Wanted to build a rifle for our Varmint Silhouette matches, out to 500yds. Need enough to knock over a steel pig at that range. So I took a Savage 12FV and took off the 6.5 creedmoor barrel and cut the rear off until a new 7mm Rem br case necked down to 6.5 would project out the rear 0.123" (cut off about 0.400"--6.5 C'moor ammo projected out 0.125" on uncut barrel). Then had to thread some forward for room for the savage barrel nut. I wanted to try a 6.5 Br but was trying to go the inexpensive route and not buy a new reamer and expensive dies. Looked like the front of the Creedmoor chamber was just about the right dimensions for a 6.5 Br. Already built a 6.5 C'moor but got to thinking about the 6.5 br. If it didn't work out, then just re-chamber to 6.5 creedmoor and just be out the cost of a set of dies and my time.
Bought a set of Lyman 6.5 Creedmoor dies and also cut off 0.400" off the rear. Radiused the bottom and polished a bit. Tried making cases from 7mm br brass(nickled) and also Rem 6mm br cases I had picked up. Really tough to form from the 6mm br cases. Sizing down necks 0.002" and base about 0.004". Has to use Hornady case forming lube on the 6mm cases. Ended up polishing the die more as looked pretty rough inside. Alot easier to size brass now.
Loaded up some rounds with 30.8 Varget and a 95 vmax and some 123 Nos. CC and a few 139gr prvi softpoints. Nothing seemed to shoot very well (1" smallest group). Got home and it seemed like the necks of the nickled cases were possibly too large as I could barely get a bullet in the fired neck. Found a 0.263" inside neck reamer, so sized some nickled case and inside reamed hoping for just the right amount of neck clearance. Lo and behold, when I sized the cases there was no drag from the expander button. I seat the bullets with finger pressure only. Too much clearance
Took the loaded stuff out to see what happened, but this time only 95vmax, some 100 Nos. BT's and the 123 cc's. Vmax were only loaded in the brass cases. Varget for the vmax and 100bt's and TAC for the 123's
Vmax still didn't shoot very well (8" twist I think), but the 123 cc's in regular formed nickled brass went into a group about 3/4" wide x 1/4" tall (wind 10 mph and variable @8 oclock). The shock was the 100gr BT's loaded in the reamed cases, with no neck tension, put 5 into a group I could cover with a dime. I would never had thought that could happen.
Would show pics, but can't find what I did with the targets
. Next time I with put them next to the computer. More reports later as I try different loads
Bought a set of Lyman 6.5 Creedmoor dies and also cut off 0.400" off the rear. Radiused the bottom and polished a bit. Tried making cases from 7mm br brass(nickled) and also Rem 6mm br cases I had picked up. Really tough to form from the 6mm br cases. Sizing down necks 0.002" and base about 0.004". Has to use Hornady case forming lube on the 6mm cases. Ended up polishing the die more as looked pretty rough inside. Alot easier to size brass now.
Loaded up some rounds with 30.8 Varget and a 95 vmax and some 123 Nos. CC and a few 139gr prvi softpoints. Nothing seemed to shoot very well (1" smallest group). Got home and it seemed like the necks of the nickled cases were possibly too large as I could barely get a bullet in the fired neck. Found a 0.263" inside neck reamer, so sized some nickled case and inside reamed hoping for just the right amount of neck clearance. Lo and behold, when I sized the cases there was no drag from the expander button. I seat the bullets with finger pressure only. Too much clearance
Took the loaded stuff out to see what happened, but this time only 95vmax, some 100 Nos. BT's and the 123 cc's. Vmax were only loaded in the brass cases. Varget for the vmax and 100bt's and TAC for the 123's
Vmax still didn't shoot very well (8" twist I think), but the 123 cc's in regular formed nickled brass went into a group about 3/4" wide x 1/4" tall (wind 10 mph and variable @8 oclock). The shock was the 100gr BT's loaded in the reamed cases, with no neck tension, put 5 into a group I could cover with a dime. I would never had thought that could happen.
Would show pics, but can't find what I did with the targets
. Next time I with put them next to the computer. More reports later as I try different loads
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. A lot of thanks to you guys on this site
