Ammo Question

[Justin.Mielke]

I recently picked up a savage model 10 precision in 6.5 Creedmoor, trying to figure out what everyone uses
for ammo for both punching paper and for hunting. Looking for brands and grainage that everyone has had good luck with.

[darkker]

Welcome.

Unfortunately what you may think it's a simple question is rather complex.

Factory ammo from any source with much volume, doesn't use canister powders. Further they swap powders constantly. So what you bought to shoot last month, and what you would buy in another month; may or may not have the same powder in it.
So while the velocity may well stay the same, the issues and harmonics can well be different.

Similarly, factory rifles are mass produced things with various states of wear on the machines that built them. So a Savage 10 in Creed last month and one next month won't be identical. You have to just figure out what yours likes.

Cheers

[Ted_Feasel]

I recently picked up a savage model 10 precision in 6.5 Creedmoor, trying to figure out what everyone uses
for ammo for both punching paper and for hunting. Looking for brands and grainage that everyone has had good luck with.I load my own but tried hornady superformance in my AR creedmoor because a friend gave me a box, it did pretty good, if its 1/8 twist probably 143-147 gr ammo.. maybe try FGM??

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[CFJunkie]

In addition, your rifle might have a preference for particular weights.

I have three 6.5mm CM Savages one was a 12 Long Range Precision LRP model with a 26-inch barrel.
I also bought a 10T-SR with a 24-inch barrel and a 12 FV with a 26-inch barrel, primarily as loading mules to avoid wearing out my LRP.
All three shoot very accurately.
The two model 12s shoot heavier 140 to 147 grain bullets with slightly better accuracy while the model 10 shows slightly better accuracy with 130 and 140 grain bullets.

They all shoot Hornady ELD-M and ELD-X bullets well and shoot Sierra 130 TMKs & TGKs well as well as Sierra 142 SMKs.
None of them shoot the old design 140 SMKs well - the old bullet shape is not the same as the 142 SMKs.
The 140 SMKs don't shoot terrible, but they can't match the accuracy of the newer designs.
Apparently the bullet body of the old bullet design is different than the newer designs and the barrels are sensitive to that.
The all eventually shot Berger 140s (match, long distance, and hybrid) accurately but it took me a lot of experimentation with jump to get the best results.
The Hornady ELDs and new design Sierras were great, both factory and hand loads with almost no need to experiment.

I have 4,000 rounds through the 12 LRP, and 3,000 through the 12 FV.
I used the 10T-SR less because it liked different weight combinations and wasn't as good a loading mule for the 12 LRP.
I eventually gave it to my granddaughter because it had a suppressor ready barrel and she uses a suppressor on their property in the Shenandoah Mountains to mollify the neighbors.

[Stumpkiller]

I recently picked up a savage model 10 precision in 6.5 Creedmoor, trying to figure out what everyone uses
for ammo for both punching paper and for hunting. Looking for brands and grainage that everyone has had good luck with.

What are you hunting. Paper is easy - get a bunch of brands and loads and use the one that's most accurate in your rifle (they all have their unique likes). But animals are thicker and have bones. Some larger than others.

I shoot a similar .260 Rem and the 143 gr ELD-X was nicely accurate but tended to blow through the whitetails I hunt at 200 yards and closer. Killed them, but I think it left the back-side with a lot of energy remaining. I went down to a 130 gr Sierra GameChanger. Works just as well on varmints.

I reload - and I recommend that to anyone who shoots. Fun on it's own and it lets you tailor loads to your needs.

[Texas10]

Hornaday Black, 140 gr shoots incredibly well out of a Savage 6.5 Cm. The Hornaday American gunner, 140 gr which comes in a 50 pack also shoots quite well.