shooting my 6.5CM

[Clem Bronkoski]

I was at the range last week and shot my Bergara b-14 HMR looking for a good load using Hornady 143 ELD-X bullets and H4350 powder. I shot one 5 shot group each of 38.5, 39.0, 39.5 and 40.0 gr. It wasn't too much of a test because I only shot at 100 yards. All but one group (38.5) was well under an inch. The best at .86" at 40 gr. I was not experiencing any pressure and 43.5 gr is the max book listing. I loaded up 10 rounds each of 41, 42 and 43 gr and going to shoot them at 200 yards to give me a better idea as to how they perform. With this rifle I think it will shoot just about anything under an inch at 100 yards.
I drove to the range on Friday to try and shoot but there was about a 30 mph crosswind. Not indicative to good load testing. Today was rain all day. Maybe tomorrow will work out.

 

[Doc Bacon]

Work the rest of your ladder, though a full grain might not tell the whole story, and keep careful records of MV for each shot. There should be a coincidence of narrow MV variation and tight grouping, which is where you start to make fine adjustments to powder and seating depth. It's a slow process, but the recipe you end up with can make cloverleafs and smiles. Also, you'll need to standardize your brass prep for best results.

 

[Clem Bronkoski]

Thanks Doc. Right now I am trying to find a baseline. I already know 40.0 gr shoots fairly well. I double checked my manuals and the max load for this bullet and H4350 is 41.8. I will start at 40 gr and move up to 42.3 gr in .3 gr increments probably shooting 2 rounds of each. Honestly though I don't think my chrony is accurate enough. If I could afford it I'd get a magneto to hang on my barrel. My other alternative is to load 3 - 5 rounds of each and shoot them "round robin" at a series of target dots and see how and where they impact around the dots. (OCW)
One disadvantage I already noticed is with the ELD-x bullets I can't get closer than .030" off the lands and still use the factory AICS magazine. I noticed this when I went to the range. The rounds chambered nicely at .015" off the lands but were a tad too long for the mag. This last bunch I have the bullets seated just deep enough to clear the magazine and feed properly.