6.5 Creedmoor awakening

[Taidog1]

A full-time hobby, I take my shooting seriously and have for a long time. And I grossly underestimated this cartridge. Didn't do my homework and should have. By no means is it the do all cartridge. I have those 2 rifles in my safe. :-) The 6.5 C is, however, a cartridge deserving of praise for what it does very well.

I have taken the time to read many of the posts on here about the 6.5 C. Informative. Maybe I missed one, looking for specific bullet / powder preferences? And why I'm posting here.

I've chosen the 143 gr ELD X as my long range TARGET bullet. Respectable velocity, high BC and many good references. A good hunting bullet as well for the MED game I will hunt with it at Reasonable ranges. No desire to compete in the near future.

A good - maybe all-around powder for this cartridge? Your recommendations please.

Many thanks.

[CFJunkie]

I have several posts in two different threads on the 6.5mm CM.
Lots of data on the bullets and powders used.

https://www.savageshooters.com/showthread.php?63926-Results-with-Savage-12-FV-6-5mm-Creedmoor
https://www.savageshooters.com/showthread.php?64662-Trying-the-Oryx-chassis-on-the-12-FV-6-5mm-Creedmoor&highlight=Oryx

Hope these help. The first thread was when I started shooting my 12 FV and the second was after I replaced the factory stock with an Oryx chassis.
I have three 6.5mm CMs - 12 LRP, 12 FV, and 10T-SR.
The two Model 12s like heavier bullets up to 147 ELD-Ms which by the way perform slightly better than the 143 ELD-Xs in two of the rifles.
The 10T liked lighter bullets in the 123 to 130 range.
Both shoot 140 gr bullets well.

Over time, I have found that H4350 performs best, with IMR4451 second, and IMr4350 third. RL-17 performs best with lighter bullets but is a distant fourth.

[Txhillbilly]

I built my first 6.5 CM back in 2009, a couple years after it came out. I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to find an accurate load for, I hand load for everything I shoot.
Back then, Hornady brass was the only option we had to buy, and it was the weak link when it come to pushing the velocities of the cartridge. The primer pockets would expand on the brass easily.
Once better brass was available, I could easily get velocities in the 2900 fps range without having high pressure. I use Lapua, and Starline brass. I've tried Alpha, and Peterson brass but they are thicker cases and you can't get the higher velocities before you get high pressure.

My go to powder's for the 6.5 CM are H4350, Reloader 17, and Reloader 16. I've tried several other powder's, but these 3 give me the best performance. I pretty much only shoot the Berger 140gr VLD-H, and Hornady 143 ELD-X bullet's out of mine.

I also have a 22 CM & 25 CM that I load for, and these powder's work great with them.

[Taidog1]

I built my first 6.5 CM back in 2009, a couple years after it came out. I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to find an accurate load for, I hand load for everything I shoot.
Back then, Hornady brass was the only option we had to buy, and it was the weak link when it come to pushing the velocities of the cartridge. The primer pockets would expand on the brass easily.
Once better brass was available, I could easily get velocities in the 2900 fps range without having high pressure. I use Lapua, and Starline brass. I've tried Alpha, and Peterson brass but they are thicker cases and you can't get the higher velocities before you get high pressure.

My go to powder's for the 6.5 CM are H4350, Reloader 17, and Reloader 16. I've tried several other powder's, but these 3 give me the best performance. I pretty much only shoot the Berger 140gr VLD-H, and Hornady 143 ELD-X bullet's out of mine.

I also have a 22 CM & 25 CM that I load for, and these powder's work great with them.


CFJ & Txh - thank you both. That's very good news for me as those powders are what I have in stock. I've owned too many rifles / cartridges, some more than once.............or 3 times. This will be my first experience with the 6.5 C. I looked hard at the 6 C. and decided the 6.5 was a more useful choice for my personal shooting / goals.

Thank you again. Much obliged.

Cheers.

[Fuj']

I to worked with the 6.5 early on. H-4350 and Reloder 16 will get you there. IMR Enduron
4451 and the Nosler 140 RDF was the most accurate for me and easy to tune on a first
year run 8 twist Criterion vamint barrel. The 4451 powder is no longer made. I basically
moved on from the cartridge for what it lacked for my competitive needs.....On another
note and my last testings....I started working with a bench rest load with Varget and the
108gr Lapua Scenar bullet. Strictly single feed and jammed. Crazy speeds. i did not pursue
it because to make it a sure bet, i needed a 10 twist barrel with a shorter throat.....Don't
let them long and heavy high BC bullets rule your world. It's a shame, that the SAMMI
reamer dictates a long throat when the advantage of this cartridge goes in the other
direction.

Question for ya'......Are you single feeding or going to run from a magazine ?? And what is
your barrel and chamber specs ?? Devil is in the details.....

[Taidog1]

I to worked with the 6.5 early on. H-4350 and Reloder 16 will get you there. IMR Enduron
4451 and the Nosler 140 RDF was the most accurate for me and easy to tune on a first
year run 8 twist Criterion vamint barrel. The 4451 powder is no longer made. I basically
moved on from the cartridge for what it lacked for my competitive needs.....On another
note and my last testings....I started working with a bench rest load with Varget and the
108gr Lapua Scenar bullet. Strictly single feed and jammed. Crazy speeds. i did not pursue
it because to make it a sure bet, i needed a 10 twist barrel with a shorter throat.....Don't
let them long and heavy high BC bullets rule your world. It's a shame, that the SAMMI
reamer dictates a long throat when the advantage of this cartridge goes in the other
direction.

Question for ya'......Are you single feeding or going to run from a magazine ?? And what is
your barrel and chamber specs ?? Devil is in the details.....

Fuj',

I TRULY wish I lived next door to you. It's magazine fed, but, beyond that, I don't know how to answer your questions. Wish I did. I stay strictly inside the reloading manual and use simple tools to reload. Meticulously mind you...but simple. So much of the technical jargon I read about...and so many understand...it's all Greek to me. Sorry.

Thank you for your input. Much obliged.

[Whynot]

Fuj',

I TRULY wish I lived next door to you. It's magazine fed, but, beyond that, I don't know how to answer your questions. Wish I did. I stay strictly inside the reloading manual and use simple tools to reload. Meticulously mind you...but simple. So much of the technical jargon I read about...and so many understand...it's all Greek to me. Sorry.

Thank you for your input. Much obliged.

Barrel specs would just be the length- twist rate- # of groves etc (all the info stamped on the end of the blank). The chamber specs get a little more difficult unless you requested a specific reamer. What brand of barrel did you use?

The 143 shot good for me- but locally they were much more expensive than match bullets. I've had 147 eld bullets blow up and vanish in a puff of air out of a 6.5 prc so that kind of killed my confidence in them. For 1000 and in the 140 smk works great.... lower bc but good enough and so easy to get to shoot- combine it with some H4350 and you are good to go. The 6.5 cm is supposed to be the easy button for LR- and that it what I use it for..... so I don't go down the rabbit hole with it. Other higher performing cartridges for when you want to push it- but when you want a good performing, soft shooting- easy tuning round- it gets it done.

[Taidog1]

The 6.5 cm is supposed to be the easy button for LR- and that it what I use it for..... so I don't go down the rabbit hole with it. Other higher performing cartridges for when you want to push it- but when you want a good performing, soft shooting- easy tuning round- it gets it done.

Whynot...

Hearing that is very reassuring. Those were my goals and why I chose this cartridge. The 6 Creed and the PRC both said, "Come look at me." I did. Read a lot about both. Both valid cartridges with advantages. The 6.5 C seemed to be a safe middle ground. Glad I chose it.

Cheers.