Model 12 LRP 6.5CM wont shoot well

[mnbogboy2]

I actually tried both of those primers (among others). I have since switched to Lapua brass and I'm using cci450 primers with similar results.
more thoughts; This thread has me baffled also when factory ammo outshoots a variety of handloads and testing. We all know that every barrel has a mind of its own. case point; my better barrel loves 41.8 gr h4350 in Starline (heavier brass with no pressure signs). The same load in the shorter barrels shows bad pressure signs (hard lift & ejector marks) and didn't shoot well besides.
Using FC brass (12-13 grains lighter than Starline) the two short barreled rifles showed no pressure with more powder (42.5) and shot faster as well as better group wise than anything tested in the Starline. Maybe the Lapua brass is not an answer in your case.
What velocity did chrono show with the factory loads compared with your testing? Trying to pin point any one single cause is frustrating at least, finally finding the solution is where its all at. The guys on this forum all work pretty hard with problem solving, you've come to the right place.

[Fotheringill]

Pardon my ignorance- OP---- Have you found the best seating depth yet?

[wbm]

I've gone through a pound of h4350 a half pound of rl16 and a half lb of rl17. After all this, I haven't been able to find a load that consistently matches what I can accomplish with factory ammo....I guess what I'm looking for here is to see if perhaps my expectations for this rifle are unrealistic? Is this gun only a .75" gun?

So far that would seem to be the case.

Personally I think the problem may lie in harmonics as much or more so than cleaning regimen or component choices.

[Evlshnngns]

What are you doing for resizing the brass?

[PhilC]

I have mostly been shooting eld-x. I would really like to try 140 gr vld hunting bullets, but they're nowhere to be found.

I am not an inexperienced handloader, and have worked up successful handloads for a half dozen other rifles. I am using all premium reloading components, dies, scale, etc. I'm certain that as far as my handloading process goes, I am not doing anything "wrong". That said, obviously something is not right or else I wouldn't be having such difficulties.
Thing is, factory ammo shoots well, so you might need to think a little outside the box, as it were, rather than take the position you're doing everything right and there's no reason your well crafted ammo isn't printing groups as good as over the counter stuff. Really need to step back a bit, IMO, and comments about running factory ammo and your own over a chrono would sure provide some additional useful information.

[Stumpkiller]

I'm also shooting 143 gr ELD-x (same 6.5mm bore but in a .260 Rem) and I have to seat mine 0.090" beyond the SAAMI maximum overall length measurement to get a "proper" free travel/jump of 0.015"

That's almost 7/8" of exposed bullet ahead of the case mouth! And partially because of that I also check run-out with a concentricity dial indicator. I also found that decapping separately, forming without a deprimer/cherry (I use Redding dies) and then using a K&B Neck expander mandrel in separate steps made working with those copper pencil bullets much more consistent. Though none of those steps would make 1/10th of an inch difference in group size - but the free-travel might make some difference if you're hopping 0.20" instead of 0.02" to get to the rifling.

You also want to make sure you are using a bullet seated insert designed specifically for VLD style bullets.

When you say Factory Loads shoot better are those also with the ELD-x bullet?

[Robinhood]

I like where stump went. Bullet run-out can be an accuracy killer.

[CFJunkie]

I'm a new member of this forum but a long time Savage owner and shooter

I have a 12 LRP with well over 3250 rounds through it and measured every group. 5 round groups average around 0.35 and I have shot 20 round groups under 0.7 even with my shooter induced variations.
It is my most accurate rifle, including 10 Savage centerfire rifles, and I have hand loaded for it after shooting about 50 factory rounds through it.

It shoots hand loads much more accurately than factory, about 33% better.

The chamber was very tight and still is very close to SAAMI recommended length.
I initially had a problem with high pressure due to the tight chamber and Savage bored it out by a few thousandths and fixed the problem.
Even with the tight chamber it shot just as accurately as it does now.

My best results come with Lapua small primer brass using CCI BR-4 primers.
BR-4s shoot slightly more accurately (10%) than CCI 400s, and a lot more accurately than large rifle primers (25%).
The primer pockets also last longer with the SRPs than with LRPs.
I recently retired 100 Lapua brass after 21 reloads. Never got more than 6 reloads with LRPs because the primers got loose.

I get the best results with IMR4451 Enduron powder, followed in order by IMR4350 (12%), RL-17 (20%), IMR4064 (30%) and N150 (36%).
My best bullets are 147 gr Hornady ELD-M, 142 gr Sierra SMK, and 140 gr Hornady ELD-M.
Berger 140 gr Match, Long Range and Hybrid bullets also shoot accurately.
It hates 140 gr Sierra SMKs - probably because the bullet body in the lands is shorter than the other bullets.

The 12 LRP has a 26 inch barrel so the loads are different than with the 24 inch barrels in most loading manuals.
You need to use your chronograph to see if there is a difference between factory and your hand loads.
I load for a muzzle velocity of 2663 to 2665 fps for the best accuracy.



I clean my barrel after each session (usually 100 rounds). I use Patch Out to clean and take out copper.
First round out of a cold unfouled barrel is high by about 0.5 -0.6 inches at 100 yards.
By the 3rd round, it is a tack driver.

[CBIshooter]

Mine didn't you good till I had at least 20 or 30 rounds down the barrel and I would clean every four to five hundred rounds. Stop cleaning or get yourself a CBI 28 inch bull barrel. Then see what happens half inch or better .3 should be. Just the other day I messed around with reloader 17 130 grain Berger AR hybrids shot one and a half inch group at 400. today I shot two and a half inch at 600 yards 2.566 the other group with 2.966. It's a 28 inch bull barrel shilen select match. lrp action HS Precision stock. And a Leupold TMR... Load 44 grain reloading 17 CCI benchrest primer Hornady brass muzzle velocity 3030.

[outposter5150]

As many have noted, every rifle is different. I have found that my LRP, has shot best, so far, with a 142 Nosler Long Range Accubond bullet. Federal Match primer, 37.0 grns of H4350.The cases are Hornady annealed, neck turned, and neck sized only. The bullet is seated at .015 off the lands. The result was a .154 center to center 3 shot group at 100 yds. The only cleaning done is running a bore snake before and after each session. After starting to neck turn the cases there was a noticeable improvement in the groups. Also, I bench rest using a lead sled. Going to start playing with seating depth to see where that leads. Don't give up on the LRP. They are great shooters.