My new 6.5 Creedmoor

[gilgamesh1]

Well it's not that new but I need 3 more post to be able to sell crap in the post exchange. I did shoot it for the first time at distance yesterday. Furthest target was 863 yd. DA=3000, wind 10-15, 6.8 mils. Velocity about 2750. Recoil is minimal especially suppressed. Accuracy was great; made most hits despite the wind on 16" round steel. Shooting buddy not so much. I would like to get to 2800 ft/s and go past 1200 one day.

Rifle: BAT tactical action, Krieger Barrel, 8 twist, Medium Palma 25" chambered by ScoreHi (NM), KRG W3 gen2 chassis, trigger CG Jackson, TBAC 30P-1 suppressor
Scope: Premier 3-15 XR
Ammo: Hornady brass (what else), BR2, H4350 41.5gr, 139gr Scenar.

 

[Bruiser_Joe]

great looking gun

 

[Captain Kirk]

very nice setup, do you do any local match shooting in this area ?

 

[Barabus]

Great looking stick. Where around here can you shoot that range? BLM?

 

[gilgamesh1]

I don't shoot matches. I barely have time to get out to the local range to shoot rifle. I've got a demanding 3 year old and I like shooting trap and pistol too. Which, I guess, begs the question, why did I need another bolt rifle. Anyways, once in awhile I can make it out to Durr road, just south of Ellensberg. It is somewhat painful to hike out and back with steel targets and stands. You are walking down and up a canyon in fairly rocky terrain. I also enjoy picking the ticks of myself afterwards. They posted signs this year that state NO shooting past 11am (recent fire in the area started by shooters) which is great. . . If it takes you 1.5 hours to drive there-- well you can do the math as to how early we had to get up to get there. I would like to try the Upper Nisqually practical rifle match sometime though. The Boy will be heading to preschool this fall and I am hoping my shooting opportunities will multiply. I am looking for some place easier to shoot, on my time schedule. But I'll likely get out to Durr road a couple more times this year. Thanks for the compliments. Maybe I'll start a thread about my old rifle to pump up my post count.

 

[Captain Kirk]

About 90% of the shooting I do is in tactical rifle matches, lots going on around here if you find the time.

 

[gilgamesh1]

This is the old rifle. McM a5. The cheekpiece I cut and shaped, also gouged out the stock, bondo'd it up and painted it so it would fit my blocky face and cheek. It is a blueprinted r700 .308 work done by Jerry Rice who retired a number of years ago. I think my rifle must have been one of his later ones. It has a unique flash suppresser/muzzle break, it is not a sound suppressor. Barrel is KP (think they are out of business, but it is a cut rifled barrel) thick and flutted. Used to have Hensholdt 4-16 on it but sold it recently. Also has a CG Jackson trigger. I usually shoot 155 gr Scenars at 2800 ft/s using Varget and Lapua brass. It is on a tripod that I picked up here on the hide. I installed an extended picatinny rail for it. Shot my AR15 off of it to 430 yds yesterday, I like it.

 

[gilgamesh1]

About 90% of the shooting I do is in tactical rifle matches, lots going on around here if you find the time.

Once my boy is older. All I will be doing is shooting and golfing. Assuming he likes those activities and my wife doesn't object-- too much.

 

[565fitter]

very nice rifle! I can't wait for all my 6.5 parts to come in so I can go play

 

[thrusty]

Nice sticks here. The 6.5CM is becoming very popular. Seems like every time I go to the range I'm hearing someone has a build in process or they just got one. I'm in the "just got one" group...

 

[TRTAC]

What do you think of the TB can?

 

[gilgamesh1]

What do you think of the TB can?

This is my first can. So I don't have much to compare it to except my friend's AAC supp for his bolt 308. Compared to his, mine is quieter and has a nicer sound== but this is somewhat subjective I think. It seems to do nothing to precision. It does change the POI straight down by about 0.5 mils which I think is substantial, but is within expectations. My old rifle is not thread for supp so I can not readily compare 308 to 6.5 cm. When I finish with the 308 barrel, the next one will be threaded. I don't think I would choose to shoot without it in most circumstances. It's like cheating.

 

[garandman]

Very nice rifle. I love my 6.5CM that is never more that 0.65 MoA, and often as low as 0.375 MoA. Its a seriously precise round.

MY load:

Hornady brass
140 gr Hornady A-max
41.5gr H4350
2.820" COL
2780 fps

I tried going faster, but accuracy went away

 

[gilgamesh1]

Eventually, gonna buy some Amax to try as well. But I have about 1000 scenars left. They shoot as well as I can expect so not highly motivated. The AMAx have a slightly better BC I think and they are less expensive than the scenars. Everyone seems super pleased with the Amax; it might be my next bulk purchase if it works out.

THe 6.5cm does seem accurate. But I don't know if the rifle or the cartridge. I did some prelim OCW testing and all the groups were pretty similar and small, this was not the case with my 308. I might be getting a little better with my shooting skills too. Plus with the can and smaller projectile, I think it is easier to shoot well than with my 308 unsupp rifle. So it is hard to say.

 

[KYS]

Very nice rifle. I love my 6.5CM that is never more that 0.65 MoA, and often as low as 0.375 MoA. Its a seriously precise round.

MY load:

Hornady brass
140 gr Hornady A-max
41.5gr H4350
2.820" COL
2780 fps

I tried going faster, but accuracy went away

We are going faster then that on RL17 and 140gr Berger Hybrids. Accuracy improved over the Amax. My only complaint with the amax is that it cannot handle speed, when you start cranking it up the accuracy of the bullets takes a dive.

 

[KYS]

This is the old rifle. McM a5. The cheekpiece I cut and shaped, also gouged out the stock, bondo'd it up and painted it so it would fit my blocky face and cheek. It is a blueprinted r700 .308 work done by Jerry Rice who retired a number of years ago. I think my rifle must have been one of his later ones. It has a unique flash suppresser/muzzle break, it is not a sound suppressor. Barrel is KP (think they are out of business, but it is a cut rifled barrel) thick and flutted. Used to have Hensholdt 4-16 on it but sold it recently. Also has a CG Jackson trigger. I usually shoot 155 gr Scenars at 2800 ft/s using Varget and Lapua brass. It is on a tripod that I picked up here on the hide. I installed an extended picatinny rail for it. Shot my AR15 off of it to 430 yds yesterday, I like it.

So how does that "muzzle device" actually work. Because from here it looks like a suppressor.

 

[gilgamesh1]

Actually it very much reduces flash. Apparently, flash is not visible past 25 yards. Also supposedly diffuses sound such that it is difficult to localize the sound of the blast. It reduces recoil considerably, although it could just be the weight of the thing. The device actually fits over barrel which is profiled down underneath the break. So although the barrel looks to be 19-20", really is more like 22.5". End of barrel is only a couple of inches away from the end of the break. It is fairly loud. I bought the thing when suppressors were not legal to shoot in WA state.

 

[JGorski]

Very nice rifle. I love my 6.5CM that is never more that 0.65 MoA, and often as low as 0.375 MoA. Its a seriously precise round.

MY load:

Hornady brass
140 gr Hornady A-max
41.5gr H4350
2.820" COL
2780 fps

I tried going faster, but accuracy went away

If you like accuracy and go faster, you should have a 6CM built, MOA as low as .229 out to 300yds, had a 4 shot group last week(Do we have to count that 5th shot?)that went .134MOA @300yds. Velocity around 3150. Thats a nice rig you got there, giglamesh!

 

[JGorski]

We are going faster then that on RL17 and 140gr Berger Hybrids. Accuracy improved over the Amax. My only complaint with the amax is that it cannot handle speed, when you start cranking it up the accuracy of the bullets takes a dive.

Im getting about 45fps more with RE17 over H4350, but also getting too much vertical, very rare to get vertical with h4350.

 

[garandman]

If you like accuracy and go faster, you should have a 6CM built,

I wanted the bullet to go thru the paper at 1000 yards, so I'm happy with my 6.5cm

 

[JGorski]

I wanted the bullet to go thru the paper at 1000 yards, so I'm happy with my 6.5cm

How is hitting the paper at 1000 easier when that 140AMAX is going to be 64" lower at that range?

 

[KYS]

Im getting about 45fps more with RE17 over H4350, but also getting too much vertical, very rare to get vertical with h4350.

Check your powder charges if you are getting vertical stringing. I have shot thousands of rounds with this load and it is very consistent. Sounds like you have the speeds up to high to be reliable.
Run that 140gr Berger Hybrid at 2900 fps (25" barrel) and hits to 1k are easy with excellent grouping.

 

[KYS]

I wanted the bullet to go thru the paper at 1000 yards, so I'm happy with my 6.5cm

Just to understand your stance on this...... you are saying a 6mm wont go thru paper at 1k?

A 6mm Creedmoor is more then capable at those distances!

 

[KYS]

Actually it very much reduces flash. Apparently, flash is not visible past 25 yards. Also supposedly diffuses sound such that it is difficult to localize the sound of the blast. It reduces recoil considerably, although it could just be the weight of the thing. The device actually fits over barrel which is profiled down underneath the break. So although the barrel looks to be 19-20", really is more like 22.5". End of barrel is only a couple of inches away from the end of the break. It is fairly loud. I bought the thing when suppressors were not legal to shoot in WA state.

I don't see how those two can go hand in hand but in your first few lines of text you just described a suppressor. If it diffuses sound or alters sound (by lowering DB) then you have a suppressor by ATF definition. Be careful with products like that.
My other question to you would be why by something that is fairly loud if you are looking for a suppressor alternative? Why not go with a traditional brake? Did you receive any harassment from local LEO's about it? Because it looks like a suppressor in the picture.

Not trying to call you out, just curious.

 

[Cobracutter]

Wow, thats exactly the rifle I want to build (with a diff optic). Looks Fantastic!

 

[gilgamesh1]

I don't see how those two can go hand in hand but in your first few lines of text you just described a suppressor. If it diffuses sound or alters sound (by lowering DB) then you have a suppressor by ATF definition. Be careful with products like that.
My other question to you would be why by something that is fairly loud if you are looking for a suppressor alternative? Why not go with a traditional brake? Did you receive any harassment from local LEO's about it? Because it looks like a suppressor in the picture.

Not trying to call you out, just curious.

That's cool. I do not know what the strict definition is for a suppressor. But it certainly does not suppress sound. Mr. Rice explicitly stated on his website and by phone discussions, that this item was reviewed by the ATF and deemed not to be a suppressor. Back then, my goal was not to suppress sound but rather to reduce recoil as much as possible short of a suppressor (since I couldn't use one). There is no real alternative to a sound suppressor for suppressing sound as that would be a sound suppressor. This device was marketed, principally, as a very effective brake. I really did not know much back then and probably would not opt for that brake/flash suppressor now even if suppressors were still not allowed in this state. It is unique, however, in that it functions well as a brake and flash suppressor in one. Outside a sound suppressor, muzzle devices usually do one better than the other, not both.

 

[garandman]

How is hitting the paper at 1000 easier when that 140AMAX is going to be 64" lower at that range?

Its a joke, son.

Its also a thread hijack. The OP build a very nice rifle in 6.5CM, and you come on here to sing the praises of your favorite caliber. I found your comment annoying and unnecessary, so I made a joke about it, rather than call your comment what it is.

Is that clearer? If you feel the burning need to pursue discussing the advantages of your favorite caliber / your rifle build, please either (1) IM me, or (2) start your own thread. No need to start a whizzing match over caliber, here.

 

[JGorski]

Check your powder charges if you are getting vertical stringing. I have shot thousands of rounds with this load and it is very consistent. Sounds like you have the speeds up to high to be reliable.
Run that 140gr Berger Hybrid at 2900 fps (25" barrel) and hits to 1k are easy with excellent grouping.

Actually, Im checking them twice, once with my RCBS digital scale and then I throw that charge on my 5-0-5 beam scale, the charges are good down to less than a 1/10 grain. Oh, and btw, Im shooting the 6 Creed, not 6.5, 6.5 sounds too european to me, hahaha

 

[JGorski]

Its a joke, son.

Its also a thread hijack. The OP build a very nice rifle in 6.5CM, and you come on here to sing the praises of your favorite caliber. I found your comment annoying and unnecessary, so I made a joke about it, rather than call your comment what it is.

Is that clearer? If you feel the burning need to pursue discussing the advantages of a your favorite caliber / your rifle build, please either (1) IM me, or (2) start your own thread.

Jeeze, I should've known by your facial expression, point taken, good sir.

 

[garandman]

Jeeze, I should've known by your facial expression, point taken, good sir.

LOL.....fair enuf. Peace 2U.

 

[KYS]

Actually, Im checking them twice, once with my RCBS digital scale and then I throw that charge on my 5-0-5 beam scale, the charges are good down to less than a 1/10 grain. Oh, and btw, Im shooting the 6 Creed, not 6.5, 6.5 sounds too european to me, hahaha

We all know what you are running. You mention it in nearly every post you make.... the 6.5 Creedmoor is an excellent cartridge, more then capable of delivery impressive performance.