Range Report Nosler 140 RDF's

Any more info with 6.5x47 and the RDF's with H4350?

The problem I ran into with H4350 was when I used my normal 40.5 gr load that a use for the 140 hybrids with the RDF's I was about 40 fps slower and the load was pretty compressed. I was having problems with seating depth consistency. Coupled with that and the fact it's nearly impossible to find H4350 right now I swapped over to Varget and have had great results with 37.5 gr. My velocity is back up equal to the H4350/hybrid load with great accuracy and single digit SD's.
 
The problem I ran into with H4350 was when I used my normal 40.5 gr load that a use for the 140 hybrids with the RDF's I was about 40 fps slower and the load was pretty compressed. I was having problems with seating depth consistency. Coupled with that and the fact it's nearly impossible to find H4350 right now I swapped over to Varget and have had great results with 37.5 gr. My velocity is back up equal to the H4350/hybrid load with great accuracy and single digit SD's.

Thanks for the info - what jump did you settle on?
 
Managed to get out for some testing today.

6.5 x 47 Lapua
Shilen 1:8 23.4 inch
140gr RDF
Lapua 2 x Fired Case
40.9 gr H4350
CCI 450 Primer
.030 off lands
2795fps (Ave/10 on Magneto)
SD: 4
ES: 9
 
.030 worked best for me, most people report the RDF's aren't jump sensitive but when I tested them in my rifle I found that while them all shot good .030 shot best. Are you getting consistent seating depth with 40.9 gr of H4350?

Roger that thanks. Seating depth is spot on, I may be assisted by a long throat so while the load is compressed, at 2.83 COAL it's not super compressed. About 106% from memory. I tested up to 41.2 and got 2826fps with good SD/ES numbers but I noticed a few extruded primers so decided to come down - 2795fps from a 23.4" barrel is more than enough for me.
 
Roger that thanks. Seating depth is spot on, I may be assisted by a long throat so while the load is compressed, at 2.83 COAL it's not super compressed. About 106% from memory. I tested up to 41.2 and got 2826fps with good SD/ES numbers but I noticed a few extruded primers so decided to come down - 2795fps from a 23.4" barrel is more than enough for me.
On my old barrel I went up to 41.0 with H4350 without any pressure issues but havnt tried it in my new barrel cause the varget load shoots so good. If you run low on H4350 or have problems finding it give varget a try. 37.5 gr shoots lights out with my rifle with single digit SD's
 
  • Like
Reactions: BallisticPrimate
Went out to Oklahoma last week and shot these out to 1800 yards with good results. 2 hits out of 7 in pretty windy conditions.

260 Remington
Lapua brass
42.5 H4350
CCI 200
.030 jump
2840fps

2.5 to 4 mils of wind needed
 
Tikka CTR 24" 6.5CM w/ Omega 30 (direct thread)
Lapua Brass
CCI 450
RL-16, 41.7gr
0.050" jump (2.935" COAL, depending on bullet)
140 RDFs

2750ft/s @ 70F.

Did about half-MOA groups, but going to start increasing the jump and seeing effect on groups. First time I've been able to go out to 1000yds and hit quite consistently (probably 3 MOA target though, but was still fun).
 
Don't mean to hijack the thread, but if anyone is looking for a good deal on RDFs, we are running a deep discount on them for the next week or so.

You want to PM me the details of that?
Ill be running a ladder test tomorrow with these and if they shoot good ill need a few hundred.

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk

 
How do these compare to the 142smk ogive location? I use them because they shoot awesome and can get .020 off the lands in the mag in my 260. The bergers have the ogive set back to much for my liking in this rifle.
 
How do these compare to the 142smk ogive location? I use them because they shoot awesome and can get .020 off the lands in the mag in my 260. The bergers have the ogive set back to much for my liking in this rifle.
Base to ogive is .772 if that helps, I have no idea what the smk’s are. The rdf work well with a jump
 
I will try to measure one with the hornady gauge. I have a 22 inch Hart barrel on my 260 and it shoots .2-.3 all day long with the 142 and H4350 but a higher BC bullet with the same or close ogive would be something to try since I only have 80 bullets of the 142 left before I reorder them.
 
I will try to measure one with the hornady gauge. I have a 22 inch Hart barrel on my 260 and it shoots .2-.3 all day long with the 142 and H4350 but a higher BC bullet with the same or close ogive would be something to try since I only have 80 bullets of the 142 left before I reorder them.

I don’t shoot a 260 but in my 6.5x47 when I switched from the 140 hybrids to the RDF’s I had to switch from H4350 to Varget. I ran out of case capacity before I could get back in my node with the RDF’s. The 260 may not run into that issue. I’ve had really good luck with the RDF’s
 
I have a lot of Varget also but H4350 really shoots good in my 260. That's interesting the loss of speed with the RDF and needing to use a faster burning powder.
 
I have a lot of Varget also but H4350 really shoots good in my 260. That's interesting the loss of speed with the RDF and needing to use a faster burning powder.

Slightly different bearing surface, coupled with the extra length and jump they set deeper in the case so less powder capacity. I was able to get equal velocity with H4350 but it was a very compressed load and caused inconsistent seating depths
 
I have used just shy of 1000 in my 6.5x47 Lapua. I at first did not believe the ballistic coefficient of .658 but I tested them out to 1250 yards and it was spot on at every distance. I did very well in PRS club matches this summer and fall using them. This is the first bullet I have liked that Nosler has made. I thought they were the bottom of the barrel as far as bullet makers went, but it appears they hit a home run with these bullets. They are king of the B.C. for 140 grain bullets.
 
I have a bunch of the RDF's, banking on them to work well. I have found the G7 BC of .330 to be spot on out to 1,100 yards through my rifle at ~2780-2800 fps. On hotter loads above 2800 fps, I found that a G7 .340 BC worked, though I admittedly only spent a day on the range with the "hotter" loads.

I'm not much of a group shooter, and my groups have been a bit of a mixed bag with the RDF's. In a seating test shooting 3 round groups for the RDF, I found a seating depth that produced a tiny ragged hole (smallest I've ever shot). However, when shooting 5 round groups, they seem to throw a lot of fliers. I'm going to need to do some more tweaking to see what is going on there, and have decided to load up some 140 Berger Hybrids to compare against.

 
I'm shooting 140 rdf's out of a 20" creedmoor barrel with an average velocity of 2690. I'm using a g7 of .340. As with others in this post, most of my 5 round groups have a flier. But at the same time, I can consistently hit a 4" plate at 580 yards. I've noticed the bullets seem to be very jump sensitive. I settled on .030"
 
Good to read others experience with seating depth on RDF's. My initial 6.5 Creedmoor loads on my new rifle printed .375" at 200 yds. Those loads were about .020" off. Next range trip I was about .010"-.020" into lands and groups were unpredictable, 1" to 4".
 
The problem I ran into with H4350 was when I used my normal 40.5 gr load that a use for the 140 hybrids with the RDF's I was about 40 fps slower and the load was pretty compressed. I was having problems with seating depth consistency. Coupled with that and the fact it's nearly impossible to find H4350 right now I swapped over to Varget and have had great results with 37.5 gr. My velocity is back up equal to the H4350/hybrid load with great accuracy and single digit SD's.
Just to get my data in here for someone that might be able to use it... I use a Ruger Precision Rifle with a Snipe Arms 6.5 Creedmoor barrel 20 3/4" long. I use 40.5 gr of H4350 and it produces 2650 fps. It will put 5 rounds in a target at 100 yds. with all holes touching each other. Basically makes on "large" hole. I use it for long range competition... typically 1000 yards. I shoots very well and is very consistent. I shot LOTS of varying loads to nail down the best jump gap and settled on .020". It was just a whisper better than .030". Could probably use either and get the same results. The .020" gap does have a down side of not being able to use a magazine, since the loaded rounds are too long to accomodate them. So I use a Bob Sled loading block to make single round loading easier.
 
On the off chance anyone else is looking for VV N555 data with mild loads. Tough to judge how mild because VV only lists two 140gr bullets, one with a max of 42gr and the other max 43.4gr. I've gone from on the lands to approx 77 thou off; so far, the best has been on the lands, but it sounds like this bullet likes jump, so I'll keep going.
Nosler 140gr RDF & VV N555.jpg