I know...I know....if you`ve seen one barrel, you've seen exactly that, one barrel when it comes to what that barrel likes load wise. With that in mind, though, I thought I might get a head start on factory load selection if somebody on the board has had particularly good fortune " out of the box " with their Super Varmint with a particular load or two. I have a new Super Varmint on the way. Thanks.
Anybody Shooting a Tikka T3X Super Varmint in 6.5 Creedmoor? Good Loads?
- Thread starter Turkeytider
- Start date
Mark M.
Silver $$ Contributor
I've only shot factory loads out of Mine, it really likes Hornady 143 ELD
Great, thanks. I`ll be shooting factories as well.
Regular, 24 inch, Tikka, SS, T-3 Lite,.. NOT, the Fluted Super Lite,. Shoots, 130 gr Horn. ELD-M's, "Small",..
5 shots, Down into the 3's to, 1/2 MOA with, NEAR Max, Chg's of StaBall 65 and, F-210-M's at, OVER, 2,800 FPS. And with, the New, PVA Jet Blast Brake,.. very Little, Recoil and, Jump,.. YUP,.. She's FUN to, Shoot !
Rifle has, an Elay Precision, Trig Spring, set at, 1.25 pounds and a New, Vortex Viper, 6 x 24 Scope with, a Homemade, Kydex, Cheek Riser. We have, 4 Tikka's, in the Family and they are, ALL,. "Shooters"
5 shots, Down into the 3's to, 1/2 MOA with, NEAR Max, Chg's of StaBall 65 and, F-210-M's at, OVER, 2,800 FPS. And with, the New, PVA Jet Blast Brake,.. very Little, Recoil and, Jump,.. YUP,.. She's FUN to, Shoot !
Rifle has, an Elay Precision, Trig Spring, set at, 1.25 pounds and a New, Vortex Viper, 6 x 24 Scope with, a Homemade, Kydex, Cheek Riser. We have, 4 Tikka's, in the Family and they are, ALL,. "Shooters"
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jxb
Gold $$ Contributor
I have a TAC A1 in 6.5 CM an it shoots one ragged hole with the Norma 143gr target ammo (think they use 204), some lots doing better than others 1/2-3/4moa so 1/4moa variance. I loaded up 143 eld-x using staball 6.5 to the same speed and it shot identical or slightly better at the same CBTO as the factory rounds (COAL was nearly the same too), POI differred a little. I had to readjust powder a little after speed up which for me was close to 200rnds (+/-30). There was a node roughly 3% above that and still a bit below max pressure (Hodgdon). Groups were ok, but ES/SD were nothing to brag about. I'll likely try another powder and separately different bullet as I think it can do much better, it's always been super consistent, one ragged hole with 5shot groups, just want to see if I can pull that in. I'm pretty sure your super varmint is basically same same. Oh, and Norma 143gr Bondstrike shot the same or better than their 143gr target, only a slightly different poi.
If you're shooting factory ammo and want to keep using the same after speedup, AND assuming your groups open up, you might try something like an ATS tuner (slimline) to pull those groups back in. Here's an example, bottom two groups are after speedup that before speed up were printing one ragged 5 shot hole. Pretty obvious how much they opened up. Top-center group is with a slight tuner change. You can see it pulled it right back in. One lot of ammo all I had to do was screw the tuner on and it pulled in while still set to zero. The other lot I moved it 3 marks to get it back to one ragged hole. All my groups before speed up were like the top center one. I actually didn't do this test to fix the factory ammo, my loads of 143 eld-x did the same so I simply used the tuner to eliminate away from the variables and assure the opening up was due to speed up and not a scope or other issue. Since changing the harmonics (tuner) fixed the issue on those as well as factory, I reduced my loads a little so my speed was the same and my handloads were back to one ragged hole without the tuner. I recorded the tuner settings for each lot of factory ammo so if I'm shooting that it's not a shotgun pattern ;-)
below is Norma 143gr target ammo (all same lot, post speedup, bottom two no tuner, top tuned)
If you're shooting factory ammo and want to keep using the same after speedup, AND assuming your groups open up, you might try something like an ATS tuner (slimline) to pull those groups back in. Here's an example, bottom two groups are after speedup that before speed up were printing one ragged 5 shot hole. Pretty obvious how much they opened up. Top-center group is with a slight tuner change. You can see it pulled it right back in. One lot of ammo all I had to do was screw the tuner on and it pulled in while still set to zero. The other lot I moved it 3 marks to get it back to one ragged hole. All my groups before speed up were like the top center one. I actually didn't do this test to fix the factory ammo, my loads of 143 eld-x did the same so I simply used the tuner to eliminate away from the variables and assure the opening up was due to speed up and not a scope or other issue. Since changing the harmonics (tuner) fixed the issue on those as well as factory, I reduced my loads a little so my speed was the same and my handloads were back to one ragged hole without the tuner. I recorded the tuner settings for each lot of factory ammo so if I'm shooting that it's not a shotgun pattern ;-)
below is Norma 143gr target ammo (all same lot, post speedup, bottom two no tuner, top tuned)
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Was really unaware until today of the military ( special operations ) use of the 6.5 CM round for intermediate range sniper employment.
dryhumor
When an old man dies, a library is lost forever...
I have the standard, blued, non threaded varmint. My range is 160 yds.
Alpha SRP
Fed GMM SRP
Horn 140 BTHP
AA3100
2.83 coal
43.8-44 grains shoot well
Peterson LRP
CCI BR2
Scenar 136L
H4350 42.4 gr
2.785 coal
Shoots well
Factory hunting ammo:
Norma Whitetail 140 SP around an inch
Precision ammo:
Sako TRG 136L
Bell Carlson stock best 5 rounds .648 with cold bore
Factory stock best 3 rounds .427 with cold bore
It’s a pretty accurate rifle. That Sako ammo seems to be good stuff also.
Alpha SRP
Fed GMM SRP
Horn 140 BTHP
AA3100
2.83 coal
43.8-44 grains shoot well
Peterson LRP
CCI BR2
Scenar 136L
H4350 42.4 gr
2.785 coal
Shoots well
Factory hunting ammo:
Norma Whitetail 140 SP around an inch
Precision ammo:
Sako TRG 136L
Bell Carlson stock best 5 rounds .648 with cold bore
Factory stock best 3 rounds .427 with cold bore
It’s a pretty accurate rifle. That Sako ammo seems to be good stuff also.
Just an informational follow up , my Tikka Super Varmint in 6.5 Creedmoor REALLY likes the AAC 140 grain SMK sold by PSA. Also the Hornady 140 grain American Gunner. Nice to have a bit more “ budget friendly “ factory loads that the gun will shoot. Multiple hits on 4 and 3” gongs at 500 yards are certainly doable if I dope the scope properly and don’t screw up the shot!
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https://www.brownells.com/ammunitio...-6.5mm-creedmoor-140gr-boat-tail-hollow-poin/
Good sale and promo code On the American Gunner ammo.
Thank you sir. Would probably take advantage if I just hadn’t received a case of 200 rounds!
Infrequent Shooter
Gold $$ Contributor
And Hornady American Gunner in 9mm is super ammo at a good price.
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