6.5 SAUM help please

[jrock]

Maybe try a different bullet. Maybe your gun doesn't like them

 

[RH300UM]

Have not spoke to him yet when he finished them he was pretty confident that they would both shoot extremely well he felt really good about the builds and I've seen other guns that's hes build and they shoot amazing.

Does your Smith shoot what he builds?

 

[JD250]

Yeah he shoots what he builds, he builds his own carbon barrels and puts them on a lot of guns and they shoot lights out he does awesome work I'm not doubting the rifle yet I think I need to change some things up on my end I'm loading some more today going to mess with seating depth then change powders or bullets if this doesn't change anything.

 

[RH300UM]

I'm confused
He makes his own carbon wrapped barrels?

 

[JD250]

Yes that's a big part of his business but he also builds guns I believe he's actually a sponsor on this site... it's a long story as to how I ended up using him I had already bought everything for my gun before I decided to send my stuff to him or I would probably have had him build it with one of his barrels instead of the one I put on it. He own hells canyon armory.

 

[clownbuster]

If you are going to experiment with seating depths, then use the Berger preferred method of doing it. It will save you a bunch of time and money in the end. Also, I would load and shoot until the barrel speeds up before I would load for accuracy. That usually takes more than a 100 rounds down the tube.

^^^ This. Do not bother trying to nail down an accuracy load with a new barrel until at least 100 rounds down it. Have you ever noticed the recoil on a new rifle increase after about 100-150 rounds fired? With all my Proof carbon barrels, velocity would very slowly increase, then it was like a switch went on once I hit 150 rounds and the velocity and pressure spiked. For example, in my 7mm-300wsm, the velocity I could get from the Berger 180gr VLD over 67.0grs of H1000 when the barrel was new, was nearly the exact same velocity I now get from 65.4grs after 160 documented rounds fired.
Just load all your brass with a safe load (I'd load 61.4grs of H1000) and go have fun with it at distance on steel and stop trying to micro in on a load prematurely.

 

[Rhovee]

Where do you live? I am friends with Mike. I could help you out if your in western Washington. A lot of good things have been said. Don't waste your time tell after the barrel has speed up. I shoot over the chrono every shot so I know when that is done happening. Cleaning every 30 rounds seems to help speed the proces up. 140 vld and H1000 is a known combo for 6.5 saum. I would start at touching and move back .005 tell you get to .015 off. I bet touching to .010 off will tighten things up. I'm never afraid to jam bullet if that's what shoots best.

 

[JD250]

Where do you live? I am friends with Mike. I could help you out if your in western Washington. A lot of good things have been said. Don't waste your time tell after the barrel has speed up. I shoot over the chrono every shot so I know when that is done happening. Cleaning every 30 rounds seems to help speed the proces up. 140 vld and H1000 is a known combo for 6.5 saum. I would start at touching and move back .005 tell you get to .015 off. I bet touching to .010 off will tighten things up. I'm never afraid to jam bullet if that's what shoots best.

Thanks man but unless your in California anytime soon I think I'm a little far away lol I know this thing will shoot it's just a matter of me changing some things I'm doin I've gotten a ton of helpful info from the guys on here I just loaded up another batch this time at .005 off so hopefully this tells me something. I have no doubt in mikes ability to make awesome shooting guns I just have to do my part. If your ever on his Instagram the guns I'm talkin about are the twin spiral fluted cerakote black and green and tan and black guns he did an amazing job on them.

 

[clownbuster]

Ok I'll try moving them up into the lands I'm just concerned with the lack of consistency I've got 55 rounds through it and it won't duplicate any of the loads that shot good the first time it will shoot a five shot group in an inch and half but two in one hole then move over an inch or better and put the other three in another hole then the same load shot again is just a totally random inch and a half plus group. Very frustrating I thought this gun was going to be a lot more forgiving than it is.

This may have already been asked and answered, but are you shooting from a bench or prone? Off a bipod or sled? If shooting from a bench, my thoughts based on the above, would be an issue with poor recoil management and firing hand procedure and support. I can honestly tell you that I can outshoot myself prone from a bipod vs off a bench every day of the week. I can't stand shooting from a bench; 99% of them are not built to ensure proper recoil management or support a shooter's natural point of aim like shooting from the prone can. In my experience, you can get lucky sometimes and even learn to shoot well from the bench, but not without a properly built bench and a lot of perfect discipline. But honestly, is this a hunting rifle, or bench shooter? Go shoot at distance, shoot prone; find your natural point of aim and don't come out of it, load the bipod, press the trigger, follow thru the shot.
.02¢

 

[6MM06AI]

Worked with a 6.5 wsm, third one that I have built. First two shoot great, 3/8 groups.
This one I built on a savage and never could get it to be consistent. Tried lots of loads, powders bullets, you name it. Had been shooting off of a lead sled. Found two things wrong. The Leupold VX3 would not maintain zero and quit using the lead sled. It's hard on scopes and the entire rifle, the rifle needs to slide or have room to move to absorb the recoil. Like somebody else already mentioned. Case neck tension is huge when it comes to accuracy. Take your fired brass and try slipping a bullet into everyone of them. Like to ream all of my fired cases to ensure proper tension, also anneal the brass. JMHO. Good Luck. Hope you can fix it

 

[JD250]

So I made it back out today to shoot my New loads I ditched the lead sled like many suggested and shot off my bipod and a rear bag. Forgot the chrono of course but I loaded 3 shot groups in .2gn increments from 59.8-60.6 in .020 off and the same touching the lands when I eject a new bullet I can very faintly see the marks the lands are making on the bullets so I shot the touching rounds first and every group was under 1 inch with the best being 3/4 or maybe a hair Better. Then I ahot the .020 off and 59.8 shot under 3/4 and everything else threw one making all the other groups 1-1/2 or bigger so I think I may be onto something with the touching the lands loads. I know have 90 rounds through the gun my thought was to go back and load 60 and 60.2 in five shot groups at the same seating depth and see how it shoots a 5 shot group. Does that sound like it should be my next step? Or should I change something? If I go back and duplicate the 3/4 group what would the next step be to try to improve on that? And I was waiting exactly 3 minutes between shots and 6 minutes between loads to keep everything as consistent as possible. Thank you all for your feedback and help I feel like I learned several things already that have helped me get this thing closer to what it's capable of.

 

[JD250]

These were my two most consistent groups I think but still definately room for improvement. I leave for my deer hunt in Wyoming in two weeks so I'm hoping to get it dialed a little better and gain more confidence in it atleast out to 5-600 so I can feel good at taking it with me up there.

 

[Rhovee]

Whenever I see two close and one out on groups like that it's been seating depth. I would take your best powder charge and try 5-10-15 off. You know how 20 shoots and you know how touching shoots. If touching ends up being the best then jam Thor babies five and 10 thou in the lands. You have to be pretty far in there and have very light neck tension to be pulling bullets. I have gone as much as 20 thou in with .0025 neck tension and wasn't close to getting them stuck.

 

[JD250]

Whenever I see two close and one out on groups like that it's been seating depth. I would take your best powder charge and try 5-10-15 off. You know how 20 shoots and you know how touching shoots. If touching ends up being the best then jam Thor babies five and 10 thou in the lands. You have to be pretty far in there and have very light neck tension to be pulling bullets. I have gone as much as 20 thou in with .0025 neck tension and wasn't close to getting them stuck.

That sounds like a good plan I'll probably give that a try 60 seems to be my best charge I've found so far and anything over60.5 really starts to fall apart I haven't been over 61.5 though.