Where to start with 6.5 CM Ammo?

[Appowner]

Newbie here. I'm retired and feeding a desire I've had for years, to see if I can actually hit something at long range. I don't shoot competition preferring to compete against myself instead. The bump of the recoil, the sound of the bang, the smell of the powder and seeing if I can use the same hole over and over again is where I get my thrill.

I'll be shooting 6.5CM out of a 24" barrel with a 1:8 twist. Essentially all my shooting will be target though I hope someday to do a hunting trip with it. Initially at least most my shooting will be on shorter 100 yard ranges. I'll get to longer ranges a couple of times a year but at present I don't have ready access to one.

I don't currently do my own reloading so factory ammo is where I'm at. My question is where do I start? What brand etc might you guys suggest for a starting point. I know I'm going to go through a lot of trial and error here and that's not a problem but hopefully with your help I may be able to cut down on some of the waste.

I know there's a lot more to this. But I'm hoping you guys can get me to a decent starting point with your suggestions.

Thanks all!

 

[Ironman308]

Either Honady ELDM or Federal Gold Match will give you the best accuracy.

 

[Appowner]

Have been looking at both of those. I'll give them a try, if I can find them without a second mortgage.

Thanks

 

[wbm]

The Federal Gold Metal with 130gr Berger OTM shot great in both my 6.5CM's.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

Hornady American Gunner 140 grain bthp is a good all around target load. The Hornady Black like sold at Academy is the same thing. That is if they ever get any back on the shelves.

 

[10XSHOOTER]

Stick with 130 gr bullets. 140's are to slow!

 

[Bill K]

All good suggestions on what too buy, Find any of these, that you can and see which one YOUR rifle likes the best. For 100 yrd shooting don't be concerned, too much with weight of the bullet. But when you really start shooting over 400 yrds test out the heavier one's, they gold up better, when reaching out.

 

[Appowner]

Thanks all!

You've confirmed my research has been pretty much spot on. Now if only this weather would break and spring would arrive...........

 

[Creedmoor02]

I would say Hornady or Berger, then if you ever get into reloading you’ll have good brass.

 

[Twdmar]

Here is a reloading kit. Then you'll need some primers, brass, bullets and powder.

,https://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item/0004487472/partner-press-reloading-kit-2

It's easier than people think. The hard part is finding reloading components right now. A reloading manual will tell you all you need to know and having a few is a good idea. There is legit long range factory ammo for the creedmoor also but i prefer to reload.
Start cruising the sporting goods stores, gun shops and websites to find what you need.
Hitting targets at long range is not hard either and if you have a 22lr for practice at 100yds that will help too. Your 24" barrel will not hold you back either. Good luck.

 

[darkangel_r2]

Hornady American Gunner 140 grain bthp is a good all around target load. The Hornady Black like sold at Academy is the same thing. That is if they ever get any back on the shelves.

This is what I used for break in factory ammo on mine and my uncles 6.5 creed. Works well for the money.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

Here is a reloading kit. Then you'll need some primers, brass, bullets and powder.

,https://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item/0004487472/partner-press-reloading-kit-2

It's easier than people think. The hard part is finding reloading components right now. A reloading manual will tell you all you need to know and having a few is a good idea. There is legit long range factory ammo for the creedmoor also but i prefer to reload.
Start cruising the sporting goods stores, gun shops and websites to find what you need.
Hitting targets at long range is not hard either and if you have a 22lr for practice at 100yds that will help too. Your 24" barrel will not hold you back either. Good luck.

I say yes to the Op to get into reloading too. It may be the only way to get the type of ammo you want through there crazy times.

 

[pingunit]

Here’s a great article regarding factory match grade ammo for the 6.5 Creedmoor—> https://precisionrifleblog.com/2021/11/17/best-rifle-ammo/

Besides that, reloading is definitely the way to eek out as much accuracy as you can from your rifle. It may seem daunting at first, but once you see how easy it is and the great results you get, you won’t want to buy factory ammo again. The link Twdmar provided above is a nice starter kit that won’t break the bank. You can always upgrade things as you go. Buy the best dies you can afford because they’ll save you time, aggravation, and money in the long run. Some of the better factory dies, in my opinion, are Forster benchrest dies. Probably the best non-inline dies I can think of are from Short Action Customs (SAC), but they’ll definitely pinch your pocketbook.

 

[Straightshooter1]

Newbie here. I'm retired and feeding a desire I've had for years, to see if I can actually hit something at long range. I don't shoot competition preferring to compete against myself instead. The bump of the recoil, the sound of the bang, the smell of the powder and seeing if I can use the same hole over and over again is where I get my thrill.

I'll be shooting 6.5CM out of a 24" barrel with a 1:8 twist. Essentially all my shooting will be target though I hope someday to do a hunting trip with it. Initially at least most my shooting will be on shorter 100 yard ranges. I'll get to longer ranges a couple of times a year but at present I don't have ready access to one.

I don't currently do my own reloading so factory ammo is where I'm at. My question is where do I start? What brand etc might you guys suggest for a starting point. I know I'm going to go through a lot of trial and error here and that's not a problem but hopefully with your help I may be able to cut down on some of the waste.

I know there's a lot more to this. But I'm hoping you guys can get me to a decent starting point with your suggestions.

Thanks all!

Yup, take a close look at the previous post link ^^^^^

 

[ronsatspokane]

Stick with 130 gr bullets. 140's are to slow!

Not sure where that comes from but I've shot everything from 120 to 156. 140's in a 8 twist barrel have been the best... If accuracy is the goal. Those would be the Berger 140 grain hybrid targets. 147's seems to run with the 140's used in a 1/7 twist barrel. Those would be the ELDM's.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

https://www.starlinebrass.com/media...r-guide-reloading-65-creedmoor-ballistics.pdf
Here you go. Starline Brass did a big article on it.

 

[marchx]

I can only speak for myself. I am dissapointed with factory Hornady ELD-M. It's supposed to the match grade ammo whereas in fact it shots worse than much cheaper Lithuanian GGG. As far as performance is concerned best results from factory ammo I get from RWS Target Elite Plus. In Europe you cannot buy Berger ammo, but I assume that this ammo should be better than anything else.

 

[spudgun]

https://www.starlinebrass.com/media...r-guide-reloading-65-creedmoor-ballistics.pdf
Here you go. Starline Brass did a big article on it.

I have been using Starline 6.5 CM brass for 4 years now. I have not been able to find new brass anywere on line.
SO I emailed Starlilne this week to find out when it will be back on the shelves.

Here is there response:
Good morning.

Right now it's really impossible for us to estimate any timeframes or ship dates due to the volume of orders in our system. Your best bet is going to be keep an eye on the website and place a backorder as soon as they open up. I apologize for the inconvenience.

Thank you,
Emma
Customer Service

 

[Fuj]

Hornady 140 ELDM's. I went thru two 200 round case's
it was that good. Used those case's for my reloading stock.
Check with SG Ammo. I've always had the best pricing from
them.

 

[dgeesaman]

I would say Hornady or Berger, then if you ever get into reloading you’ll have good brass.

In my experience there is immense difference between these two. I buy Berger box ammo wherever possible and keep the brass because it's made by Lapua and there is none better.

I've gotten outstanding results (<.5moa) from some Sako Super Hammerhead box ammo in a friends Tikka 6.5CM. But the accuracy of that combination slipped to very ordinary (1.5moa) in winter temps. I expect the Sako brass to be between Lapua and Hornady.

I got very good results making handloads for target shooting with Lapua 6.5mm bullets. They tend to be available.

Of course nothing beats good handloading for generating consistent accuracy and keeping up with the break-in of the barrel. But you'll need primers and powder above all. If you can acquire a brick of primers and a couple pounds of appropriate powder, then it would be wise to buy the bullets and reloading kit. It's not like when I started reloading, where I bought the kit first and was able to stop at the gun shop and get whatever powder and primers I desired.