Who runs small primers in their 6.5 Creedmore?

Screwtop.243 · Jun 21, 2018

Hi All,

I'm hoping to have my chassis rifle (Tikka) later this summer and truth be told, if I can get it in .260 Rem, that's what I'm gonna do. If that's not an option, my fall back will be the 6.5 Creedmoore and I'm wondering if any of you have done a head to head comparison on the small vs. large primer brass option (Lapua) with the 6.5 CRDM? If so, can you share any thoughts? Were the ES/SD numbers any better with one primer vs. the other? How 'bout the all important group size?

Lapua brass ain't cheap and a box of it will last a while with the number of cycles I'm used to getting out of it. I want to make the right choice out of the gate if I get the CRDM.

Thanks!

ST.243

BradMacc82 · Jul 1, 2018

I've previously considered going to .308 Palma brass and necking/turning it for .260 duty, but I honestly have had such repeatable consistency with mine in LRP brass that it makes it hard to justify "fixing something that ain't broke".

Speed3 · Jul 1, 2018

I'm not complete with load testing but generally SP can be run hotter before popping primers.

BradMacc82 · Jul 1, 2018

Hmm, then it may be worth a batch of small primer brass as consideration.

If I can crack 3K fps w/out pressure signs on the 142's, and retain the repeatable accuracy I've seen so far - it's tempting.

**But in all honesty, I don't think I'm going to deviate from what's been proven to work well in my rifle.

RetiredArmyGuy · Jul 13, 2018

I haven’t tried SR primer brass yet. I am currently reloading Hornady brass with LR primers. The only thing I have found that really seems to bring ES/SD down is when I changed to a set of Redding competition dies. I have read that the SR primer brass does help with ES/SD but I just haven’t gotten around to buying some.

Bountied · Jul 13, 2018

I bought 100 pieces of brass from Graf and Sons with the small primer pockets. My loads are. The bullet is 147gr ELD-X, 34gr of Varget, COL 2.8", SD was 8.2 and the ES was 22fps but my velocity with Varget was only 2388 which is slow. My other load is 147gr ELD-X 42gr H4350, COL 2.8", SD 17, ES 48, 2655fps, better. I have a Tikka T3X Tac A1 and it shoots about .5moa or better with everything I've put through it. I get good accuracy with the Hornady factory loads too and the SD, ES is about the same.

These are my first 2 loads. I like the BC of the ELD-X but may go lighter to get more velocity with a different bullet. I'd say go with the small primer pocket if you want to push your loads. I do get a slightly sticky bolt sometimes with both of my reloads and they are below the max load for both powders. There are no signs of excessive pressure so maybe it's just the brass?

Screwtop.243 · Jul 18, 2018

Bountied said:
I bought 100 pieces of brass from Graf and Sons with the small primer pockets. My loads are. The bullet is 147gr ELD-X, 34gr of Varget, COL 2.8", SD was 8.2 and the ES was 22fps but my velocity with Varget was only 2388 which is slow. My other load is 147gr ELD-X 42gr H4350, COL 2.8", SD 17, ES 48, 2655fps, better. I have a Tikka T3X Tac A1 and it shoots about .5moa or better with everything I've put through it. I get good accuracy with the Hornady factory loads too and the SD, ES is about the same.

These are my first 2 loads. I like the BC of the ELD-X but may go lighter to get more velocity with a different bullet. I'd say go with the small primer pocket if you want to push your loads. I do get a slightly sticky bolt sometimes with both of my reloads and they are below the max load for both powders. There are no signs of excessive pressure so maybe it's just the brass?

Thanks for the information! I'm used to running CCI 450 magnum primers in my 6.5 X 47L with good luck and as the CRDM is similar, I'm thinking I'll have good luck with it as well. I don't have the Tikka yet, but I have a box of Hornady 143 ELD-X bullets ready to go. I suppose I'll start out with H4350 but I got some Varget and some H4831sc to play around with too. Your Varget load seems kind of light. Not sure why you'd be getting a sticky bolt :confused:

Bountied · Jul 18, 2018

Screwtop.243 said:
Thanks for the information! I'm used to running CCI 450 magnum primers in my 6.5 X 47L with good luck and as the CRDM is similar, I'm thinking I'll have good luck with it as well. I don't have the Tikka yet, but I have a box of Hornady 143 ELD-X bullets ready to go. I suppose I'll start out with H4350 but I got some Varget and some H4831sc to play around with too. Your Varget load seems kind of light. Not sure why you'd be getting a sticky bolt

Yeah the Varget is not fast enough. I'm thinking it's the brass? The pressures I'm running are below max for grain weights from Hornady reloading manual. It's not really bad just occasionally there is some resistance on the bolt handle. I may go to a lighter bullet to get more velocity but you lose BC. I like the .625 BC of the ELD-X bullets

Bountied · Jul 18, 2018

What about COAL? Does everyone try to be .015 off the lands? I tried this in my .308 and the accuracy went down so I load to 2.800 COAL and things seem fine.

Screwtop.243 · Jul 18, 2018

Bountied said:
What about COAL? Does everyone try to be .015 off the lands? I tried this in my .308 and the accuracy went down so I load to 2.800 COAL and things seem fine.

I usually run .020 off the lands with just about everything and chase the throat at that distance with all kinds of calibers (.22-250, .243, 25-06, 6.5 Lapua/Norma and .308). I'm .034 into the throat on my .25-06 and it still shoots great. I always use a cartridge base to ogive "CBTO" measurement rather than the COAL, as it seems a bit more precise. Deformed meplats and dented ballistic tips can throw you off a bit on a COAL measurement, I've found. But then again, I've also seen as much as .007" variance in CBTO between different lots of the same bullet. Not surprising I guess.

Bountied · Jul 18, 2018

Screwtop.243 said:
I usually run .020 off the lands with just about everything and chase the throat at that distance with all kinds of calibers (.22-250, .243, 25-06, 6.5 Lapua/Norma and .308). I'm .034 into the throat on my .25-06 and it still shoots great. I always use a cartridge base to ogive "CBTO" measurement rather than the COAL, as it seems a bit more precise. Deformed meplats and dented ballistic tips can throw you off a bit on a COAL measurement, I've found. But then again, I've also seen as much as .007" variance in CBTO between different lots of the same bullet. Not surprising I guess.

The ELD-X has a polymer tip and seem to be consistent. How do you get accurate measurements to the ogive?

Speed3 · Jul 18, 2018

Bountied said:
The ELD-X has a polymer tip and seem to be consistent. How do you get accurate measurements to the ogive?

Hornady makes bullet comparators. The pack ranges from 223 on up.

Bountied · Jul 18, 2018

Speed3 said:
Hornady makes bullet comparators. The pack ranges from 223 on up.

Cool, guess I could try it out. So you have to seat each bullet a little differently to get the same length?

Speed3 · Jul 18, 2018

Bountied said:
Cool, guess I could try it out. So you have to seat each bullet a little differently to get the same length?

I dont seat each one differentially and they are usually. 001" base to ogive. I buy bullets in lots of 500, so that helps. Ive also found sierra bullets to be much more consistent than say Berger bullets from lot to lot.

Here is a link to the comparator.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1...ad-bullet-comparator-basic-set-with-6-inserts

They are nice to have....also pick up overall length guage, they make one for a bolt and one for a semi(you can use the semi in both actions).

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/570611/hornady-lock-n-load-overall-length-gauge-bolt-action

Hornady sells cases that will thread onto the overall length guage. I have lots of cases so if you need to borrow one, you're more than welcome.

Using the tools above you can fine tune how far you are jumping the bullet from the lands....believe it or not, it makes a difference in accuracy.

Screwtop.243 · Jul 18, 2018

Speed3 said:
I dont seat each one differentially and they are usually. 001" base to ogive. I buy bullets in lots of 500, so that helps. Ive also found sierra bullets to be much more consistent than say Berger bullets from lot to lot.

Here is a link to the comparator.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1...ad-bullet-comparator-basic-set-with-6-inserts

They are nice to have....also pick up overall length guage, they make one for a bolt and one for a semi(you can use the semi in both actions).

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/570611/hornady-lock-n-load-overall-length-gauge-bolt-action

Hornady sells cases that will thread onto the overall length guage. I have lots of cases so if you need to borrow one, you're more than welcome.

Using the tools above you can fine tune how far you are jumping the bullet from the lands....believe it or not, it makes a difference in accuracy.

Yup. That's what I use. Don't forget the comparator case for each cartridge you plan to reload for. Once you start using CBTO as your standard, you will probably never go back to COAL.

Regards,

ST.243

Bountied · Jul 18, 2018

I tried the make your own length gauge technique. You take a spent piece of brass and cut a slit in it longitudinally with a dremel cutting wheel . The you put a bullet in the cut case, put it in the rifle and close the bolt. The bullet will be pushed back by the lands. Get your measurement and back it off by .02 then do your reload COAL off of that. It seemed to work, but it may be a flawed method. Definitely cheaper than the gauge. I always like to have a reason to buy new tools.

Screwtop.243 · Jul 19, 2018

Bountied said:
I tried the make your own length gauge technique. You take a spent piece of brass and cut a slit in it longitudinally with a dremel cutting wheel . The you put a bullet in the cut case, put it in the rifle and close the bolt. The bullet will be pushed back by the lands. Get your measurement and back it off by .02 then do your reload COAL off of that. It seemed to work, but it may be a flawed method. Definitely cheaper than the gauge. I always like to have a reason to buy new tools.

Very industrious of you and I agree!

Who runs small primers in their 6.5 Creedmore?

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