Did i see somewhere on here the recipe for Hornaday Precision Hunter 6.5CM
- Thread starter champ198
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AWS
Custom Accessory Maker & Retired PM Staff
I don't think you can find the exact formula as Hornady doesn't use available canister powders to produce factory ammo. You can duplicate the velocity, and seating depth with various powders and a chronograph. Data to do this is found in most new reloading manuals.
Hidalgo
Well-known member
Their data shows it as 2700fps. And that's pretty spiffy for a 143 out of a CM.
I have played with many, many powders and bullets out of my Creedmoor over the last few years, and although it isn't a direct answer to your inquiry, my rifle shoots most accurately with loads that end up being a bit under published max. Any 140 or 143 bullet should shoot well with either StaBall 6.5, Varget, or H4350. All three have given good results across the board for myself and several other people I know. And once again .... these loads ended up being in the 2500 +/- area. And no animal is going to tell the difference in 100/200 fps out of that cartridge.
After saying all that, I have recently backed down from the 140 class bullets and have gone to Berger 135 Classic Hunters. They load easier and I can get them closer to the rifling lands because of the shape. They are a bit more accurate than any of the 140s I have used in my rifle. FWIW .......
I have played with many, many powders and bullets out of my Creedmoor over the last few years, and although it isn't a direct answer to your inquiry, my rifle shoots most accurately with loads that end up being a bit under published max. Any 140 or 143 bullet should shoot well with either StaBall 6.5, Varget, or H4350. All three have given good results across the board for myself and several other people I know. And once again .... these loads ended up being in the 2500 +/- area. And no animal is going to tell the difference in 100/200 fps out of that cartridge.
After saying all that, I have recently backed down from the 140 class bullets and have gone to Berger 135 Classic Hunters. They load easier and I can get them closer to the rifling lands because of the shape. They are a bit more accurate than any of the 140s I have used in my rifle. FWIW .......
They used to put the load data for the original 140 Amax load on the box. IIRC it was 41(ish) grains of H4350. At some point I believe they moved to a non-canister powder and stopped listing the data.
Hidalgo…. 2700 with a 140/143 is stout. I took a Ruger American in 6.5 Creed down to the Whittington Center many years ago, and shot that old 140 factory load. It was June or July in Raton, and temps were in the low 90’s. I had swipe marks on almost every piece of brass.
Hidalgo…. 2700 with a 140/143 is stout. I took a Ruger American in 6.5 Creed down to the Whittington Center many years ago, and shot that old 140 factory load. It was June or July in Raton, and temps were in the low 90’s. I had swipe marks on almost every piece of brass.
Hidalgo
Well-known member
Originally Posted By: COinWA
Hidalgo…. 2700 with a 140/143 is stout. I took a Ruger American in 6.5 Creed down to the Whittington Center many years ago, and shot that old 140 factory load. It was June or July in Raton, and temps were in the low 90’s. I had swipe marks on almost every piece of brass.
That's what I was trying to say. I've never ran my Creedmoor anywhere near that fast without seeing at least some type of pressure signs. And like I said, I see much better accuracy around the 2500 range.
Some rifles with different chamber specs might be able to get away with it but mine definitely won't.
Hidalgo…. 2700 with a 140/143 is stout. I took a Ruger American in 6.5 Creed down to the Whittington Center many years ago, and shot that old 140 factory load. It was June or July in Raton, and temps were in the low 90’s. I had swipe marks on almost every piece of brass.
That's what I was trying to say. I've never ran my Creedmoor anywhere near that fast without seeing at least some type of pressure signs. And like I said, I see much better accuracy around the 2500 range.
Some rifles with different chamber specs might be able to get away with it but mine definitely won't.
arlaunch
Active member
Powder charges from any source are just a reference for me.
Just from book to book, company to company the ranges are extreme. And for good reason!
Just the round count on your own particular rifle will affect velocity data. Probably one of the biggest things i have found affecting pressure is case capacity variations of different manufactures brass.
WLR primers will definitely increase pressure with certain powders as they are hotter primers. Expect +50fps
Many times just a different lot of the same powder can be different by 1-2 grains in larger cartridges!
I would say much of the time, I hit book velocity prior to reaching max load. (this is usually at, or very close to where i stop going up in charge weight)
Sometimes book max velocity is much lower. In this case i usually keep adding until velocity is adequate.
Powder charges are just a reference.
If you run your brass over pressure it will not respond to the sizing die like brass ran inside its pressure limits. This creates fliers.
It is best to do this right, (as AWS posted) Or just keep buying factory ammo.
I am starting to buy more and more of Hornady's factory ammo these days. This is from a guy who would not touch factory ammo ever!
Just from book to book, company to company the ranges are extreme. And for good reason!
Just the round count on your own particular rifle will affect velocity data. Probably one of the biggest things i have found affecting pressure is case capacity variations of different manufactures brass.
WLR primers will definitely increase pressure with certain powders as they are hotter primers. Expect +50fps
Many times just a different lot of the same powder can be different by 1-2 grains in larger cartridges!
I would say much of the time, I hit book velocity prior to reaching max load. (this is usually at, or very close to where i stop going up in charge weight)
Sometimes book max velocity is much lower. In this case i usually keep adding until velocity is adequate.
Powder charges are just a reference.
If you run your brass over pressure it will not respond to the sizing die like brass ran inside its pressure limits. This creates fliers.
It is best to do this right, (as AWS posted) Or just keep buying factory ammo.
I am starting to buy more and more of Hornady's factory ammo these days. This is from a guy who would not touch factory ammo ever!
Just because it’s factory ammo…. doesn’t mean it won’t be “warm” on occasion too. ESPECIALLY the Hornady stuff in newer rounds (Creeds, PRCs, etc). Tough to sell rounds for new cartridges when they do the same thing as old cartridges…. so they tend to push them harder than cartridges that may end up in older firearms.
Pressure signs are pressure signs… regardless of whether the rounds were loaded in a factory, or your garage.
Pressure signs are pressure signs… regardless of whether the rounds were loaded in a factory, or your garage.