Trying the 6 Creed for 1000 F-Open

[ShootDots]

Well, I purchased a Bartlein 1-7.5 twist barrel in 6mm / .237 bore. Scott Harris chambered it. My reamer has a .271 neck and a .140 freebore. I know that the 6mm "hotrods" i.e. 6mm Creed, 6 x 47 Lapua et. al.. can eat up a throat quickly, especially under the stresses of long shot string F-Open competitions. So, since I like "making things work", I took a different approach to powder selection. I wrung out the new 115 DTACs with VV N160. I wanted to use the coolest burning powder suitable for the job at hand. N160, next to N165, is about as cool of a burning powder as you can get.

Well with a little "work", I got the DTACs to run right at 3085f.p.s. and groups at 300 meters (330 yards) of 10 shots in almost exactly 0.750"! Pretty dang good! Good enough for me to go this weekend to Capitan Range in New Mexico for their state championship. I will use my .260A.I for the 600 yard portion of the match (Saturday) and the new 6mm Creed at 1000 on Sunday! It should be noted that the Capitan range is one of the toughest ranges to shoot at! Violent winds, shifting winds and horrifying heat waves! But they run a great match and it is in one of the prettiest places in North America!

 

[1shot]

Good luck at the match Ben. We will be looking for a complete report! LOL

Lloyd

 

[Capt. Oblivious]

Good luck!

 

[BOB LEE SWAGGER]

Based on advice that you have given here and the ease of replication for me, I have full faith that you'll sort it out optimally.

 

[shoot4fun]

Just curious but, with the .271 neck, how much did you turn off the necks?
Also, what brass are you using?
Converting Lapua 6.5 Creedmoor?

 

[lawman29]

Capitan Range in New Mexico for their state championship.

You should call it the "Smokey Bear" state championship...with appropriately themed prizes!

 

[ShootDots]

You should call it the "Smokey Bear" state championship...with appropriately themed prizes!

You are correct! At Capitan, virtually everything is Smokey Bear! LOL!!

 

[Snuggie]

Glad to hear you’re shooting Ben! Wish you would be here at P/A this weekend! State Match time again. We’ll miss you at the “Grapevine Social Gala” !
Best of luck at Capitan!

 

[Lbart]

Ben,
I see you there. BTW, the program states they will shoot the 1k on Sat & the 600 on Sunday. Are you staying at the Smokey Bear motel?

 

[ShootDots]

Well the results are in for the 6 Creed at 1000! The wind at Capitan makes it one of, if not the most difficult of ranges to shoot at. I was on relay 2 with the wind on match one being probably 6-8m.p.h. I shot a 194. Most of my misses were not too much out of the 10 ring. I had some vertical but I believe it was conditions as it was only a couple of times. Match 2 was a bit worse with winds running about 10-12 or so and switching rather quickly. I shot a little better, shooting a 195. The last match was horrifying at best. Wind was 20+, gusting to who knows what and switching! I started holding out at the "painted on the backboard 6 ring"! As the match went on, it got worse! I was holding OFF, not only the target, I was holding about 4-6 inches BETWEEN targets 8 (which I was on) and target 9! I had to put windage in and I put 3m.o.a. in and that got me back to the #8! I started shooting some 10s and xs! GREAT! However, here comes the switches, with zero "notification" of their arrival! I ended up shooting about where I was aiming! Then shot to the right of that into the 7 ring! WHEW! That windage has got to come out! So I took the windage out and did my best holding off the entire board! I believe I dropped 17 points! However, another shooter who is shooting some form of a 7mm, dropped 17 points also! And this fellow is a much better long range shooter than I am! During that wind whip-sawing match, my vertical could not have been much over 2-3 inches! It was a super flat vertical! So I thought that "all in all" the 6 Creed did a very good job, even in terrible winds! I am T-Totally satisfied!

 

[1shot]

Great write up Ben. It sounds like an overall success. If shooting well in the wind were easy, all of us would do well! On matches like that, it's won by the shooter that sucks the least.
What is your overall opinion of the Dtacs?
Thanks,

Lloyd

 

[ShootDots]

Great write up Ben. It sounds like an overall success. If shooting well in the wind were easy, all of us would do well! On matches like that, it's won by the shooter that sucks the least.
What is your overall opinion of the Dtacs?
Thanks,

Lloyd

Hey Lloyd! I think that it may not be THEE MOST ACCURATE 6 mm bullet on the planet. However, it fits into "accurate as most" but the BCs of the bullet make it highly desirable!

 

[jaygorski]

Well, I purchased a Bartlein 1-7.5 twist barrel in 6mm / .237 bore. Scott Harris chambered it. My reamer has a .271 neck and a .140 freebore. I know that the 6mm "hotrods" i.e. 6mm Creed, 6 x 47 Lapua et. al.. can eat up a throat quickly, especially under the stresses of long shot string F-Open competitions. So, since I like "making things work", I took a different approach to powder selection. I wrung out the new 115 DTACs with VV N160. I wanted to use the coolest burning powder suitable for the job at hand. N160, next to N165, is about as cool of a burning powder as you can get.

Well with a little "work", I got the DTACs to run right at 3085f.p.s. and groups at 300 meters (330 yards) of 10 shots in almost exactly 0.750"! Pretty dang good! Good enough for me to go this weekend to Capitan Range in New Mexico for their state championship. I will use my .260A.I for the 600 yard portion of the match (Saturday) and the new 6mm Creed at 1000 on Sunday! It should be noted that the Capitan range is one of the toughest ranges to shoot at! Violent winds, shifting winds and horrifying heat waves! But they run a great match and it is in one of the prettiest places in North America!

Someone else asked this but you must've missed it, so what are you turning your necks down to, with a .271" neck you would not get anything to chamber since the smallest necks you might get would be from using Hornady brass which measures at the least .2715".

 

[ShootDots]

Someone else asked this but you must've missed it, so what are you turning your necks down to, with a .271" neck you would not get anything to chamber since the smallest necks you might get would be from using Hornady brass which measures at the least .2715".

I use Lapua brass. Every cartridge I have, I turn the necks to 12 thousandths neck wall thickness. Whether it is my 6.5s or 6s or whatever, I turn them all to 12 thousandths.

 

[jaygorski]

I use Lapua brass. Every cartridge I have, I turn the necks to 12 thousandths neck wall thickness. Whether it is my 6.5s or 6s or whatever, I turn them all to 12 thousandths.

Sorry to hear that the Lapua brass is that poorly made that you have to turn it all, I turn nothing, using Hornady, Alpha and ADG, all very consistent in the necks, not perfect, worst case scenario would be .0007" from one side to the other. Looks like you're getting excellent results though.

 

[teele1]

Fantastic shooting 6MMs can really run......I love my 6CompMatch

 

[ShootDots]

Sorry to hear that the Lapua brass is that poorly made that you have to turn it all, I turn nothing, using Hornady, Alpha and ADG, all very consistent in the necks, not perfect, worst case scenario would be .0007" from one side to the other. Looks like you're getting excellent results though.

Hello Jay! I think you're missing my point. I do not turn brass because it is poorly made. I buy reamers that FORCE me to turn necks in order to be able to chamber them. There are 2 reasons I do this: 1.) Turning to 12K completely turns the necks down and makes them as uniform as possible; 2.) It makes seating bullets smooth as silk and I mean smooth, easy and consistent..

 

[tclaunch]

Nice shooting Ben, I have a question about the Lapua 6 Creed brass, about neck wall thickness who I have asked several people and even a vendor about the neck wall thickness of new brass. I am wanting to spec a reamer and need this info, thanks.

 

[ShootDots]

Nice shooting Ben, I have a question about the Lapua 6 Creed brass, about neck wall thickness who I have asked several people and even a vendor about the neck wall thickness of new brass. I am wanting to spec a reamer and need this info, thanks.

Thanks Tim! The neck wall thickness of 6mm Creedmoor brass is right at 13.5 thousandths. I turn mine down to 12 thousandths with a .271 reamer neck. This will give you 4 thousandths clearance. My freebore is .140. It does work well with the 115 DTAC. However, having said that, I would now have opted for a .155 to .160. I think this would give a bit more flexibility. I am also using VV N160, which is cool burning. I am still getting 3080-3085 with the DTACs without high pressure. The cases come out like smooth butter. My E.S.s are NOT what I like, they are running at 12-15ft. e.s. I like single digits, however, I can't seem to get there with the N160. Apparently it is not short-circuiting my 1000 yard vertical!

 

[jaygorski]

Hello Jay! I think you're missing my point. I do not turn brass because it is poorly made. I buy reamers that FORCE me to turn necks in order to be able to chamber them. There are 2 reasons I do this: 1.) Turning to 12K completely turns the necks down and makes them as uniform as possible; 2.) It makes seating bullets smooth as silk and I mean smooth, easy and consistent..

I know, just givin' ya the business, mine are equally smooooooooth when I seat, typically get no more than .001" runout, you probably get .000", but I'm competing at a pretty high level, right in the thick of it 98% of the time. Some of my bettter groups I shot this season.