Starting to source components for 6.5 Creedmore loading

[bearintex]

Got a good source for H4350. Store in Pearland has a bunch on the shelf.

Brass- I'm using once fired factory Hornady for now.

Bullets- I plan to stay with the heavies, 140 gr or better. Reading previous threads here, the Amax was the go to. But, it's been discontinued. I can fond a box here and there, but I don't want to spend the time and money to work up a load that I can't get parts for in a year or two. 143 ELD-x looks to be the replacement in a hunting bullet. Where are you getting them?

Coming from a lifelong pistol shooter and competitor, $0.30 or better every trigger pull just for the pill is tough to swallow. I'm used to $4-5/ 50 or less, having cast my own for years.

I plan to try and enter the long range game, so I will be shooting quite a bit, and I'd like to be able to settle on a load that I can hunt and compete with.

[sniper steve]

The "long range game" and "cheap" don't belong in the same sentence together. The 6.5 is the hot round right now, bust out your pocket book to get into the game.

I dropped the coin and bought a couple thousand AMax when they started getting scarce. But, a hunting bullet it is not(I was stuck on a thread arguing this for a few hours yesterday).

[J-Carp]

I have some once fired lapua brass I'd be willing to part with for a small fee if you're interested.


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[bearintex]

I have some once fired lapua brass I'd be willing to part with for a small fee if you're interested.


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I'm listening....

[Jethro]

6.5 bullet suitable for long range generally cost around $40-$45 per hundred, no matter whether you are talking Berger, Sierra, Lapua, or something else. The ELD-X is coming in about $10/100 cheaper than that, and the ELD-M is even a little under that. As far as a LR hunting bullet the 140 AMAX was just fine, but has gone the way of the dinosaur. Current options include the Berger Hunting VLD, Accubond LR, 143 ELD-X as far as high BC match grade bullets.

Which is not to say others won't work. The 140 Sierra Gameking is a 100% hunting bullet, and the BC isn't that bad either. There is also the 129 SST. While not the best to stretch range to the max on steel, both are more than capable at any distance you should be killing game with a 6.5 Creedmoor. If you use 1000 FPE as the benchmark, then the max effective killing range for the Creed falls somewhere between 600-800 yards depending on which bullet you are using and how hard you are pushing it. Honestly, if you want to reliably kill game further than that you need to step up to a larger caliber and quite a bit more powder. While the Creed has true LR capabilities on steel, on game is is more of a mid-range cartridge.

If you can find H-4350 now, buy it. It might not be there when you go back. It is still really hard to find. An alternate is IMR-4451 or RL-17. Hornady brass is fine as long as you don't try and run it as hot as you can for repeated firings. Hornady brass has soft primer pockets. That isn't saying you can't get good speed and repeated firings out of it, for sure you can. Just don't try pushing the envelope to the ragged edge if you want more than 2-4 firings out of it.

[bearintex]

Hunting will be 500 or so max.

Assuming mid range loads, what is the expected life for cases? Again, I'm used to basically unlimited life with powder puff pistol loads.

[Cajun Blake]

I have some once fired lapua brass I'd be willing to part with for a small fee if you're interested.


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just curious how you are forming the CM brass ..... from Lapua 22-250, 260, or 308 ?

[Jethro]

I have some cases for test loads that I have fired 8 times, but they have also been annealed twice. Most of the rest I am on my 4th or 5th firing, but I have 250 cases as well, so that stretches out the use a bit.

The only way to get Lapua cases at the moment is to form from something else. You can use the cases CB mentioned, as well as 243. They are saying though that Lapua is coming out with small primer 6.5 Creed next spring. That would let you jump up to the pressures a lot of the 6.5x47 guys are running which will start to open up the gap between the Creed and Lapua. There is also Nosler brass, and Norma, which I think is the same thing. Pretty sure Norma makes Nosler brass, and headstamps it different. I could be wrong on that though.

Most hunting bullets will be just fine in the Creed to 500, that is no problem. The problem is getting one of them to go 1200-1300+ yards on steel. Unless you want one load for distance, and one load for hunting, which is a PITA. IMO better to find one bullet that does both, even though that limits your options to just a few bullets.

[J-Carp]

just curious how you are forming the CM brass ..... from Lapua 22-250, 260, or 308 ?

Its factory ammo made by prime ammo. They use lapua brass

Ps sorry it took so long to reply, i didnt see this till just now


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[malky102]

Its factory ammo made by prime ammo. They use lapua brass

Ps sorry it took so long to reply, i didnt see this till just now


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Don't think it is lapua brass. Talked to the owner Monday and the ammo is made by the Swiss government he said it was Norma brass.

[J-Carp]

Don't think it is lapua brass. Talked to the owner Monday and the ammo is made by the Swiss government he said it was Norma brass.

You know, I think you're right. When he asked how I was sizing it I second guessed myself and went and looked at their site and didn't find any info but if you talked to them then I would say you're right. My bad.


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[Cajun Blake]

Its factory ammo made by prime ammo. They use lapua brass

Ps sorry it took so long to reply, i didnt see this till just now

Don't think it is lapua brass. Talked to the owner Monday and the ammo is made by the Swiss government he said it was Norma brass.

You know, I think you're right. When he asked how I was sizing it I second guessed myself and went and looked at their site and didn't find any info but if you talked to them then I would say you're right. My bad.

Norma brass is good but known to be soft

if you push the limits with velocity and pressure primer pockets will likely expand rendering the brass useless


I've personally witnessed Lapua brass being fired 40x's each under very high pressure and primer pockets were still tight and brass still useable