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Old April 24, 2021, 11:31 PM   #1
Savagehawg
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6.5 Creedmoor loading

My son picked up a 6.5 CM 22" Barrel with a 1:10 twist, i will be loading this up for hunting, I'm thinking a 140 grn in Partion or Gameking. Since this is a new caliber for me i was just wondering what you 6.5 guys like in powders and anything specific i need to look out for.

Thanks
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Old April 25, 2021, 04:27 AM   #2
cptjack
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h 4350 works good I use sw4350
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Old April 25, 2021, 08:53 AM   #3
ocharry
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h 4350 for mine....i also use a 130gr sierra game changer tipped bullet

i did get to use it on a deer this past season....like a lightening strike.....and it has accounted for 4 yotes DRT ...no spinning or runnin around ..face in the dirt

are you sure that that rifle has a 1-10 twist??? seem kinda slow for a CM.....im thinkin mine is a 1-8

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Old April 25, 2021, 02:21 PM   #4
RC20
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1-8 Twist is the Standard.

A 1-10 would be more biased to lighter not heavier bullets (there is variation so its not like it won't work or fall off an edge with a 140 - its just the tendency is better)

I am using H4350 as I have a pretty good stash of it. Varget, TAC and R17 are all good choices (I have all that )

Right now I am shooting Hornady 140s (I have Scanner 120s on order, I am short range and don't need that out to 1000 yard capably)

The best load is up around 2800-2900 FPS so far and that is probably a tad compressed.

No pressure signs up around 41 grains of H4350 but any more and its going to be a lot compressed.

One aspect is that you don't have sloped powder in the case!
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Old April 25, 2021, 09:10 PM   #5
jmr40
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Never heard of a 10 twist 6.5 CM. The whole point of 6.5 CM over 260 is to get a faster twist barrel. 1:8 is pretty standard with some 7 or 7.5 twists barrels.

H4350 is the go-to powder for most if they can find it. Other good substitutes are Ramshot Hunter, IMR4451, Reloader 16,and 17 both are mentioned a lot too. Especially with heavier bullets. You might find other powders work well with 110-130 gr bullets. For deer a 120 would be fine, if hunting game bigger than deer you might want to go to 140's. Or for long range target shooting the 140-150 gr high BC bullets

If it is a 10 twist you'll probably want to stay with 130 gr or lighter bullets. It might shoot 140 gr hunting bullets OK, might not. But it won't work well with target bullets much over 130 gr.
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Old April 25, 2021, 09:23 PM   #6
Irish Lad
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140 gr hornady BTHP with H4350 took this cow elk at 630 yards.
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Old April 25, 2021, 11:35 PM   #7
Savagehawg
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Its is a 1:8 the retailer site had the specs wrong, I dont have H4350 but i do have IMR 4350 and Varget and a few others listed, Looking at load data i may start with the 4350
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Old April 26, 2021, 06:25 AM   #8
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I found IMR4350 worked ok but lower MV compared to H4350, I prefer H4350 for the 140gr bullets. I’ve also tried RE16 and RE17 with pretty good results, just not as good as H4350. One note in my particular case, the RE16 hit pretty high pressure way before the recommended max load. I encountered heavy extraction and enlarged primer pockets just over the mid level load and shut it down. I was also getting much higher velocity at lower loads than other powders. This was before I finally found some H4350 so I never really investigated this powder any further. I’m now using the RE16 in my Swedish Mauser for 6.5x55 and it shoots good with a mid level load, even though case fill is probably only around 80%.
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Old April 26, 2021, 10:52 AM   #9
ocharry
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Savagehawg....just curious...what kind of hunting is your boy doing??

white tail deer,mule deer, antelope, varmints, bigger animals??

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Old April 26, 2021, 10:43 PM   #10
Savagehawg
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ocharry View Post
Savagehawg....just curious...what kind of hunting is your boy doing??

white tail deer,mule deer, antelope, varmints, bigger animals??

ocharry
It will be Deer and wild hogs, he has a 308Win and a 25-06 he has been using, he got a pretty good deal on this rifle and he wanted to try it. I load for 243, 308, 25-06, 7mm-08 and 270 WSM just never messed with a 6.5CM before.
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Old April 27, 2021, 04:45 AM   #11
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Rl 19 and 23 are my goto for 140 grn bullets in my rifle. StaBall for anything heavier, and IMR 4451 for 120 grain bullets...
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Old April 27, 2021, 07:15 AM   #12
Bfglowkey
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h4350 is a very easy powder to use for the 6.5 CM and nearly everyone who has tried it reports above avg success ( from my experience) For deer and hogs you can stick with 130 range pills but honestly the 140g BTHP as mentioned above is effective and pairs nicely with H4350. Finding a charge wont take long that works for him. Other easy to use powders for 6.5CM:
Reloder 16 ( its magic pixie dust really)

Reloder 17 (if you want higher velocities but you will probably run into pressure signs very suddenly with this powder and if the temp swing is too much)

IMR 4350 Decent backup to any of the above and usually easier to find

Superformance, have had solid results but it seems to favor heavier then 140 to really shine ( 147s, 152s are just glorious with this powder)

RL 26: too hard to find but spectacular powder to push high velocities and heavy pills

H1000: Not a common choice but has similar performance with heavy stuff as RL26, just know that compressed loads are common using this powder.

Those are just some of the powders I have used with good to great success and little effort to find loads. I mainly stick to 140 and above in terms of weights. I dabbled with the Hornady 129 Interlocks and a very moderate dose of H4350 yielded a very good, inexpensive hunting round that has taken Moose here in Northern Maine. Those interlocks expand insane at CM speeds.
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Old April 27, 2021, 08:10 AM   #13
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ELDx, and Accubonds are my primary bullets for the 6 to 7 mm class rifles. Both work great in our 6.5CMs. I use a good amount of Hunter since H4350 is not often in stock. Hunter meters great since it is a small ball powder, saving me the step of trickling.

Got a 1.7 SD for 5 rounds on my 142 SMKs for matches, prints under a 1/2" from a factory rifle.
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