for my (kid-in-college) budget restrictions, so stopped using it for now. With RL-16 the load was compressed. [Have posted elsewhere how to deal with that.]

The trouble is eveybody is trying to get their hands on H4350, so it is always hard to find. I have used IMR4350 (not temp stabilized), and as long as you develop a winter and summer load, it works just about the same as H4350. Always in stock! My loads are 0.3 grain different compared to H4350, but that number is probably lot dependent.

My two best 6.5 CM rifles are not bullet picky, and pretty much anything between 120 and 156 grains works remarkably well. The R700 does not like any bullet, flawed chamber i think.

Once you optimized powder load for the middle of a wide flat spot in the speed graph, and once bullet seating (or tuner setting) is optimized to achieve good solid positive compensation, they all work. Bullet selection is driven by budget and how far you intend to shoot (high BC is desirable, and ability to transition to sub-sonic if shooting ELR) and what you are shooting at (steel vs paper vs animal hide). Pick a bullet that is easy to find, with high enough BC, good consistency in weight (and BC) and consistent base to ogive measurement, and one that does not have a reputation for blowing up halfway to the target. Hornady is getting some bad press for that recently, affecting 140 and 147 ELDMs. Then select a powder that is easy to find, is not compressed, and then stick with it. Unlike me who has to try everything new, and having to order a new barrel every 12-18 months.
 
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I've got a new MPA BA PMR Pro and I figure with the current panic; I should just take the plunge and buy big on whatever components are in stock. I'm sitting on a bit of Varget and four separate 1lb containers for 4350.

I think (hence this thread, seeking knowledge) that the lighter (130 gr and below) bullets would do well with Varget, correct? Or should I bite the bullet and stick with perhaps Berger 140gr hybrids and attempt to source more 4350 or a 4350 alternative? Or are there alternative approaches that I'm not considering? I haven't had this rifle long and I've only had one range session with it, but it seemed to shoot everything quite well (factory Sig 120s and 140s, factory Hornady 120s and 140s, the Hornady 120s shot very well). I'm also trying to decide what brass I should stock up on.

Varget works very well with bullets up to 130gr and the H4350 burn rate works well with bullets 130gr and heavier. Nothing wrong with H4350 but it can be hard to find so I switched to R16. Results have been as good or better than H4350 for me. My preference is Alpha brass but I have obtained very good groups with Hornady as well.

John
 
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Varget works very well with bullets up to 130gr and the H4350 burn rate works well with bullets 130gr and heavier. Nothing wrong with H4350 but it can be hard to find so I switched to R16. Results have been as good or better than H4350 for me. My preference is Alpha brass but I have obtained very good groups with Hornady as well.

John

Have you tried RL16 with the lighter bullets?

Or has anyone tried RL26 with lighter bullets?
 
Have not tried RL-16 for the 120s, but the Alliant web site lists some of them:

2953F3A0-C839-4738-A41E-0F80F974C86C.jpeg
 
Do you have primers? Do you have all of your reloading tools and equipment? How much Varget do you have?

The Berger 140 hybrids will probably be just fine. Just work a good load up for them with H4350. Keep in mind, with 4lbs of H4350 you're only gonna get about 600-700rds out of that. I'd try and find a keg of it somewhere.

There was just a sale on some Lapua 6.5cm brass on a website for like $80, but heres some for $85 in stock, SRP...but if you don't have any primers you might wanna go large primer as they're easier to aquire now.

I have got about 900 Federal 210s and maybe 1700 CCI 400s. Pretty much setup for reloading gear. I’ve got about 8lbs of Varget.
 
Thanks, man. I assume that my CCI 400s are no good for precision and that I should buy large primer brass for my Federal 210s?

I don't wanna say they won't work, but I'd be cautious running them with close to max. If you have plenty of large primer and its not a huge issue, I'd prolly just run those, especially if you don't have any brass bought yet.

Get a 100-200 Lapua LP cases and go to town. Pair those with your Bergers and 4350 and thats a hard combo to beat.
 
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I don't wanna say they won't work, but I'd be cautious running them with close to max. If you have plenty of large primer and its not a huge issue, I'd prolly just run those, especially if you don't have any brass bought yet.

Get a 100-200 Lapua LP cases and go to town. Pair those with your Bergers and 4350 and thats a hard combo to beat.

So you'd prefer my four 1lb containers of 4350 over my 8lb keg of Varget?
 
So you'd prefer my four 1lb containers of 4350 over my 8lb keg of Varget?

I mean, shit.... try both lol. I always like doing two loads in my rifles...one for curiosity and fun...and also for different situations.

Grab some 120-130gr bullets and make a load with your Varget
Use the 140's with the H4350. Often times, especially with good powder, Lot to Lot variations aren't that crazy. So you can make a load and then when you switch bottles of powder, just test a few rounds to see where you're at. May have to adjust +/-0.1-0.2gr of powder, maybe a touch more.

Personally I haven't noticed that big of a difference in the 3 lots of H4350 I've used. I'm sure someone whos used 100's of lbs of it could maybe give you a more educated answer there.

either way... gotta use the 4lbs at some point, might as well develop a load.
 
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For those of you saying H4350 is hard to find (and around the Atlanta area), GA Firing Line in Marietta, GA was sitting on 2 8lb jugs on Monday. Not sure if they ship but it’s out there. I have plenty or would have bought them.

+1 for the 140 ELD-M in Hornady brass simply because it’s the only large primers I use (besides magnums in .338) and can still find them in the wild...I use them in SRP Lapua as well but more conservative with small primers these days given I use them in everything else.
 
I am kind of the same boat as the op. Have 4 # h4350 on the way, several thousand cci400 primers, about 4-5#s of varget, 1 can of imr4350 and will be getting a 8# jug of sw long rifle next week, 600 rnds of the berger 140hybrids, close to 500 hornady brass prepped and ready to go.
more than likely will work up a load for my bergara hmr pro for hunting with the varget or the imr powder. Use the h4350and the shooters world long rifle for the mpa pmr pro using the bergers. Hopefully i can get me a good load pretty quick.
 
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I am kind of the same boat as the op. Have 4 # h4350 on the way, several thousand cci400 primers, about 4-5#s of varget, 1 can of imr4350 and will be getting a 8# jug of sw long rifle next week, 600 rnds of the berger 140hybrids, close to 500 hornady brass prepped and ready to go.
more than likely will work up a load for my bergara hmr pro for hunting with the varget or the imr powder. Use the h4350and the shooters world long rifle for the mpa pmr pro using the bergers. Hopefully i can get me a good load pretty quick.

Just be careful and work up the load properly with the CCI400's.. I know some guys have shown pictures of them when used with near max/max loads.

They're obviously thinner than what is normally used in 6.5 SRP brass
 
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H4350 and RL16 would me more stable with temperature change. I’ve been using RL16 with 147eldm and 140 Bthp for the last 2 years and the performance is great. Will be trying Staball soon for fast reloading.
 
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SW4350 is my go to for 140gr bullets for my bolt and AR 6.5 Creedmoor rifles. It is readily available at a mom and pop shop near northern Virginia. (I see OP is from Virginia). Generally loads are in the 40 to 41gr range (depends on bullet, rifle, brass, etc.) with 2680fps out of my 24" Ballistic Advantage barrel and no pressure issues. Before loading for the Creedmoors, I had a fair amount of IMR4895 for .270, which I tried. The results were good accuracywise, but I could not get the velocity out of the 4895 that I can out of the 4350.

I have shot rounds in temperatures from 40 to 90 degrees at 300yds (max available to me) without having any noticeable change in elevation. When I do my part, 5 shot groupings at 100yds, with a 2 minute cool down, are always 3/4" or less.

Price is just under $190 for 8lbs.

As usual, YMMV.

COB
 
SW4350 is my go to for 140gr bullets for my bolt and AR 6.5 Creedmoor rifles. It is readily available at a mom and pop shop near northern Virginia. (I see OP is from Virginia). Generally loads are in the 40 to 41gr range (depends on bullet, rifle, brass, etc.) with 2680fps out of my 24" Ballistic Advantage barrel and no pressure issues. Before loading for the Creedmoors, I had a fair amount of IMR4895 for .270, which I tried. The results were good accuracywise, but I could not get the velocity out of the 4895 that I can out of the 4350.

I have shot rounds in temperatures from 40 to 90 degrees at 300yds (max available to me) without having any noticeable change in elevation. When I do my part, 5 shot groupings at 100yds, with a 2 minute cool down, are always 3/4" or less.

Price is just under $190 for 8lbs.

As usual, YMMV.

COB
Could you message me with where this $8lbs of 4350 is? @COB