What FPS are you getting out of your 16" barrel 6.5 creedmoor?

[Basic user]

Shooting 130 bergers out of a factory 16" barrel and I'm getting around 2400fps. Seems a tad low. What's everyone else getting out of their short barrels?
(edit: was looking at the wrong data book. changed from 123 scenars to 130 bergers)

 

[DocRDS]

Powder Charge?

Don't chase velocity. It is what it is. Chasing velocity is a way to go boom.

I've got 2 barrels (both longer) one is 100 fps faster than the other. I know it seems kinda dismissive, but you get what you get,

 

[Gtscotty]

Shooting 123 Scenars out of a factory 16" barrel and I'm getting around 2400fps. Seems a tad low. What's everyone else getting out of their short barrels?

That's very low, what is your load?

 

[FUNCTIONAL]

About 2470 to 2550 with a 140 class bullet and h4350. Going to explore the 40.5-40.8 range with the 140eldm.

 

[Dogsniper]

Rl26 is your friend. I was getting 2696 with 147 eld 1-7 twist carbon 6. Antelope killed at 409 yards.

 

[supercorndogs]

I would think varget is your friend in 16" barrel shooting 123 class bullets. If I shoot 123s 2950 in my 26" I woukd expect about 2650 in a 16". I shoot 123s 2420 out my 18" grendel.

 

[Graywolf.260]

Try N555

 

[powdahound76]

2840 with 123 scenars and h4350.
Very good accuracy and SD/ES.
Have another to break in soon and planning to Absolute Hammers if they work.

Have to check for exact load and was below max per Hodgdon’s webpage.

 

[Zigjib]

I'm running 2475fps with 147gr ELD-Ms from a 16.5" barrel with 1/7" Twist,
41.3gr of H4350.
COAL is 2.82" with 32 Thou Jump.
Brass is Lapua
RWS LRP

I'm going to test H4895 and Varget as well, but i'm expecting that the heavies won't net me the Velocity increase i'm hoping before it hits pressure. You can try those powders with the lighter bullets and will probably see better MVs.

 

[Gtscotty]

I'd honestly give Staball 6.5 a try, it's been a great shooter for me and has usually given at it near top velocities, even with lighter bullets. Here is one of my 130gr loads for my Sig Cross, admittedly an 18" barrel, but also a heavier bullet, I'd expect you could find a good load around there with your 123gr if you wanted to.

 

[kthomas]

Not a 16", but an 18".

I get ~2850 with 123 Scenars and 40.0 grains N150.

I would expect a 16" to be able to get to 2750-2800 fps with N150.

 

[powdahound76]

I hit pressure early with Varget and the 123s in my other 16.5 that was fast with h4350.
Not great speed and accuracy was meh, 1” to 1.3” across midrange loads.
This is a PVA chambered barrel.

Will try again and hoping it with a 123 Absolute Hammer will yield the speed I am dreaming of in this new barrel……

 

[D̷e̷v̷i̷l̷D̷o̷c̷A̷Z̷]

Shooting 123 Scenars out of a factory 16" barrel and I'm getting around 2400fps. Seems a tad low. What's everyone else getting out of their short barrels?

Seems slow. For comparison I’m getting 2,558 from Factory Berger 140’s / 16” barrel / can.

 

[st1650]

If I was running a 16-18in 6.5 I’d be running 130 TMK with Staball 6.5 or RL26. Or maybe N555 with a drop tube. Should be getting 2575fps - 2650 fps at the 55-60K PSI range and still burn 96-98%. RL26 would give the most speed.

123 scenar at 2400 is crazy low. Its slower than 16in 308/175 speeds

 

[Basic user]

That's very low, what is your load?

I never chase velocity as I'm really just a group chaser only, but I'd like to at least start getting some decent velocity with these rifles when I start either hunting or target shoot out at distance.

For berger 130s (not scenars; looked at the wrong book) some of my velocities were Alpha brass, Varget powder, Federal standards SRPs - 37.1-2403fps, 37.2-2414fps, 37.3-2431fps, 37.4-2449fps, 37.5-2457fps, 37.9-2456fps.
Book states 37.9 is max. Hodgdons website says 34.9 is max. I get zero pressure signs.

 

[Secant]

18” 6.5 with factory Lapua 136 Scenar-L

 

[supercorndogs]

I hit pressure early with Varget and the 123s in my other 16.5 that was fast with h4350.
Not great speed and accuracy was meh, 1” to 1.3” across midrange loads.
This is a PVA chambered barrel.

Will try again and hoping it with a 123 Absolute Hammer will yield the speed I am dreaming of in this new barrel……

H4350 is another great powder for the 6.5 creedmoor. It was not available when I worked up varget and rl15 loads.

 

[Basic user]

Yea, I've tried other powders (4350 was one of them) and for some reason I get the best groups with Varget. Varget's also the easiest (with this shit a&d scale) to get exactly right every time because every kernel weighs exactly the same weight. H4350 has .02, .03 & .04 grains per kernel so it sucks getting perfect. Going to maybe give H4831 a try as well.

 

[st1650]

Yea, I've tried other powders (4350 was one of them) and for some reason I get the best groups with Varget. Varget's also the easiest (with this shit a&d scale) to get exactly right every time because every kernel weighs exactly the same weight. H4350 has .02, .03 & .04 grains per kernel so it sucks getting perfect. Going to maybe give H4831 a try as well.

4831 is a bit slow for a short barrel. I’ve experimented with it with the 147 and a 26in barrel and it did okay but it’s really a better powder for the bigger 260rem case in a longer barrel length to maximize the burn. I wouldn’t use it in a 16in barrel you’d get barely 90% burn rate and low speeds.

 

[cooper_257]

6.5 CM in a 16.5" PVA Osprey carbon barrel with Varget and peterson srp brass with 130 TMK 2820fps with SD 0f 3 and shooting in the .2s. 135 JLK in the same barrel with varget doing 2750fps.

 

[lash]

6.5 CM in a 16.5" PVA Osprey carbon barrel with Varget and peterson srp brass with 130 TMK 2820fps with SD 0f 3 and shooting in the .2s. 135 JLK in the same barrel with varget doing 2750fps.

This brings up a good point that I haven’t seen so far. What brass are you using and have you noticed any pressure signs with your load? Maybe I missed it.

 

[cooper_257]

This brings up a good point that I haven’t seen so far. What brass are you using and have you noticed any pressure signs with your load? Maybe I missed it.

I didn't see pressure signs till 2880fps. Then just slight ejector swipe. bolt lift was fine. this was with the 130tmk

 

[Dogsniper]

6.5 CM in a 16.5" PVA Osprey carbon barrel with Varget and peterson srp brass with 130 TMK 2820fps with SD 0f 3 and shooting in the .2s. 135 JLK in the same barrel with varget doing 2750fps.

Twist?

 

[Gtscotty]

I never chase velocity as I'm really just a group chaser only, but I'd like to at least start getting some decent velocity with these rifles when I start either hunting or target shoot out at distance.

For berger 130s (not scenars; looked at the wrong book) some of my velocities were Alpha brass, Varget powder, Federal standards SRPs - 37.1-2403fps, 37.2-2414fps, 37.3-2431fps, 37.4-2449fps, 37.5-2457fps, 37.9-2456fps.
Book states 37.9 is max. Hodgdons website says 34.9 is max. I get zero pressure signs.

I understand loading for accuracy, I do too, I've just never had to load cartridges down significantly to get good accuracy, so I usually don't. If there is a use case for loading down, intentionally I'll do that ( like lighter loads for my son's to hunt with).

Here's the load I posted the velocity for above, along with a hotter version that broke 2,800 fps, but with my latest batch of significantly lower case capacity brass, was too hot. Reloader 16 is another good powder for accuracy and speed with the Creed, but at the very least I'd switch from Varget to something in a more appropriate H4350-ish burn rate for the Creed, horses for courses.

 

[cooper_257]

Twist?

7.5 tw

 

[smcfarland]

Seems slow to me. My old 16” barrel used to average 2500 with 143 ELDX, and around 2620 with 120 Nosler ballistic tips. Maybe go really light and load 100 ELD VTs? Have worked great for me on animals and steel.

 

[supercorndogs]

Yea, I've tried other powders (4350 was one of them) and for some reason I get the best groups with Varget. Varget's also the easiest (with this shit a&d scale) to get exactly right every time because every kernel weighs exactly the same weight. H4350 has .02, .03 & .04 grains per kernel so it sucks getting perfect. Going to maybe give H4831 a try as well.

4831sc made suppressor hot really fast in a 21" barrel. It was dumping quite a bit of unburned powder into my suppressor shooting 140s.