I think I found my 6.5CM load.

[StreetCred]

After playing around with different powders and bullets, I think found what my rifle likes to eat. This group would've been so much better if I didn't drop shot #8. I knew as soon as the trigger broke it was going to be low. That's a "me" issue and no an ammo issue. Didn't really go crazy with powder charge consistency. +/- .02gr. Still got good ES/SD - 34/9. I'm happy with that. I'm at the max charge for Varget with 140/142 gr bullets. Not seeing any pressure signs. Had a nice .4" 5-shot group, too.

 

[Walker6]

Looking good. What kind of speed did you get with Varget?

 

[RWT]

I am going to borrow your load data. See how she shoots in mine. It will be next week before I can load 20

 

[NorthIdahoDude]

This is relevant to my interests! Got a 6.5 CM barrel coming from Criterion, and been wondering if I could burn some Varget in it, even if velocities were a bit low... Tagged for interest.

 

[StreetCred]

Looking good. What kind of speed did you get with Varget?

Thanks! The 10 shot string clocked in at 2658. 50 fps over the book value. I'm shooting a 26" MPA PMR Pro. My range only goes out to 250yds so I don't need anything faster than that. I could get a little more speed with StaBall 6.5 or Superformance but why? Really don't need it.

 

[StreetCred]

This is relevant to my interests! Got a 6.5 CM barrel coming from Criterion, and been wondering if I could burn some Varget in it, even if velocities were a bit low... Tagged for interest.

Weird. . . I've got Criterion making me a .223 barrel for Ruger M77 Mark II. They're only about 10 miles from me. Got Criterion, Kreuger and Bartlein all within about the same distance.

 

[NorthIdahoDude]

Weird. . . I've got Criterion making me a .223 barrel for Ruger M77 Mark II. They're only about 10 miles from me. Got Criterion, Kreuger and Bartlein all within about the same distance.

Weirder, LOL - I was super-torn between the 6.5CM and 223. It's going on a Stag Pursuit action (same basic machine as an Aero Solus) in an Ultradyne chassis I've got a 6.5/308/etc bolt head and a 223 bolt head both for it, so could have gone either way. But the 6.5 CM won out mostly because I'd need to buy a $40 ish magazine for the 223, and I'm a cheap bastard, LOL. But, a 223 on a chassis gun is still on my TODO list for someday, so at some point I'll run across a deal I can't refuse for a 223 barrel, and it'll be on.

 

[NorthIdahoDude]

Thanks! The 10 shot string clocked in at 2658. 50 fps over the book value. I'm shooting a 26" MPA PMR Pro. My range only goes out to 250yds so I don't need anything faster than that. I could get a little more speed with StaBall 6.5 or Superformance but why? Really don't need it.

So I'ma loose guess I'll be around 2550-ish in my 500mm barrel. That's not too awful, considering 4350 probabl won't get me north of 2650 in that barrel, and I'd need specialty powder like R16 or somesuch to get north of 2700 (if we believe Quickload and Hodgdon, anyway). 143 ELD-X at 2550-ish, if the accuracy/SD/ES is there, that'd kill critters out to any range I have any business hucking lead at them. And I have lots and lots of Varget laying around (one of my fav powders I burn it in basically everything - 308, 223, 7mm-08, 7x57, 30-06, 338-06, 45/70... the only 2 cartridges I ever loaded for in history I didn't use it in at least occasionally was 280AI and 270WSM).

 

[StreetCred]

Weirder, LOL - I was super-torn between the 6.5CM and 223. It's going on a Stag Pursuit action (same basic machine as an Aero Solus) in an Ultradyne chassis I've got a 6.5/308/etc bolt head and a 223 bolt head both for it, so could have gone either way. But the 6.5 CM won out mostly because I'd need to buy a $40 ish magazine for the 223, and I'm a cheap bastard, LOL. But, a 223 on a chassis gun is still on my TODO list for someday, so at some point I'll run across a deal I can't refuse for a 223 barrel, and it'll be on.

I thought about putting the Ruger action in a chassis but that rifle was such a tack driver with the monstrous laminated factory stock I don't see any reason to not use it. Hey, I've got .223 stainless 26" Ruger barrel I'm not going to use. Just broken in! Only has 10K+ rounds through it. No low balls! I know what I got!

 

[alexnelon]

So I'ma loose guess I'll be around 2550-ish in my 500mm barrel. That's not too awful, considering 4350 probabl won't get me north of 2650 in that barrel, and I'd need specialty powder like R16 or somesuch to get north of 2700 (if we believe Quickload and Hodgdon, anyway). 143 ELD-X at 2550-ish, if the accuracy/SD/ES is there, that'd kill critters out to any range I have any business hucking lead at them.

Eh you’re gonna be closer to 2450-2480 with the 143

You can easily get over 2700 with H4350 in a 20 inch barrel without getting spicy though.

My competition load for 140s is running 2650 with N160 which is not exactly known for producing good velocity.

 

[NorthIdahoDude]

Eh you’re gonna be closer to 2450-2480 with the 143

You can easily get over 2700 with H4350 in a 20 inch barrel without getting spicy though.

My competition load for 140s is running 2650 with N160 which is not exactly known for producing good velocity.

Oops, mis-quoted, my barrel is coming at 550mm (technically 21.65something inches - basically a 22 for all practical purposes - why is a long story around sporter weight barrels and min barrel diameter and threading).

We'll see how the new barrel does. I see lots of people talk about getting north of 2700 with H4350 in like a 20 to 22 ish inch barrels, but in sub-24 inch barrel, Hodgdon's data says no (2719 in a 24 inch barrel at 61,200 PSI), Hornady's data says no (2700 in a 24 inch barrel), my QuickLoad says no (2689 at 62,000 PSI in a 22 inch), etc. I had a 24 inch Howa in 6.5, and it was absolutely pressuring out at around 42 grains and 2680 FPS with H4350 and 140 Accubonds (primers flat as a pancake, brass life very poor). So maybe this one will run different, but until I see it happen in my gun, I'm not at all confident I'll break 2650 with H4350.