6.5 Creedmoor Load Devlopment

Did some load development this weekend for my brothers Savage 6.5 Creedmoor. Used a lot of information off this forum and the same procedure Chad posted up a few days ago, it could not of been easier.

I went with the 140 gr AMAX bullets and H4350 powder because I read a lot of good reports on here about that combo. Also set the bullet touching the lands. Started off the day firing a box of factory 129 gr SST's my brother had bought, the rifle is brand new so I wanted to foul the barrel first. They shot well but the groups really tightened up with the handloads. I was suprised in the first group I shot with the lowest amount of powder, 38.1 gr. I figured the flyer was me and thought I could just leave the loads at that. The other groups were right at or under an inch. Group 8 was the best out of all 10 groups and the best group I have ever shot at 100 yards. I couldn't be happier with the how smooth everything went. Thank all y'all for the tips and advice, it really is a lot of fun to produce some good shooting handloads.

Group 8:
140 gr AMAX
41 gr H4350
Bullet touching lands
CCI primer w/ Hornady brass

Nice!

Now lets see how it does outside a quarter mile!

We will find out soon! I am trying to convince my brother to come out with me and take your class too!

He won't regret it!

Very nice!!! It looks like a great load!!!

that's what she said....

You are probably right on the low node with that powder charge, and the Creed can shoot really well there. Having some velocity data to go along with the group size would help quite a bit on determining that.

Hornady lists the charge weight for their factory 140 AMAX load at 41.5 of H-4350, but they load to a specific velocity and vary the charge weight by lot to get the velocity they need. From people who have pulled the charges on factory loads and weighed them the actual charge is anywhere from 41.5 to 42.5, just depending on how much they needed with that lot of powder to get the right velocity..

Most people, with most rifles, will find the high node with 140 class bullets somewhere around 42.5 grains of H-4350 in the Hornady brass. My 6.5 Creedmoor was built by Beanland Custom Rifles on a trued 40-X action with a Bartlein 1-8" twist barrel. The upper node for it is right around 42.3 grains of H-4350 with a velocity of right at 2800 fps. With 42.5 it starts to come out of the upper accuracy node in hot weather. Some folks get away with more than that, but mine won't. Mine likes that 42.3 with about any 140 class bullet. Currently I am shooting the 136-L Scenar, but it liked it with the 140 Hornady HPBTM too. Or the 142 SMK.

If you could shoot it across a chono and work it up into the 2800-2850 range being careful to watch pressure signs I bet you would find another really nice node right in that area. Most Creedmoor's seem to like a 140 in the low to mid 2800 fps range.

I didn't know Hornady loaded their ammo that hot. In the Hornady manual they had the max charge at 40.9. I didn't want to push it much higher than that but I might try to check out the 42 gr node if I get the itch to.

Yep, they load it pretty hot, there have been some issues with it in hot weather, especially in some Savage rifles that had some chamber issues.

The recipie is printed on the box, so if you know someone with a box of it have them look, but the specs are:

140 AMAX, 2.810 OAL, 41.5 grn H-4350, Fed 210M primer, of course in Hornady brass.

Some people have reported speeds as high as 2875, which is smoking for a 140. I can shoot up to about 42.7 grains/2850 fps but it is out of the accuracy node, and a couple of firings is starting to loosen the primer pockets on the brass. My rifle is just much more comfortable a half grain lower. On the node and good brass life.

Great group. That is the load I use and it works great. Out of a 22" barrel, it shoots around 2650 fps.