Loading a good long range match load in 6.5 creedmore.

[plasticweld]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KDrLsnt2MM

Guys I would be interested in your thoughts on this. I don't recall hearing anyone complain about factory rounds not fitting or their being an issue with this. It seems to me the complaint is with the chambering, not the bullet. For anyone reloading it is a matter of brass.

It would be great to hear from those who have shot thousands of rounds to add their 2 cents to this....Thanks

[Robinhood]

Old outdated information by a hard nosed experienced mountain man that had an opinion on the up and coming 6.5 CM. He hunts big game in black and brown bear country. 6.5 CM is SAAMI approved and standardized now. The CM is enjoying tremendous success for lots of people. It's success and brass support from all top manufacturers says a lot.

[LoneWolf]

There's not a cartridge out there that hasn't had a bad reamer produced at one time or another and often in early SAAMI specifications improvements are made as information is collected and new bullets introduced etc. When a Smith gets a reamer that produces excellent results at a high rate they sometimes set that reamer aside for their preferred customers or customers requiring higher levels of performance. They still use a similar spec reamer for regular work orders to increase the longevity of the premium reamer. It's all part of the business these days as everything moves way faster than it used too.

Another thing to think about is we often see .020+/- and sometimes more variation between different lots of bullets. All of these specs can vary and what worked great in one case may not in the next.

[darkker]

It would be great to hear from those who have shot thousands of rounds to add their 2 cents to this....Thanks

Robinhood nailed that one perfectly.
My XL7 with a "Blem" small shank barrel has something over 1500 though it, my RAP sits just over 2k. Don't think I've ever purchased more than one box of ammo; even that caused me convulsions.... When I started, brass was expensive and not always common, so the bulk of the rounds fired are resized 308/243 brass. A large chunk of it is LC match ammo from the 60's - 80's. Never had an issue even with the "Blem" barrel which came with a tight spot near the muzzle.

[Davo308]

Robinhood nailed that one perfectly.
My XL7 with a "Blem" small shank barrel has something over 1500 though it, my RAP sits just over 2k. Don't think I've ever purchased more than one box of ammo; even that caused me convulsions.... When I started, brass was expensive and not always common, so the bulk of the rounds fired are resized 308/243 brass. A large chunk of it is LC match ammo from the 60's - 80's. Never had an issue even with the "Blem" barrel which came with a tight spot near the muzzle.

So the blem with the tight spot ended up being a good shooter?

The 6.5 creed is said to have good barrel life.

Curious what kind of useful barrel life there is with the cartridge.

[CFJunkie]

plasticweld,

I finally watched the video by the gunsmith. It was entertaining, but I think he was a bit off-topic when he said that there was a problem with the 6.5 Creedmoor because he got a reamer that created a chamber that was too deep.
That is a reamer manufacturring problem, not a caliber or cartridge problem.
Unfortunately, the gunsmith was involved in the early days of the caliber when there were probably a lot of questionable sources for the parts needed to make barrels as well as brass suppliers that weren't in the main stream of manufacturing for quality.

My first Savage .308, a 10 FP, came from the factory with a chamber that was 0.080 longer than SAAMI O.A.L. with Federal Premium Gold Medal Match SMK factory ammo. That shortened the life of the barrel to 6,500 rounds because the throat erosion wore the rifling another 0.090 and eventually the bullets were seated so deep that the neck tension was inconsistent.
That was probably caused by a mis-adjusted stop on the lathe that cut the chamber.



My 6.5mm Creedmoor Savage 12 LRP came with a tight chamber (not a short chamber) that caused an increase in pressure to the point that even rounds loaded to minimum charges still flattened primers. I sent the data and pictures of the primers to Savage and they had me send the rifle back. They bored the chamber out 0.004 and the problem went away.
That too was a faulty reamer, probably over-worn from heavy use. However, that 12 LRP now has over 4,000 rounds through that barrel and shoots better today than it has ever shot.


The gunsmith's second complaint of finding brass that isn't consistent is not unusual, but the solution would be to find another brass supplier, not claim that there is a problem with the caliber.
I now shoot Lapua brass exclusively because it comes from the factory ready to load out of the box and is amazingly consistent.

My last batch of 100 Lapua 6.5mm Creedmoor brass measured exactly 1.910 inches base to neck across the entire batch, just like SAMMI specs say the trim length should be.
Buying consistent brass is one less place to insert variations when loading for accuracy.

Lapua brass also lasts quite a long time if you load for accuracy instead loading as close to Pmax as you can to get the highest velocity.

However, I will admit that if I was still hunting and wanted high kinetic energy at long distance to guarantee bullet expansion, I would load for velocity as well.
But now that I am punching paper or ringing steel, I find that they don't give any extra credit for how fast the bullet is moving when it hits the target.

[darkker]

So the blem with the tight spot ended up being a good shooter?

The 6.5 creed is said to have good barrel life.

Curious what kind of useful barrel life there is with the cartridge.

It's a phenomenal shooter, embarrassingly, better than I.

Supposed it depends on what you want for lifetime accuracy I suppose. I crashedd past the 1k mark with both of them in a summer of shooting. The RAP was definitely feed more than one hot supper, and shows in groups. Isn't a competition level gun anymore, but easily good enough for recreational target shooting and all other uses.
Assuming you aren't going to scorch the barrel, and can down-grade ( start target shooting, would hand down to hunting duties) is bet you could easily get to the 3-4 range.

My goal was to win a bet and crush the 1500 mark. Given it's lifespan, a very good barrel($$$), costs the same per round fired, as a primer.

Cheers

[Will Marchant]

I shoot 140 grain nosler rdf whm 40 grains rl17, gotta de careful when it gets hot outside

[GaCop]

At the moment, I'm using Hornady brass for my Creedmoor loads. last trip to my friends 1000 yd range I was shooting the Nosler 140 grain BTHP over 41 grains of IMR 4350. My OAL to the ogive is 2.266. Velocity over the chronograph averaged 2769 fps in upper 80's temps. The benches are covered so the rifle was in shade at all times. I was off my game that day and only averaged a 5" group at 600 yards. The range is across a valley and the winds in the valley have a tendency to swirl. I believe that was part of my dismal overall group for 20 rounds. My point being, Hornady brass seem to be holding up well with one annealing after the third loading. This trip was the first time fired after being annealed.

[SageRat Shooter]

I'll add my 2 cents... I'm running a .260 Remington with a 25" barrel, shooting 143 ELD-X and H4350, Winchester LR Primer and Lapua brass. I run mine hot and am averaging 2780 FPS. (1 in 8 twist Criterion barrel) I use H4350 in my 30-06 also, so it may work for your 308 as well. I tried ALOT of different powders including the IMR4451 Enduron powder and the only one that was close to the performance of H4350 (both group size and MV) for me was the Vhitavori N550 & 560. H4831 gave the best groups, but was too slow for MV. With a 22" pipe, it will be tough to reach 2750-2800 FPS. My barrel has always been a little on the slower side though...

[jim_k]

Hornady cases, Hornady 147 ELD-M at 2.820" OAL. BTO either 2.190 or 2.193". H4895/36.3 grains. Should work in 22" about as good as 26" barrel. As for loading, I recommend the Redding body/shoulder bump die (push shoulder back 0.002-0.003"), and the Lee Collet/Mandrel neck sizer. I seat to within about 0.010" with a chamber bullet seater, like RCBS, Forster, or Redding, then the final seating depth is established by the Lee Dead Length Bullet Seating die. H4895 will work in all the calibers you mention. 4350 of any brand is not optimal in .308, although IMR 4350/H4350/IMR 4451 will work in 6.5 CM with the 140-147 grain bullets. Make sure this length of cartridge does not jam in your lands, but I haven't seen a reamer that would cause that at mag length with the 147 ELD-M. I have shot multiple sub 1/4" 5-shot groups with this, and a 0.46" 10-shot group. Out of a 22" barrel, the velocity should still be 1500 fps at 1,000 yards, give or take. It's more than you need, but the pressure is not a problem (of course, work it up in your rifle just to be safe); and the less wind drift the better, any time you're shooting over about 300 yards.

[hollowhunter]

http://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/the-secret-6-5-carolina-load.3958973/