6.5CM velocity

[Roach]

So I'm breaking in a new barrel that's a 26" vs the 24" that I've been shooting for the last few years. I initially tested some rounds 2 weeks ago using my old load of 41.2g H4350 in virgin lapua brass and CCI450 primers. I was averaging 2830, which I thought was a bit fast but I attributed that to possibly neck tension from just loading virgin brass.

I pulled about 60 rounds I loaded and ran my FL neck busing die through to get .002 tension. Bullets seated a lot easier. Rounds 50-70 came in at 2796. Barrel seemed to speed up with rounds 70-100 back up to 2830avg.

I guess I have to do some testing I was hoping to avoid. I'm getting some vertical stringing and the accuracy isn't where I want it. I know people these days have moved on from velocity nodes but what are you guys getting for velocity? Am I silly to think that if I lower the charge to 2775-2800 the accuracy will improve?

I mean it's not horrible but it's also not great.

 

[Rob01]

It's a new and different barrel. You will just have to adjust the load and find the one that works with the barrel. What bullet you using?

 

[Roach]

It's a new and different barrel. You will just have to adjust the load and find the one that works with the barrel. What bullet you using?

I really only shoot Hornady 140 / 140 ELDM's right now working on a load for the 140s

 

[C.E.Smith043]

I would go up 0.3gr and down 0.3gr and see what happens.

 

[Rob01]

I really only shoot Hornady 140 / 140 ELDM's right now working on a load for the 140s

Just adjust the powder charge some and see how it does.

What's your OAL now? How far off lands?

 

[Roach]

I would go up 0.3gr and down 0.3gr and see what happens.

You wouldn't be worried about velocity? I see zero signs of pressure: heavy bolt, flat primers, ejector marks, but I posted somewhere else and was crucified for my velocity.

Just adjust the powder charge some and see how it does.

What's your OAL now? How far off lands?

I'm at 2.230 CBTO which is .020 off. That always shot great in my last rifle but may play with that.

 

[Rob01]

.020” off is fine but just making sure you weren’t trying to seat them into lands. I have shot them at .070” off with factory ammo to my handloads at .020” off. Just adjust that powder charge some and find what the barrel likes.

And don’t stress that velocity. I have been shooting the Creedmoor since early 2008 and have loaded up to 2920fps and have some factory ammo now that’s at 2850fps in my 28” barrel so as long as it’s safe it’s fine.

 

[Straightshooter1]

You wouldn't be worried about velocity? I see zero signs of pressure: heavy bolt, flat primers, ejector marks, but I posted somewhere else and was crucified for my velocity.

I'm at 2.230 CBTO which is .020 off. That always shot great in my last rifle but may play with that.

How am I to know what the seating depth is your actually using when my comparator is probably .060 smaller than yours and my freebore is .070 longer? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[C.E.Smith043]

You wouldn't be worried about velocity? I see zero signs of pressure: heavy bolt, flat primers, ejector marks, but I posted somewhere else and was crucified for my velocity.

I'm at 2.230 CBTO which is .020 off. That always shot great in my last rifle but may play with that.

I definitely pay attention to velocity, but you must decide for yourself what you want out of the load. If you are fixed on a particular velocity then about all you can do to change the group size is to add in a tuner.

Or switch to Berger bullets

 

[Rob01]

No need to change bullets but a tuner isn’t a bad idea if you wanted to try one. I use an ATS tuner. Below is 5 shots after tubing using a 6th bullet hole as the aiming point. That’s with factory 140 ELD ammo so no need to change to Bergers.

And I shot it on a steel at 900 yards a few days after tuning and a day before a match and the spotter said the shots were almost touching so the 100 yard tune worked perfectly.

 

[Roach]

No need to change bullets but a tuner isn’t a bad idea if you wanted to try one. I use an ATS tuner. Below is 5 shots after tubing using a 6th bullet hole as the aiming point. That’s with factory 140 ELD ammo so no need to change to Bergers.

And I shot it on a steel at 900 yards a few days after tuning and a day before a match and the spotter said the shots were almost touching so the 100 yard tune worked perfectly.

View attachment 1578251

one hole goal. lol don’t know if I’ll get there but I know I can get it a lot better. I’ll shoot a ladder next weekend. I was just hoping to get lucky and have my old load work.

Mainly though my question was on velocity. I posted on Reddit and got downvoted to hell lol. Most people I know have moved on from 6.5 so I wanted some opinions

 

[Rob01]

2820fps was the original loading with 41.5grns of H4350 in a 28” barrel so you aren’t really high. Most load down in the lower to mid 2700s so why they probably jumped on you. Just didn’t know you can load there safely.

Still lots of 6.5 Creedmoor shooters out there. I have other calibers but the 6.5 and .308 will always be in the safe. I load the 153 ATIPS in my Creedmoor now. They are going about 2680fps with 40.6grns of H4350.

 

[47WillysGuy]

FYI: 6.5 CM - 28 inch barrel, CCI 450 primers, 3 different loads H4350, and Berger 140 Hybrid Target

 

[Gray420]

I really only shoot Hornady 140 / 140 ELDM's right now working on a load for the 140s

With a 26” barrel I do not feel you are pushing it over the top. I would drop the load down to around 40.0 and work back up and try to find out what that new barrel likes. Both of my CM barrels have performed well around 2720ish.
Be safe and enjoy the game.

 

[Roach]

With a 26” barrel I do not feel you are pushing it over the top. I would drop the load down to around 40.0 and work back up and try to find out what that new barrel likes. Both of my CM barrels have performed well around 2720ish.
Be safe and enjoy the game.

I’m going to test this weekend. Probably drop down to 41, 40.8, 40.6. I’m confident the load will be in that range. 30-50 FPS less. only 100 rounds on the barrel but now I have 100 pieces of fire formed lapua. Also found a box of Hornady 140 match ammo. Interested to see what those do.

 

[spudgun]

I did a ladder test when I replaced my barrel. Went from a stock 24" to a 26".

Started at 40.0 and worked up to 41.0 in 2 Gr increments.

I found 2 nodes that gave me the best group at 100 yds.

Went with the lower FPS to keep my barrel life a little longer (on my 3 rd 6.5 CM barrel).

Ended up with a 40.5gr H4350, 140Gr eld match, 2650 FPS, .030 jump.

Good luck.

 

[Steve Donlon]

I was hung-up on velocity and wanting more but found that 40.5 grs of IMR 4350 with a 27" barrel gave me much better groups at 100 yards, even out to 1000 yards. That was with LRP. At longer ranges I use SIG or Hornady brass with 42.3 grs. of RL16 and get 2860 fps. With SRP I had to go to 41.5grs to match 40.5 grs with LRP. Never could get over 2750 fps. with Lapua brass.

 

[Roach]

I was hung-up on velocity and wanting more but found that 40.5 grs of IMR 4350 with a 27" barrel gave me much better groups at 100 yards, even out to 1000 yards. That was with LRP. At longer ranges I use SIG or Hornady brass with 42.3 grs. of RL16 and get 2860 fps. With SRP I had to go to 41.5grs to match 40.5 grs with LRP. Never could get over 2750 fps. with Lapua brass.

I honestly dont care about the velocity all that much as long as it's not excruciatingly slow. I've always been around 2750-2775 and that's been a half MOA load. I was kinda surprised to see 2800+ with 41.2. I see a lot of guys at 41.5 or even higher. I know when I tested Fed205M vs the CCI450s I'm using I got a few extra FPS with the CCI. Tomorrow is more testing...

 

[Park ranger]

In my 30” Tikka , 43.0 grains gets me 2900 FPS with H4350 and a 140 berger hy.

 

[drop_point]

FYI: 6.5 CM - 28 inch barrel, CCI 450 primers, 3 different loads H4350, and Berger 140 Hybrid Target
View attachment 1578906

To be fair, that's basically all the same load. Looks good and consistent, though!