Sierra 150 grain 6.5 Matchking

[thomasholbrook43]

Not poking fun but extremely impressed!

Thanks for that.I have learned a lot from this site over the last few years. Lots of great information. It saves people time on load development and which products not to use.

 

[daniel brothers]

3/8 looks like a record to me....

New Edit to this post.... I AM NOT MAKING FUN AT ALL... NOT AT ALL... I WAS JUST TAGGING ONTO THIS GREAT THREAD WHILE AT THE SAME TIME WONDERING IF IT WASN'T SOME KIND OF RECORD. IF NOT... THEN I SHOW MY IGNORANCE, BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW THAT THESE RIFLES SHOOT THAT WELL.... SORRY.... MY BAD.

 

[swd]

Now that this bullet has been around a few months has any one put enough down range to have a good idea how they hold vertical at 1K?

 

[SDDasher]

Now that this bullet has been around a few months has any one put enough down range to have a good idea how they hold vertical at 1K?

A friend shot them in a monthly LR match last fall in a 260 running right at 2900 fps. I believe he was using H4350. His verticle was excellent. I’ll be testing them at 1k in Feb for at least two relays in a 260AI. Will report back when completed.

 

[Park ranger]

Not 1000 yards, but last weekend shot a 200-13x off the sling at 600. Weekend before, shot 200-8x. I ordered another 500.

 

[Ackley Kid]

Not 1000 yards, but last weekend shot a 200-13x off the sling at 600. Weekend before, shot 200-8x. I ordered another 500.

What twist are you running ?

 

[bbarber25]

Not 1000 yards, but last weekend shot a 200-13x off the sling at 600. Weekend before, shot 200-8x. I ordered another 500.

Which Cartridge?

 

[Park ranger]

7.5 twist krieger in my 6.5 Creedmoor. 30” barrel. 41.8 grains of H4350 in hornady brass. 2780 fps

 

[bbarber25]

7.5 twist krieger in my 6.5 Creedmoor. 30” barrel. 41.8 grains of H4350 in hornady brass. 2780 fps

That is excellent! Great shooting! What have you found this bullet likes jump/jam wise?

 

[Park ranger]

I’m settled at .025” jump. John Whidden cut the chamber, so I give credit to his magic abilities to make a gun shoot so well.

 

[Evlshnngns]

If I keep bumping this, and they sell more, maybe the price will come down.... Ya, probably the opposite.

 

[jsthntn247]

They are on close out at midway pretty cheap

 

[4xforfun]

You have a good eye. Yes it is....I have been testing an AI version for a friend/GS/competitor. I am having too much hard bolt lift at moment to say anything definitive,

View attachment 1026513

I have been shooting the 6.5 WSSM since 2009 and have not found a cure for the hard bolt lift!! Doesn't matter weather I run 43 H4831 or 49 with 140.....bolt lift is the same.....H A R D !!!

LOVE the cartridge....HATE the bolt lift!! If you find a solution I would love to hear about it!!

Tod

 

[Flouncer]

Info Overload !! What is the difference between RL-22 and RL-23 ? My old 6.5-06 data had RL-22 as a top powder, along with H4831. - thanks !! Burn rate, temp sensitivity, density . . .

 

[TZaun]

I have been shooting the 6.5 WSSM since 2009 and have not found a cure for the hard bolt lift!! Doesn't matter weather I run 43 H4831 or 49 with 140.....bolt lift is the same.....H A R D !!!

LOVE the cartridge....HATE the bolt lift!! If you find a solution I would love to hear about it!!

Tod

Hey Tod. I have a 6.5 WSSM for my deer rifle and, like Drew, am trying a 6.5 WSSM Ackley in an F-Class rifle. I don’t have an answer, because I don’t know, but I haven’t experienced any hard bolt lift on either, unless I’m into a max charge. My deer rifle is a 8.5-twist shooting 140 VLD Hunting bullets. I resize cases with a Redding F/L bushing die for the straight version. I put a 7.25-twist on my F-Class rifle and I’m shooting 155 gr. Cauterucio bullets in that one. Just starting load development with formed cases. I resize those cases with a Whidden custom die set up for the expander buttons. Drew was using my die and had hard bolt lift and experienced really high pressure with loads below where I started with. Maybe he’ll chime in again, but he may have even had his barrel chambered up with my reamer also. I dunno. Make heads or tails out of all that.

 

[skiutah02]

Hey Tod. I have a 6.5 WSSM for my deer rifle and, like Drew, am trying a 6.5 WSSM Ackley in an F-Class rifle. I don’t have an answer, because I don’t know, but I haven’t experienced any hard bolt lift on either, unless I’m into a max charge. My deer rifle is a 8.5-twist shooting 140 VLD Hunting bullets. I resize cases with a Redding F/L bushing die for the straight version. I put a 7.25-twist on my F-Class rifle and I’m shooting 155 gr. Cauterucio bullets in that one. Just starting load development with formed cases. I resize those cases with a Whidden custom die set up for the expander buttons. Drew was using my die and had hard bolt lift and experienced really high pressure with loads below where I started with. Maybe he’ll chime in again, but he may have even had his barrel chambered up with my reamer also. I dunno. Make heads or tails out of all that.

All true. And yes, using your dies and barrel chambered with your reamer, still pressure. Some differences are the action (mines a Rem700), the twist (1:8), the bolt (a PTG), and the brass (mine came from Winchester's 25wssm from this summer's run and I believe you started with 243wssm), just to name a few. Wouldn't think that any of those could matter, but I did have an exchange with a fella who provided a logical reason for a nonmagnum action giving my problem. Drew

 

[TZaun]

My 6.5 WSSM is on a Winchester action that was originally a 25 WSSM. My 6.5 WSSM Ackley is on a BAT VR action.

 

[cslcalno1]

Here’s a new wrinkle. I am a HP Silhouette shooter and also a close associate with Sierra Bullets.
I recently built a 6.5 X 47 and wanted to use the 150’s for my ram loads. I built my gun on a Tikka T3 Forest action/stock. Lilia makes a barrel contoured for this configuration, but I had to get a 1-7 twist. The ballistic guys at Sierra assured me that twist would shoot all weights of bullets.
They were right! I have worked up loads for 107 TMK, 130 TMK, and the 150 MK’s. They all shoot well, and the 150 really shines.
With H4350 I chronographed a group at 2832 average, extreme spread of 6 FPS, and a SD of 1.
I can’t wait to thump some rams with these bad boys.

Al Foust

 

[FrankG]

Long answer: I think FrankG is probably using the Miller SI rule at 60 F and standard pressure at sea level and assuming a 1.5" bullet, which I saw posted by "Fast14riot" in thread "New Sierra 6.5 mm 150 gr Match King" on the main forum board today. When I do that, I get Miller SI of 1.44 for 1:8 twist, so I think Frank is calculating minimum twist rate for a 1.4 corrected Miller SI. In recent work, Litz said some improved results can be achieved by stabilizing up to a 1.5 Miller SI. My calculations show a 1.53 corrected Miller SI from a 1:7.75 barrel.

After looking at other similarly-low form factor 6.5 mm bullet data especially 140 and 147 ELD Match bullets, I am skeptical that 1.5 is the right bullet OAL. I think the correct OAL for the SMK may be closer to 1.45" instead of 1.5". If the bullet is indeed something closer to 1.45", then Miller SI at 1:8 twist is 1.59, and it is 1.50 with a 1:8.25 twist.

Short answer: At 3000 fps, if bullet is 1.5" long you may want a 7.75 or faster twist. If bullet is 1.45" long, then 8.25 or faster will be good.

Rarely do I use the Miller SI. I have a graph and formula that the Army made years ago.

 

[Steveb]

Hi Tod

Assuming the load pressures are within reason, then check the inside diameter of the recess on the bolt against the brass diameter. I had a Barnard with hard bolt lift with a 300 WSM and it finally turned out the bolt recess was machined too small and the brass would bind up.