6.5 Creedmoor Range day!

[Olllian]

Hey guys. Just got a new Criterion barrel on this week. I did a quick break in procedure before doing my load test. RPR 26" Criterion barrel 1/8 twist.

I started off with the 142 SMK at 2.810 using h4350 210M 40.5,41.4,41.7,42,42.3gn My best grope was 1/2 5 shoots at 200y with 40.5 and 2720 avg. After that I could not get a better grope and kept getting bigger grops. I think it will look better if I push it past 42.3 I was at 2835avg ft/s. It started to close up on the 42.3 I did not see any pressure sings at all. Should I keep going and work slow up to 43? Or dose my barrel need to settle in first??

Then I used the 143ELD-X using same power loads. I had better results using 143 but still same affect as the 142. 40.5 was my best to. Do u think I just need to break that hump at 42.3?? Just wanted your opinion. I have seen people push over 44gn. THx guys

Do I need to keep putting rounds down my barrel to break it in?

 

[Raptor]

Will depend on your barrel. If your NOT getting pressure signs then you can keep going up. I am at 42.4 with Lapua brass and have been up to 42.8 in one of mine and 43grs with my RPR using Hornady brass. Both are shooting 140ELDs..

 

[Olllian]

Thx raptor. I was gonna keep going

 

[ronsatspokane]

Try 40.7-41.1 of H4350, 140's .020 off the lands to jammed. Never look back.

 

[markgrabowski]

Try 40.7-41.1 of H4350, 140's .020 off the lands to jammed. Never look back.

What kind of speeds are you seeing with this combo?

 

[sbhooper]

Consider some Re 26, also, with the heavy bullets. I get great accuracy and velocity with the 147 ELD-M.

 

[Rogmay]

My sons 6.5CM shoots 40gr h4350, just over 2000 rounds down the tube, 2800fps, 28" barrel, Shielen select match, Lapua brass, 210M, 140 hybrid, pretty consistent.3-.4 moa gun.

 

[Olllian]

I am going to confirm my last 2 sweet loads I found next weekend. Mine likes 140eld the best .015 of lands 41.4gn of H4350 and on the 142 smk 42.5gn. I'm not going to dig in to my 140 hybrids yet . I am using lapua and cci450.

 

[Olllian]

My sons 6.5CM shoots 40gr h4350, just over 2000 rounds down the tube, 2800fps, 28" barrel, Shielen select match, Lupua brass, 210M, 140 hybrid, pretty consistent.3-.4 moa gun.

210m??? Lapua don't make large primer pocket brass?

 

[Rogmay]

210m??? Lapua don't make large primer pocket brass?

I made my own 6.5CM brass from 308 Lapua last year before they came out with the 6.5CM. On my 8th firing and still going strong!

 

[Olllian]

I made my own 6.5CM brass from 308 Lapua last year before they came out with the 6.5CM. On my 8th firing and still going strong!

Got ya

 

[Midnightmedic]

Consider some Re 26, also, with the heavy bullets. I get great accuracy and velocity with the 147 ELD-M.

Can you give us a little specifics about your RL26 loads with the 147's? Getting ready to try this combo. Thanks.

 

[STOMP442]

I just worked up a load for a factory RPR Gen 2. 41.5gr H4350 Hornady brass CCI LR and 140 ELD-Ms. This load is giving me 2788fps and single digit ES. This is 5 shots at 100 yards. This was my first experience with the RPR and while I am not a huge fan of the looks it shoots extremely well.

 

[David247]

I just worked up a load for a factory RPR Gen 2. 41.5gr H4350 Hornady brass CCI LR and 140 ELD-Ms. This load is giving me 2788fps and single digit ES. This is 5 shots at 100 yards. This was my first experience with the RPR and while I am not a huge fan of the looks it shoots extremely well.

Where did the other two go???

 

[sbhooper]

Can you give us a little specifics about your RL26 loads with the 147's? Getting ready to try this combo. Thanks.

Sorry that I did not finish the line right. It was in a .260-which is not much different. I settled on a load of 47 grains, which gets me 2825 fps and appears to be fairly moderate, as far as pressure. I got a lot more velocity out of a hotter load, but the es was a bit wilder. The moderate load works well with magnum, or standard primers and is 1/2 moa, on a day when my eye is working well enough.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Consider some Re 26, also, with the heavy bullets. I get great accuracy and velocity with the 147 ELD-M.

This ^^^

I think people get stuck on using the 'norm' powders everyone else is using for a given cartridge and end up missing out on the true potential of accuracy at a desired speed level. If you can't get what you want with the powder others suggest, try something else. Every barrel is different.

I think RL26 is an excellent recommendation for heavy 6.5 cal bullets in any chambering. Perhaps try some RL23 as well if you can get your hands on some.

I just went to RL26 with the 140 Berger VLDs in my 6.5 Rem Mag and found excellent results with speed and accuracy. RL26 is a slow powder, but it is also very dense so it works well in longer barrels using cartridges with smaller case capacities. You can fit a lot more powder in the case than you think due to its high density. Where you may only be able to fit somewhere around 43gr of H4350 in a case, you may be able to work up to as much as 49gr or more of RL26 provided you start low and watch carefully for pressure signs.

 

[ronsatspokane]

Been a while. Didn't see the question. I'm getting ~2800 fps.