6.5 Creedmoor Caliber Reloading

[micro911]

I see pretty much everyone is going to 6.5CM. Gunshops have about 90% of their stock rifles in 6.5 CM. So, I just broke down and decided to build a rifle in that caliber. This is a new caliber for me. I am experienced with reloading, especially 308 and 223 among other calibers.

I would like to ask members about their favorite load for this caliber. Of course there are a lot of variables, but what is your favorite load?

I just got Lapua small primer brass, Nosler 140 gr match bullets. I already have various powder and match primers.

[baih777]

H4350 or IMR 4350
Your bullets.are GTG.
I shoot Hornady 140 ELD.

[maxx03]

140 Berger Hybrids, H4350 powder, Petersen or Lapua brass, FGMM primers.

[cz74]

140 grain Hornady ELD-match with IMR 4350 is what I am toying with recently, good results so far at 200 yards. My brass are fired factory loads from S&B with large primer pocket and Federal brass with small primers. With small primers, I find CCI 450 to be better than Federal GM205

[jimmykan]

I just got Lapua small primer brass, Nosler 140 gr match bullets. I already have various powder and match primers.

Which Nosler 140 grain bullet? Custom Competition or RDF?

The 140 grain RDF has one of the highest G7 BCs among 6.5mm ~140 grain bullets, but I never got them to group better than an inch at 100 yards. I sold my remaining 1500+ of these to a friend, and they grouped better for him.

The 140 grain Custom Competition on the other hand, I could get to group in the .2's and .3's with several different load combinations.

Here is the settled-on load for one of my rifles (26" Preferred Blanks 5R 1-8" twist, reamed with a standard PTG 6.5 Creedmoor reamer, Ruger American short action):

Starline small rifle brass, S&B small rifle primer
140 grain Nosler Custom Competition (tumbled in HBN), seated to 2.710" COL
40.0 grains Hodgdon Varget, 2880 fps

Here is the settled-on load for another rifle (28" Bartlein 5R 1-8" twist, reamed with a standard PTG 6.5 Creedmoor reamer, Remington 700 short action with bushed .062" firing pin):

Lapua small rifle brass, S&B small rifle primer
142 grain Sierra MatchKing (tumbled in HBN), seated to 2.820" COL
40.2 grains Hodgdon Varget, 2900 fps

The second load will pierce primers if fired in the Ruger American, which does not have a tight-fitting firing pin. Also, I tumble-coat these bullets in HBN which tends to lower peak chamber pressure a little.

The Lapua and Starline brass have thicker case heads and lower capacity than Hornady brass. Lapua (52.5 grain H20), Starline (52.0 grain H20), Hornady (53.5 grain H20), and so I could not fit enough H4350 or IMR4451 into these cases to yield high enough muzzle velocity. So I settled on Varget.

Here's my load for an AR in 6.5 Creedmoor (20" Aero/BA 1-8" twist):

Hornady large rifle brass, Winchester large rifle primer
140 grain Nosler Custom Competition (no coating), seated to 2.770" COL
41.2 grains Hodgdon Hybrid 100V, 2650 fps from a 20" barrel

[micro911]

Which Nosler 140 grain bullet? Custom Competition or RDF?

On the box it says Custom Competition. I also have some old Federal Benchrest primers and Federal Small Rifle Match primers along with Wolf primers.

[RNE228]

6.5 is the caliber.
6.5 CM is the cartridge

[mtenenhaus]

I enjoy shooting the 6.5 Cr very much, i only shoot paper or steel usually at ranges of 300-680 yards

h4350 39 -40 grains seems to work very well for my rifle with a 140gn Berger target projectile...it yields apx 2660fps

[BrassCase]

Superperformance works very well in AR 6.5's.

[1990Husky]

My load for Ruger Precision in 6.5 Creedmoor:

-I was using H4350 at 41.3 grains, 140gr Hornady BTHP Match bullets, Hornady brass and CCI #34 primers (that's what I had and it worked, so I stuck with it). Was getting 3/8"-7/16" groups at 100 yrds and hitting 10" steel at 885 yards until I ran out of H4350.

-Found some 6.5 Staball and developed a load last weekend. Started at 42.5 grains and went up to 43.8 grains. Settled on a load at 42.9 grains using same bullets and brass and switched to CCI #200 primers. Have only been able to shoot a couple of groups at 100 yards, but got a 5 shot groups at 3/8". Heading back to the range to chrono this weekend. It should get me about 2,725 FPS.

[micro911]

So, IMR 4350 and H4350 has similar burning rate? According to charts, one chart shows IMR 4350 faster and another shows H4350 faster.

[bubbala]

Nosler RDF...random damn flyers.

[micro911]

Nosler RDF...random damn flyers.

So, Custom Competition is the better bullet?

[.45Glock]

I use RL-16, 41gr shooting Hornady 140gr Interlock. COL= 2.710 with a velocity of 2750+. The is 6x6 3/4" steel shot from 100yrds

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[micro911]

I use RL-16, 41gr shooting Hornady 140gr Interlock. COL= 2.710 with a velocity of 2750+. The is 6x6 3/4" steel shot from 100yrds

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Wow..