6.5 SS (Sherman Shortmag) Q@A

[H59]

That's a great combination of gear! You've got a solid competition rifle being put together! The mini-chassis was a good decision for bottom metal too. Once you begin shooting it and keeping records of your different loads & their velocity using different powders& primers etc. I highly recommend doing a scope box test to make sure that each click equals the same amount of adjustment that it's supposed to. All scopes, no matter if it's nightforce,vortex or Leopold etc. Can possibly have some kind of runout error that if present must be understood & incorporated into your vertical adjustments or you won't know why you aren't hitting your targets at distance. If the clicks of your scope are off just fractions of whatever measurements your scope is using, moa or mils, that incorrect adjustment will keep you guessing on thinking that things like your velocity are off,or your b.c. is off or even distance is off,but all the while it would be the scopes measurements that would be off. Once the scopes mounted & zeroed be sure to place a large poster board at whatever range you are zeroed at,and shoot at least a 3 shot group,5 would be better, at say 100yrds, & then dial all the way up that your scope has adjustments for, then dial over left or right 2 revolutions & then back down all the way to your zero & back over to where you started. Hopefully you will end up exactly where you began. If not you'll need to determine how much each click adjustment is off. If that's the case let me know and I can give you a math formula for whatever measurement you use and it will tell what each click equals. Again, congratulations on your new long range precision rifle!

 

[LRJunkie]

That's a great combination of gear! You've got a solid competition rifle being put together! The mini-chassis was a good decision for bottom metal too. Once you begin shooting it and keeping records of your different loads & their velocity using different powders& primers etc. I highly recommend doing a scope box test to make sure that each click equals the same amount of adjustment that it's supposed to. All scopes, no matter if it's nightforce,vortex or Leopold etc. Can possibly have some kind of runout error that if present must be understood & incorporated into your vertical adjustments or you won't know why you aren't hitting your targets at distance. If the clicks of your scope are off just fractions of whatever measurements your scope is using, moa or mils, that incorrect adjustment will keep you guessing on thinking that things like your velocity are off,or your b.c. is off or even distance is off,but all the while it would be the scopes measurements that would be off. Once the scopes mounted & zeroed be sure to place a large poster board at whatever range you are zeroed at,and shoot at least a 3 shot group,5 would be better, at say 100yrds, & then dial all the way up that your scope has adjustments for, then dial over left or right 2 revolutions & then back down all the way to your zero & back over to where you started. Hopefully you will end up exactly where you began. If not you'll need to determine how much each click adjustment is off. If that's the case let me know and I can give you a math formula for whatever measurement you use and it will tell what each click equals. Again, congratulations on your new long range precision rifle!

Thanks H59....
I will certainly keep this post in mind when I get to the stage of box testing...
I am super excited to start working on this and getting everything sorted out as far as load D goes... I have some Hornay 135's and 153's that I hope work well in this chamber... We'll see, I also have some other options Berger 140 hybrid's and 156's.... For powder I have H-1000, RL-26, 8133, Retumbo, and MRP....

 

[H59]

All excellent powders,I know the re 26 is popular with people, but personally it's not my favourite b/c it leaves lots of empty space in the loaded brass & it is easy to get pressure too high trying to push the heavier bullets in the mid 3,000's... I have really had excellent performance with imr 7828...not the 7828ssc although it's fine to use& I tried it, but the regular 7828 gives as good of velocity as you can get out of the cartridge and with single digit s.d.'s... also the mrp is a good option for the 130gr - 140gr ,but it also doesn't fill the case up nearly as much as I'd like to have. The powder that will give you the highest velocity with the heaviest bullets in the 150gr range w/o a doubt is V560,but velocity isn't the only ingredient for a great shooting load ,I just figured that you might want to know what powder would give the highest velocity of all the ones that I have used. Did you get the whidden dies? Or is he offering the forester dies with the 6.5sst yet?

 

[LRJunkie]

All excellent powders,I know the re 26 is popular with people, but personally it's not my favourite b/c it leaves lots of empty space in the loaded brass & it is easy to get pressure too high trying to push the heavier bullets in the mid 3,000's... I have really had excellent performance with imr 7828...not the 7828ssc although it's fine to use& I tried it, but the regular 7828 gives as good of velocity as you can get out of the cartridge and with single digit s.d.'s... also the mrp is a good option for the 130gr - 140gr ,but it also doesn't fill the case up nearly as much as I'd like to have. The powder that will give you the highest velocity with the heaviest bullets in the 150gr range w/o a doubt is V560,but velocity isn't the only ingredient for a great shooting load ,I just figured that you might want to know what powder would give the highest velocity of all the ones that I have used. Did you get the whidden dies? Or is he offering the forester dies with the 6.5sst yet?

Forster dies....

 

[LRJunkie]

All excellent powders,I know the re 26 is popular with people, but personally it's not my favourite b/c it leaves lots of empty space in the loaded brass & it is easy to get pressure too high trying to push the heavier bullets in the mid 3,000's... I have really had excellent performance with imr 7828...not the 7828ssc although it's fine to use& I tried it, but the regular 7828 gives as good of velocity as you can get out of the cartridge and with single digit s.d.'s... also the mrp is a good option for the 130gr - 140gr ,but it also doesn't fill the case up nearly as much as I'd like to have. The powder that will give you the highest velocity with the heaviest bullets in the 150gr range w/o a doubt is V560,but velocity isn't the only ingredient for a great shooting load ,I just figured that you might want to know what powder would give the highest velocity of all the ones that I have used. Did you get the whidden dies? Or is he offering the forester dies with the 6.5sst yet?

Also sounds like I should pick up some 7828 standard ??? What weight bullets are you running with the 7828 ???

 

[H59]

I ran the hornady 140 eld-m...the 143 eld-x and the 147 eld-m...I'd have to check my book,but I was using mid 60's grain load with fired,neck size only brass,cci br2 primers, the 7828 and the hornady bullets & getting 3050 to 3080 fps ,depending on the bullets, and all with single digit s.d.'s... But if you already have some of the powders you mentioned before you can use them & get good results. The imr 7828 in 8 lb jugs is usually available from several different companies and at under $200 delivered. After you do your barrel break in & get 100 rounds down the barrel, you'll be able to see what kind of velocity it will give you. Then if you want to change powders I'd definitely recommend it. But use what you got ...until...

 

[LRJunkie]

I ran the hornady 140 eld-m...the 143 eld-x and the 147 eld-m...I'd have to check my book,but I was using mid 60's grain load with fired,neck size only brass,cci br2 primers, the 7828 and the hornady bullets & getting 3050 to 3080 fps ,depending on the bullets, and all with single digit s.d.'s... But if you already have some of the powders you mentioned before you can use them & get good results. The imr 7828 in 8 lb jugs is usually available from several different companies and at under $200 delivered. After you do your barrel break in & get 100 rounds down the barrel, you'll be able to see what kind of velocity it will give you. Then if you want to change powders I'd definitely recommend it. But use what you got ...until...

Cool that sounds great... I do have all powders I mentioned on the shelf at the reloading bench... I was thinking H-1000 and 140 ELDM's for barrel brake in... What are your thoughts and where would you start the load ???

 

[H59]

I'll get back to you a little bit later on the H-1000 and a few of those other powders you have. I have a book that I keep with each rifle whenever I get a new barrel put on that I write down the specifics on each load I test& the powder, how much,coal,primers etc. So I'll send the info back to you when I can get a look at my book

 

[LRJunkie]

I'll get back to you a little bit later on the H-1000 and a few of those other powders you have. I have a book that I keep with each rifle whenever I get a new barrel put on that I write down the specifics on each load I test& the powder, how much,coal,primers etc. So I'll send the info back to you when I can get a look at my book

Wow, I truly appreciate any help you could provide...

 

[lancetkenyon]

I use H1000 and RL23 in my two 6.5SSs.
25.5" 1:8" Bartlein #3b
127 LRX @ 3198 RL23
124 HH @ 3189 RL23 (mild but very accurate)
140 Hybrid @ 3140 H1000
150 SMK @ 3113 RL26

26" 1:7.5" Proof Sendero Light (still breaking it in)
156 Elite @ 3078 RL23 (max load)
131HH coming soon

 

[H59]

Powder info for 6.5 Sherman sst with 24" barrel and ave. m.v. with 5 shot groups -
60.0gr of Retumbo w/ 140gr eld-m and cci200 primers @ 2.805" coal. With M.V. of ave. 3028fps (with .292 neck size only fired brass)
55.4gr. Of Re 26 w/ 147gr eld-m and Br2 primers @ 2.805" coal...ave. M.V. 2927fps
55.6gr of V560 w/ SMK 150gr and Br2 primers @ 2.815" coal...ave. M.V. 3017fps/ s.d. 6fps...
57.0gr of H1000 w/ 140gr eld-m and cci 200 primers @ 2.825"coal...ave. M.V. 3010fps...
56.0gr of imr 7977 w/ 143 eld-x and cci 200 primers @ 2.832" coal...ave. M.V. 2953fps...
59.8gr of imr 8133 w/ Berger 140gr hybrids and cci 200 primers @ 2.857" coal.. ave. M.v. 2996fps ...
56.5gr of Imr 7828ssc w/ 147gr eld-x and Br2 primers @ 2.800" coal ave. M.V. 3040fps & s.d. 6fps...with 140gr eld-m 3080fps(all else same as above...)
Hopefully this information can help get you started on load development... It goes w/o saying, but of course work up to the loads mentioned ,always start a little lower& u can always work up to a pressure point. Please let us know how the rifle and loads work out once you have everything shooting properly .

 

[LRJunkie]

Powder info for 6.5 Sherman sst with 24" barrel and ave. m.v. with 5 shot groups -
60.0gr of Retumbo w/ 140gr eld-m and cci200 primers @ 2.805" coal. With M.V. of ave. 3028fps (with .292 neck size only fired brass)
55.4gr. Of Re 26 w/ 147gr eld-m and Br2 primers @ 2.805" coal...ave. M.V. 2927fps
55.6gr of V560 w/ SMK 150gr and Br2 primers @ 2.815" coal...ave. M.V. 3017fps/ s.d. 6fps...
57.0gr of H1000 w/ 140gr eld-m and cci 200 primers @ 2.825"coal...ave. M.V. 3010fps...
56.0gr of imr 7977 w/ 143 eld-x and cci 200 primers @ 2.832" coal...ave. M.V. 2953fps...
59.8gr of imr 8133 w/ Berger 140gr hybrids and cci 200 primers @ 2.857" coal.. ave. M.v. 2996fps ...
56.5gr of Imr 7828ssc w/ 147gr eld-x and Br2 primers @ 2.800" coal ave. M.V. 3040fps & s.d. 6fps...with 140gr eld-m 3080fps(all else same as above...)
Hopefully this information can help get you started on load development... It goes w/o saying, but of course work up to the loads mentioned ,always start a little lower& u can always work up to a pressure point. Please let us know how the rifle and loads work out once you have everything shooting properly .

Great info and thank you for taking the time to share this with me......

 

[H59]

You should be able to expect a 20fps gain in velocity per inch of barrel length...a good educated guess for a 26" barrel's velocity should at least be 40fps more velocity than the averages I previously listed with the powder charges. It's quite possible that your barrel could generate a little more than the 20fps per inch gain in velocity, per inch of barrel length that I have experienced too. You never really know exactly how a barrel will perform until you shoot it.

 

[LRJunkie]

You should be able to expect a 20fps gain in velocity per inch of barrel length...a good educated guess for a 26" barrel's velocity should at least be 40fps more velocity than the averages I previously listed with the powder charges. It's quite possible that your barrel could generate a little more than the 20fps per inch gain in velocity, per inch of barrel length that I have experienced too. You never really know exactly how a barrel will perform until you shoot it.

I am with you in that... My current PRC barrell (Bartlien 5R 26") is faster than QL's projections and published data...
I will use the 140 eld-m's and maybe 140 Berger Hybrids for break in... Then I would like to focus on the A-Tips, 135's and 153's and the 156 EOL's....