Top 3 powders for precision 6.5 loads

[Stradibarrius]

With the current rush on reloading supplies, powder in?cluded,, what are your 3 top choices for powder if loading a 140 or 142 weight bullet? It seems thaw H4350 is "most often" #1...but is hard to find.

[dadajack]

RL-17, for any bullet weight. RL-19 for heavy bullets, loaded long to get more powder in. IMR or H4895 for 120 class bullets. Varget works for the lighter 120 - 130 grain bullets as well. The 6.5 is so accurate, it really isn't hard to find a good shooting load with any powder really.

[eca7891]

H4350, IMR 4350 and RL-17


Those would be and actually are the three I have in my safe for that weight in the 6.5 creedmoor


Eric

[dadajack]

Don't pass up on IMR4451 either. I actually bought 10 pounds of it because it shoots the 142 SMK so well. And, I still need to work up a heavy bullet load for my most hated cartridge.

[The Marshall]

I've only found two powders that show good accuracy with the 140gn bullets: Superformance and H-4350. I've never loaded RL-17 for the 140s. If I tried RL-19 I forgot how well it did, so I'm guessing it didn't do well.

Superformance, RL-19, and H-4831 are all very close to each other for burning speeds. I ought to try the H-4831 since there is a lot of it on shelves these days......

[Ed]

I've only found two powders that show good accuracy with the 140gn bullets: Superformance and H-4350. I've never loaded RL-17 for the 140s. If I tried RL-19 I forgot how well it did, so I'm guessing it didn't do well.

Superformance, RL-19, and H-4831 are all very close to each other for burning speeds. I ought to try the H-4831 since there is a lot of it on shelves these days......

What is your load for 140s with Super-performance and speed?

[MZ5]

Since we're sort of discussing 'alternatives' to H4350, I have had great results from Re-17 and Ramshot Hunter. Sadly, the Ramshot powders haven't hardly existed for a year-ish. Superformance has worked really well for a shooting partner, but I haven't really put any effort into it myself.

[The Marshall]

Question:   What is your load for 140s with Super-performance and speed?


44gn of Superformance with the Hornady 140gn SST gave me 2718, 2719, 2794 and 2818. I know the velocities are drastically apart. They were measured with an older Chrony F1 unit and I think the amount of sunlight caused the readings to be skewed. I haven't reshot the load with the MagnetoSpeed chrony. I need to. Below is a picture of how the load grouped when not fired through the F1 unit. The upper picture is before the trigger adjustment. The lower picture is after trigger tweeking. (I never liked shooting through the sticks and under the shade piece because I was more concerned with not hitting the chrony.)

[media id=1984 type=preview align=center caption="140 SSTs above POI"]

[media id=1985 type=preview align=center caption="140 SSTs small shot group"]

NOTE: my 6.5mm Creedmoor is a hunting rifle.

[sranch]

IMR 4350 is readily available and is almost identicle to H4350

Its great

[eca7891]

IMR 4350 is what I am currently using.

Eric

[gorillamotors]

Don't pass up on IMR4451 either. I actually bought 10 pounds of it because it shoots the 142 SMK so well. And, I still need to work up a heavy bullet load for my most hated cartridge.

I just picked up some IMR4451 and use both 140 Berger hybrids and 142 SMKs. What is your load for the 142 SMKs?

[RMGunner]

I can't add anything for the OP of this thread as my Creed is a few days from delivery to me.  I just wanted to comment that of all the considerable research I have been doing that I find myself most interested in data from IMR4451. Love to find the load data that breaks away from the status quo powder (H4350) and achieves good results with less popular components.

[Hidalgo]

IMR4064 hasn't been mentioned.  I use it with 120 grain bullets with great accuracy.  Way better than anything else in my rifle.  For 130 & 140 grain H4350 is by far the best thing going.

[MTMAN]

I find H100V working well for me with Hornady 140 SST, Nosler 142 ABLR and Berger 140 VLDH, 140 Hornady Interlocks.
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Be careful using the Hornady data. Was hot in both my Ruger Predator and Savage 16 Weather Warrior.

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This is for "The Marshall" I like those Hornady 140SST. They expand well in soft dirt at 875Yds. The Berger VLDH are less consistent.

[Stradibarrius]

Thanks for the good answers! That was exactly the info I was looking for.