Best powder for 6.5CM short barrel

[av8nAK]

I have a 12.5” 6.5 CM that I’ve been loading with 143ELDX and 44.2gr Superformance, 2.82 OAL. I get about 2350fps out of a cold bore with that load. That’s not bad and stays above expansion velocity out to 400 yards. Does anyone else have experience with a short barreled 6.5 and have recommendations on a powder that may work better with the shorter barrel?

Lately I’ve been wanting to go lead free with my food and I’m considering a fracturing copper design for increased lethality (compared to a hold-together bullet like Barnes LRX) on deer with low velocity. I tried a 125 Cutting Edge bullet but couldn’t get it to group. I was going to order some 120gr Lehigh tipped controlled chaos bullets but they want to screw everyone in Alaska with their shipping. They wanted $140 to ship one box of 50 bullets. I called them and they weren’t interested in offering other shipping options. So stupid. Anyway, any other similar fracturing bullets that will perform at lower velocity I should consider?

 

[Andouille]

Have you considered 130 accubond? Youll get about 100-125 fps more speed than eldx and they are reputed to be reasonably lethal down to 1800 fps or so, perhaps giving you a longer lethal shot distance. Bonded will mill minimize fragmentation, while expanding larger than most monos. Try H4350 and if that doesnt work, the rifle will make a nice fish bonker. In all seriousness, dont worry about the theory of "unburnt powder" if a powder has good velocity and groups well.

H100V and N555 are also options for 130 bonded/120 mono weight range and these powders make sporadic appearances at Cabellas and Sportsmans in Anchorage.

Hammer 124 HHT might be interesting, and the minimum reliable expansion velocity is 1800 fps, if i recall correctly. Lots of threads on it in the Hammer Forum.

Ive tried just about every powder availabe in Anchorage for 6.5 CM and am happy to share data, but my gun is a whopping 19" flagpole

 

[av8nAK]

Haha. My little 6.5 is actually pretty slick. It’s a braced pistol. I took a blacktail at 270-ish yards with it last year. I add a 6” suppressor and it’s still a super compact.

I was looking at the ABLR a while ago, but like I said, I’m wanting to move in the lead-free direction. Bonded bullet lead is bonded to the jacket, but microscopic lead shards are still going to be dispersed into the meat. I like the Barnes bullets at higher velocities and diameters, but I’m thinking they might be a hole punch at lower velocity. Theoretically, something like a fracturing bullet creating multiple wound cavities might speed up the time for deer nose to hit dirt. I’ll look at Hammers and see if they have anything of that sort.

I haven’t tried H4350. I tried IMR748 and it wasn’t an improvement. I have a bunch of IMR4350 I could try, but was hoping to learn from someone else’s experience. Thanks for your input!

 

[RWT]

16” tikka factory. 2588 with 130 TMK’s over 43.2g of H4350
Varget is 40 fps slower
Picked up lb if Superformance to try this weekend.
Watching this thread for suggestions

 

[nm.otter]

I'm guessing 120gr Hornady CX might be easy to find there? I'd develop a load with those (and perhaps try them on lower-value tags), then spend a bit more on exotic monos to see how they shoot.

 

[Falon]

My Tikka T3 with a factory 16" and AB A-10 7.62 suppressor shooting 43.5 grains of H4350 and TMK130's is right at 2650fps and holds 1800fps out to 650 yards. I have an Airlock 6.5ZG at the FFL just waiting to get out of Jail that's going on it but I dont forsee that changing the speeds too much if at all.

 

[BigDaddycornbread]

Superformance is the best. That said personally I believe H-4250 has proven more consistent in accuracy