Thread: Just completed my first ever reload (6.5mm Creedmoor) Question?

Originally Posted by omegaspeedy

Great thanks for the awesome advice. I was going to seat them at slightly less than max but was worried that the increase in air space could adversely affect the recommended powder load. Based on what you've said, I don't need to worry about that air gap, just find where my lands start and back it off slightly (see if it also fits in the mag?) and see how it shoots. It seems that most hand loads for 6.5 CM are into the early 40g's whereas I've used 38.8g which is 0.4g's off the max from the load manual. Are guys incrementally pushing out past the max to get more range/energy?

I shoot a 'ladder test' first. So starting about 2 gr below book max, load each round with .5gr more powder and i would normally load up to 1 or 2gr more than book max (but i use a software programme called Quickload that gives an fairly accurate prediction of pressure levels etc).

Then you start shooting your ladder starting from the lowest. Aiming at the one point. You are looking for two things. the grouping of the shots, looking for a sweet spot of velocity where 3 or so rounds (different powder charges remember) are all shooting very tight. You are also looking to 'find max pressure' for you rifle. Pressures signs are generally flattened primmers (but i dont find this one to be that reliable), then as you go higher yo could end up getting 'heavy bolt lift' and possibly a round stamp mark on the case head. both of these things are definite indicators that you have found excess pressure levels, and you max powder load for that ammo in that rifle will be likely 1-1.5gr less than that.

In many rifles you will find best accuracy (tight grouping) at powder levels less than the max powder weight for that rifle.

When I had a 6.5CM I too also loaded 42.5gr of 2209 with 143g ELD-X'S. So your 38.8g with a 130g will def be quite mild.