6.5 Creedmoor load advice

[JDMBEND]

2.81

 

[Luked]

Like said above I would look at 130 TMK or 130 ELDm with H4350

 

[63-88]

Basically everything I've tried shoots with a moderate charge of H4350 and the 147 ELD-M. Gotten a few 1/2 MOA 5 round groups at 500 when the wind is low.

I shoot 39.5gr H4350 seated to AICS mag length and it's been great for NRL Hunter matches.

 

[JDMBEND]

What is your MV @39.5 of 4350? Barrel length?

 

[63-88]

What is your MV @39.5 of 4350? Barrel length?

2650 FPS with a 26" carbon and SAAMI chamber. I know I could get more speed but it shoots great, makes power factor for NRL, and brass should last forever.

 

[Falon]

Shooting out of a tikka t3 with a 16” barrel. 2650fps it’s almost perfect quick drop at 5000’ elevation.

 

[JDMBEND]

2650 FPS with a 26" carbon and SAAMI chamber. I know I could get more speed but it shoots great, makes power factor for NRL, and brass should last forever.

That’s perfect. Run my PRS and NRL rifles under 2700 fps. They start acting finicky over that.

 

[Walker6]

Plan on picking up a 6.5 Creedmoor in the near future. I don't want to tinker so I'm leaning X-Bolt 2 Speed but the Tikka t3x is still being considered. I'll be hunting in NC so shots can be anywhere from 50 - 500 yards. My personal limit will be 300 yards. I prefer to stay to 130gr weight range for the extra speed. Looking for general load advice.

The creed ain’t about speed. It’s about good manners, accuracy, and carrying velocity downrange due to good bullets. If you want speed, get a 7-08 and shoot 120’s at .270 velocities.

So to answer your question, I’d get a Tikka T3X in 6.5cm and load it with 140 or 147 eldm’s and 41-ish grains of H4350 and never look back…

 

[Schmoops]

Jumping in here….is there any reason to bother reloading when Hunter Precision and Barnes Harvest exist in readily available shops??

The pleasure of rolling your own aside, have folks found a performance increase? It almost seems like the juice ain’t worth the squeeze…

 

[Q_Sertorius]

Jumping in here….is there any reason to bother reloading when Hunter Precision and Barnes Harvest exist in readily available shops??

The pleasure of rolling your own aside, have folks found a performance increase? It almost seems like the juice ain’t worth the squeeze…

How do they shoot in your rifle?

 

[JDMBEND]

Precision wise factory ammo is hit and miss. I have seen ES of 180 and SD’s over 20 with Hornady ELDM ammo. But, I have seen ES of 40 and SD of 12 with the same ammo different lot #’s.
So it’s like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get.
Pretty consistently, I can load ammo that shoots well with SD’s in the single digits. I guess it depends on how accurate you want to be.
BTW, I do not enjoy reloading, it’s a time suck, much rather be shooting.

 

[Schmoops]

How do they shoot in your rifle?

The Precision Hunter are pretty dang solid in my rifle. I’m very much the issue there, but my last group with them was 1.6” at 100.

 

[Schmoops]

Precision wise factory ammo is hit and miss. I have seen ES of 180 and SD’s over 20 with Hornady ELDM ammo. But, I have seen ES of 40 and SD of 12 with the same ammo different lot #’s.
So it’s like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get.
Pretty consistently, I can load ammo that shoots well with SD’s in the single digits. I guess it depends on how accurate you want to be.
BTW, I do not enjoy reloading, it’s a time suck, much rather be shooting.

That’s a solid point. I don’t have a chrono so can’t test that, but higher consistency makes sense.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

The Precision Hunter are pretty dang solid in my rifle. I’m very much the issue there, but my last group with them was 1.6” at 100.

If that’s a 10-shot group, I would not bother to reload. I would spend the time and money on shooting my .22 or .223.

 

[Schmoops]

If that’s a 10-shot group, I would not bother to reload. I would spend the time and money on shooting my .22 or .223.

It was a 10-shot, yes. That’s a fair take!

 

[HairyScandinavian]

The Precision Hunter are pretty dang solid in my rifle. I’m very much the issue there, but my last group with them was 1.6” at 100.

So I recently started reloading, been wanting to for several years. My primary, really only true hunting rifle, now is a Tikka 6.5 CM that shoots the factory Hornady 147 M's extremely well, confidence through the roof with them so had the same questions if it was really time to start or not but I took the plunge.

80% of the reasons I started was I wanted to future proof my shooting, only takes the wrong administration in office to have another scare and shortage and I want to just have components that cross various cartridges ready to go and be able to make what I need rather than buying overpriced ammo when/if I find it. I've already accomplished some of that goal as I can make ammo for several rifles now reliably, however I'd like to narrow the powder selections down and see what I can get to overlap so I can stock up on fewer powders.
10% is that I'm curious and wanted to play with other projectiles that aren't common in factory loads, 130 TMK for example and whatever floats my boat later since this is really my only true hunting rifle. I haven't really toyed with that yet for my hunting rifle but I did with my 6mm ARC AR toy/hog/local deer rifle and have a couple promising loads I'm working on with 95 TMK's.
Last 10% is the factory 147's were giving me roughly 2550 fps in the 20" barrel and I figured I could squeak out a hair more speed. 41.5gr of H4350 is giving about 2615 or so average and 25gr Superformance is giving roughly 2655 so I seem to have accomplished that goal with small sample sizes. I have 10 of each loaded up to test a larger sample and decide which to choose, probably be the H for better temp sensitivity and less powder used for more rounds per lb but I also am starting to hate the finer powders like Superformance and CFE223 and like the bigger sticks like H5350 and N555. With smaller 5 round groups Superformance had much better SD and ES than H4350 though so that could come into play and is yet TBD.

TLDR: The juice is not worth the squeeze, but I like having ability to squeeze the fruit to make juice.

 

[Schmoops]

So I recently started reloading, been wanting to for several years. My primary, really only true hunting rifle, now is a Tikka 6.5 CM that shoots the factory Hornady 147 M's extremely well, confidence through the roof with them so had the same questions if it was really time to start or not but I took the plunge.

80% of the reasons I started was I wanted to future proof my shooting, only takes the wrong administration in office to have another scare and shortage and I want to just have components that cross various cartridges ready to go and be able to make what I need rather than buying overpriced ammo when/if I find it. I've already accomplished some of that goal as I can make ammo for several rifles now reliably, however I'd like to narrow the powder selections down and see what I can get to overlap so I can stock up on fewer powders.
10% is that I'm curious and wanted to play with other projectiles that aren't common in factory loads, 130 TMK for example and whatever floats my boat later since this is really my only true hunting rifle. I haven't really toyed with that yet for my hunting rifle but I did with my 6mm ARC AR toy/hog/local deer rifle and have a couple promising loads I'm working on with 95 TMK's.
Last 10% is the factory 147's were giving me roughly 2550 fps in the 20" barrel and I figured I could squeak out a hair more speed. 41.5gr of H4350 is giving about 2615 or so average and 25gr Superformance is giving roughly 2655 so I seem to have accomplished that goal with small sample sizes. I have 10 of each loaded up to test a larger sample and decide which to choose, probably be the H for better temp sensitivity and less powder used for more rounds per lb but I also am starting to hate the finer powders like Superformance and CFE223 and like the bigger sticks like H5350 and N555. With smaller 5 round groups Superformance had much better SD and ES than H4350 though so that could come into play and is yet TBD.

TLDR: The juice is not worth the squeeze, but I like having ability to squeeze the fruit to make juice.

You make a great point about future proofing.

I don’t have a chrono so I’m not sure what the factory loads are giving me…you make a good point about it probably not being box accurate…

I’ve got a desire to shoot the TMKs, but with folks reporting the speeds not looking any different than the 143 ELD-X (and slower than the box says on the Hornady Precision) I’ve been skeptical…that changes if the factory loads are slow.

Thanks for your thoughts, I really appreciate it!

 

[Walker6]

You make a great point about future proofing.

I don’t have a chrono so I’m not sure what the factory loads are giving me…you make a good point about it probably not being box accurate…

I’ve got a desire to shoot the TMKs, but with folks reporting the speeds not looking any different than the 143 ELD-X (and slower than the box says on the Hornady Precision) I’ve been skeptical…that changes if the factory loads are slow.

Thanks for your thoughts, I really appreciate it!

I’ll back up what HairyScan said. I got around 2500 from factory 147Eldm out of a 19” tikka. 41.5 of H4350 gets me 2645fps. To me that’s worth it. Same goes for future proofing. It’s nice to know what’s in that case.

 

[Schmoops]

I’ll back up what HairyScan said. I got around 2500 from factory 147Eldm out of a 19” tikka. 41.5 of H4350 gets me 2645fps. To me that’s worth it. Same goes for future proofing. It’s nice to know what’s in that case.

With 2695 and 2700 advertised for the 147 ELD-M and 143 ELD-X…that’s annoying.

H4350 seems to be a damned reliable powder choice across multiple calibers. If I’m spooling up to reload for my 6.5 I’ll probably use it for my .30-06, too.

 

[JGRaider]

I choose to reload my 6.5CM to use 139 Scenar's and 130 AB's, and not covtard Hornady's stuff.