Posted By: ChadTRG42
Latest- 6.5 Creedmoor and 6.5-284, custom load development! - 09/16/15 06:23 PM
9/15/15
2 more custom load developments on a 6.5 Creedmoor and 6.5-284 Norma, both shooting 140 grain Berger VLD-H at 200 yards, same target.
Load D shot best on both rifles. Both rifles were shot on the same target at 200 yards. 6.5 CM on the top half of the target, and 6.5-284 on the bottom half of the target.
6.5 CM 140 VLD-H (top half of target)
Load A- shot in the lower middle- 2661 fps avg with 15 fps ES (Extreme spread). running a little slow, and stringing up and down
Load B- Low left, 2680 fps, 43 ES, groups a little open
Load C- Top left on shoot N See, 2709 fps, 27 ES, still a little open
Load D- Top center- 2727 fps and 17 ES!!! This is it. The load dialed in nice and tight (except the one I pulled, which I don't want to talk about!!!), with a low ES.
Load E- Top right, 2741 fps, 17 ES, the group opens up some and strings, telling me I have passed my sweet spot.
Load D is right at 3/4" (inch) at 200 yards!! The speeds on this round are a little slow right now on this rifle. The barrel is brand new and I shot some barrel break in rounds with it. Most of your custom barrels will take about 100 to 150 rounds to get "seasoned" in and will pick up speed after this time. I gained 120 fps on my 260 Rem (28" barrel), and I have gained 65 fps on my current 6.5x47 Lapua (23" barrel) that has about 300 rounds down it now. This is very common.
6.5-284 Norma with 140 Berger VLD-H (lower half of target)
Load A- middle- 2790 fps, groups stringing up and down
Load B- Top left- 2796 fps 20 ES, groups stringing up and down and I only shot 3 rounds, since I knew this was not going to be the best load.
Load C- Bottom left, 2835 fps, 17 ES, groups tightening up, but still stringing, and getting closer to the right load.
Load D- Top right group, 2866 fps, 10 ES, That's 4 rounds in the same hole at 200 yards!!! The 5th round, I tried to WILL it in, and I f'd it up.
Load E- Bottom right, 2880 fps, 43 ES, groups string again, telling me I passed the accuracy node, and my ES went way up.
Load D is just under 1/2" (inch) at 200 yards for the 6.5-284! That's 1/4 moa accuracy! Looking at the data on both rifles, when you look at the accuracy node, your extreme spread (ES) goes down. When shooting all the loads with a quality chronograph (Lab Radar), you are able to see what the rifle and loads are telling you by seeing the low and high ES numbers. The 6.5-284 is a perfect example. We had 20 ES, then 17, then 10 ES for the sweet spot, and then 43 ES for Load E. This is a perfect example why a chronograph is a very usefull tool when dialing in a load for a rifle. And now, you can zero the scope turrets, and run these numbers through a ballistics program, and have perfect drop data for this round.
I think the rifle owners' will be very pleased!
2 more custom load developments on a 6.5 Creedmoor and 6.5-284 Norma, both shooting 140 grain Berger VLD-H at 200 yards, same target.
Load D shot best on both rifles. Both rifles were shot on the same target at 200 yards. 6.5 CM on the top half of the target, and 6.5-284 on the bottom half of the target.
6.5 CM 140 VLD-H (top half of target)
Load A- shot in the lower middle- 2661 fps avg with 15 fps ES (Extreme spread). running a little slow, and stringing up and down
Load B- Low left, 2680 fps, 43 ES, groups a little open
Load C- Top left on shoot N See, 2709 fps, 27 ES, still a little open
Load D- Top center- 2727 fps and 17 ES!!! This is it. The load dialed in nice and tight (except the one I pulled, which I don't want to talk about!!!), with a low ES.
Load E- Top right, 2741 fps, 17 ES, the group opens up some and strings, telling me I have passed my sweet spot.
Load D is right at 3/4" (inch) at 200 yards!! The speeds on this round are a little slow right now on this rifle. The barrel is brand new and I shot some barrel break in rounds with it. Most of your custom barrels will take about 100 to 150 rounds to get "seasoned" in and will pick up speed after this time. I gained 120 fps on my 260 Rem (28" barrel), and I have gained 65 fps on my current 6.5x47 Lapua (23" barrel) that has about 300 rounds down it now. This is very common.
6.5-284 Norma with 140 Berger VLD-H (lower half of target)
Load A- middle- 2790 fps, groups stringing up and down
Load B- Top left- 2796 fps 20 ES, groups stringing up and down and I only shot 3 rounds, since I knew this was not going to be the best load.
Load C- Bottom left, 2835 fps, 17 ES, groups tightening up, but still stringing, and getting closer to the right load.
Load D- Top right group, 2866 fps, 10 ES, That's 4 rounds in the same hole at 200 yards!!! The 5th round, I tried to WILL it in, and I f'd it up.
Load E- Bottom right, 2880 fps, 43 ES, groups string again, telling me I passed the accuracy node, and my ES went way up.
Load D is just under 1/2" (inch) at 200 yards for the 6.5-284! That's 1/4 moa accuracy! Looking at the data on both rifles, when you look at the accuracy node, your extreme spread (ES) goes down. When shooting all the loads with a quality chronograph (Lab Radar), you are able to see what the rifle and loads are telling you by seeing the low and high ES numbers. The 6.5-284 is a perfect example. We had 20 ES, then 17, then 10 ES for the sweet spot, and then 43 ES for Load E. This is a perfect example why a chronograph is a very usefull tool when dialing in a load for a rifle. And now, you can zero the scope turrets, and run these numbers through a ballistics program, and have perfect drop data for this round.
I think the rifle owners' will be very pleased!