I have some Sig Cases ( Large Rifle Primer ) , 130 gr Sierra Game Changers , and Hunter Powder. Normally on ball powders I use a mag primer . The 6.5 is a pretty small case and I was leaning towards a standard LR primer. Temperatures in my neck of the woods rarely get below 20F and these will be used to hunt yotes and pigs . Any thoughts on primer choice? I have Rem, Fed, and CCI
6.5 CREED , Hunter Powder , Primer Choice
- Thread starter Ramjet
- Start date
Prose
Silver $$ Contributor
I have that exact combo (case, powder, bullet) and found all three primers to work A-OK producing good groups for hunting without any appreciable differences. Have also used WLR and that was just fine. No issues with ES or SD with any of the primers. No need for a magnum primer IMO, but it probably wouldn't hurt anything either.
Good case prep with that sig brass will help your efforts, especially if you can use a mandrel to get those necks concentric. In my estimation that's the biggest flaw of the sig brass and it's certainly not up to par with peterson or lapua. That being said. I've found in a couple guns capable of shooting well under 1/2 MOA (match brass, H4350, Fed210M) that the combo you have will shoot about 3/4 moa without much effort. The gamechanger doesn't like to be jammed IME. Give it 30 thou jump or more.
Good case prep with that sig brass will help your efforts, especially if you can use a mandrel to get those necks concentric. In my estimation that's the biggest flaw of the sig brass and it's certainly not up to par with peterson or lapua. That being said. I've found in a couple guns capable of shooting well under 1/2 MOA (match brass, H4350, Fed210M) that the combo you have will shoot about 3/4 moa without much effort. The gamechanger doesn't like to be jammed IME. Give it 30 thou jump or more.
If you fire it in a concentric chamber, the necks will be concentric.
Prose
Silver $$ Contributor
Not when you start out with brass that isn't. Sig brass isn't and I assumed new brass in my response. If he had a perfect chamber and a perfect gun and perfect ammo he probably wouldn't be using sig brass, hunter powder, and non-match primers.
A mandrel cannot make a neck concentric. It has no reference to case center.
A mandrel will shift the neck in the direction where it is thinnest or softest (ie least stiff).
A mandrel can prevent having concentricity as bad as a regular full length expander Ball.
6.5 forever
Silver $$ Contributor
I guess you don't use a mandrel?
Tip for,.. 6.5 Creed shooters, Peterson Brass, Forster Dies, ELD-X's or M's, CCI or, FED Primers and
StaBall Powder, is,.. AWESOME !
StaBall Powder, is,.. AWESOME !
Prose
Silver $$ Contributor
Tell me more about staball powder in the creed. I use H4350 primarily but prefer RL16 [availability]. Have also used RL 17 and get some great speed with it. H4831 gives insane accuracy in the creed (and 260 rem) but requires a longer barrel and heavy bullets.... Where does staball fit into the mix? Best accuracy? Consistency across temps? Best performance below or above 24" barrel? Best with heavy (130-150) or light bullets?
I use a mandrel when I need to fix minor dings (which happen VERY easily in annealed necks). Mostly I just do a single pass in a honed Forster FL with the expander removed. I’ve not yet found the slight changes in neck tension to have any effect on loads. But in full disclosure, I’ve not invested the considerable resources I think it would take to demonstrate such with statistical confidence.
I've found StaBall to, work best with, Hornady 130 gr. ELD-M's to 143 grain, ELD-X's, so far, in my 6.5 creed.
My New, "Pet" Deer, Antelope & Steel Fun Load is Now,.. 43.1 Grains of, StaBall, 143 ELD-X, Fed F-210 Match, Peterson "Fire formed" Twice or, more fired, Brass and, a 2.820" COAL.
I'm getting 5/8" or, smaller 5 shot groups @ 2,745 FPS. @ 100 yds ( 3 shots, into 1/4 " Ctr to Ctr, cloverleaf's )
StaBall works best, at NEAR Max., Pressure & velocities with, the Heavier for, Caliber, Bullets. ( 130-150 gr's )
Rifle is, a Tikka, T-3, SS Lite, 24" bbl, 1-8 twist and 6.5 X 20 Burris Scope ( Dial for Ranges W/ 200 Yd Zero ).
StaBall, is nothing, "Spectacular" ( other Powders can, Match, it ! ) BUT,.. I LOVE to, "Throw" my charges, so it helps making, the Reloading "Process" a lot Faster and, Easier, as it's very Precise,.. "Thrown".
Usually, Plus or, Minus, One Tenth of, a grain, out of My polished up, Redding, Powder Measure.
It's Fairly Temp Stable, as I've used it from, 90 degrees, down to - 8* here and, have not, noticed any "significant change", in POI,.. I'm mostly, a Hunter ( Coyotes to Deer with, the Creed ) have, a 6XC for, Target.
Hogdon HAS, Reloading Data,.. Hope this, helps !
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White Eagle
Silver $$ Contributor
I have always been a cci fan
no need for a mag primer either
I use standard cci br 2's with Superformance
no need for a mag primer either
I use standard cci br 2's with Superformance
In looking at Western Powder load manual data for 6.5 Creedmoor including Hunter powder used a Winchester LR primer so if it worked for the company offering the powder I see no reason to think a Large Rifle primer wouldn’t work for you.
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