Thread: 6.5 Creedmoor load development

Originally Posted by Flyblown

@Wingman, which powder or bullet manufacturer were you referring to for load data? Any or all?

There is a big discrepancy between them as you know. For H4350/AR2209 its now 40gr for Hodgdon, whereas Hornady is 41.5gr for the same powder (for a 140gr bullet). Several of the powder manufacturers seem to have reduced their max loads in the last couple years, whilst heaps of BR and other shooters have significantly increased the loads to past 43gr, especially since the advent of Lapua SR brass.

And of course we have popular YouTube channels testing Lapua brass past 43gr, Johnny, 65 Guys, etc.

I wonder if any of the powder or bullet manufacturers have done load testing with the thicker walled Lapua SR brass.

Right, well I am very keen to see the subsequent chapters, keep ‘em coming.

I dont tend to follow any manufacturers data as you all well know every rifle has its own quirks and some can be pushed, some cant.
I start every adventure like this by lots of online reading and browsing the odd data sheet to find a starting point but I dont take anything as gospel until Ive tried it myself.

From experience most bullet and powder manufacturers are very conservative and most BR shooters exaggerate. There is a happy medium but its for the individual to find the safest path.

Something I will go into shortly is the massive variation in pressures with various bullets of different bearing surfaces and thinner jackets etc.
I noted very interesting spikes in pressure with some lighter bullets compared to relatively low pressures with heavier bullets like the 143gr ELDX with the same charge behind them. I was and unusual creedmoor lesson on more powder behind a lighter projectile didnt always equate to more velocity than less powder behind a heavier one