Advice needed with load development, 6.5 Creedmor and Berger 130 vld

[KevinBaker]

Hello,

I'm newly registered to the forum, and I could really use some guidance. I took delivery of a custom 6.5 Creedmor earlier this year, and I'm having a heck of a time trying to find a consistent way to develop a load for it. I've tried the OCW method with various powders and bullets with some success, but it seems like i've just been wasting time and components. I'm at 400 rds through now and with that being said, I've recently invested in a magneto chronograph that i hope will be a useful tool. I would like to use this gun and load for shooting F class at my local club. I'll be shooting at 600 and 800 yards.

Without writing any more of a novel, here's what i'm trying to do. I'm using Berger 130 vld's, and H4350 (Finally located some after six months). I started with the min load data straight out of the Berger reloading manual up to the max in 4 tenths increments while chronographing the results. All loads were seated to the lands, and all shot well with no overpressure signs. I then took the lowest three SD (they were single digit deviations) and ES recorded results and shot five shot groups of each at 200 yards. None of the three grouped very well, but the 40.6 charge had very little vertical spread. So before I go any further, does it sound like I'm on the right track with this method? This is my first chrono and i don't have any experience with them, so please excuse my ignorance. Any feedback will be appreciated.

Kevin

 

[trailrider121]

Welcome to the forum. Hopefully someone can help you out!

 

[REDGUN]

All of my rifles like the VLD's jammed.

+.007" to +.010" seems to be the magic number for me, you might give that a try also.

 

[DHD]

I load quite a bit more of H4350 than that in my son's Creedmoor with a 130 vld. I had a learning curve with this round. I started by using the Hornady manual's data. Long story short, I pulled a couple of factory rounds down (140 Amax) and they had more powder than the manual lists. I suppose it's a matter of different lots of H4350 or whatever. So I stepped on the loads a bit. That's all the rifle was waiting for. I personally use the same data for Amaxes and VLD 140's. I work up from there with the 130 VLD.

FWIW, I load for mag length (2.825"ish) with the VLD's and they shoot great to 600. I have never seen a need to jam them in this rifle as these are hunting loads. The rifle thinks they are target loads though......

 

[tmr]

I run 43.8gr of H4350 with the 130's jammed .005". Shoots in the .1's and .2's from a 24" barreled tac rifle. My velocity is 2946fps with a suppressor and single digit ES. Cases are holding up well, went up to 44 and it didn't shoot quite as well, so I backed it down. Work up to it as my OAL is 2.86.