6.5-06 with 140grain bullets

[H-BAR]

Does anyone have the hot ticket for the 6.5-06 shooting 140grain match bullets???
A friend of mine is going nuts trying figure out his gun. So far he has tried 142gr Sierras 140Bergervlds and 140gr Amaxs he has tried vv165 re19 and re22. If anyone has a better combo for a 30" barrel please let me know.

 

[Troy]

Those powders all sound good. I guess you could try H-1000 but I would try H-4831 first starting at about 52 grains and working up from there. Where are you seating the bullets in relation to the lands? I assume the scope bases and rings are tight. How is the rifle bedded and is the barrel floating or do pressure points exist?

 

[BountyHunter]

Go back to 12-24-02 and read the thread on load development with the Ladder method.

Pick several powders load 15-20 rds each at .2 gr increments and shoot a ladder at 200-400 yards preferably. You will find 2-4 "sweet spots for that powder. To continue load development from at the desired velocity.

Start the Sierra 142s about .005 in and come out. Start the VLD bullets about .025 in and come out.

Try JLK 140s. Highest quality custom bullet out there right now.

Sierras are all over the place on bearing surface so must sort by length of bearing surface.

consider MRP powder instead of RL 22, very little lot to lot variance and not temp sensitive.

BH

 

[H-BAR]

Well the gun has been pillar bed in an MBR stock. I haven't checked his seating depth but he says he right at the lands. I told him to come over so I could check out what he is doing. I figure I don't have any problems so maybe his scale or something could be wrong. I think that the right track may be the MRP or H4831SC. I shot the gun once when he loaded up the Re19 and I thought out of the three powders that he loaded that that was the best so the two powders suggested may be right where he needs to be because they are slightly faster than the Re22 and VV165. He's going to have that barrel shot out before he gets it to shoot good. Thanks for your help and if anyone runs across someone that shoots this cartridge and has a stand out can't go wrong load don't hesitate to post please!

 

[Mysticplayer]

Check the ammo for concentricity/straightness. Biggest problem to accurate shooting. You want max .005" out of round, try for 0.002".

Are you BR prepping and neck sizing the brass? Consider a bushing or collet neck sizing die. Is the chamber/bore straight? How badly is it shooting? What is the scope, how much mag? how far are you shooting?

With the components you are using, if the rifle is well assembled, bedded well, trigger crisp and light, with a good scope solidly mounted, there is no reason why this rig will not shoot. How are your rests/bench? How experienced a shooter are you and your friend? Do you use wind flags?

some of the basics that could help eliminate your problems.

Jerry

 

[BountyHunter]

I shoot the 6.5/06 AI version and I can tell you that start at 50 gr MRP/RL22 and come up with a 140 JLK well into the lands. Shoot the ladder and find the sweet spots!!

My load pushes the 140 JLK at 3015 out of a 28" barrel and gives consistent 5-7" at 1k if I do my part, which has been known to open things up a bit. Last match thought I caught a wind shift, held out 6" into the wind and that is exactly where the bullet went ruining a sub 4" group.

finally get some lapua brass. Absolute best on weight and uniformity.

BH

[ 05-23-2003: Message edited by: BountyHunter ]

 

[H-BAR]

Bounty Hunter could you please post your exact sweet load and what barrel length you have. The gun was put together by a reputable smith so I am inclined to believe that my friends reloads are not good. He had one set of Bergers at 50.2 grains of Re22 with a spread of 14fps and when he went to 50.5 grains the spread went to 50 fps and then at 50.8 went back down to 34fps. I told him this is NO GOOD at 1000yds. The actual groups on paper suck too. The 50.2gr load shot the best. I invited him down because I am believing he just isn't careful enough at measuring the powder. I feel bad for him because his gun doesn't even shoot as good as my $500 Ruger. I almost fell over when I shot 10.4 inches at a 1000 and he shot 33inches. I just want to know if the 50.2 load is close to what you shoot. If so I think if I load some stuff for him he will be ok. I just want to make sure that the load is in the ballpark. I am still waiting to get my bench gun so I will be stuck shooting my Ruger again. I sure would feel bad if I do a lot better with a rifle that costs one sixth of what his does.

 

[Darryl Cassel]

H-Bar

Ask your friend if that barrel is an 8 or 8 1/2 twist?

Maybe I missed that if it was posted?

Those two twists are what makes the 140 to 142 gr bullets in the 6.5 diameter work well.

DC

 

[H-BAR]

Hey Darrel I believe it is a 1:9. Oh boy you mean he might have a tomato stake!!! What are the top people at Williamsport shooting for a twist in the 6.5.

 

[H-BAR]

I just got the call from my friend and I was wrong. His gun is a 1:8 twist.

 

[Guest]

1 in 8.5 is the way to go with bullets from 140 gr. to 147 gr. I shoot under 4 inches at a 1000 yards With 147 gr. Clinch River bullets 53 grs. H-4831 setting the bullet 16 thousand's back from the lands. This is a great load for the 6.5-06 Imp. Hope this will help you.

 

[BountyHunter]

H-Bar

My chamber is a custom chamber and yours will be different. You really need to work your loads up from the starting figures I gave you for your gun and in particular for that lot of powder. If you change lots, do not be surprised to see MV and pressures go way up or down. That is why I buy my powder in quantity anymore. I ruined about 50 pieces of quality match brass two years ago by not doing that. Primer pockets so loose I could hand seat. Had to drop almost 4 grains of powder, just different lot. That is one reason I will only use RL powders now as last resort. Go with MRP for RL 22 and MRP 2 for RL 25, almost identical loads.

BH