6.5 Creedmoor leade depth

[spudgun]

Looking for some info on the bullet leade on the 6.5 Creedmoor.

I have measured the length of my chamber and now seating the bullets .050 off the lands.

Using Hornady 140 gr, Match and SST.

What is recommended distance? Yes, I know every barrel/bullet is different and can vary.

Have a Savage 12FV.

I have read some adjust to .01 and others .03, anyone have a Savage?

 

[Texas10]

Not trying to sound like a smart a$$ but the best seating distance in your 12FV is whatever it seems to like after you've done your seating depth study.

I generally start .020 off with the 142 SMK in my Savage 6.5, then find best powder, then refine seating. Berger suggests you load at touch, .040, .080 and .120 off and refine the distance that works the best.

If your Savage is new with less than 100 rounds down the barrel, it may be a bit early to be refining seating depth.

 

[Rob01]

,020" off the lands is my usual start point and I rarely have to move off it.

 

[spudgun]

,020" off the lands is my usual start point and I rarely have to move off it.

Thanks, that was what I was looking for at starting point.

 

[Roach]

.020 off here as well. 140g Hornady ELDM.

 

[jim_k]

The freebore on the chambers Savage cuts is usually 0.225", give or take. I would start at mag length with the 140 SST (seated to the cannelure), and lengthen by 20 thou per attempt, until you get to the jam length. With the Hornady 140 SST and Savage chamber, the bullet will touch the lands at about 2.880", given the published bullet length of 1.410".

 

[Rob01]

.225 freebore is long. SAAMI is .199. Savage has been known to short chamber some rifles so testing the OAL to lands is a good idea so he knows what he is dealing with.

With the SAAMI lead and the 140 ELDs I am at the lands at 2.870".

 

[spudgun]

I measured the chamber and with both 140gr Match and SST's it came to 2.857 OAL.

I was using the bullet jam method, by closing the bolt and forcing the bullet into the case.

Modified a case to make it a lot easier.

 

[Rob01]

Yeah that's a shorter than SAAMI chamber but not bad at all for Savage. They are usually much shorter and some I have heard of are jammed into lands at factory 2.800". You can work well with that OAL.

 

[spudgun]

OK, now for bullets. Using the Hornady 140gr BTHP.
Getting good accuracy but need to buy more bullets. What do you use in the Hornady line?

140 gr Match BTHP
140 gr SST
140 gr ELD

Or something else?

Using H4350 and CCI primers.

 

[Rob01]

I load both the 140 and 147 ELDs and shoot both as factory loads as well. The 140 loaded .020" off lands is 2.850" and the 147 loaded .030" off is 2.860". I loaded it at .020" as well but wanted to get a little more room in the mag so went to .030" and it shoots the exact same.

 

[spudgun]

I load both the 140 and 147 ELDs and shoot both as factory loads as well. The 140 loaded .020" off lands is 2.850" and the 147 loaded .030" off is 2.860". I loaded it at .020" as well but wanted to get a little more room in the mag so went to .030" and it shoots the exact same.

Thanks for the advise.

I have not tried the ELD's in 6.5mm.

Used them on my 308 and got good results with them 168 Gr.

 

[spudgun]

If it's not any trouble could you measure the length of the ELD bullet.

my SST's are 1.395 and the Match BTHP are 1.340

Would like to know the length of the ELD's without buy 100 of them

 

[Rob01]

The BTHP is a good bullet and will do well but if you wanted a higher BC bullet for longer ranges then the ELDs will be the one in the 6.5. I used to use the 140 AMAX, which has a similar BC to the 140 BTHP, for years in matches and did fine but it's nicer having the higher BC and being able to use less wind.

Here are the measurements for the 130, 140 and 147 ELDs that I had on hand.

130 ELD
OAL 1.312"
base to ogive .653"

140 ELD
OAL 1.380"
base to ogive .715"

147 ELD
OAL 1.435"
base to ogive .750"

 

[spudgun]

Where did you get the info on the base to Ogive measurement?

I looked on Hornady's website and did not see it

 

[Rob01]

I measured them. Lol got all three at the house.

 

[spudgun]

Trying to get my head around the Ogive and OAL of bullet.

Here is what I did in steps:
1. blacken tip of bullet
2. seat bullet just into case
3. load into chamber and close bolt
4. remove case
5. measure from the bottom of case to the mark on the blacken bullet where rifling/barrel made contact (Ogive of bullet?)
6.Measure over all length of bullet.

Bullet info:

Bullet Hornd 140 gr BTHP
OBL = 1.339"
Base of bullet to Ogive mark = .662"
Tip to Ogive mark = 0677"

Now what I came up with was:

step 5= 2.193"
step 6 = 2.827"

Now OAL should be 2.825"

That means that the jump is .002"

Am I correct?