Thread: 6.5 Creedmoor Loads for 1:8 Twist?

Hey guys. What are some of your go to loads for 130-140ish grain loads?

Is everyone using 2209? Has anyone had luck with 2208? I have a heap of 2208...

I'm on the 2209 train. Seemed a good bet for starters and it turned out that my rifle likes 41.5 grains with the 140 ELD-M, CCI 450 primer and Lapua brass.

It shoots so well I just haven't needed to look elsewhere! I've played with 2206 with 100 grainers, more work to be done there.

I am a bit curious about other powders for a faster load purely for hunting though.

All the reading I have done says that 2208 or Varget has good accuracy potential but isn't the best for velocity with the heavier 6.5 stuff.

For added inspiration you could also look up 6.5 Japanese loads as the rifles have 1:9 twist to cope with long 139 grain projectiles.

Steelisreal - out of interest, why did you stick at 41.5 gr and what velocity did you get from that?

@Flyblown - I loaded up 3 rounds each from 38 to 42 grains in 0.5 grain increments a few weeks back when my rifle was brand new. All the loads grouped well, but the 41.5 shot in to one large hole. I figured that apart from tweaking seating depth that it was pretty good so I should just stop right there.

I haven't shot it over a chronograph as yet - that will have to wait for some friendly sort to let me fire a few rounds over/through it, or a couple of paydays time!

Have been having good success with the 135 bergers and 147 eld-m with reloader 26. getting great accuracy at good velocity, 2850 for the 135s and 2800 for the 147s. lapua brass 22 inch barrel

Originally Posted by Steelisreal

@Flyblown - I loaded up 3 rounds each from 38 to 42 grains in 0.5 grain increments a few weeks back when my rifle was brand new. All the loads grouped well, but the 41.5 shot in to one large hole. I figured that apart from tweaking seating depth that it was pretty good so I should just stop right there.

I haven't shot it over a chronograph as yet - that will have to wait for some friendly sort to let me fire a few rounds over/through it, or a couple of paydays time!

Thanks mate. Will be very interested to see what your speeds are.

With my Creedmoor I ended up in a silly situation of being driven upwards in the AR2209 powder weights by a chrono that is under reading by 80-100fps. No pressure signs at any stage and the brass is fine after 4 firings now, and man it is a killing machine.

I wanted a steady 2700fps from my 143gr ELD-X and I passed the powder weight for that speed about 80-90fps low according to the chrono. So I carried on, having spent some time on the Creedmoor forum looking at what others were doing and asking questions. Ended up at 2720fps, three 15-20mm groups at 100m from 42.4gr AR2209, which is 0.9gr over the Hornady book max. A lot of the issues I was reading about identifed a velocity deficit in H4350 (AR2209), blokes just not getting what they wanted compared to the book scale, so that kind of fooled me a bit. Also, this from Johnny’s Reloading Bench which is always helpful...

https://youtu.be/r0gQCmnYmHU

Anyway I went out back and drop tested it and its like nah, somethings wrong, groups at 300m were well high compared to Strelock and Hornady ballistics. Calculated velocity based on average drop was 2800fps exactly. Set this as default, went out and shot bang on target at 300m and 500m on paper. Hmm, so much for the chrono. First pest control trip dropped 22 goats between 286 and 625m. One miss in 23 shots, I’ll take that.

Next reload of this Lapua small primer brass I’m gonna drop the load to book max and see what we get accuracy wise, over a new chrono (good blokes at Broncos will sort it out). Want to prolong brass life, it ain’t cheap.

Interestingly at the start of the ladder (about 2550fps) I got a genuine one hole 3-shot group, 10mm at 100m, the best group I’ve ever had in any rifle ever. So to see if it was a fluke I made up 6 more rounds at that weight and did it again, twice... thought holy shit maybe I should just stop right there.

Originally Posted by Kurt

Hey guys. What are some of your go to loads for 130-140ish grain loads?

Is everyone using 2209? Has anyone had luck with 2208? I have a heap of 2208...

barrel length?

Went away to Waikaremoana for the weekend. Some good links and info here thanks guys

Originally Posted by 300_BLK

barrel length?

24"

I got a chance to shoot some loads through a chronograph yesterday @Flyblown.

This is my standard Lapua brass/CCI450/140 ELD-M/AR2209 @ 41.5grains, 2.840 coal (20" off lands). I got an opportunity to shoot at 200m to verify my zero and measure drop etc and there happened to be a Prochrono available thanks to the nice folks at the Deerstalkers club. My rifle is a stock Howa 1500 with 22" barrel and suppressor.

The first series was 2609,2614,2588 and 2594.
Second series 2619, 2624, 2666 and 2650.
Last three were 2656, 2666 and 2704.

This was over about an hour or so. The light conditions and temperature were changing which might explain the velocities that kept rising? The barrel got a chance to cool between strings so I don't think it was temperature related. I hand weigh every charge to the exact amount so I don't think that is likely to be it. The only other thing might be varying neck tension - I use a Lee collet die to size and haven't neck turned the brass so it might possibly be a factor. Working backwards with JBM Ballistics and my measured drop I came to the conclusion the load is likely doing 2580 to 2600 fps realistically.

I learned some useful things shooting at 200m - any variation is magnified. I need to learn how to set up the rest and my shooting position more accurately. Learning how to be absolutely consistent is key I think.

To put this in perspective the rifle was easily shooting well enough to hit a wallabies vitals out to 300m or more. I'm just very focused on learning to shoot as best I can with what I have.

I also chatted to another guy there who had two Creedmoor rifles. One he was feeding with a very similiar load to mine and the other was using Winchester 760. Didn't get the particulars on that one unfortunately.

Originally Posted by Steelisreal

The first series was 2609,2614,2588 and 2594.
Second series 2619, 2624, 2666 and 2650.
Last three were 2656, 2666 and 2704.

This was over about an hour or so. The light conditions and temperature were changing which might explain the velocities that kept rising?

Did you start with a clean or fouled bore?

Originally Posted by Steelisreal

I got a chance to shoot some loads through a chronograph yesterday @Flyblown.

The first series was 2609,2614,2588 and 2594.
Second series 2619, 2624, 2666 and 2650.
Last three were 2656, 2666 and 2704.

....This was over about an hour or so. The light conditions and temperature were changing which might explain the velocities that kept rising?....

Velocity will generally increase as a new barrel breaks in, although that is quite an increase. Some chronographs will give different readings dependant on the light conditions.

@chalkeye @10-Ring The shots were from a fouled bore. One of the ROs said they wondered about the consistency of the chronograph and are getting a Labradar to replace it. I'm curious to see what I get from a different chronograph now!

I'm using Norma URP in mine with 147gr ELD-M's. Just under 2,700fps and very low SD and ES with great accuracy. 24" barrel.

Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk

I'm on the 2209 train. Seemed a good bet for starters and it turned out that my rifle likes 41.5 grains with the 140 ELD-M, CCI 450 primer and Lapua brass.

Me too

Be aware that Lapua small rifle primer brass isnt going to show a lot of pressure signs as per the norm. I believe it lets people pump up the volume way above the book maximum, without the usuall tell tale signs.