Buttermilk
Well-Known Member
Lately, I managed to put together a 6.5 Creedmoor using a factory Remington 700 LH short action. Gun came to me via trade with my brother as a 22-250. I've had in my possession a Remington 700 5R takeoff barrel said to be new unfired. I acquired the barrel in November of 2020. It is a 24" Sendero contour threaded muzzle
I pulled the 22-250 barrel, and twisted on the 6.5 Creedmoor barrel. Managed to get the headspace set correctly and barrel torqued down. I also installed a Recoil Hawg brake.
Installed a Leupold VX5HD 4x-20x-52 duplex scope with a Talley 20 MOA base and Talley 34mm low rings. I leveled the scope and bore sighted it. It was ready for a range trip.
I had purchased two boxes of Hornady factory 147 ELDM ammo for the initial sighting in process and some accuracy testing.
I used the first box of 147 ELDM ammo for getting on paper and making scope adjustments to get close to POA with POI as well shooting some groups. The gun was shooting the factory ammo about one MOA.
The next box of ammo was used for shooting at steel from 500 to 1,100 yards, with me just barely missing 1 MOA plates at 1,000 & 1,100 yards.
The gun was a blast to shoot.
I then acquired a set of Hornady reloading dies from my brother (I'd given him my set previously as he acquired a 6.5CM before I did & later picked up another set). Reloading commenced with my first loads using H4350, WLR primers, Hornady brass and Berger 140 Elite Hunter bullets.
Using optimum charge weight method, I began some load development. With the aforementioned components accuracy wasn't what I hoped for. These loads were running about 1 MOA.
On a whim, I decided to try StaBall 6.5 powder since I had a couple pounds and I decided it was worth a try. Perhaps this would be the magic pixie dust.
Next range trip proved to be a good one. The StaBall 6.5 powder along with WLR primers, Hornady brass and the Berger 140 Elite Hunter proved to be pretty accurate. Two loads were quite good. Days later, I returned with more of the same load that lroduced the best accuracy to confirm the load. Four three shot groups later, I felt I had my load. My ES/SD wasn't quite as good as I hoped for but not too surprising. The good part was the four groups were 1/2 MOA or better with one real close to 1/4 MOA. (I've yet to measure the group size).
I had enough ammo on had to try out the steel targets out to 1,100 yards which again proved to be fun. Wind was a bit tricky at times. I did make first round impacts at 700 and 1,100 yards on 1 moa targets.
This gun weighs 11.5 pounds as it is currently setup. Spotting my hits is doable if I get back in the rifle and scope quickly after recoil.
I've had to resist the urge to rechamber the barrel to 6.5 PRC (that one appeals to me much more than the 6.5CM) but the 6.5 CM fits the purpose for which I want the gun so I've managed to not rechamber it so far.
I plan to paint the gun soon as I decide a color scheme.
Might even deer hunt with it during deer season this year (if I can pry my hands off the XP-100 30 Nosler).
I pulled the 22-250 barrel, and twisted on the 6.5 Creedmoor barrel. Managed to get the headspace set correctly and barrel torqued down. I also installed a Recoil Hawg brake.
Installed a Leupold VX5HD 4x-20x-52 duplex scope with a Talley 20 MOA base and Talley 34mm low rings. I leveled the scope and bore sighted it. It was ready for a range trip.
I had purchased two boxes of Hornady factory 147 ELDM ammo for the initial sighting in process and some accuracy testing.
I used the first box of 147 ELDM ammo for getting on paper and making scope adjustments to get close to POA with POI as well shooting some groups. The gun was shooting the factory ammo about one MOA.
The next box of ammo was used for shooting at steel from 500 to 1,100 yards, with me just barely missing 1 MOA plates at 1,000 & 1,100 yards.
The gun was a blast to shoot.
I then acquired a set of Hornady reloading dies from my brother (I'd given him my set previously as he acquired a 6.5CM before I did & later picked up another set). Reloading commenced with my first loads using H4350, WLR primers, Hornady brass and Berger 140 Elite Hunter bullets.
Using optimum charge weight method, I began some load development. With the aforementioned components accuracy wasn't what I hoped for. These loads were running about 1 MOA.
On a whim, I decided to try StaBall 6.5 powder since I had a couple pounds and I decided it was worth a try. Perhaps this would be the magic pixie dust.
Next range trip proved to be a good one. The StaBall 6.5 powder along with WLR primers, Hornady brass and the Berger 140 Elite Hunter proved to be pretty accurate. Two loads were quite good. Days later, I returned with more of the same load that lroduced the best accuracy to confirm the load. Four three shot groups later, I felt I had my load. My ES/SD wasn't quite as good as I hoped for but not too surprising. The good part was the four groups were 1/2 MOA or better with one real close to 1/4 MOA. (I've yet to measure the group size).
I had enough ammo on had to try out the steel targets out to 1,100 yards which again proved to be fun. Wind was a bit tricky at times. I did make first round impacts at 700 and 1,100 yards on 1 moa targets.
This gun weighs 11.5 pounds as it is currently setup. Spotting my hits is doable if I get back in the rifle and scope quickly after recoil.
I've had to resist the urge to rechamber the barrel to 6.5 PRC (that one appeals to me much more than the 6.5CM) but the 6.5 CM fits the purpose for which I want the gun so I've managed to not rechamber it so far.
I plan to paint the gun soon as I decide a color scheme.
Might even deer hunt with it during deer season this year (if I can pry my hands off the XP-100 30 Nosler).
