6.5 Creedmoor Hornady 143grn ELDX loading

[Savagehawg]

Does anyone load the 143 grn ELDX in 6.5 Creedmoore, I can not get any H4350 so im stuck with what i have, I was trying some 129 grn and this rifle just hates them, so i am going to try some 143 grn ELDX. Been looking around and some people seem to have some decent luck with IMR 4350 which i have a ton of, also have seen some people mention RL-19 but cant seem to find any load data for it, i use RL-19 in my 270 WSM and it loves it.

Powders i have on hand is IMR 4350,4451,4064, RL-19, Ramshot Big Game, H414,H380 Hybrid 100v , 760 Varget

Done some testing with IMR4350, 4064 and 4451 using 129 grn interlocks and best group was around .90 but with some factory 140 grn Hornady black i got a .58 so I am thinking it wants a longer heavier bullet. This 6.5 is a whole new monster for me, and this will be a hunting rifle for my son.

Savage Axis
1;8 Twist
22"Barrel


Thanks for any advice!

[jmr40]

I used to load with those bullets. They worked great for me but lately have been using 139 gr Scenar's. I'd still highly recommend the 143 Hornady's.

H4350 is my go-to powder, but not long after I got my 6.5CM powder was getting scarce and I was running low. I had some Ramshot Hunter and IMR4451 was available so I tried them with promising results.

About the time I started experimenting H4350 became available and I already had a load I liked so I never pursued those further. But I think they could have well been just as good.

I've read comments from others who like RL19 and I can't think of any reason IMR4350 shouldn't be good too. But I've not personally tried either.

[hooligan1]

Those bullets wouldnt get tight groups for me no matter what powder I tried, then StaBal 6.5 came out, and then I could manage some sub moa groups.
You might have trouble finding it now but its worth looking into.

[hounddawg]

the IMR 4350 should work. I used that in my .260 Rem with 140/142 gn before I got ahold of H 4350. Varget worked nice with 123 and 120's. I have never been able to get Hornadys to shoot worth a darn in anything except 20 cals but that is just me

[kilotanker22]

IMR 4451 and Hodgdon Hybrid 100V are good powders for the Creedmoor. The ELD-X bullet is a little jump sensitive as is the Hornady interlock bullet. Those Hornady 129 grain interlock are going to want a decent amount of jump. For either bullet, I would work up my powder charge at the longest length I can load, then adjust seating depth to tune the load to the gun.

Just my opinion, but a .9" group is nothing to scoff at. Adjust seating depth and you can likely get that shooting tighter. The fact that it already shoots MOA means the barrel is at least capable.

[Savagehawg]

Originally Posted by kilotanker22

IMR 4451 and Hodgdon Hybrid 100V are good powders for the Creedmoor. The ELD-X bullet is a little jump sensitive as is the Hornady interlock bullet. Those Hornady 129 grain interlock are going to want a decent amount of jump. For either bullet, I would work up my powder charge at the longest length I can load, then adjust seating depth to tune the load to the gun.

Just my opinion, but a .9" group is nothing to scoff at. Adjust seating depth and you can likely get that shooting tighter. The fact that it already shoots MOA means the barrel is at least capable.

my Oal with the 129 grn was 2.690 so it had about 4 thousands jump, my starting OAL was 2.79 i believe.

[kilotanker22]

Originally Posted by Savagehawg

my Oal with the 129 grn was 2.690 so it had about 4 thousands jump, my starting OAL was 2.79 i believe.

2.790"-2.690" is one-hundred thousandths, or one tenth of an inch. That is a pretty big jump. That Hornady factory load might be worth trying to duplicate. Hornady may share with you the load data for it.

[Rimfire5]

Savagehawg,

I don't want to be critical but I think you might just have a typo in your current OAL.
If your current OAL was 2.690 with a 0.004 jump, your starting OAL of 2.790 would have been jammed 0.096 inches into the lands. I'm not sure you could have even closed the bolt.

I suspect your current OAL was probably greater than 2.810, maybe as much as 2.890 if it you just made a simple typo but that would indicate that the chamber would be a bit deep for a new rifle from my experience. My two 6.5mm CMs started about 2.874 OAL for the 143 ELD-X bullets and have grown out to 2.910 OAL after over 3,000 rounds.

The both shoot most accurately with jumps from 22 to 28 thousandths with average of 0.302 for 5 round groups from a F-Class bipod and rear bag rest from a bench for the 143 ELD-Xs.
(My shooting skills and 'shooter induced variations' won't let me fine tune the jump any better than that but I am happy with those results).

[MarkCO]

Ramshot Big Game would be worth a shot. I get excellent results with Ramshot Hunter in the 6.5CM. Hovering right around 8 for an average SD and just under 1/2 MOA out to 300 yards with several bullets including the 143 ELDx.

[Savagehawg]

Ok I think i may have the 6.5 monster figured out, i got lucky at my local supply store, walked in an a shelf full of H4350, pick up 2 lbs and looked down at the bullets section and wow 8 boxes of Hornady ELD-X 143's, picked up a couple boxes. Got home and started from scratch, remeasured for seating depth started at 37.5 going up 1 grn increments to 41.5. went to range this morning and the payoff was a .537 group at 100 yards at 40.5 grns of H4350 OAL was 2.807, Starline Brass, WLRP, 143 grn ELD-X