AR Comp in 6.5 CM?

[Gunracer]

Has anybody tried AR Comp in a 6.5 Creedmore with 140 grain bullets? Alliant doesn’t support this powder very well but it seems that if it is designed to work in a .308 with heavy bullets it should work in the CM. I have several pounds of ARComp left over from shooting in .223 and I would like to burn it up in practice ammo and not my Reloader 16.
Any help will be appreciated.

 

[darkangel_r2]

Has anybody tried AR Comp in a 6.5 Creedmore with 140 grain bullets? Alliant doesn’t support this powder very well but it seems that if it is designed to work in a .308 with heavy bullets it should work in the CM. I have several pounds of ARComp left over from shooting in .223 and I would like to burn it up in practice ammo and not my Reloader 16.
Any help will be appreciated.

Ar comp is best with light to mid weight bullets in 308 (155s shine). It is one of the fastest powders typically used in that caliber. 200 grain (heavy for caliber) bullets in 308 can even use 4350 and reloader 16 quite well.

I would not suggest using ar comp in 6.5 creed. You might be able to get descent performance with the lightest pills (90-107 grain bullets). Load data for 260 rem which is a little higher in capacity than 6.5 creedmoor has atrocious case fill and pitiful velocity with 140 grain pills.

If you can find some light bullets you can probably make some effective practice/screaming fast varmint loads out of those. Unless you can find some official load data I would suggest against using it at all in 6.5 creed.

You may want to call a couple of bullet makers and alliant to see if they have real data for it somewhere, but I doubt it.

 

[Hoot]

I realize its not apples to apples but I've used AR-Comp in my 6.5x47 pushing 130gr ELD-M bullets with great 3-shot, 100yd groups and SD's as low as 0.4 but not the 140's. 123 Amax really shines.

Hoot

 

[Gunracer]

Thanks for the help.

 

[Kurz]

Here is the reloading information for the .260 Rem. which is very similar to the 6.5 Creedmoor:


You will need to chant the reloader's mantra:

'Start low and work up slowly watching for signs of pressure.'

You will note that in Alliant's recipe for the 140 gr. bullet that not only is the velocity slow but the load density is low also. This is a basic indication of powder which is too fast for the combination but they found something which worked safely in order to satisfy the small minority of shooters.

Yes, ARCOMP works well in the .308 Win. but the bore volume is significantly higher than the 6.5 Creedmoor. Smaller bore volumes from the same or similar cartridge case result in higher pressure.

Personally, I'd find another powder and be happy and safe.