Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Best powders for the 6.5 Creedmoor?

I decided to give this much talked about chambering a try. I went to Whittaker Guns and purchased a new Tikka T3x Lite SS rifle with a 1-8” twist 24.3” barrel. I have mounted a VX3i 3.5-10x40 in Talley LWs and have zeroed the rifle with a box of factory Hornady 143 ELD-X cartridges (which shoot great) and am ready to start working on handloads. I also bought a couple of boxes of the relatively new Speer 120 gr. 6.5 Gold Dots. A couple of questions: are these bullets the Fusion bullets as loaded by Federal in other chamberings? And what powder would be the best for use with this bullet and other weight and profile bullets? I do know that Hornady used 39.0 gr. of Varget behind their 120 gr. A-Max in their original factory loads, so RL 15 should also work.

Reloading info is still in the infancy stage in this cartridge, or so it seems to me, so any load information will be appreciated. Understand that I do start low and work up. I seem to see a lot of RL 17 being used as well as H4350. What about one of my favorites, Big Game? What say you?

We tried H-4350 and RL-17 but settled on IMR-4064 with 140 grain Hornaday bullets.

They are shot in a M1A and so far have been quite good.

He bought some 129 grain Nosler bullets but they have not been shot yet.

The 17 did shoot tighter groups with good speed than the H-4350.

Hodgdon, Alliant, Nosler, Western Powders, Sierra, Barnes, Berger all have online data for the 6.5 Creedmoor. Hornady just came out with the latest edition of their loading manual and it has Creedmoor data.

IMR 4451, H4350, and RL17 work best for me so far.

Thank you so much!

H4350, IMR4451, R26 for me.

I use IMR 4350 in mine with 120 Barnes. Slays pigs, I haven’t killed a deer yet.

RL16, RL17 and RL26.

Tried H4350 and IMR 4451. They gave up too much velocity and were no more accurate.

RL17 has shown best absolute accuracy but it lost about 60 FPS in the cold. RL16 loses no velocity in the cold while offering great velocity and accuracy. RL26 has shown some promise, but my limited trials with it show a little less velocity than 16.

Edit: just saw you mentioned lighter bullets. There RL17 was great. 2911FPS for a 125 Partition. 22” barrel.

Thanks for the helpful replies. I’ve got most of the powders mentioned. I may have to pick up some RL 16. I also of course will pick up some more bullets including Eld’s and a few Berger VLD’s. Just have to figure out this Creedmoor thing.

So far, my CTR in 6.5 Creed likes the 139-147 gr bullets. Most accurate with 139 scenar, 140 and 147gr ELD-M. I use Norma MRP and RL26 for max velocity and most accurate. Granted mine is a measly 20” tube. But I am getting 2700 FPS from a 139 gr scenar with less than max charges.

Mine likes the scenar alot too. Mind sharing your load out of curiosity?

I’ve attained great accuracy from both h4350 & RL 26 but RL 26 is much faster in my rifle.

RL 16 & 17 for me. Want to try IMR 4451.

You guys shooting RL26, is that with 140+ bullet weights, or lighter?

I'm using 47.2 gr MRP and 139 scenar at 2.810 OAL. Its right about 55K PSI, so way under SAMMI spec but I’ll take 2700 FPS from a 20” barrel and 5 shots that go into this:




and 10 shots into this:

I’ve only tried RL 26 with 140 & 147 gr bullets. My most accurate load is averaging roughly 2,900 FPS with the 147 ELDM our of a 28” barrel. once fired Lapua brass, cci br-4 primer, col if 2.880”.

My Howa likes W760. IMR4064 wasn't bad either.

Re 15,1617,26, IMR4350, 4451, H4350. All shot well. I used some with 130-class bullets and some with heavier. My rifle liked everything that I fed it.