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6.5 creedmoor, Hornady brass issues

Dirty0511

Active Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2013
Messages
38
Location
Rhodes, Michigan
I have been doing some load development with my new 6.5 creed and have been having some slight pressure issues with hornady brass. first of all it is a trued remington 700 action with a 26" Douglas air gaged 1:8 twist. I am using 130gr Berger's, hornady brass, H4350 and RL-17 with fed 210M primers.

Now to the problem.

I loaded new Hornady brass with RL-17 up to 43.5 grs per OCW figures and had absolutely no pressure signs. I settled with 43.3 grains of rl-17 not sure of velocity but this where i had a good node and figured i could get the group a little tighter with seating depth. cleaned all of the brass from barrel break-in and the OCW test and fl resized .003 less than my once fired brass, charged again with 43.3 grains of rl-17 5 seated at 1.45 to the ogive, 5 @ 1.55 and 5 more at 1.65 mind you all through the OCW test i seated them at 1.45 which comes out to an oal of 2.80.
And the same procedure with H4350 up to 43.0 grains and was holding with no signs of pressure now im down to 41.5gr seated at 2.80 with slight signs of pressure I know the cartridge can hold the pressure

Back to the range and every round was showing signs of pressure a nice pronounced shinny circle from the ejector pin.

Now my ? is why would it show pressure signs after being resized did the brass harden that much in just one firing and resizing? I did check the new brass and the headspace measurement that i got using a hornady headspace guage and the .400 bushing was 1.529 to 1.531 my once fired brass was at 1.536 so i resized them at 1.533 which is bumped back .003.

I also went back through some and resized to match the new out of box brass and still the same results.

Any Info or suggestions would be greatly appreciated I am at a total loss for explanation or reason why.

My only other thoughts would be to is get some .308 lapua brass and form them to 6.5 creed. I use lapua in my 308win and love it been able to run it better than any win or rem brass.

Thanks!
 
Have you neck trimmed the cases after resizing? Hornady brass is a little soft and the necks can grow after one firing. Especially new brass that hasn't been hardened through repeated sizing.

Max case length is: 1.920
Trim to length is: 1.910
 
41.0 grains of RL17 in my creedmoor gives me 2850 fps with a 140 Berger. That velocity is about all you should expect from the creedmoor or you will kill your brass. If you want a faster cartridge go to a 260 AI or a 6.5x284.

I don't know why you're getting pressure signs with later firings but I wouldn't push it much over 41.0 grains of RL17. Just my personal experience and I'm going on my 6th load with the same cases and show zero signs of my brass wearing out.
 
That is a conundrum. 43.5 gr Rl17 and 130 gr bullets gives me 2936 fps from my 26" Ruger barrel. That is my caribou load. But with Sirocco ll bullets. Are you getting pressure signs with both Rl 17 and 4350 or just 17. Is your powder from the same lot#?
I know these may be assinine questions. . I take it the bullets are all from the same box.

The only other thing I can think.of is temperature. . If the rifle and ammo were sitting in direct sunlight when you tested the 2 nd time. That shouldn't affect the H4350 but might the Rl17.
 
That is a conundrum. 43.5 gr Rl17 and 130 gr bullets gives me 2936 fps from my 26" Ruger barrel. That is my caribou load. But with Sirocco ll bullets. Are you getting pressure signs with both Rl 17 and 4350 or just 17. Is your powder from the same lot#?
I know these may be assinine questions. . I take it the bullets are all from the same box.

The only other thing I can think.of is temperature. . If the rifle and ammo were sitting in direct sunlight when you tested the 2 nd time. That shouldn't affect the H4350 but might the Rl17.[/QUOTE



Same lot of powder and bullets, I justa started load development a couple of weeks ago, Temp is not the issue.

I have had the same problem with both powders , I used hornady factory ammo to zero rifle and begin barrel break-in and that is loaded with 41.5grn's h4350 under a 140gr A-MAX.
 
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