Yesterday I made my first trip to the range with my first ever reloads. I am shooting 6.5 Creedmoor out of a 25" Bartlein in a Defiance action through an SAS Arbiter Suppressor. I did an OCW test with 24 rounds of Berger 140 gr VLD hybrids and the same number of 130 gr VLD hunting rounds. The test was done at Great Guns up in Nunn, CO.
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I shot from the prone off a bipod, through a chronograph at a target 100 yards away. Weather was ~55 degrees F, mostly cloudy with light/variable winds from the south to south west and shooting due north. Elevation was ~5,000' ASL. I shot the 140's first and did it in a slow manner, letting the barrel cool about a minute or two between shots. I loaded in 0.2 grain increments from 41.9 to 43.5 grains of H4350. These were in once fired Hornady brass, with Federal 210m primers. I fired two sighters/foulers on another target to re-obtain my zero (I'd removed my scope/base combo earlier) and warm the barrel a bit, as well as myself. Here is the test target for the 140's, and so I'm not sure how to decipher this. They all seem pretty good to me.
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I'm thinking maybe 42.1 or 42.3 gr for the 140's are the best?
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Here's the info/target for the 130's:
<iframe src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/120056813@N02/13084055683/player/81d8a00b0d" height="500" width="392" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe>
Looks like maybe 42.1 & 42.3 again? I did not shoot the 42.9 gr charge in the 130's because I forgot to prime them, as well as one of the 43.2's....oops!
I had ZERO pressure effects for any of these charges. Bolt lift was a breeze, no flattened or cratered primers, no ejector marks etc.
So here's where it gets weird, and I think it may be my chrony? The speeds seemed high. I had it placed ~10' out from the muzzle, fresh battery, and all the covers on it. Sky wasn't too bright either. Here are the speed breakdowns:
140 VLD Hybrid --
41.9 gr: 2933, 2941, 2933
42.1 gr: 2950, 2941, 2950
42.3 gr: 2933, 2941, 2976
42.5 gr: 2976, 2959, 2950
42.7 gr: 2967, 2967, 3003
42.9 gr: 2985, 3021, 3021
43.2 gr: 3012, 3021, 3003
43.5 gr: 3067, 3021, 3040
130 VLD hunter --
41.9 gr: 2967, 3003, 2959
42.1 gr: 2899, 3003, 3003
42.3 gr: 3096, 3058, 3086
42.5 gr: 3049, 3030, 3086
42.7 gr: 3021, 3058, 3003
42.9 gr: forgot to prime these!
43.2 gr: 3049, 3067
43.5 gr: 3175, 3155, 3165
Those are zippin'! I am using a 0.292" neck bushing in a Redding FL sizing die and a Redding competition seater die. The 140's are jumped 0.040" and the 130's are jammed 0.005" if that helps any.
So where should I go from here? Load in 0.1 gr increments around 42.1 and 42.3 gr and then play with neck tension and seating depth? Which first? Seems like a lot of ammo to go through, but if that's how it has to be done I will. Just wanting some helpful tips for this first timer. Thanks!
<iframe src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/120056813@N02/13084243834/player/620a617cf0" height="375" width="500" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe>
I shot from the prone off a bipod, through a chronograph at a target 100 yards away. Weather was ~55 degrees F, mostly cloudy with light/variable winds from the south to south west and shooting due north. Elevation was ~5,000' ASL. I shot the 140's first and did it in a slow manner, letting the barrel cool about a minute or two between shots. I loaded in 0.2 grain increments from 41.9 to 43.5 grains of H4350. These were in once fired Hornady brass, with Federal 210m primers. I fired two sighters/foulers on another target to re-obtain my zero (I'd removed my scope/base combo earlier) and warm the barrel a bit, as well as myself. Here is the test target for the 140's, and so I'm not sure how to decipher this. They all seem pretty good to me.
<iframe src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/120056813@N02/13083932225/player/8ac4cfc9ba" height="500" width="381" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe>
I'm thinking maybe 42.1 or 42.3 gr for the 140's are the best?
-------------------------------------------------------------
Here's the info/target for the 130's:
<iframe src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/120056813@N02/13084055683/player/81d8a00b0d" height="500" width="392" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe>
Looks like maybe 42.1 & 42.3 again? I did not shoot the 42.9 gr charge in the 130's because I forgot to prime them, as well as one of the 43.2's....oops!
I had ZERO pressure effects for any of these charges. Bolt lift was a breeze, no flattened or cratered primers, no ejector marks etc.
So here's where it gets weird, and I think it may be my chrony? The speeds seemed high. I had it placed ~10' out from the muzzle, fresh battery, and all the covers on it. Sky wasn't too bright either. Here are the speed breakdowns:
140 VLD Hybrid --
41.9 gr: 2933, 2941, 2933
42.1 gr: 2950, 2941, 2950
42.3 gr: 2933, 2941, 2976
42.5 gr: 2976, 2959, 2950
42.7 gr: 2967, 2967, 3003
42.9 gr: 2985, 3021, 3021
43.2 gr: 3012, 3021, 3003
43.5 gr: 3067, 3021, 3040
130 VLD hunter --
41.9 gr: 2967, 3003, 2959
42.1 gr: 2899, 3003, 3003
42.3 gr: 3096, 3058, 3086
42.5 gr: 3049, 3030, 3086
42.7 gr: 3021, 3058, 3003
42.9 gr: forgot to prime these!
43.2 gr: 3049, 3067
43.5 gr: 3175, 3155, 3165
Those are zippin'! I am using a 0.292" neck bushing in a Redding FL sizing die and a Redding competition seater die. The 140's are jumped 0.040" and the 130's are jammed 0.005" if that helps any.
So where should I go from here? Load in 0.1 gr increments around 42.1 and 42.3 gr and then play with neck tension and seating depth? Which first? Seems like a lot of ammo to go through, but if that's how it has to be done I will. Just wanting some helpful tips for this first timer. Thanks!
