My new 6.5-06 build and results - WOW!

Just finished a 6.5-06 build on a 116 Stainless Savage Action. Wanted to experiment with this caliber so I opted for a cheap Shaw 26" SS Varmint Prefit from Gunshack which set me back a whopping $199. Sits in a Boyd's Tacticool Laminate.

I Had plenty of H4350 on hand so I made 3 round strings from 46g to 49g in .5 increments. Had a pound of Alliants PP4000MR I have been using for 7 RM which has been great so I figured I would try it too. Alliant only has data for 25-06 and 30-06 for the 4000MR so I emailed them. Their response was NO DATA. I am shooting the Hornady 140 Amax and the Max load for the 25-06 with the 120SP is 50g which I figured was pretty conservative so I made 3 rounds each from 49 to 53 grains in .5 increments.

Shooting at 100 rounds (all my club has) I shot each string off my Atlas bipod and a bag using my Gen 2 Magnetospeed Chrony. All were in new R-P .270 brass. Trimmed to 2.494 with a CCI BR2 primer. COAL was 3.320. Here are my results.

H4350

46 2739 ES 55
46.5 2776 ES 17
47 2834 ES 6
47.5 2839 ES 8 *.3 group - best
48 2856 ES 37
48.5 2880 ES 38
49 2900 ES 28

Power Pro 4000 MR

49 2887 ES 30
49.5 2911 ES 12
50 2949 ES 14
50.5 2961 ES 9 * .5 group - best
51 3001 ES 36
51.5 3032 ES 29
52 3051 ES 16
52.5 3077 ES 22
53 3120 ES 25

Holy crap this thing is the Hammer of God! What an awesome rifle and caliber. I think I'll go with the node at 50.5. There was a significant difference in recoil between 50.5 and 53. Although 3120 is smoking Ill want to go easy on the barrel and of course be more accurate. Interestingly there were no pressure signs at 53! The slight primer cratering must be my firing pin as it was evident on all shots fired. I may try to work up a few more grains from 53 to see if I can find another node or at least find the max where it starts to show pressure signs. I can't imagine a 140 moving at 3300! That is WSM speeds!

This is the 53g 4000 MR 3 round group.

http://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r...psba8e6c2a.jpg

Interesting how the string went horizontal. It was .48 MOA across and .28 verticle.

http://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r...psab3bb869.jpg

From left to right 51.5 - 52 - 52.5 and 53 grains.

http://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r...ps1fdb53c3.jpg

New stick on the test bed.

http://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r...psb8c2590e.jpg

Looks great! Will be very interested to see some long range results.

Got to love a 6.5-06 and shaw barrels. I have a handful of shaw barrels and they are consistently faster than most others I have messed with and shoot great. I say the 50.5 load is the ticket, good velocity and accuracy.

this excites me as i'll be building my 6.5-06 when I get home in the fall. I went with a McGowen barrel myself. Also using the 116 action.

Good Buildin'.
Good shootin'.

I am guessing your "horizontal spread" is a good indication of a good load. You may have had crosswind or maybe you were pulling it a bit? When testing loads, I tend to be more concerned with vertical strings and (to some degree) consider horizontal mostly shooter issues or the wind.

Try playing with the seating depth to improve the horizontal if you are sure it wasn't you. "Rule of Thumb" is powder charge for vertical and seating depth for horizontal assuming everything else is okay.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MrMajestic

Try playing with the seating depth to improve the horizontal if you are sure it wasn't you. "Rule of Thumb" is powder charge for vertical and seating depth for horizontal assuming everything else is okay.

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That's interesting and good info to know. Thanks, I'm new to reloading.

Build looks good. On a different note, how do you like the chronograph?

Love the Magnetospeed. So easy to use and very accurate. I hate screens and shooting through things. Strap on the Bayonet and shoot. Worth every penny.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rifleshooter308

Love the Magnetospeed. So easy to use and very accurate. I hate screens and shooting through things. Strap on the Bayonet and shoot. Worth every penny.

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I've never used a chronograph, and I just got an email advertising the magnetospeed last week and I was intrigued. Which version do you have, and what kind of warranty does it have? Does it seem to be well built?

Mine is one of the first V2's which I got about two years ago. The V3 is just a bit nicer and user friendly...and comes with a nice case. I'm not sure about the warranty but they are a great company. They changed the attachement bracket from plastic to metal about 6 months after I got mine. I found out why they did that when mine broke. I called them and they sent me a new metal one...no questions and no cost. It is rediculously simple to use. Strap on the bayo, plug it in, set your bullet type (which is always the same for us - jacketed) and shoot. It records strings of up to 10 with Average, ES and SD. You can save strings to a micro SD and download them onto your computer. You can also delete rounds in a string.

If your a hand loader and long range shooter then you need a Chrony. The Magnetospeed has no sky screens and is impossible to SHOOT if you strap it on tight. And it fits in my range bag.

Wouldn't attaching that Magnetospeed to the end of your barrel change the harmonics of your barrel? I'd be concerned that my load testing would be invalid due to the weight of the magneto hanging on the end of the barrel.

btw, good looking gun.

It only weights about 7oz. Besides barrel harmonics will impact accuracy but not velocity. In load development you are looking for the highest speeds in a node where you get the best accuracy. Any harmonics changes with the 7oz bayo on the end will not be enough to make majore differences in over a string of 3 round shots if the bayo is on there for all of them. See what I am saying? The best group is the best group with everything but powerder charge being equal. Once I settle on a powder charge I play with seating depth for accuracy. That happens without the chrono.

By all accounts ive heard the magnetospeed is the way to go. A guy on another site has one and also an Ohler 35.
Extensive testing showed both to be extremly close. Have you seen much varieation from day to day using same loads?
Thats my biggest gripe with Chrony. Can be big differences one day to the next. For me at least that type of agrivation
makes having one a waste.

No not really. The few times I have shot to verify they have been within 20 FPS which is expected with temp and barrel heat changes.

Pretty good primer cratering on those loads in the box. I've noticed that the Power Pro mr series of powders don't show usual pressure signs until the second firing and after that the primer pockets are toast. You can work that horizontal out with seating depth, I'd do that test without the chrony since you already know the velocity.