Need help choosing dimensions for a Creedmoor Chamber.

[VaniB]

I need to order a reamer. I'm going to be handloading exclusively for a 6.5 Creedmoor custom bolt action rifle. I want to shoot 130 or 140 Berger or 130-140 Hornady bullets out of Hornady cases but I don't want to turn brass. . Whichever bullet will group 1/4" to 3/8" 5 shot groups at 100 yards will be the chosen bullet.

I'd appreciate it if you Creedmoor guys who have been successful at shooting sub 1/2" groups could tell me what chamber dimensions you are using. In particular, are you using .20" freebore? I will be using an AICS magazine, but the 2.820" OAL shouldn't be a problem. What is the chamber neck diameter? Right now my Hornady cases with a Berger 140 bullet is .290 diameter, and so I was wondering if a .294 neck is in order? .......etc. Thanks.

 

[VaniB]

If anybody cares to learn more more about the 6.5 Creedmoor chamber then what has thus been posted here in this thread (ie; zero-nada-nothing) then go to the bolt action rifle forum at;

snipershide.com

 

[Dennis_in_VA]

Just call Dave Kiff at Pacific Tool and tell him what you want and he will get you all set up.

Are you doing the chambering yourself?

 

[D-mon]

Hi,
I got a reamer from ptg last year. It was the straight standard chamber. I turned my cases neck as they where made from resized 308 .
I shoot 130 gr Bergers in a 1in 8,5" twist barrel.
They shoot between 1/2 and 1/4" at 100yrds. If you want to shoot 140 gr, I would suggest to go with a 1 in 8 twist.

Nic

 

[VaniB]

Just call Dave Kiff at Pacific Tool and tell him what you want and he will get you all set up.

Are you doing the chambering yourself?

No, I'm having a smith build the rifle. I've already ordered a reamer from Dave.....and now I'm double checking the specs while I wait the 4-6 weeks for it. This is not something like the old standby 6Br, 308, 284, 222, etc chamberings that Dave knows backwards and forwards and recites in his sleep. He certainly knows more then most folks about it, but has still left me a lot of lattitude that requires my doing some homework. There has been less field information available to me choosing this 6.5 Creedmoor, then when I chose reamers for my 20Tac and my 22x47Lapua rifles!!

 

[Entropic322]

I have a standard chamber (PTG reamer) and with Hornady brass I have 4-5 thou of neck release without any neck turning.

 

[Rob01]

The SAAMI spec chamber has .199 freebore. With that you will have about .050" jump to lands with a 140 ELD at 2.820". I load mine .020 off the lands and I am at 2.850" and it fits fine in AICS mags. You could go shorter to a .169" freebore and that would put you .020" off at 2.820". It would also probably work better for the 130s as you wouldn't have to load them that long. The .169" freebore is a good choice to keep OAL down.

As for the necks, with Hornady brass and the SAAMI chamber I get .295" on the fired neck and a loaded neck is .291". I size my necks to .289" to give .002" of neck tension. I wouldn't go much tighter than the .295 of the SAAMI neck as you might run into reliability issues if you shoot it dirty a lot.

ETA. Just noticed someone bumped a necro post from 4 years ago so sorry for adding on but will leave it here in case it can help someone.