Preferred bullet weight for 6.5 CM

[bassassassin104]

T3ninja asked a very good question…. Is your shooter recoil sensitive? Also, how far do you want to be able shoot and how far do you want to be able to hunt? Are you going to dial for elevation, use a BDC type reticle, hold over for elevation or just limit shots to less than 200 yards? What game do you plan on hunting with this rifle? Sorry for all the questions, but for me, all of these factors help determine what projectile and load to use.

 

[Bill28]

My son is getting to the age that it's time to start transitioning to a larger rifle so I bought a 6.5 CM off of here to get him started. The rifle has a 1:8!so most any bullet is in play and I would prefer to avoid monos due to the sedate velocities of the CM but could be swayed.


I have a ton of lighter old 6.5 bullets in various makes and weights that I intend to download to get him started but want to work up a "standard" load as well.

I'm seeing everything from 120-147's in various posts. In playing with applied ballistics it seems to me that the 130ish may be best as the increased velocity over the 140 class gives it an advantage on elevation with just a slight wind penalty to about 1000 yds which is farther then I plan to shoot.

I have 200 virgin Lapua brass, federal 210's and cci 250's, RL16, RL17, RL26, 4350 and a few other viable candidates for powder.

My question is where did you settle for your 6.5 CM loads?

I use H4350 and 140 Berger classic hunter for hunting and R16 with Hornady 147 for competition 2 different guns both have 24" barrel and 1:8 twists

 

[rcol317]

I'm with Lance, Seems the 130 is best for the short case and action in my mind as well. the 130 Accu Bond is a great combo.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

140 speer and i4831
143 eld-x and h4350
you'll get to about 2700 fps full throttle with the little cartridge

 

[Petey308]

Someones been following the Litz IG page.
That said, none of the information in his posts is relevant to a hunting cartridge for a new shooter that's never taking a shot at game beyond 1000 yds...and I've never seen a single top tier competition shooter substantiate the claims. Take that for what it's worth.
For me, nothing I have been able to load (SO FAR), has shot better than 147 Match Factory ammo from Hornady. Sub 1/3 MOA and does everything I need it to, out to 1400 yds that I've shot it.

While I know what you're referring to with his recent posts, I've seen MANY hunters complain for quite some time now about that bullet and it's erratic behavior- way before Litz posted his own findings on it. And I've seen many competition shooters complain about it too. I want that bullet to be good, and I even continued to recommend it for quite some time until recently, hoping it was just some weird anomaly.

That said, you're not the only one I've seen that's had great luck and performance with it, and that's a huge reason I was hoping the issues were anomalies. I'm convinced now that it's not so much an anomaly as it is an inconsistency. You've had good luck, as have others, but there are also others that have had terrible luck. It's made me no longer confident in recommending it, at least not without a disclaimer.

 

[c_bass16]

I'm in agreement with the majority that consider the 130-140 to be the sweet spot for bullet weight.
I have "All 4" Creedmoors. 22, 6, 25 and 6.5 and I have a feeling the 25 Creed with the 135 Berger is gonna be the perfect match of Recoil, Barrel life, BC, and velocity.
I feel it's destined for SAAMI.

 

[newmexican hunter]

I had the same question 2 years ago when my daughters were getting ready for their first antelope hunts. I was wanting to start my kids off with a smaller load and work them up using a 6.5 cm.
I purchased some 105 grain sierra blitzking. I did load work up and what not. We were successful on two antelope hunts but I ended up switching back to 140 grain berger elite hunter. Honestly, with a good muzzlebrake the recoil difference between the 2 was insignificant. You couldn't really tell the difference. They now have each taken several animals with the 140 berger eh. I dont have them practice with that gun at the range because i dont want them to develop a flinch. I prefer a .22 or .223 that is a trainer and in a similar stock or chassis as my 6.5. Same trigger as well. I think the noise is just as likely to cause trigger panic as excessive recoil when working with new youth shooters.
I have only used H4350 in my 6.5

 

[dblman]

My son is getting to the age that it's time to start transitioning to a larger rifle so I bought a 6.5 CM off of here to get him started. The rifle has a 1:8!so most any bullet is in play and I would prefer to avoid monos due to the sedate velocities of the CM but could be swayed.


I have a ton of lighter old 6.5 bullets in various makes and weights that I intend to download to get him started but want to work up a "standard" load as well.

I'm seeing everything from 120-147's in various posts. In playing with applied ballistics it seems to me that the 130ish may be best as the increased velocity over the 140 class gives it an advantage on elevation with just a slight wind penalty to about 1000 yds which is farther then I plan to shoot.

I have 200 virgin Lapua brass, federal 210's and cci 250's, RL16, RL17, RL26, 4350 and a few other viable candidates for powder.

My question is where did you settle for your 6.5 CM loads?

140 gr and RL 16

 

[mnshortdraw]

I prefer the 130vld's in mine. It's at 20" so the little extra velocity over the 140's is beneficial and they shoot incredibly accurate.

 

[Quintus]

I started all my kids on the 260Rem (before the creed was available) and they started with 100gr. Partitions pushed with H414/W760. that load was/is proven reliable to nearly 400 yards and on some pretty big bodied bucks. Even at nearly 3300fps in a light rifle recoil is pretty soft in a 700 TI that weighs 7 pounds all up. My daughter ran that rifle starting at 11 years old and about 80 pounds and shot it very well in practice and on game. No brake prone from bi-pod. I would think one of the light monos would do very well too.

 

[Texas Speed Bump]

43 grains of StaBall 6.5 and 140 grain Match Burners in my Bergara 6.5 Creed with a 1:8 twist shoots 1/4 MOA groups at 100 yds. Am just now developing a Hammer hunting load for it.

 

[Pacecount]

I am a fan of the ELDX 143 gr…. They fly great and my rifle shoots one ragged hole w factory ammo.

 

[MallardAddict]

How old is your son? What's his experience with shooting long distance? You mention 1000 yards is outside your expectation, What would be a long shot? I'm thinking for a young/new shooter, I'd like to see minimal recoil. Which would lead me to use lighter weight mono. You'll have a flatter shooting (to a certain point) with less recoil than the much heavier traditional bullets. There are starting to be more options than just the hammers so don't think you're stuck there. I shoot them, but went with badlands for my 6.5-284.

My opinion. Light weight mono, going fast if we're talking 500 and in.

He will be 7 next month and has shot my ar15 and 22-250 to 500 yds on generous steel but mostly shoots 100-250yd steel learning fundamentals. I don't foresee letting him shoot over 300ish on any type of game until his steel game is solid to atleast 500 with an adequate cartridge.

I have 100 eld and 100ttsx on the bench and plenty of w760 &Varget etc to get him a light recoil deer load to start with.

As for me I may shoot steel to 1000yds for fun with it but the rifle is meant for him so once load work is done I dont plan to burn his barrel up as I have several others for myself.

 

[MallardAddict]

T3ninja asked a very good question…. Is your shooter recoil sensitive? Also, how far do you want to be able shoot and how far do you want to be able to hunt? Are you going to dial for elevation, use a BDC type reticle, hold over for elevation or just limit shots to less than 200 yards? What game do you plan on hunting with this rifle? Sorry for all the questions, but for me, all of these factors help determine what projectile and load to use.

For being 53" and 61 #'s he doesn't seem to mind my 22-250 with 88's in it so far. I plan to start with a light bullet and moderate load and work from there as he learns. As for hunting with it I doubt it would ever be shot over 600 yds at deer, maybe coyotes to 1k. I shoot mil scopes and dial, can't due the bdc type as I know it isn't "right".

Planned game is mostly deer, coyotes, maybe antelope and lots of steel.