Tikka 6.5 Creed 20" Load data

[43.6N]

So, my middle child crawled the stock on the 6.5cm the other day and the scope cover bumped her eyebrow.

Not major, didn't cut her, didn't really even seem to bother her, but I figured I'd better either back off of her shooting it or find a lighter load.

I had some 130eldms. On a whim I tried them in Hornady brass (my 'junk' brass I use for casual experiments), Winchester LRP, and 38.5 grains of IMR4895, seated to 2.93" which is the same seating depth I used with the 147s. Note: There's no published data on the 130eldm, that I can find, with IMR4895. So my 'data' is based on GRT predictions and prior use of IMR4895 with other projectiles. At any rate, this load is doing a very mild 2700' but hits to the same zero (within ~1/2moa anyway) as my 147 load. Recoil measures out at something like ~84% of my 147 load.

I shot a bobcat with it the other night. I was able, with a scope on 10x in very low light, to watch the impact and its reaction to the shot (which consisted of it falling over dead).

Pretty neat to be able to spot the shot like that with such little recoil. I'll likely shoot more of this load. It isn't max performance but it's more than sufficient for my eastern uses, and the smaller charge of a faster powder puts the recoil down into the realm of what you'd expect from the 6mms.

Heck yeah man.
I love the 130’s in my short Creedmoor.
Just an all around easy bullet. It loves my tikka chamber, and the harder I stepped on it, the more accurate it got!

 

[nm.otter]

Still shooting factory Hornady for the brass -- mostly 140 BTHP (also 700 of those from the GetLoaded promo). Sounds like maybe I should try some of the 120gr Superformance CX I have to see how the recoil impulse changes.

 

[FrontRange]

These are in a 24” Tikka barrel (that’s about to get chopped and threaded) so subtract about 100fps for 20”. All in 7 times fired Starline srp brass with cci 450s this last weekend at about 40* (only 5 shot groups but all were accurate enough that none stood out as better on paper):

140 Eldm - 44.0 gr N555 at about 2.919 oal = 2739fps and 6.9 sd
147 eldm - 43.2 gr N555 at about 2.930 oal = 2679fps and 4.4 sd
130 tmk - 44.4 gr N555 at about 2.890 oal = 2821fps and 4.4 sd
142 smx - 44.0 gr N555 at about 2.850 oal = 2732fps and 5.8 so

 

[nm.otter]

These are in a 24” Tikka barrel (that’s about to get chopped and threaded) so subtract about 100fps for 20”

Thanks for posting those. Very interested in what you see from the chopped barrel.

 

[AndrewMT34]

22" 6.5 CM proof prefit

140 Berger Hybrid Target - 41.8gr H4350 - 2.82" coal = 2745 fps

going to start loading some 140 ELDM's because they are $20 a box cheaper.

 

[skipper907]

I have a Tikka veil that I had cut down to 20ish inches with an ultra 5 suppressor and I am getting 2640avg using Peterson SRP brass cci 400 primers 41.0 of h4350 shooting 143eldx. I am right on the line of seeing pressure signs

 

[WM2]

Tikka Roughtech Superlite (20" barrel):
42gr RL16 @ 2800 fps (Magnetospeed)
New Lapua brass w/Fed 210M
130 gr Berger OTM jumping .150" (and shoots well either naked, with the Omega 300, or the OG 6.5).

That Tikka has a long throat. My Berger is only seated .250 into the case neck. I was curious and bought a box of berger factory with the same bullet and they're seated .095" deeper....and also shot well. They're seated the .095 deeper to get to ~2.810 COAL. Lot to lot variations aside, if anyone is still listening, my bullet is jumping .150 and the factory load is jumping .245....and again, they both shoot well. I did not chrono the factory ammo. I remember the good 'ol days of "kissing" lands or chasing that last thousandths of jump, thinking it always mattered...haven't for a long time now.

I've killed deer, aoudad, and truckloads of hogs with the 130gr 6.5 AB and the 140 7mm version. They will kill very effectively and easily out to 500 yards.

I absolutely believe the frangible bullets are good killers, but I align more with JGRaider on bullet selection. I hunt in the piney woods thickets of SE Texas and have to have a bullet that exits deer more often than not. I'm still testing the 130 OTM based on Form's recommendation, but it exited the head of a ~150 lb hog at 100 yds and both shoulders of another (~100 lb) at around 45 yrds. So far, so good but i can always go back to the 130 AB or even the 120 BT.