Choice of powder

[Vesterhoff]

So i got myself a brand new rifle in 6,5 creedmoor

It's a short and handy little thing, with a 20" barrel + suppressor.

Do to all kind of laws about hunting, and availability overhere, i narrowed my options down to two different bullets: The Hornady Eld-X 143 grains or the Berger EOL 156 grains. (Most likely the Berger, since i have to run the Eld-X at minimum of 811 meters pr. second, in order for it to have the impact-force, for it to be legal for hunting large game. Yep, stupid rules, but what are you gonna do'!?)

So the question is, what kind of powder to fling a heavy VLD-bullet at maximum efficiency in my short barrel?

If possible, please include data such as burn-rate on the powder in your answer, since i don't necessarily have acces to the same brands on the other side of the Atlantic

 

[Len Backus]

Moved to RELOADING

 

[aushunter1]

since i have to run the Eld-X at minimum of 811 meters pr. second, in order for it to have the impact-force, for it to be legal for hunting large game. Yep, stupid rules, but what are you gonna do'!?)

So the question is, what kind of powder to fling a heavy VLD-bullet at maximum efficiency in my short barrel?

Wow, how would they even check that??

Anyway I dont reload for 6.5CM but overall after years of being on different forums many people say they get more velocity out of Alliant RL powders than others.

Get Latest Powder Burn Rate Chart HERE « Daily Bulletin

Hey guys, you'll probably want to download this Powder Burn Rate Table issued by Hodgdon/IMR. This table shows the latest IMR powders including the Enduron series (IMR 4166, 4451, 4955, 7977), high-lighted in green below.

bulletin.accurateshooter.com

If there a reason why you need to go so heavy on the projectiles(156 mainly)??

I use 130/140's tops in my 260 rem & they work well on most deer species here.

 

[FEENIX]

So i got myself a brand new rifle in 6,5 creedmoor

It's a short and handy little thing, with a 20" barrel + suppressor.

Do to all kind of laws about hunting, and availability overhere, i narrowed my options down to two different bullets: The Hornady Eld-X 143 grains or the Berger EOL 156 grains. (Most likely the Berger, since i have to run the Eld-X at minimum of 811 meters pr. second, in order for it to have the impact-force, for it to be legal for hunting large game. Yep, stupid rules, but what are you gonna do'!?)

So the question is, what kind of powder to fling a heavy VLD-bullet at maximum efficiency in my short barrel?

If possible, please include data such as burn-rate on the powder in your answer, since i don't necessarily have acces to the same brands on the other side of the Atlantic

IIWY, I'd contact Berger directly for a recommendation.

The heaviest bullet published for the 6.5 CM is for 140.

 

[Kmccord]

130's and 140's are to me the heaviest to be used in the 6.5 Creed, however, if you are looking for velocity in the Creed, I think Alliant RL26 is what everyone in the states has been using, I have not yet, but a search on this website should provide what you need, good luck.

 

[budlight]

hodgdon online reloading gives loads for a 147 gr 24 inch barrel going 835 mps with Hybird 100V and Superformance

Your problem is the short barrel. Energy is of course mass X velocity. It has been my observation that for any rifle the foot pounds of energy at the muzzle is consistent from the lightest to the heaviest bullet when loaded to near max with the best powder for each weight. So a 6.5 CM 100 grain has the same foot pounds as the 156 probably out to 50 meters. It is only with distance that the heavier higher BC bullet can strike with higher foot pounds of energy.

with a 20 inch barrel you want the lighter bullet with faster powder to create the highest striking power. Slowest powders only work with heavy for caliber pills in the longer barrels.

So I use the above two powders in all my 6mm .257 .260 .277 rounds

 

[Vesterhoff]

Wow, how would they even check that??

Anyway I dont reload for 6.5CM but overall after years of being on different forums many people say they get more velocity out of Alliant RL powders than others.

Get Latest Powder Burn Rate Chart HERE « Daily Bulletin

Hey guys, you'll probably want to download this Powder Burn Rate Table issued by Hodgdon/IMR. This table shows the latest IMR powders including the Enduron series (IMR 4166, 4451, 4955, 7977), high-lighted in green below.

bulletin.accurateshooter.com

If there a reason why you need to go so heavy on the projectiles(156 mainly)??

I use 130/140's tops in my 260 rem & they work well on most deer species here.

I have no idea, but i do not intend to lose permit and rifle, if someone figures out a way!

The law here states:

For large game you need a minimum of a 9 gram bullet, with an impact-force of 2700 Joules at a 100 meters. For the Eld-X that means muzzle velocity of 811 meters pr. second ore more.

Alternatively you need a minimum og a 10 gram bullet, with an impact-force of 2000 Joules at a 100 meters. For the heavy Berger, that means lees than 700 meters pr. second, which should be easily achieved.

So far i managed 780 meters pr. second with the Eld-X, with a slow-burning powder from Vithovouri (N560), so i've got quite a stretch to go. The barrel have only ran 10 shots so far, so hoping for a bit of pickup, after its broken in.

 

[Vesterhoff]

IIWY, I'd contact Berger directly for a recommendation.

The heavies bullet published for the 6.5 CM is for 140.

6.5 mm 156 Grain Elite Hunter Rifle Bullet

The long-awaited 6.5 mm 156gr Elite Hunter bullets are purpose-built for hunters demanding a heavy-bullet solution for their 6.5 caliber long-range hunting platforms. Elite Hunter bullets are “heaviest-in-class” and designed to break the common trend-line for today's heavy hunting offerings.

bergerbullets.com

 

[aushunter1]

Your states regs are your regs & sure I get that you need to meet them.
Still knowing you need to meet them you went with what I would call a small capacity cartridge & calibre and in a 6.5cm with a 20" barrel losing about 200fps over a 24" barrel!

Like I'm saying I don't totally get your rules or what the intended game is but It does throw into question your choice.

Different story if you were pushing that 156g out of a 6.5x284!

 

[FEENIX]

6.5 mm 156 Grain Elite Hunter Rifle Bullet

The long-awaited 6.5 mm 156gr Elite Hunter bullets are purpose-built for hunters demanding a heavy-bullet solution for their 6.5 caliber long-range hunting platforms. Elite Hunter bullets are “heaviest-in-class” and designed to break the common trend-line for today's heavy hunting offerings.

bergerbullets.com

No, I mean contact their Tech Support. They often have recommendations that are unpublished or untested by them that their customers send to them. I also have 156 and got a few powder recommendations from them but mine is for .264 WM with 26" 1:7", and they are slow-burning ones. IIWY, I'd experiment with powders you can get locally that is good for the 130-140 (below is for a 135) and go from there ...

https://bergerbullets.com/pdf/6.5-Creedmoor-135gr.pdf

 

[aushunter1]

Of course your also going to have problems with the 156g & case capacity in the 6.5CM even if you find load data for it.
It would want to have a lot of free bore/long throat!

 

[Vesterhoff]

Of course your also going to have problems with the 156g & case capacity in the 6.5CM even if you find load data for it.
It would want to have a lot of free bore/long throat!

I wrote Berger, and they have the data for the 6,5 creedmoor, but you have to call them to get the data. One can wonder, why they don't want to post the data on paper

 

[budlight]

I have no idea, but i do not intend to lose permit and rifle, if someone figures out a way!

The law here states:

For large game you need a minimum of a 9 gram bullet, with an impact-force of 2700 Joules at a 100 meters. For the Eld-X that means muzzle velocity of 811 meters pr. second ore more.

Alternatively you need a minimum og a 10 gram bullet, with an impact-force of 2000 Joules at a 100 meters. For the heavy Berger, that means lees than 700 meters pr. second, which should be easily achieved.

So far i managed 780 meters pr. second with the Eld-X, with a slow-burning powder from Vithovouri (N560), so i've got quite a stretch to go. The barrel have only ran 10 shots so far, so hoping for a bit of pickup, after its broken in.

So with the Eld-x I would try hybird h100v, Ramshot hunter, and hodgdon Superformance.

Or superformance with the heavy Berger. I've owned wildcat rifles or tried new powders with "Zero" or limited loading data available . I've been very successful in looking at the powder burn rate charts and figuring out how much powder to use. Like you know how much N560 you used with the Eld-x . superformance is faster on the burn rate chart. Drop down 4 grains as a starting load and increase in .5 grain or .3 increments and just match the pressure signs of the primer compared to the n560 load.

here we have online calculators for foot pounds of energy. I'm sure that you can find a joules of energy calculator. Kinetic energy is directly proportional to the mass of the object and to the square of its velocity: K.E. = 1/2 m v2. If the mass has units of kilograms and the velocity of meters per second, the kinetic energy has units of kilograms-meters squared per second squared. Kinetic energy is usually measured in units of Joules (J); one Joule is equal to 1 kg m2 / s2.

 

[sierracharlie338]

I wrote Berger, and they have the data for the 6,5 creedmoor, but you have to call them to get the data. One can wonder, why they don't want to post the data on paper

It not posted for liability reasons. Often times, as mentioned earlier, that data is sent to them from customers or end users and they have not tested it to approve it for distribution across the board. Besides, the 156 in the CM is not a popular bullet choice due to case capacity.

Let us know if it works out for you.