Savage 6.5 Creedmoor

[wbm]

Since Savage has decided to chamber this cartridge I guess there will be more Creedmoor fans here in the next few months. Are any of you guys shooting the Creedmoor now?

I just finished a build on a Savage action and a Criterion barrel I got from Jim Briggs. Broke in the barrel last week and shot some 140 Hornady A-Max this week....to say I am impressed with both the Criterion barrel and the quality of the Hornady ammunition would be an understatement. So far the Hornady 140g A-Max ammunition has not strayed over .5 MOA. Shot two 8 shot groups that averaged less than .5 MOA.

[Aircraftmech76]

Cool beans! Nice to see it all come together, isn't it?

Kevin

[wbm]

It really is!

Just got back from shooting the Berger 140 Match/VLD. Since Reloader 17 is a very good powder in the 260 and H4350 in the 6.5 Creedmoor I thought I would substitute the RL-17 for the suggested Hornady load of 41.5 H4350 with RL-17 in the Creedmoor. The first loads I set off the lands and ended up with a .75" group. The second loads were set on the lands and ended up with a .30" group. The Bergers are truly picky about their OAL. If I had not put the Creedmoor on a long action there is no way the Bergers with an OAL of 2.975" would have fit in the magazine of a short action. Glad I went that way.

[rsbhunter]

WBM, are you sure on the COAL? I just used a 7/08 (different caliber i know) with a Berger 168 VLD and set it till it would eject the loaded cartridge( for a hunting rifle) and the oal is 2.970...with a couple thou's longer still working...and they fit in a new centerfeed Stevens 200 SA 7/08 magazine. Just curious if the 6.5 creedmore @1.920 and that bullet combo comes out to a greater oal? Thanks for the help....rsbhunter

[wbm]

You may be right. Checked a round in a single shot short action and at an OAL=2.970 they would eject but just barely. Still think I'd rather have it on a long action.

[rsbhunter]

I agree, i got in on that Acadamy deal on the Stevens at 179.00, and got 2 SA and 1 LA...should have done just the reverse!!!! The LA's can be used for almost any cartridge.......lesson learned....rsbhunter

[range rat]

I've been a Creedmoor shooter for a year and a half now. Sweet little round. The Hornady 120gr Amax Factory ammo shoots as good as my reloads. I had to buy factory ammo to get brass back then. I have a bunch of Berger 140gr VLD's but haven't had a need to try them yet. The 120gr Amax shoot so well and their CHEAP!!!

[wbm]

I tried 39g of Varget with the 120 A-Max. This is Hornady's new suggested loading. Varget does quite good.

[range rat]

The factory loads loaded with 39 grains of Varget were a little hot for my rifle when the weather/ammo got below freezing. I had to keep them nice and warm in my pocket to prevent the case head from flowing into the ejector hole. My go to load is 38gr Varget and the 120 Amax.

[wbm]

I have a lot of 129g Hornady flat-base spitzers and about 2 pounds of RL-15 so I loaded up 38g of RL-15 and tried them out. Got a half-inch group but I noticed that this load was closing in on maximum. RL-15 is not mentioned that much for the Creedmoor but I think it may be a good powder.

[2guard]

Built my 6.5cm on a long action because I picked up a 116 cheap. the creedmoor has been great, a little hard to find the hornady match ammo for a bit, but I think supply is catching up. The 120gr amax hornady match shoot great out of my mcgowen barrel. After I get some brass built up from the factory ammo, I will start reloading for it (prob in the fall). A lot of guys like the 260 because of the brass availability, but the match ammo is so cheap, how can you go wrong with the creedmoor.

[wbm]

Lot's of suggestions on the net about which brass to use for forming the 6.5CM since the Hornady brass is in short supply. Everything from .308 to .243 is suggested. After looking at the case dimensions it would seem to me that the 250 Savage is the best way to go. The dimensions are very close. To quote one guy ".308 brass is a pain in the *** and the .243 is not much better." I think that 30 TC brass was used for the development of the cartridge.

[sinman]

if 250 savage is close go with 22-250 lapua if the neck will stay thick enough

[wbm]

Didn't think about that one. There is definitely a shortage of Hornady brass right now but I called Hornady and they said that the remedy is on the way. Having said that, the ammunition is cheap enough...$22-24 a box if you shop that I'm just buying ammo where I can find it.