Hi - I am new to world of precision shooting and reloading. I own an AI AXMC 6.5 creedmore (26 inch barrell) and looking participate in prs matches. Any experienced shooters out there, who can recommend the right brass to go for? Thanks for your time and attention !
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Recommended brass for 6.5 creedmore reloading
- Thread starter harry_x1
- Start date
The OP said he's shooting an AXMC in 6.5 CM. A VERY RELEVANT piece of information, because the AXMC has a large firing pin and never was made for a small firing pin. If you shoot Lapua or Peterson small rifle primer brass, there is some chance that you will get pierced primers, and if you do, your bolt face and firing pin will very quickly be damaged by gas cutting. Yes he could send his bolt to someone good like LRI to get his firing pin turned down and the bolt bushed, but I would not want to alter the original bolt on a $7,000 rifle that was never made in small firing pin configuration.
I won't argue that Lapua and Peterson brass is better brass than Hornady and that you are likely to be able to get lower SD and extreme spreads in velocity using better brass, but I've been reloading Hornady brass since 2016 with very good results. I didn't go with Lapua because I've got a ton of CCI BR2 large rifle primers that I also use for 308, because I don't want to feel bad if I lose a bunch of brass in a match, and because one of the 6.5 CM rifles that I shoot is an AI AW with large firing pin and I don't want to chance pierced primers and I don't want to alter the AW.
So far I'm up to 7 reloads on my Hornady brass with no signs of loose primer pockets, and over a 10 shot string, my typical velocity SDs are around 14. My load is 42.5 gr H4350 or 40.8 gr. IMR 4451, CCI BR2 primer, Hornady 140 ELDM bullet. I'm loading progressively through a Dillon 550B with powder charges from an RCBS Chargemaster 1500 and cases are annealed every 2-3 loadings with an AMP annealer.
I ended up with Hornady brass because I bought a 1000 rounds of the 6.5 CM 140 AMAX factory ammo, shot it, then reloaded the brass. Given the relative affordability of factory 6.5 CM ammo, I'd suggest starting with 1000 rounds of the US made Prime ammo, which I believe uses Peterson large rifle primer brass, shoot it, then reload the brass. That's what I'm doing when my Hornady brass reaches the end of its life, and the great thing is I got 1000 rounds of Prime in the SH Group Buy and just got the shipping notification.
I won't argue that Lapua and Peterson brass is better brass than Hornady and that you are likely to be able to get lower SD and extreme spreads in velocity using better brass, but I've been reloading Hornady brass since 2016 with very good results. I didn't go with Lapua because I've got a ton of CCI BR2 large rifle primers that I also use for 308, because I don't want to feel bad if I lose a bunch of brass in a match, and because one of the 6.5 CM rifles that I shoot is an AI AW with large firing pin and I don't want to chance pierced primers and I don't want to alter the AW.
So far I'm up to 7 reloads on my Hornady brass with no signs of loose primer pockets, and over a 10 shot string, my typical velocity SDs are around 14. My load is 42.5 gr H4350 or 40.8 gr. IMR 4451, CCI BR2 primer, Hornady 140 ELDM bullet. I'm loading progressively through a Dillon 550B with powder charges from an RCBS Chargemaster 1500 and cases are annealed every 2-3 loadings with an AMP annealer.
I ended up with Hornady brass because I bought a 1000 rounds of the 6.5 CM 140 AMAX factory ammo, shot it, then reloaded the brass. Given the relative affordability of factory 6.5 CM ammo, I'd suggest starting with 1000 rounds of the US made Prime ammo, which I believe uses Peterson large rifle primer brass, shoot it, then reload the brass. That's what I'm doing when my Hornady brass reaches the end of its life, and the great thing is I got 1000 rounds of Prime in the SH Group Buy and just got the shipping notification.
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Alpha sells large primer brass and it's nice! Lapua also is coming with large primer brass, just not sure if it's out yet.
