6.5 Creed - RE23 - ??

[Varmint Hunter]

I have a few very good loads for the 6.5 Creedmoor using RE26. However, I'm trying to switch a few guns over to RE23. Both RE26 & RE23 seem to have similar burn rates so there could be an application for RE23 in this cartridge.

Has anyone tried RE23 with 140 class bullets in their Creed?

 

[Sockeye66]

I worked up to the low 45 gr with a Speer Gold Dot 140gr in a Tikka T3X Superlite that is yet to be fully broken in. Velocity was just shy of 2700 with good accuracy and also good es/sd's. RL 23 does fill the case quickly.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I worked up to the low 45 gr with a Speer Gold Dot 140gr in a Tikka T3X Superlite that is yet to be fully broken in. Velocity was just shy of 2700 with good accuracy and also good es/sd's. RL 23 does fill the case quickly.

I'm going to give that a try. I'm currently shooting the Berger 140 EH bullet at 2,860 ft/sec with 47.0gr RE26. This load is a bit compressed which I try to avoid.

 

[xsn10s]

It's wierd, Alliant didn't list RL23 for the CM. But does list data for 260 Rem using 140 pills and RL23.

 

[Sockeye66]

I should add that the Speer Gold Dot behaves differently in the several rifles that I've tried it in. My 6.5x284 was a grain less with the SGD than a 143gr ELDX and with the two 6.5 CMs I've used it in it requires more powder to reach pressure signs.

 

[ZReed85]

It will produce good accuracy but fills the case quickly. I saw much better velocity with other powders. N560 and RL26 giving the highest velocity out of everything.

 

[just_jon]

Case fill will be an issue. I just ran the 140 ELDM in QL and I took 115% powder fill to reach pressure with an estimated speed of 2880.

 

[Sockeye66]

Case fill will be an issue. I just ran the 140 ELDM in QL and I took 115% powder fill to reach pressure with an estimated speed of 2880.

With the higher BC bullets you are most definitely correct, I think with bullets like a Partition/Grand Slam profile RL 23 might be a good choice. I seat my bullets out farther and that also allows for more case capacity.

 

[Creedmoor shooter]

As said before case fill will be an issue. You won't get anywhere near the velocity rl-26 will give. A powder I want to experiment with is imr 7977. It gives great case fill and is in that area of burn rate

 

[Stammster]

You probably know already that H4350 and H4831SC works well in the Creed with 140's also. Just not as fast as RL26. I get 125-150 fps faster with the RL26 before seeing pressure. The problem with RL26 is the slower burning lots require a very compressed load.

 

[JAYgs8163]

RL26 is a great powder but is susceptible to temp swings, at least for me it is. I have RL23 on order and will experiment with it in the Creed with the 140 Berger and 144 Berger Hybrid. Bit of advice when developing load using RL26, develop your load in the hottest temp you'd be using it, I developed my load for the Creed in the fall with temps in the 50's. Earlier this summer I shot it in 90 degrees and it was way over pressured. I shot it again in the mid 70 temps and it was fine. I'm going to do some testing with RL-26 with a new load I developed in higher temps and then shoot same load this winter at the lower temps and see how pressure, velocity, and SDs hold up. Looking forward to trying RL23 as well. Good luck and safe reloading.

 

[kfreeze]

I'm going to give that a try. I'm currently shooting the Berger 140 EH bullet at 2,860 ft/sec with 47.0gr RE26. This load is a bit compressed which I try to avoid.

The messed up thing with rl26 is that you can get the same velicity out of the 156 berger as you can 140 grn class bullets.

 

[highdrum]

It'll work with the heaviest bullets seated out long. I tested it in my 25 creed with 131s and ran out of case capacity at 2940fps, no psi signs. I run it in my 22 creed all the time, 43.6gr @ 3400fps.

 

[cohunt]

You could try reloder 16 also