Reloading 6.5 Creedmoor

[Ernest T]

Thanks Charlie. For a lot of years, except for dimensioning, I used hand tools almost exclusively, I hand-cut dovetails and mortise and tenon joints and used hand planes for dados and rabbets. I have gone back to using machines for most of those operations since I retired as I don't have the patience or eyesight to do that type of work any more. Most of my hand tools are antiques I've collected over the years and I'm in the process of donating most of them to the local museum. I'll keep the few that have a place in a machine woodworking shop.

[charlie b]

Cool.

I don't do a lot. These days it is really simple stuff or 'therapy' work :)

[PhilC]

Gorgeous woodwork!!! My son has more of a flair for that than me. Autobody metal work was my thing but when it comes woodwork I just make sawdust. :-)

[Palmafiddleman]

Hello,
New to posting on the forum. I reload for 6.5 CM for long range target (bullseye). I have found my rifle likes H4350 the best, getting 2825 with 41.2 gr. I have a 30" barrel that helps velocity. I have tried R-16 which gave me a little better velocity but was not as accurate. The H4350 load is in comfortable pressure range. No signs of high pressure.

I didn't read every page of this thread, just the first 5 then the end so I may have missed someone post that they use Starline brass. I got mine just before covid lockdown so I decided to turn the necks taking very slight amount off high side. What the heck, I was locked down and not much else to do. The brass has performed well for me. Reloaded 5 times, annealed after four reloads. Gave me the best sd compared to everything else that I shoot. It loves the ELD-Match 140's. Will not tolerate Sierra 142 gr bullets, trying several times and finally gave up.

BTY Earnest T, nice bench set up. Mine does not look as well kept. Thanks

[Ernest T]

Hello,
New to posting on the forum. I reload for 6.5 CM for long range target (bullseye). I have found my rifle likes H4350 the best, getting 2825 with 41.2 gr. I have a 30" barrel that helps velocity. I have tried R-16 which gave me a little better velocity but was not as accurate. The H4350 load is in comfortable pressure range. No signs of high pressure.

I didn't read every page of this thread, just the first 5 then the end so I may have missed someone post that they use Starline brass. I got mine just before covid lockdown so I decided to turn the necks taking very slight amount off high side. What the heck, I was locked down and not much else to do. The brass has performed well for me. Reloaded 5 times, annealed after four reloads. Gave me the best sd compared to everything else that I shoot. It loves the ELD-Match 140's. Will not tolerate Sierra 142 gr bullets, trying several times and finally gave up.

BTY Earnest T, nice bench set up. Mine does not look as well kept. Thanks

Thanks

[Ernest T]

Well, in my seemingly never ending quest to find a load my gun likes, in a powder I can actually find in quantity, I've spent the morning loading Lapua SRP brass with CCI 450 Magnum SRP primers and H4350. I got pretty good results with 41.4 gr of H4350 powder and CCI 400 SRPs so I'm repeating the 40.8, 41.0, 41.2 and 41.4 gr loads. I didn't see any reason to start with the lowest loads since the groups were so bad.

[CFJunkie]

Ernest T,
My 26-in barrel 12 FV 6.5mm CM with an Oryx chassis shoots H4350 bests of all powders.
With H4350, Hornady 147 ELD-M # 26333 and Nosler 140 gr RDF UHBC #49824 both average 0.307 for all the groups shot.

Best loads with 147 gr ELD-Ms were 0.234 @ 2666 fps, 0.243 @ 2661 fps, 0.259 @ 2666 fps, and 0.269 @ 2666 fps.

Best loads with the 140 gr Nosler RDF UHBCs were 0.281 @ 2688 fps and 0.297 @ 2687 fps, respectively.

With all weight bullets including 130 gr, 140 gr, 142 gr, 143 gr and 147 gr, H4350 has averaged 0.324 for 287 groups.
Next best powders are H4831 SC that averaged 0.351 for 19 groups, and IMR4451 that averaged 0.352 for 195 groups.
IMR4350 averaged 0.362 for 69 groups and RL-17 averaged 0.401 for 13 groups.

Of the top 10 loads for that rifle, 8 are with H4350 powder and 2 are with IMR 4451
Of the top 25 loads, 17 are with H4350 powder.

Not saying that all 6.5mm rifles will like H4350 powder best, but that it is worth a try.
Note the velocities are all pretty close but that is because I get the best results using the velocity that gets the exit time that minimizes barrel harmonics.

[Palmafiddleman]

I have not tried the 147 ELDs in the 6.5 CM. The ballistics advantage would make it worthwhile to experiment with. Also, I have not tried H4831sc in it. That powder worked better than H4350 in another rifle I play with a 6.5 x 55 Imp.

[Ernest T]

Ernest T,
My 26-in barrel 12 FV 6.5mm CM with an Oryx chassis shoots H4350 bests of all powders.
With H4350, Hornady 147 ELD-M # 26333 and Nosler 140 gr RDF UHBC #49824 both average 0.307 for all the groups shot.

Best loads with 147 gr ELD-Ms were 0.234 @ 2666 fps, 0.243 @ 2661 fps, 0.259 @ 2666 fps, and 0.269 @ 2666 fps.

Best loads with the 140 gr Nosler RDF UHBCs were 0.281 @ 2688 fps and 0.297 @ 2687 fps, respectively.

With all weight bullets including 130 gr, 140 gr, 142 gr, 143 gr and 147 gr, H4350 has averaged 0.324 for 287 groups.
Next best powders are H4831 SC that averaged 0.351 for 19 groups, and IMR4451 that averaged 0.352 for 195 groups.
IMR4350 averaged 0.362 for 69 groups and RL-17 averaged 0.401 for 13 groups.

Of the top 10 loads for that rifle, 8 are with H4350 powder and 2 are with IMR 4451
Of the top 25 loads, 17 are with H4350 powder.

Not saying that all 6.5mm rifles will like H4350 powder best, but that it is worth a try.
Note the velocities are all pretty close but that is because I get the best results using the velocity that gets the exit time that minimizes barrel harmonics.

I got pretty results with H4350 so far. You just can’t find 8 lbs of it right now. I guess the good thing is Hogdon powders do show up on the shelf regularly unlike Alliant powder.