Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Reload Help Needed 6.5 Creedmoor

Maybe moot, but IME a rifle take a few rounds down the tube to settle in. 6 shots isn’t even indicative of capability.

Popping quads ?

He shot 6 factory rounds that grouped “1/4 MOA”

He then spent the last year trying to match that accuracy with hand loads. No mention whatsoever of group size with hand loads,

That is all we know at this point.

He could be shooting 1/2” groups, dunno.

And then to have someone else loading your rounds for you, over a years time,

And you can’t get a Creed to shoot?

Doesn’t add up.

Conventional wisdom: One can always load better than factory.

Maybe not so much with the Creed. Factory ammo is that good.

And people wonder why the Creed caught on, great off the shelf ammo, budget priced rifles that sometimes outshoot high priced custom guns. Yeah, that’s been known to happen.

So Creed haters may just be jealous. Reckon that’s been know to happen. Hmmm….

DF

I agree. The op is very vague too. If he was having someone else load his ammo, that person would/should have it dialed in pretty quickly, unless something is wrong with the rifle. The op also does not state when the last time was that he shot factory ammo. I am still in full agreement with beretzs on this one. Did something go awry in the years time? A lot not adding up, but guys are wanting to jump in with both feet and say it's a handloading issue. Just doesn't make sense, when you start putting 2 and 2 together. Generally you need to start from the start. It's really showing some ignorance here as well, with some of these posters that should know better.

Sorry for the delay, everyone.

I plan to shoot factory ammunition this weekend and will post my results. The first link has two photos from last weekend. The type of powder and load amounts are in the pictures. Only one group seemed promising this past weekend, but still not ideal, and we will try to shoot close variations to that again. I will also make sure everything is screwed down correctly and any other tips given here. The gun is 4.7 lbs without the scope, FYI. I believe the scope is around 18 ounces. I will also try to measure the velocity too.

All shots are from 100 Yards on a secure bench that is bolted down to the concrete. I am using a lead sled that makes it very easy for the shooter, and I have shot very well with other rifles on it—the same shooting procedure from the beginning. The last photo was the first six shots that went down the barrel over a year ago with factory ammunition. I adjusted the turret once after the first shot that went high, and the following five were left untouched. The 1/4 MOA could be left to interpretation from this photo as there were more than three shots. I apologize for that original statement, as it may not be correct. The important thing here is it shot more than well, IMO.

https://imgur.com/a/jioZmgf (reloading)
https://imgur.com/a/fkUmXii (factory A over a year ago)

I would like to bring this gun on a Muley/prong horn combination hunt in the plains of Wyoming in late October. I hope to shoot a prong up to 300 yards, but I don't feel comfortable passing 100 yards with these inconsistent reload groups.

Suppose the Factory shoots pretty well again this weekend. I may stick with that until I figure out what's going on.

I wanted to see if the gun or the loads was the issue. Thank you for everyone's comments.

Ok, your factory target throwing out the one on top, the dispersion looks more like 1” not 1/4”. On your hand loads you had 1 with 4831 that the 3 look about ~1” and also 1 with 4350 ~1”. Basically all I see is the need to tweak a couple and shoot again.

Addendum

Use your chronograph and some wind flags on the reshoot.

I'd try bumping your charges some with both loads. They seem a little on the low side. 40-41 grains with the 143 always seemed like the place to be. Never tried H4831 but looking at other data it may be a bit low as well.

The Chrono will let you know where you can go though.

I don't think you're as far away as you think.

Yep, what Swifty said. Your factory group is pretty darned good for a lightweight rifle. Your 38.5 grain and 42 grain handloads are almost right there with the factory loads.


Of course with just a few 3 shot groups, you aren't getting really good data points. Assuming that either your factory or your handloads can repeat those groups with more testing, I'd feel perfectly comfortable using them out to 300 yards.

If you are going to shoot off of sticks, a bipod or a backpack on your hunt, shoot that way at the range too. Lightweight rifles can be a bit finicky about where you put pressure on them.

Yep, lotsa room between the 38.5 and 42gr H4350 loads to play. If I were a betting man, I'd put money on the answer being in the low 40's and a little monkeying with seating depth.

But I also wouldn't fret the factory ammo - that's shooting pretty well. I'd be itching to see what it does at 300.

A gun that light has a pencil thin barrel, it;’s never going to win any matches, Only the first shot matters.

A little tweaking and you’ll have a 1 MOA rifle, which is way more common than most want to admit,

42.6 grains of H4350, and a Berger 140 VLD, Winning load for me.

Nothing personal but why a 5.75 lb rifle on a plains hunt?

I hate to be that guy, (but), Grab a Tikka for half the price and go slay things.

Agree with these yahoos.......

Yep, lotsa room between the 38.5 and 42gr H4350 loads to play. If I were a betting man, I'd put money on the answer being in the low 40's and a little monkeying with seating depth.

But I also wouldn't fret the factory ammo - that's shooting pretty well. I'd be itching to see what it does at 300.[/quote]

Agree with these yahoos.......[/quote]\

Yep, after fooling with seven 6.5 CMs over the past 15 years, have generally found that 41.5 H4350 does pretty well--which was the load listed on the original Hornady factory 140 A-Max ammo...

Which is what I used with the 140 Berger VLD to shoot the very first 100-yard group with a Ruger American Predator--which is five shots, not three--as the fired cases indicate:

JaredTT, my cousin picked up a Tikka T3 in 6.5 creedmoor and was having some real trouble in the accuracy department. He was routinely shooting 1.5" groups. I watched him shoot his gun and emediately picked out what I considered to be terrible form. Some guns can shoot but not all people can shoot a gun. I shot two consecutive groups with his gun with bullets touching. While his gun shot like shiz with him behind the trigger the gun proved to be sniper capable when I was pulling the trigger. I can tell you that if your not putting "thousands" of rounds downrange on a continual basis it is certainly possible that this could be at least part of the problem. If this isn't the case than please completely disregard my thoughts on this. If your a bit newer to shooting practice shooting a bit more and if you can get under moa call yourself blessed for now

Thank you for all of your responses. The gun was shot again this past weekend, and shot about MOA with the H4350 in the low 40's. We plan to play around that number, and the seating depth. I like the flag and chronograph idea. Definitely planning using that too.

Due to the weight of the gun and thickness of the barrel, it makes sense I may not get better results. This was my first new rifle. I'll likely get a heavier barrel on the next go around.

Final update. Seems we got it dialed in. Here is the lastest group of H4350 in 41.3 grains @ 100 yards

https://imgur.com/a/cxNcil3

That'll work.