Favorite powder for 6.5 Creedmoor

I don't own one. The guys I have talked with, who do, their favorite is H4350. The rifle range master at CMP, that is what he was using in his highly customized M700. With 140 SMK's, he claimed he was hitting golf balls, on the 600 yard berm.

I gave IMR 4350 and H4350 a try in my 6.5 X 55 Swede with 140's and they are both excellent powders in the 6.5 caliber.

I got my first Creedmoor in 2011 and have added several since. I’ve tried 7 or 8 different powders and have settled on RL 17 and H4350 depending on the rifle. RL 17 is more forgiving, but H4350 can give me higher velocities. I’ve not been able to make IMR 4350 work. The Enduron powder shows promise, but I’m happy with the two I mentioned above.

I've used superformance and h4350 in 2 creedmoors now, and I prefer the SUP.
My rifles are light barreled hunters, SUPs given me 2800 with 140 class projectiles an MOA accuracy.
4350 produced similar accuracy, but lower velocity.

AA2700 and purely accidental. In my haste to shoot my new Savage LRP, I converted some 22-250 brass, and loaded with bullets I had for my 6.5 Swedish Mauser, and the only powder I had on hand that I could find loading data on. It shot my no research, loaded in relative haste load exceptionally well. So I did some more development when i got better bullets and proper brass and determined an exact loading. First time out at F-class at 300 yards with the new rifle I got a 147 out of 150 possible. I have plenty of AA2700 for some of my military rifles so I stuck with it. Picture attached is my first time out with the rifle and my first loads, early spring, in my dad's field shooting off the back of my truck.

H4350 or IMR4451 are the 2 that most use. I use H4350 for it gives me more velocity than the 4451. The 4451 gives up a little velocity but it's consistency is very very good, single digits SD & ES. I need to finish load development with it. Using the 140gr ELD's.

The 4350's are the darling of the 6.5 dance, but were unobtanium for a while. I just started with IMR4451, so far, so good.

H4350. If it doesn’t work for what you’re doing with 6.5 Creed, you’re probably doing something with 6.5 creed you shouldn’t.

From everything I read H4350 is THE 6.5 CM powder by which all others are judged. That is what I started with and see no reason to try anything else. Unless I run out and can't find any. I've also read that IMR4451 gives near identical performance in any application where H4350 is used. I still have enough H4350 to get me buy for a while for my 6.5 CM and 30-06, but I've not seen any on shelves in a looong time. I did pick up some IMR4451 just in case.

RE 16 is liked by some. It apparently will add 50-100 fps above what H4350 will achieve, but accuracy reports I've read are mixed. RE 17 is supposed to be pretty good as is Ramshot Hunter. But I'd not use them if H4350 or IMR4451 were available.

Some guns are different. I have a Bergara B-14 that was really picky. I finally settled on R-17 with 130 Nosler AB. My Vanguard liked H4350 while my Ruger AM. Pred didn't care. It liked H4350, IMR4350, R-17 and didn't care what weight bullet that you fed it. I tried 4 different bullets in it and it shot all of them well.

jmr40 said:

I've also read that IMR4451 gives near identical performance in any application where H4350 is used.

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From what I have seen so far, if “performance” is only measured in velocity, then the above is true. If you include consistency as a metric in “performance,” not just velocity, then I have not found it to be a true statement.

In lieu of H4350, which is available again now, so there’s not much excuse to NOT shoot it (bought >100lbs in the last 8mos), I would look at RL16 & 17, maybe H4831sc if I were truly desperate.

Like many of you, I've tried Superformance, RL17, H4350, but surprisingly, Varget works very well in my RARP. But I'm not done testing, yet.

Its H 4350 41.5gr with a 140gr Hornady ELD-M. It is very popular and shoots great.

I tried RL17 in mine earlier this year. It shot good with mild temperatures (<80°), but I did a test when it heated up this summer (>90°) and I started blowing primers.

One additional item. I have been using Fed-M large rifle primers and getting around 2700 fps with this load, I have also tried CCI-BR2 lg rifle primers and seeing velocities about 50fps faster out of my 24" barrel. I will do a shootout between the two and post the results when I get around to it.
Dom

Unlike most of you the 4350 powders did not do so well for me. I ended up with 45.1gr of Win 760 and Fed 210 primers inside Lapua brass with a c.o.l. of 2.700. Maybe with a different bullet or weight one of the 4350's would have done just fine but I wanted to use the 129 sst to hunt with so I built the load around the bullet.

H4850 is the King but 4451 has great results too. RL 16 is my new fave though, It gives the great velocity of RL17 but is also a temp stable formula.

Charlie1022 said:

After all the advice I decided to start out with H4350 ELD's since I am having such great groups with factory ammo with these bullets. I will advise on the results. Thanks for all the advice!

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My Bergara likes 760 with the 143 gr. ELD-X.