What are you guys running for ammo in 6.5 Creedmoor gas guns?

[pugnado]

I have a 6.5 Creedmoor large frame AR with a Proof Research 22" barrel, and all moving parts are JP internals. Thunder Beast CB .308 brake.
Mine has about 120 rounds through it and I followed the shoot one / clean one break in for the first 30 rounds. (MPro7 Bore Gel)

I have tried a whole bunch of factory loads and can't get the group I want, which is five rounds through one ragged hole at 100 yards.
I can do 3, I want 5.

After cleaning again, today ( 88F / 29.13 hg / 945 ft / %90 RH / 1-2 mph 270 crosswind), I shot one box of the following in 5 shot groups at 50y and then 100y.
I shoot bench with bags front and rear.

Here is the 100 yard data after warming up on the 50 yard:

1. Winchester Deer Season XP 125gr / 2950fps - 1.294" group - ( 3 in one hole, 2 in another hole. )
2. Remington Core-Lokt 140gr / 2700fps - 2.132" group - ( flyer pulled it past 2, otherwise, 1.227", 2 in one hole. )
3. Hornady Superformance 129gr / 2950fps - 1.675" - ( The worst, no holes touching. )
4. Hornady Match 140gr / 2710fps - 0.886" - (Wow! 3 in one hole, 2 in another, very close group, almost 5!)
5. Hornady Match 147gr / 2695fps - 1.827" - (I thought this would do better. 2 in one hole, 2 in another, and one by itself.)

Thought it might be me, I suck at shooting. Met a retired USMC sniper shooting a RPR 6.5 Creedmoor and we traded some ammo and guns for a few shots:

6. Hornady Precision Hunter 143gr / 2700fps - 1.25" / 1.76" - ( His group, my group. )

So overall I'm getting about an inch and a quarter at best with a lot of 2 and 3 hole groups.
Surprisingly the 147 gr with the best BC was one of the best groups at 50y but not so good at 100y.

I thought maybe it's time to clean the copper out (240 rounds or so), so tonight I gave it the Sweets treatment.

Anyway, so what are you guys using for ammo? Is this the best I can expect from factory loads?

 

[lennyo3034]

Handloading is going to be your best bet. As far as factory ammo goes, I've had better luck with Hornady 140 ELDm.

Some of it may be practice with a gas gun though. I wouldn't automatically assume someone could shoot better based on what they used to be or said they used to be.

 

[308pirate]

I have a 6.5 Creedmoor large frame AR with a Proof Research 22" barrel, and all moving parts are JP internals. Thunder Beast CB .308 brake.
Mine has about 120 rounds through it and I followed the shoot one / clean one break in for the first 30 rounds. (MPro7 Bore Gel)

I have tried a whole bunch of factory loads and can't get the group I want, which is five rounds through one ragged hole at 100 yards.
I can do 3, I want 5.

After cleaning again, today ( 88F / 29.13 hg / 945 ft / %90 RH / 1-2 mph 270 crosswind), I shot one box of the following in 5 shot groups at 50y and then 100y.
I shoot bench with bags front and rear.

Here is the 100 yard data after warming up on the 50 yard:

1. Winchester Deer Season XP 125gr / 2950fps - 1.294" group - ( 3 in one hole, 2 in another hole. )
2. Remington Core-Lokt 140gr / 2700fps - 2.132" group - ( flyer pulled it past 2, otherwise, 1.227", 2 in one hole. )
3. Hornady Superformance 129gr / 2950fps - 1.675" - ( The worst, no holes touching. )
4. Hornady Match 140gr / 2710fps - 0.886" - (Wow! 3 in one hole, 2 in another, very close group, almost 5!)
5. Hornady Match 147gr / 2695fps - 1.827" - (I thought this would do better. 2 in one hole, 2 in another, and one by itself.)

Thought it might be me, I suck at shooting. Met a retired USMC sniper shooting a RPR 6.5 Creedmoor and we traded some ammo and guns for a few shots:

6. Hornady Precision Hunter 143gr / 2700fps - 1.25" / 1.76" - ( His group, my group. )

So overall I'm getting about an inch and a quarter at best with a lot of 2 and 3 hole groups.
Surprisingly the 147 gr with the best BC was one of the best groups at 50y but not so good at 100y.

I thought maybe it's time to clean the copper out (240 rounds or so), so tonight I gave it the Sweets treatment.

Anyway, so what are you guys using for ammo? Is this the best I can expect from factory loads?

How do you know your rifle is capable of five shots in one hole?

How do you know that YOU are capable?

 

[shax2lex]

How you tried the Norma 130gr Match yet?

 

[Forward543]

The proof barrel i shot did about the same. The best i could get was with hornady 140 match, followed by the 143 eldx. I could not find a good handload for it either. Call proof, they are helpfull. We ended up settling on the precsion 143, as they held rough moa out to 1200 yards.

As a side note the christensen and bsf barrels shot better, with only the christensen not walking.

 

[pugnado]

How do you know your rifle is capable of five shots in one hole?

How do you know that YOU are capable?

How you tried the Norma 130gr Match yet?

Not yet, pretty much Winchester, Remington and most of the Hornady offerings. I have not tried Norma, Berger or Sierra.

I'm thinking maybe hand loads but I don't have the equipment yet.

 

[pugnado]

The proof barrel i shot did about the same. The best i could get was with hornady 140 match, followed by the 143 eldx. I could not find a good handload for it either. Call proof, they are helpfull. We ended up settling on the precsion 143, as they held rough moa out to 1200 yards.

As a side note the christensen and bsf barrels shot better, with only the christensen not walking.

How do you know your rifle is capable of five shots in one hole?

How do you know that YOU are capable?

I'm not the greatest shot, but when my first shot goes 1" left and the second shot goes 1" right, and the third hits dead center, and all 3 times my crosshairs covered both the vertical and horizontal markings on the target and my cheek and eye never moved... something's up.

 

[pugnado]

Handloading is going to be your best bet. As far as factory ammo goes, I've had better luck with Hornady 140 ELDm.

Some of it may be practice with a gas gun though. I wouldn't automatically assume someone could shoot better based on what they used to be or said they used to be.

He was stacking rounds through the same holes on 1" target dots at 100y with his Ruger Precision Rifle, and when we traded rifles our groups were pretty much the same. Just trying to rule out the 'maybe it's me' theory...

 

[padom]

We need more info. I would for one stop cleaning that barrel. Did you build the gun or just rebarrel? What are the specs??

While anyone can slap an AR together, putting a large frame gasser together that runs like a swiss watch and is a tack device isnt cut and dry.

Shooting a large frame gasser consistently accurate also takes practice. Because your buddy shot one hole groups with a bolt gun doesnt say much. Just telling you how it is. I've seen it all too often.

What buffer setup? Adjustable gas block? If so is it tuned? What handguard? Plenty of clearance around gas block?

 

[pugnado]

The proof barrel i shot did about the same. The best i could get was with hornady 140 match, followed by the 143 eldx. I could not find a good handload for it either. Call proof, they are helpfull. We ended up settling on the precsion 143, as they held rough moa out to 1200 yards.

As a side note the christensen and bsf barrels shot better, with only the christensen not walking.

I'm going to see how it shoots after the copper cleaning.

We need more info. I would for one stop cleaning that barrel. Did you build the gun or just rebarrel? What are the specs??

While anyone can slap an AR together, putting a large frame gasser together that runs like a swiss watch and is a tack device isnt cut and dry.

Shooting a large frame gasser consistently accurate also takes practice. Because your buddy shot one hole groups with a bolt gun doesnt say much. Just telling you how it is. I've seen it all too often.

What buffer setup? Adjustable gas block? If so is it tuned? What handguard? Plenty of clearance around gas block?

I built the gun, Aero Precision M5 upper/lower, LPK etc... Buffer is the JP SCS heavy, BCG is the JP VMOS heavy + JP EnhancedBolt. JP .875 adjustable gas block, tuned for last round bolt hold back and a bit more, throws brass consistent at the 4 o'clock position. Handguard is JP MKIII Rapid Configuration 17.25" XXL. It does not touch the gas block. I put the barrel on and torqued properly with a reaction rod. Trigger is a Geissele Hi-Speed National Match 2-stage with the match spring. Brake is Thunder Beast compact .30 brake. (I thought I might like to get the TB can later.)

 

[ScarlettRed]

I'm running hornady 140elds in a 22 inch savage msr10. 2700 fps.
.5" groups +/-. I really like them.

 

[padom]

Have you tuning the JP SCS? No real point to go with SCS Heavy and JP VMOS Heavy. That JP bolt, is it High Pressure bolt or just the Enhanced? Good handguard, lots of clearance around gas block so hitting the AGB and throwing shots shouldnt be an issue.

I've built probably 12+ 6.5cm semis to date and I always use the JP LMOS with the JP SCS Heavy but I tune the SCS switching springs and tungsten weights till I find the perfect combo for accuracy and brass damage. My setup is shooting tiny little groups at 100yds and my brass looks like it was shot out of a bolt gun.

140 ELD's with H4350 hammer in my setup. It also loves 130 ELD's and 123L Scenars. I rarely shoot factory ammo but I did shoot a box of 140 Amax and 140 ELD-M ammo out of mine and it grouped nicely.

 

[pugnado]

I got a chance to fix some things tonight and put a box of Hornady 147gr ELD Match through it. (All I have left for now.)

1. I moved the scope about a half inch closer so that my cheek can rest better on the MagPul PRS3 comb. I have a thin face so not much to plump on there. I fine-tuned that by adjusting the stock dials. I have a better more consistent weld now when I pull the stock tight in, so fewer parallax variations.

2. I had a vortex bubble level on my scope that somehow worked its way out of not being level, so fixed that and used a plumb line to make sure everything level. (Edit: Scope is a Burris XTR-II 4-20x50 H591 reticle)

3. I re-tuned the gas block for that factory load, about a half-turn out from bolt hold open. Still using heavy components. Might adjust those next.

Here are some new groups with the Hornady 147gr. All sub-moa now except for one flyer (maybe -- those first two groups were before scope fine tuning.)

View media item 231

 

[pugnado]

Have you tuning the JP SCS? No real point to go with SCS Heavy and JP VMOS Heavy. That JP bolt, is it High Pressure bolt or just the Enhanced? Good handguard, lots of clearance around gas block so hitting the AGB and throwing shots shouldnt be an issue.

I've built probably 12+ 6.5cm semis to date and I always use the JP LMOS with the JP SCS Heavy but I tune the SCS switching springs and tungsten weights till I find the perfect combo for accuracy and brass damage. My setup is shooting tiny little groups at 100yds and my brass looks like it was shot out of a bolt gun.

140 ELD's with H4350 hammer in my setup. It also loves 130 ELD's and 123L Scenars. I rarely shoot factory ammo but I did shoot a box of 140 Amax and 140 ELD-M ammo out of mine and it grouped nicely.

I'm using the High Pressure EnhancedBolt, I checked the clearance from the rail to the gas block tonight to see if something got knocked out of whack on the way to the range and back and it was all good.

I played around with the lightest setting (four steel weights + light spring) to see if it made a difference and it was worse, sharp recoil and actually stove piped one of the 147gr, crushed the neck and jammed another one pretty good. I guess the happy medium is somewhere between. Maybe I should try putting the two steel weights on the BCG (making it lowest mass it can be) and trying the 'medium' spring on the heavy SCS?

My brass looks like this, weird scratch marks on the neck, any idea what that's from and if it's a problem? Maybe dragging against something sharp on the way in or out?

View media item 232
What OAL do you load to, can you get to the lands and still mag feed? Here's some of the 147gr, measured at 2.81-2.82" OAL.
Surprisingly it feeds without issue (except for one time with the light BCG/SCS) so I know my ramps must be okay?

View media item 233

 

[Chetly78]

This is a group that I shot at 100 yards with the 129 gr Superformance. It's the tightest group I've shot so far. The Prime 130's I can't seem to shoot worth a crap with my gas gun or rpr. The Hornady 140 elds shoot about the same at the Superformance out of my gas gun. I haven't tried the Winchester 140's yet.

 

[VegasHKShooter]

I have excellent results with Hornady 147 ELD-M out of my GAP-10. I have handloaded in the past and can get .5 MOA with carefully crafted loads. Or, I can walk in to Sportsman’s Warehouse, and buy 147’s and go shoot, save several hours, and shoot .6 MOA. FOR ME.... it’s easier to just buy off the shelf and shoot more. That’s just me.

I’ve shot the Norma load, the Federal/Berger lot I had was HORRIBLE. Very hot, popping primers, etc. one of my shooting partners, also a full time SWAT Sniper, borrowed a box out of my locker. He shot about 5 rounds and put it back with a note saying “no thanks.” That stuff was awful, and I will be very reluctant to shoot it again. I’ve shot most factory loads out of my GAP, and the Hornady 140 and 147’s have always been good, and super consistent. FOR ME.

 

[pugnado]

I am going to try to reload some 140g Hornady ELD into some once-fired (in my chamber) Hornady brass.
I'm limited to magazine length so I won't be able to get the ojive close to the lands, but I can live with that.
Will probably make a few loads of H4350 from 39.0 to 41.5gr to start.

 

[padom]

I am going to try to reload some 140g Hornady ELD into some once-fired (in my chamber) Hornady brass.
I'm limited to magazine length so I won't be able to get the ojive close to the lands, but I can live with that.
Will probably make a few loads of H4350 from 39.0 to 41.5gr to start.

Super easy. Get some ASC SS LR-308/SR25 mags. They allow coal up to 2.865...

http://www.ammosc.com/308-sr-25-5-rd-magazine/

 

[pugnado]

Super easy. Get some ASC SS LR-308/SR25 mags. They allow coal up to 2.865...

http://www.ammosc.com/308-sr-25-5-rd-magazine/

Oh wow, plenty of room for activities! I bought two of them. Thanks!

 

[bikeracer]

AR 10s are tough guns to shoot accurately - lots of threads on this topic. I'd didn't see anyone suggest Prime - they offer the closets thing to hand loads from factory ammo.