Thread: 6.5 Creedmoor... 123 or 130 or 140?

Love a shithouse title so I'll attempt to shed some light here...

SO I have a new 6.5 creedmoor. Yeah, it's a Tikka and I drank the Kool Aid but now I need to know what the benefits of the heavier projectiles are!

I'm mainly shooting gongs out to 700 yds at the moment. Well, I'm hoping to get out there.
Most of my shooting has been out to 500 with a .223 and mates 7mm08 so I want to go further hence the creedmoor. So assuming they all shoot in my rig, will the heavier projectiles be of any benefit over the 123 ELD-M at that distance?

So, lets say there is 15-20 mph from 3 o'clock.... is the weight v speed a relevant argument here or is it only out past that point?

Be interested in this too as just started loading for one. Always thought heavier was better providing it has a good bc.

I saw your youtube vid on it earlier. I'd be going 143 eld, heavier and high bc always wins out past 500 odd yards

Put it in a calculator and have a look

Heavy equals better BC which equals a more slippery bullet that is less effected by wind and carries more energy at long range...

Yep, go 140gn and up if you can.

I'd go 140gr +. They maybe slower than 120gr but they will be better in wind, and wind is generally the problem at longer range especially if you have a good consistent load that doesn't have to much vertical dispersion. Just finished load development with my Tikka 6.5CM yesterday. Running 147gr ELD-M's loaded 15 thou off the lands (LTO = 2.310"), they just fit in the mag at that. According to my chrony they are running at 2,690fps (although it generally seems to read slow amd I prefer to use actual drop info to back calculate velocity) with an ES of 17 fps and SD of 6.7 fps. Lapua brass, CCI450 primers and Norma URP powder.

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As a new CM convert, I can say they are easy to load for and get a "good load going". I havent experimented much but really havent needed to.
Rifle came with 130 ELDM's but I didnt really cotton on to them, tried a box of 140 ELDM's and thats been it. On a good day.
I shoot 600yd 1/2 MOA groups, 10 shots open up to 1 MOA. Thats in a bit of wind and rain with not a lot of time between shots.

The 140's definitely buck the wind better than the lighter projo's

My load isnt a barrel burner or anything clever, I did a short ladder test and came up with 41.5 grains of 2209 on my own, only to discover that is what everyone talks about anyway

Looks like I shoot the same rifle as @The Claw but I'm not allowed to keep it in the bedroom

Damn you @The Claw and your Khales scopes!!

A mate has that scope on his .338 Edge and I try not to look through it, but I have to and then I wish I hadn't !
@Gibo I did lob them through a calculator and the 123 @ 2900ish was pretty good but I thought I'd ask....

I'd better have a look at the 140's..... thanks lads!

Originally Posted by The Claw

I'd go 140gr +. They maybe slower than 120gr but they will be better in wind, and wind is generally the problem at longer range especially if you have a good consistent load that doesn't have to much vertical dispersion. Just finished load development with my Tikka 6.5CM yesterday. Running 147gr ELD-M's loaded 15 thou off the lands (LTO = 2.310"), they just fit in the mag at that. According to my chrony they are running at 2,690fps (although it generally seems to read slow amd I prefer to use actual drop info to back calculate velocity) with an ES of 17 fps and SD of 6.7 fps. Lapua brass, CCI450 primers and Norma URP powder.

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So in your bedroom, on the wallpaper above the headboard you have ......sheep, ?

Originally Posted by sneeze

So in your bedroom, on the wallpaper above the headboard you have ......sheep, ?

Huh? I'm a bit slow today...

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Hahaha.... they do look like sheep.... surrounded by antlers?

Originally Posted by SlimySquirrel

Hahaha.... they do look like sheep.... surrounded by antlers?

🤣

I see, said the blind man to the deaf man...

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At equal pressure push a higher bc projectile has less wind drift and drop at long range than a lower bc one.
If the 147 shoot well, go for them

Assuming you are only shooting reasonably stable supported prone type positions and aren't doing any sort of speed shooting then yep, go heavy 140gr +.

But if you are looking to get into practical shooting that involves a bit more positional shooting and the challenges of unconventional shooting positions and some speed being required then I think the 130gr projectiles are a better fit. The lighter projectiles will ensure the recoil is more manageable from an unconventional position and increases the chance you spot your own impact. Yes, even with the extra velocity they will give up a little performance in the wind - particularly at the longer distances but of course if you wanted significantly better performance in the wind at the longer distances then you probably should have gone bigger than a 6.5mm...