Reloading 6.5 Creedmore

I run H4350 in the 65CM. Never tried that in 308.

6.5cm can use standard 223 and 308 powder but they're not ideal.
I tried it, leverevolution, 748 but it wasn't a good match up.
760 is pretty good in 6.5 and there's 760 loads for heavy 5.56 and heavy 308.

Exceptionally easy to load. H4350 is the easy button.

I loaded H4350 and then the price went up and I switched to 6.5Stabil, saving about $10 a pound, both work well in both my Creedmoors but each requires its own load for best accuracy. I purchased some other powder to try (Shooters World, another $10 savings)but haven't had a chance to load anything yet but have heard good reports from others

When I first started loading for 6.5CM, I used the powders I had available... for .308... the slowest of which was IMR4064. It did OK, but nothing stellar. I switched to IMR4451 (because at the time I couldn't find any of the 4350's...) and it did better than IMR4064, but I still thought I was leaving something on the table. I understand this sounds cliche' but, yes indeed, H4350 is the peanut butter to the 142grn SMK's jelly. Another that I've read good things about in the 6.5 is H4831.

As far as cast, I don't really know. I would think the magical IMR4198 would be your answer to anything cast in the rifle, but it depends on what you expect from your cast bullet loads.

When I started loading for 6.5, I had to use what was available because I couldn’t find components. So using converted 22-250 brass, 140 grain bullets for my Swed, and AA2700 which I got for military style reloads, I made my first rounds just to test function. Figured I would develop later, when components became available. What I came up with, I called it my accidental reloads. They just worked like magic. Still using my load. It just works. So no, I don’t share powder with 308 or 223. But I do share with my old war horse rifles.

I use Accurate 4350 or IMR 4350 and get 0.25 MOA accuracy at 300 yards. VERY easy reloading, no measurably significant case growth at my current powder load level, with a 120g Hornady bullet, which gives me an average muzzle velocity of 2700 fps.

Jim G

N555 said:

6.5cm can use standard 223 and 308 powder but they're not ideal.

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Before I started reloading for the 6.5, I did quite a bit of reading... a lot of fans of it over on the Savage forum, and Sniper's Hide. There seems to be a pretty distinct line of departure for efficiency in the 6.5, vs .308, where anything goes, or so it seems. That line seems to be the 4350's, RL17... and slower. I've even seen 'good' loads (reported) with H1000 and Retumbo, of all things, but I don't know what they were shooting those in. Yes, faster powders... and that's calling IMR4064 'fast'... ...will certainly push the bullet out of the barrel, but I think it would take more work to get it to shoot as well as the slower powders. Just my .02 worth.

Love my 6.5 Creedmoor and handloading for it is super simple my gun prefers IMR 4064 so that’s what it gets

Charlie98 said:

I've even seen 'good' loads (reported) with H1000 and Retumbo, of all things, but I don't know what they were shooting those in.

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These folks would be dreaming to make H1000 or Retumbo work for 6.5 Creed. The expansion ratio isn’t nearly correct for those slow powders in the 6.5mm bore with the tiny Creedmoor case behind it. Even with the 6mm Creedmoor, I wasn’t happy with the speeds I saw from H1000, and had to use a drop tube just to get the loads into cases. Those powders are just too slow for the relatively big bore in front of the relatively small case. I used both in 243AI for heavy bullets, with relatively moderate success, but even the slightly smaller 6 Creedmoor still has too much bore capacity for such slow powders.

I know a few guys who swear by H1000 for 6 creed as a longer barrel life trick, but I can’t get the velocity out of it - or rather, can’t get the powder into the case. No way we’re gonna get decent efficiency from a 6.5mm bore with such slow powders in such small cases.

H4350 and RL16 class powders are the ticket. I wouldn’t go any slower than H4831sc or Superperformance (and I wouldn’t go that slow), and wouldn’t go as fast as Varget. We have different powders with different burn rates for a reason.

PS: It's Creedmoor

H4350 is THE 6.5 Creedmoor powder for best speeds and accuracy. If not available Ramshot Hunter is another good choice.

Walkalong said:

H-4350 really is the "easy button" for 6.5 Creedmoor. My older brother bought an MPA "Match Ready Rifle" about three years ago in 6.5 Creedmoor, figuring to maybe hunt with it, shoot pigs with it, play at the range with it. I prepped some Winchester cases, primed them with Fed 210M primers, charged them with 41.5 Grs of H-4350, figuring to tweak it as needed, but it shot so well, and he has shot it so little, we haven't done anything else yet.

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Yes, I am using the identical load of 41.5g but with IMR 4350 or Accurate 4350 (the 2 that were available to me when I went shopping). Can I assume both the Accurate and the IMR versions are close to the "H" version?

Jim G

6.5 cast will likely work with Unique, 2400, H4198, and A5744 but you'll need to do the load work. 1,600 fps with 140s has worked for me in a 1:8.

DMW1116 said:

Is there any advantage to 6.5 Creedmoor over 308 for target shooting out to 300 yards?

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In my mind I feel like their is less recoil but to each thieir own

DMW1116 said:

Any thought specifically on the Savage 110 action and specifically the 110 Tactical? Those are the most readily available locally in the lefty configuration.

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I think this photo will tell you what I think of Savage.

This is the load development pic from the 6.5.
It’s the one in FDE that started life as a 12FV Cabela’s special for $429 or $549 Canadian.

Varminterror said:

These folks would be dreaming to make H1000 or Retumbo work for 6.5 Creed. The expansion ratio isn’t nearly correct for those slow powders in the 6.5mm bore with the tiny Creedmoor case behind it.

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I don't know what kind of barrels they were shooting those out of... I was thinking those were a bit slow meself. I wonder sometimes if people don't see benefit where they want to, to make a point, or if they were just dinking around with different powders... dunno.

DMW1116 said:

Is there any advantage to 6.5 Creedmoor over 308 for target shooting out to 300 yards?

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horsemen61 said:

In my mind I feel like their is less recoil but to each thieir own

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To 300yds, prolly not, with a good rifle/shooter combo. Horsemen is correct, though, the 6.5CM is far easier to shoot because of the recoil... or lack thereof, compared to the .308, and even at 300yds, the velocity of the 6.5 is an advantage from a good shooting position.

DMW1116 said:

Any thought specifically on the Savage 110 action and specifically the 110 Tactical? Those are the most readily available locally in the lefty configuration.

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I've got a model 10 TAC, the cheapo Cabelas version... it shoots better than I can (at the moment.) I shot my 10 next door to the Ruger Precision Rifle (RPR) and I thought the RPR was a bucket of bolts compared to my Savage, although the ugly thing would shoot. Savages are relatively inexpensive, are easy to work on, and barrel replacements are eazy peazy.

DMW1116 said:

Any thought specifically on the Savage 110 action and specifically the 110 Tactical? Those are the most readily available locally in the lefty configuration.

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I really like mine. It's a lefty too!
That group is the 1st day I shot it.