6.5 Creedmoor RL16 loads with 139 Scenar

[pjogrinc]

Should call this a too many coffees before the range report, but shot 9 loads of RL16 and 139 grain Scenars to obtain data.
So here it is, and if I can get a pic posted, I'll include that.
My gun will leave very minor cratering on Nosler 140 gr. factory match.

MPA 6.5BA 6.5 Creedmoor
Nosler brass, new, factory neck was .288 and brass was not resized prior to firing.
Lapua 139 grain Scenars
F210M primer
RL16 powder
2.777 COAL, ~.017 off of lands
Distance 100 Yards

LABRADAR AVG Fired case
Load Velocity @Muzzle Group Length Base Diam. Neck Diam. Comments

41.0 2776 AVG, no sd 1.175/ 0.572 1.907 0.471 0.295 TOO MUCH COFFEE! threw 2, called needs load area retested. Length, base and neck diameters are for 5 round avg.
41.3 2800 AVG/ 5.8 SD 0.484 Pulled 1, called
41.6 2818 ACG/ 8.9 SD 0.805/0.387 Pulled 1, called
41.9 2837 AVG/ 12.4 SD 0.733
42.2 2861 AVG/ 6.6 SD 0.672 1.908 0.4715 0.295 Couple of primers showed start of cratering.
42.5 2871 AVG/ 6.4 SD 0.722/0.436 Pulled 1, called
42.8 2893 AVG/ 5.7 SD 1.241/0.364 Pulled 2, called both
43.1 2912 AVG/ 6.8 SD 0.812H/0.175V Spread right to left, but 0.175 verticle
43.3 2932 AVG/ 11.0 SD 0.492 1.909 0.472 0.2955 All primers showed minor cratering and measured 0.001-0.0015.

All loads had no marks on the case head/rims and all were unchambered with no noticeable difference in lift pressure and all rechambered with no effort.

Think I need to retest 41.0 and 43.1 area again.

Photobucket is acting up and can't get my pics, so here is what I can add:

 

[bigbulls]

Should call this a too many coffees before the range report, but shot 9 loads of RL16 and 139 grain Scenars to obtain data.
So here it is, and if I can get a pic posted, I'll include that.
My gun will leave very minor cratering on Nosler 140 gr. factory match.

MPA 6.5BA 6.5 Creedmoor
Nosler brass, new, factory neck was .288 and brass was not resized prior to firing.
Lapua 139 grain Scenars
F210M primer
RL16 powder
2.777 COAL, ~.017 off of lands
Distance 100 Yards

LABRADAR AVG Fired case
Load Velocity @Muzzle Group Length Base Diam. Neck Diam. Comments

41.0 2776 AVG, no sd 1.175/ 0.572 1.907 0.471 0.295 TOO MUCH COFFEE! threw 2, called needs load area retested. Length, base and neck diameters are for 5 round avg.
41.3 2800 AVG/ 5.8 SD 0.484 Pulled 1, called
41.6 2818 ACG/ 8.9 SD 0.805/0.387 Pulled 1, called
41.9 2837 AVG/ 12.4 SD 0.733
42.2 2861 AVG/ 6.6 SD 0.672 1.908 0.4715 0.295 Couple of primers showed start of cratering.
42.5 2871 AVG/ 6.4 SD 0.722/0.436 Pulled 1, called
42.8 2893 AVG/ 5.7 SD 1.241/0.364 Pulled 2, called both
43.1 2912 AVG/ 6.8 SD 0.812H/0.175V Spread right to left, but 0.175 verticle
43.3 2932 AVG/ 11.0 SD 0.492 1.909 0.472 0.2955 All primers showed minor cratering and measured 0.001-0.0015.

All loads had no marks on the case head/rims and all were unchambered with no noticeable difference in lift pressure and all rechambered with no effort.

Think I need to retest 41.0 and 43.1 area again.

Photobucket is acting up and can't get my pics, so here is what I can add:

pjogrinc what length barrel are you running? Tagging in.

 

[pjogrinc]

24 inch barrel

 

[Mikecr]

Now that the brass is fired in your chamber, all this could change.
Why did you choose the seating, ~17thou OTL?

 

[dsculley]

From what I see, 42 looks like a good place to be. 41.9 & 42.2 pretty much group together. After your next node should be about 43.3, and that is looking good in this test. For me, 42 would be ample MV and should shoot well. I would take that and tweak it with seating depth to see if it will tighten up. As this was new brass, things could change slightly. You can measure your fired brass to see how much it is expanding. That will be a good indicator if your fire formed brass will shoot differently. I chambered my 6.5x47 so that my brass only grows about .002". When I size it, I am putting it back to near virgin size. Fire formed and virgin shoot together.

FWIW,

 

[pjogrinc]

Now that the brass is fired in your chamber, all this could change.
Why did you choose the seating, ~17thou OTL?

After measuring the length and contact point of the ogive in my rifle, gave the seating stem a couple of cranks and seated the first bullet, tat just happened to be where it ended up.
Ya got to start some where, and that was good enough for me.

 

[pjogrinc]

From what I see, 42 looks like a good place to be. 41.9 & 42.2 pretty much group together. After your next node should be about 43.3, and that is looking good in this test. For me, 42 would be ample MV and should shoot well. I would take that and tweak it with seating depth to see if it will tighten up. As this was new brass, things could change slightly. You can measure your fired brass to see how much it is expanding. That will be a good indicator if your fire formed brass will shoot differently. I chambered my 6.5x47 so that my brass only grows about .002". When I size it, I am putting it back to near virgin size. Fire formed and virgin shoot together.

FWIW,

I have decided to reshoot the whole thing again. I suspect that the caffeine was wearing off and could influence the overall results of the test.

Hopefully, this weekend will give me a chance to see the 'non-caffeinated' results.
Going to the range that day was sure of the moment after a friends call that he was going to the range.

Velocity is not really a criteria for me as the local ranges, within 30 miles, one has a 600 yard range and the other a 500 yard range. Itasca, is suppose to have a 1000 yard range eventually. They were forced to relocate due to being on mining company property that was going to be mined in the near future.

 

[pjogrinc]

Finally got a chance to get to the range for round 2 of the RL16 and 139 Scenar testing.

Think I need to load 20 rounds of the 42.4 and head back out to test at 300, 400, 500 and 600 yards to see if it holds together.

 

[Greyfox]

It's always nice to see 6.5 CM loads using powders other then H4350 given that it's just about impossible to find. Very promising results. Your velocities are running about 100FPS higher then what I've typically seen with a 24" barrel using R16 and 140's.

 

[pjogrinc]

YA mine shoots faster then others that I have seen and run the same ammo through.
It's nice in one respect, but I also am concerned, needlessly I am sure, that my barrel might be on the looser side to begin with. Accuracy is very good and it doesn't seem to care what you feed it. Example, Nosler Custom Match 140 grain, box says 2555, but it chronos out of my gun at 2683 avg.

Took a long time to decide on what powder to use, as like you say, it's about nonexistent to find and the 2 and half pounds I have are the same lot, but are relegated to my 6.5 Rem Mag Rem 673 and my 2 Win 264 Mags and a Rem 700 264 Win Mag.

 

[Bowfishn]

If your barrel is faster it would not be from being looser it would be tighter. Faster barrels have more pressure causing velocity to go up, looser barrels have less pressure causing velocity to go down.

 

[benchrest243]

Looking for load data .6.5 creedmoor berger 130vld and 135 hunter?

 

[Lpart]

Tagging in

 

[pjogrinc]

Finally settled on my RL16 load.
42.4 is a little HOT when the temp is in the low 90s and I left the ammo out in the sun for several hours, by accident. Had slight bolt drag on opening, so I went looking for another load.

Finally settled on 41.0 of RL16, F210M and 139 Scenars. Consistently sub 2 inch groups at 300 yards and sub 2.5 inch groups at 400 yards.

Targets from a couple of weeks ago.

Now for some serious work at 600 yards.