6.5 CM Load for AR with H4350 or Varget

[EdHarley]

Hello,

I am looking for load ideas for a 6.5 CM AR. It has a 20" barrel. I have Varget and H4350 on hand, Lapua and Peterson brass, CCI 450 and Fed 205M primers and Berger 130 OTM hybrid bullets. I want to keep the pressure proper for a gas gun. I have looked at the forums on here and some have mentioned Varget ~39gn and H4350 at 41.5gn. Can anyone confirm these charges or have better info? My books don't separate loads for gas vs. bolt guns.

 

[Raptor]

I built an AR10 with a Proof barrel. My load is 42.6 of H4350 with a 140ELD. I use an adjustable gas block on mine with a can. This is a hot load with my can. It shoots great though and I am using Hornady prepped brass with a CCI 200.....

 

[EdHarley]

Thanks for the input. I have an adjustable block as well but no can yet. What barrel length and velocity?

 

[accuracyman]

I run 41.6g H4350, Alpha brass, CCI BR2 LR primers, with Berger 130 OTM Hybrids in mine.

 

[mic2377]

I have a custom AR with 24" McGowen 1/8.5 twist barrel. While I have not run 130 gr bullets yet, I have shot a bunch of 123 Nosler Custom Comps (basically an identical 123 gr SMK clone) over 39.5 gr of Varget, with Hornady brass/CCI-200 primers. It is easy on brass and shot well with no virtually no load development. This also duplicates the old Hornady Match ammo recipe they used to provide for their 123 gr match loads.

I haven't run it over the Chrono but I estimate the velocity to be ~2900 with my 1000 yard dope of 28.7 MOA.

You can get a little more velocity with H4350 but that Varget load is easy on the gun and brass so I stuck with it.

 

[Mudygmc]

My pet load in my 24in AR is 41gr of h4350 behind a 143eld-x at 2682fps. Not fast but 1/4-3/8in at 100yds all day long.

Adam

 

[Raptor]

Thanks for the input. I have an adjustable block as well but no can yet. What barrel length and velocity?

I have a Proof SS 22" with the +2 gas system. Cronographed at 2702fps with 10rds SD of 7.8fps

 

[LGKLAS]

Almost exactly same result here Adam. 41 gns. 24" . upper 2600s MV. 140s and 142 bullet weight. My groups aren't as tight but I am not that good. Close to half inch MOA.

 

[BDman]

41.3 H4350 behind 140ELDm gives easy half moa in my LMT (no AGB) and 2730 fps - single digit SD's

 

[Earnhardt]

In my 6.5 ARs, I changed from H4350 to RL16...
No more pierced primers, and more velocity

 

[jamesh]

41.5gr H4350 140 Amax 2.8" OAL. Will shoot half minute groups out to 1000yds in my DPMS as long as you don't miss a wind call.

 

[LGKLAS]

In my 6.5 ARs, I changed from H4350 to RL16...
No more pierced primers, and more velocity

I just got and loaded some RL-16. I'm at 40 grains and grouping nice. What charge are you at?

 

[Earnhardt]

Start at 40 and work your way up, until you see pressure signs.
Adjust your gas block as needed.
I’m shooting 140 ELDs.
I am at 42+ grains

 

[EdHarley]

So, first test with Varget was OK, not great. The warm-up groups were with Prime ammo, best of those was:
0.171" with an average velocity of 2672, SD of 8 and ES of 15. I ran Varget from 34.7 to 37.1 with the 205M and OAL of 2.8. The 37.1 had the best group at 0.359 (not that I care as much about group size yet) but avg velocity of only 2628. SD of 16 and ES of 23. No pressure signs. Will do the next one with more powder and a ladder with 4350 as well.

 

[EdHarley]

I just got and loaded some RL-16. I'm at 40 grains and grouping nice. What charge are you at?

Which bullet? What barrel length and what velocity?

 

[Kurz]

In my 6.5 ARs, I changed from H4350 to RL16...
No more pierced primers, and more velocity

I just got and loaded some RL-16. I'm at 40 grains and grouping nice.

I gave up Varget a number of years ago along with H-4350 and I will never look back at any loads I used to use with those powders.

With a 20" barrel and a slightly different version of the Proof system, I'm running 130 grain bullets over Re-16 with excellent accuracy and reliability in a couple of AR platforms.

 

[EdHarley]

Thanks for the info. I did another ladder a week ago and found a couple of interesting items. The first was my velocity info vs. the published info on the Prime ammo box. They tested using a 24" barrel in 59deg F. I shot my 20" during a 56deg day. Close weather to what they publish but my velocity was 200fps slower (they advertise 2850 and I had an avg of 2648). This makes it 50fps per inch of barrel I am losing. Seems higher than other calibers. Is the 6.5Creedmoor more sensitive to barrel length? Given this I used 2650 as a target velocity and adjusted my gas block to their load to start. The most promising Varget load was 38.1gn with Fed 205M, 2654fps, SD 3, ES 7. I didn't like the H4350 loads but used the CCI 450 primers. Best load was 41.5gn of H4350 yielding 2668fps with SD 12, ES 21. I will repeat this with 205M primers and if not any better may not use H4350 with the Berger 130gn OTM bullets. I was hoping for better velocity for all of them but will see how it shoots at 1000 next time.

 

[LGKLAS]

Which bullet? What barrel length and what velocity?

any of the 140 gns, incl 142 SMK. 24" bbl 1:8"TR, upper 2600s/2700-ish. Same result with my bolt gun and same bbl characteristics. 2.80" COAL Fed 210 primers.

 

[Pawnee Bill]

Hello,

I am looking for load ideas for a 6.5 CM AR. It has a 20" barrel. I have Varget and H4350 on hand, Lapua and Peterson brass, CCI 450 and Fed 205M primers and Berger 130 OTM hybrid bullets. I have looked at the forums on here and some have mentioned Varget ~39gn and H4350 at 41.5gn. I want to keep the pressure proper for a gas gun. Can anyone confirm these charges or have better info? My books don't separate loads for gas vs. bolt guns.

"I want to keep the pressure proper for a gas gun."

Do you run an adjustable gas block? If not get one or you will more than likely be over gassing you gun.

 

[EdHarley]

any of the 140 gns, incl 142 SMK. 24" bbl 1:8"TR, upper 2600s/2700-ish. Same result with my bolt gun and same bbl characteristics. 2.80" COAL Fed 210 primers.

Thanks for the info. I just got a box of 140SMK and will be doing testing with those when I redo the 130 OMT test using Fed Primers. Shouldn't be too far off the 2600s with my shorter barrel.