Thread: Reloading for 6.5 Creedmoor.

Bit long winded and maybe a bit sarcastic. Local club had their first practice day for the season at 300 yards. Anyway, Wednesday night I decided I’d better load some ammo. Going to try 140 gr ELDM’s this year so have to work up a load. Going by various opinions I’ve read on this forum I did everything wrong. Used 1x fired Hornady cases I acquired from a mate who doesn’t reload. Gave cases a quick wipe and blow out with air. Then FL resized, minimal amount, using (supposedly crap) Lee die in a Lee Challenger press. I then trimmed cases using Lee case trimmer, chamfered case mouth in/outside, cleaned primer pocket in/outside case wth a 4.5 mm drill then cleaned pocket with Lee pocket tool. Quick blow out with air then I primed cases with, you guessed it, Lee hand primer fitting Fiocchi LR primers which some seem to bag. Weighed powder (various weights at .3 gr increments) with Lyman beam scales, they settle quicker than Lee one but they both as accurate as each other. Next I seated bullets to mag length using Lee seating die, the stem of which touches part way down ogive.
Saturday arvo at range was cold as. Wind was from the SE, 7-8 o’clock, but 300 yard range was reasonably sheltered/consistent. Got some encouraging results but was naughty and only fired 3 shot and 1x 4 shot groups. Results were all using 2209 powder. (Bit of number rounding done.)
40.3 gr, Av Vel. 2233 fps @ target.ES 24, SD 10.5, Group Size 1.03”, .33 Moa.
40.6 gr, AV 2243, ES 32, SD14.6, GS 1.906”, .607 Moa.
40.9 gr, AV 2247, ES 53, SD 23.9, GS .931”, .297 Moa.
41.2 gr, AV 2478, ES 18, SD 6.5, GS 2.315”, .737 Moa. One shot called bad before target registered but it is what it is.
Some interesting results/numbers but two promising loads Will play with seating depths and try at next weeks practice day, hopefully better weather. Will try and get some screenshots of targets. Then try at 5,6,8 & 900 yards in coming weeks.

Only bothered with this post to show that you don’t have to have all the flash gear to get reasonable results. Bound to get some nitpicking though. Have at it.

All my gear is lLee, apart from my Lyman beam scale, and the rest I borrow. Even use 1x fired Hornady cases and Fiocchi primers. Gotta start somewhere.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

My press and dies are lee, including my powder thrower.
The only non lee things I use are a Lyman case prep tool, its far superior to the Lee chamfer tools and pretty darn cheap, an a Hornady digital scale for confirming weights.
Nothing wrong with Lee equipment in my opinion

Originally Posted by woods223

Bit long winded and maybe a bit sarcastic. Local club had their first practice day for the season at 300 yards. Anyway, Wednesday night I decided I’d better load some ammo. Going to try 140 gr ELDM’s this year so have to work up a load. Going by various opinions I’ve read on this forum I did everything wrong. Used 1x fired Hornady cases I acquired from a mate who doesn’t reload. Gave cases a quick wipe and blow out with air. Then FL resized, minimal amount, using (supposedly crap) Lee die in a Lee Challenger press. I then trimmed cases using Lee case trimmer, chamfered case mouth in/outside, cleaned primer pocket in/outside case wth a 4.5 mm drill then cleaned pocket with Lee pocket tool. Quick blow out with air then I primed cases with, you guessed it, Lee hand primer fitting Fiocchi LR primers which some seem to bag. Weighed powder (various weights at .3 gr increments) with Lyman beam scales, they settle quicker than Lee one but they both as accurate as each other. Next I seated bullets to mag length using Lee seating die, the stem of which touches part way down ogive.
Saturday arvo at range was cold as. Wind was from the SE, 7-8 o’clock, but 300 yard range was reasonably sheltered/consistent. Got some encouraging results but was naughty and only fired 3 shot and 1x 4 shot groups. Results were all using 2209 powder. (Bit of number rounding done.)
40.3 gr, Av Vel. 2233 fps @ target.ES 24, SD 10.5, Group Size 1.03”, .33 Moa.
40.6 gr, AV 2243, ES 32, SD14.6, GS 1.906”, .607 Moa.
40.9 gr, AV 2247, ES 53, SD 23.9, GS .931”, .297 Moa.
41.2 gr, AV 2478, ES 18, SD 6.5, GS 2.315”, .737 Moa. One shot called bad before target registered but it is what it is.
Some interesting results/numbers but two promising loads Will play with seating depths and try at next weeks practice day, hopefully better weather. Will try and get some screenshots of targets. Then try at 5,6,8 & 900 yards in coming weeks.

Only bothered with this post to show that you don’t have to have all the flash gear to get reasonable results. Bound to get some nitpicking though. Have at it.

I have some 6.5 cm to load for a friend in the near future. Where were your powder weights as far as start to max? ie were you towards one end or other?.

On another note, some say lee gear is crap, but in certain instances, like f/l sizing, I'll choose it over hornady. Much less drama.

I would be stroking them up a fair bit more you are not using it to it's full potential.
Hodgdon Superperformance powder will get the best out of it with accurate groups

Sent from my CPH2531 using Tapatalk

What length is your barrel? Seems quite slow for a 140 in creedmoor, unless you have a short barrel I guess then it makes sense

Yeah, Creedmoor is pretty inherently accurate, Ive never had anything shoot badly in mine. Nothing wrong with Lee gear either!

Originally Posted by Juicy

What length is your barrel? Seems quite slow for a 140 in creedmoor, unless you have a short barrel I guess then it makes sense

Velocity at target.

Stick to the 2209 and don't bother with superformance.

I don't see any point in pissing with seating depth either when it's already giving consecutive sub-MOA groups and you're using a bullet that is not at all jump sensitive.

Sometimes things work out in spite of us, not because of us! But still, good shooting

Originally Posted by woods223

Bit long winded and maybe a bit sarcastic. Local club had their first practice day for the season at 300 yards. Anyway, Wednesday night I decided I’d better load some ammo. Going to try 140 gr ELDM’s this year so have to work up a load. Going by various opinions I’ve read on this forum I did everything wrong. Used 1x fired Hornady cases I acquired from a mate who doesn’t reload. Gave cases a quick wipe and blow out with air. Then FL resized, minimal amount, using (supposedly crap) Lee die in a Lee Challenger press. I then trimmed cases using Lee case trimmer, chamfered case mouth in/outside, cleaned primer pocket in/outside case wth a 4.5 mm drill then cleaned pocket with Lee pocket tool. Quick blow out with air then I primed cases with, you guessed it, Lee hand primer fitting Fiocchi LR primers which some seem to bag. Weighed powder (various weights at .3 gr increments) with Lyman beam scales, they settle quicker than Lee one but they both as accurate as each other. Next I seated bullets to mag length using Lee seating die, the stem of which touches part way down ogive.
Saturday arvo at range was cold as. Wind was from the SE, 7-8 o’clock, but 300 yard range was reasonably sheltered/consistent. Got some encouraging results but was naughty and only fired 3 shot and 1x 4 shot groups. Results were all using 2209 powder. (Bit of number rounding done.)
40.3 gr, Av Vel. 2233 fps @ target.ES 24, SD 10.5, Group Size 1.03”, .33 Moa.
40.6 gr, AV 2243, ES 32, SD14.6, GS 1.906”, .607 Moa.
40.9 gr, AV 2247, ES 53, SD 23.9, GS .931”, .297 Moa.
41.2 gr, AV 2478, ES 18, SD 6.5, GS 2.315”, .737 Moa. One shot called bad before target registered but it is what it is.
Some interesting results/numbers but two promising loads Will play with seating depths and try at next weeks practice day, hopefully better weather. Will try and get some screenshots of targets. Then try at 5,6,8 & 900 yards in coming weeks.

Only bothered with this post to show that you don’t have to have all the flash gear to get reasonable results. Bound to get some nitpicking though. Have at it.

Sorry I think I read it wrong was that your velocity at the target so 300M.

Sent from my CPH2531 using Tapatalk

@Max Headroom. According to ADI site I started .3 gr over their listed max. Towards upper end of Hornady listing for H4350. I use 2209 at 40.3 grains for my 147 ELDM load so decided to try same weight for 140’s. Worked alright from the start load up to 41.2 no problem. Target load primarily so after accuracy not speed. The 147’s work ok on game out to stupid ranges as well so hoo enough for me.

@Juicy, @25/08 IMP. 24” barrel. Velocity is at 300 yard target, will check MV next week with Garmin. Happy with velocity where it is for moment for a target round, accuracy and case life is name of the game. When I try them at 6,8 & 900 yds I’ll revisit load if needed. In 26 years of reloading I’ve never chased maximum velocity/barrel wear for any of my rifles and I’ve gotten by ok. Each to their own.

I love LEE stuff...other than the shitty,gritty toothpaste for jamming cases in dies,all Thier gear is great.

@Pommy. Yep, got a load that looks to work. Will play with seating depths out of interest, might get things going a bit better at longer ranges.

Oh right, if that's at 300m that's actually pretty fast then! I thought they were MVs

Originally Posted by Juicy

Oh right, if that's at 300m that's actually pretty fast then! I thought they were MVs

300 yards = 274.3 meters