Thread: 6.5mm 143gr ELD-X first load development

Got my mitts on a couple of boxes.

Attachment 46884
Attachment 46885
Attachment 46886

Due to the long throating of a factory 6.5x55 I'm a country mile off the lands, but it still should be a sweet spot somewhere between 46 & 46.5 grains
Using Lapua brass, ADI 2209 & federal match primers.

I pulled the last 46.5 gr shot (the high one), and probably some others (looking at you, 47.5).

Velocities:

45.0gr

2593
2611
2642

45.5gr

2633
2688
2647
2640
2596
2628

46.0gr

2661
2654
2665
2712
2681

46.5gr

2665*
2670
2663
2764
2764*
2751

47.0gr

2739
2743
2779

47.5gr

2857
2883
2927(!!)

The *'s are suspicious readings are they are the same as the previous.

When did you start to see pressure?

Tried any other powder?

I'd be looking seriously at the 46.5 -47 area.

Got a couple of sticky bolt lifts from 47 on, but not so bad that I didn't shoot 47.5. I had one sticky bolt in 46.5 out of the 6 I shot.

Haven't tried any other powder.
@jakewire, why there? To me it looks like 46-46.5 is the sweet spot.

Just thought 46 flat is a little slow, no matter if it doesn't worry you
46.5 has good results and 47 not bad with reasonable speed
somewhere around there, maybe play with the seating depth a little.

You should give 2213c a try I had better results with it than 2209 it gives a better load density with lower pressure, you should seat the bullets at the seating depth recommended buy Hornady when working up loads at the start and sort out the depth when you have a good load those long bullets need support in the case to keep them alined in the chamber the 6.5 can handle quite a long jump to the rifling

I could never get my 140 Amax to work with 2209 , maybe didn't try hard enough, tried VV 560 at standard Coal and it all came together quite nicely

I was out doing the same thing exactly but I was using H4831sc and a 29" pacnor barrel i'm exploring. My rifle likes 3.1" neat for AOL which for me is .023" off the lands. That also means I'm confined to 47.5gns of anything as my throat is shorter. 48 would be a compacted load and im not going there... 2995ft/sec is my max so far but i'm going to verify that with some long range plinking in 2 weeks. Shooting uphill 4.5 deg at 190m should have needed +.4 or .5 mils. I put that in but still hit 2 clicks high for some reason.

Maybe the powder choice is poor? Might have to get hold of some AR2213SC and see how it goes. I only have a 20" barrel though, so I don't think I'll be hitting 2900+...

Originally Posted by chalkeye

Maybe the powder choice is poor? Might have to get hold of some AR2213SC and see how it goes. I only have a 20" barrel though, so I don't think I'll be hitting 2900+...

For 20" you are doing damned well for velocity. I wouldn't fiddle with powders. But I would play with the OAL of the 47grn load a bit too see if the groups close up. It and 46.5 looks the goods. And it would do me as it is.

Originally Posted by Tahr

For 20" you are doing damned well for velocity. I wouldn't fiddle with powders. But I would play with the OAL of the 47grn load a bit too see if the groups close up. It and 46.5 looks the goods. And it would do me as it is.

My current seating depth is probably 5+mm from the lands. Seated that long I don't have (imo) enough case grip on the projectile. Will fine seating depth adjustment really affect things that much?


The 46gr load appears to be at an anti-node when looking at the group vertical:



So I guess I'll try something like the following for the next round:

45.7
46.0
46.3
46.6
46.9
47.2

I'm nervous about going too far above 46.5gr as I was starting to get some sticky (but not stuck) bolt lifts.

If you have already experienced sticky bolt ( 1 @ 46.5) and then upwards why even go back there? ADI is a very temp stable but there is still a possibilty in hot weather of pressure issues when you are knocking on the door of max. Ideally you need to use a slower powder assuming case capaity is available but with a 20" barrel all you will do is not burn all your powder in the barrel. You could go faster, 2208 but will still probably run into preesure issues if you are trying for speed speed speed. I would fiddle with seating depth at 46 gr. With your long throat you may as well load to the theoretical optimum depth - bottom of the bearing section b4 boat tail transition lining up with bottom of neck and try that. I have a 22/250 which the projectiles are miles off the lands due to long throat. I really anguished over that fact but the thing shoots 0.3s and less without fail. If you know of some one with Quickload it would be worthwhile running a few options thru that.

Originally Posted by zimmer

If you have already experienced sticky bolt ( 1 @ 46.5) and then upwards why even go back there? ADI is a very temp stable but there is still a possibilty in hot weather of pressure issues when you are knocking on the door of max.

I agree. I will drop off the 47.2 load.

Originally Posted by zimmer

With your long throat you may as well load to the theoretical optimum depth - bottom of the bearing section b4 boat tail transition lining up with bottom of neck and try that.

Also agree - I'll document the current OAL and once I've been through those loads, I'll play with the seating depth.
Thanks for the insight guys, still new to this so good to soak up all the knowledge I can.

Nice stock.

So the question on every bodies lips; did the tips not melting make a difference?