Load data confusion.

[204shooter]

I am getting ready to try some 130 bergers in my 6.5-284 and ran into a stumper. I realize that differant manuals will publish slightly differant data, but this more than usual.

Hornady manual: 129 gr. SST
H 4831
Starting load 43.0 gr
Max load 49.8 gr


Walt Berger: 130 gr. VLD
H4831
Starting load 51.5 gr
Max load 54.3 gr


Why such a differance? Is it the differant bullets? test barrels? other?

I am a very cautious reloader, and approach max loads with caution, but starting at 43.0 gr and going to 54.3 gr. is a big span. I will probably start around 48-49 gr and go from there.

By the way if anybody has a pet load for the 130 VLDs please throw them in there.

 

[expiper]

Welocme to the real world...not the make believe world of Reloading Manuals....in this modern day...most reloading manuals are so conservative because of the lawyers out there waiting to pounce on us allll.....
If Walt says xx.x gr ...then listen....most guys use 51-52 gr of 4831 with a 142....sooo a 130 suld be just rite with aprox. 2,two) more gr....when loading the first thing you need to find is a safe max. load,,start near the top--not the bottom)) ...not hundreds or thousands of rds. of poor groups and scores because of too little pressure to burn the powder and too little velocity to buk the wind....Roger

 

[jofus]

52 grains of rl 22 out of my 6.5-284 with 130 berger shoots in the .2's. And shoots really good out to 600 farthest i have shot them

 

[techshooter]

204Shooter:

I use 51.5 grains H4350 with the 130 Berger moly bullets in my 6.5-284. Lapua brass, GM215M primers. I run them 0.010" back from a hard jam. They run 3165 out of a 30.5" barrel, and are extremely accurate, shooting in the 3's at 100. This is the load that I used at the F-Class Nationals last year. On my annual long range prairie dog shoot last year, I made a clean hit at 1330 with the same load. I also use the 130 Berger in my 260AI. Great 6.5mm bullet.

Hope that this helps.

Cheers,

 

[M700]

Any possibility that the Hornady data was for the 6.5-284 loaded short, for short-action magazine-fed rifles? That might intrude on avail case/powder capacity.

Seems most competitors load it real long, for single-loading.

Just wondering...

 

[204shooter]

This really does help. Thank you all for your input.

 

[Winchester69]

Why such a differance? Is it the different bullets? Test barrels? Other?

The Bergers have a different ogive,shape) from the other bullets, and the composition of the jacket probably varies from the others. Bullets that have less drag in the barrel build less pressure and can take more powder.

 

[2506]

If you will notice in the Hornady 7th edition manual they use a T/C Encore as their test rifle. That is the reason for the lower loads most likely. It would have been a lot smarter if they would have used a bolt rifle like most everyone that shoots the 6.5-284 to do their load work up.