The Creedmoor Forum

Quote from: Mark611 on January 05, 2020, 03:25:40 AMI have not decided on cases yet, I usually run Lapua brass, but I may try Hornady or Starline? Hornady brass can be purchased at reasonable prices, but is it any good?

I've given SIG brass a try and so far the accuracy results with it is every bit as good as Starline.  A bit cheaper too.

Quote from: gman47564 on January 04, 2020, 05:36:55 PMh 4350 or reloader 16 would be your 2 best choices in my opinion... a few others will work also.. but the first two I mentioned would be the gold standards... both powders are available most places you look right now...

+1 for Reloader 16.  It's not temp sensitive either.

Pretty much the standard to measure accuracy is five 5 shot groups.  That's a lot of rounds to burn so I consider three 5 shot groups but watch the extreme spread and standard deviation closely as the are an excellent indicator of how the load will perform at long range.  I do all my Creedmoor load development at 200 yards and when I find a good sub MOA load I test it further with multiple groups and take it out farther.  I am fortunate to have access to a 1k range to really see what a load can do.  Currently, with my recent 6.5 Creedmoor build, I've been working with 130 and 140 grain pills.  Round count on my barrel is at 150 rounds.  Barrel is a McGowan select match stainless

I find this concept very interesting and will have to give it a try with my Creedmoor loading.  I do my latest load testing at 200 yards and will be taking it all the way out to 1k in the next few weeks.

Shot on a friend's 1000 yard range last Wednesday.  Set my target up at 425 yards.  40 degrees 80% humidity with a 7 mph cross wind.  Shot 140 grain Hornady BTHPs over 41 grains of IMR4350 in prepped and annealed Hornady brass and BR-2 primers.  OAL is 2.267" and velocity averaged 2653fps that day.  Long story short, that load averaged 3.77" for 15 rounds.  Not stellar but not too bad either for a tactical, not bench rest rifle.  Load development continues.  Going to work with the Nosler Custom Competition 140 gr BTHP next.

Just over 200 rounds through this barrel and it's still a copper mine!

Quote from: bigdaddyWSM on January 09, 2019, 10:58:12 AMIs it a heavy fluted barrel from SD?

No, factory take off barrel. 8 twist, 26" varmint weight.

I'm getting good results with BR-2s and IMR 4350 pushing Nosler Custom Comp 140 gr BTHPs.  That bullet is scary accurate in my Savage Creedmoor setup.

12-31-18 Shot 140 grain Sierra BTHPs over 44.6 grains of Super performance in prepped Hornady brass that's been loaded 3 times, BR-2 primer.  COAL to ogive is 2.265".  Velocity averaged a rather sedate 2619 fps and grouped five into 1.618" at 200 yards. Temp 68 degrees with humidity at 94%  elevation 243" above msl.

Quote from: bob_atl on December 21, 2018, 08:01:37 AMAre you sure, seems a little short on the COL side., maybe that's base to ogive.
 Hornady 9th ed suggests 2.710" & its what I use for that pill.
My load for that pill @ 3000 fps from 24" barrel is 41.0 gn Varget, COL 2.710".  (work up to this carefully, its hot)
My normal load for this pill runs 2861 fps, for best groups.

Yes, base to ogive.

Thanks Randy.  Load development has been very interesting with the Creed.  I have to remember to slow down, don't want to burn out the barrel before summer arrives.  The, is the one thing I don't like about the caliber, the somewhat short barrel life.

Latest reloading of the Hornady 140 grain BTHP over IMR 4350 showed 41 grains yielded a 1.885" average group for 10 rounds at 200 yards.   Velocity was 2722 fps.  Testing the Sierra 120 grain BTHP showed promise at 44.8 grains of H4350.  Accuracy at 200 yards was 1.771" with four rounds into .964" and a velocity of 3032fps.

I tried a couple of loads with the 123 gr A-MAX over 47.5 grains of Super Performance on 12-19-18.  Got a 200 yard group of 1.684" and velocity average of 3005 fps  My COAL was 2.255".  Temp was 52 degrees with humidity at 78%, wind from the east at 4 mph.  Our club range is 243' above MSL.  I only had 10 A-MAX left so my testing was very short.  47.6 grains, interestingly enough, opened up a five shot group to 2.160" with a velocity of 3021 fps. Brass used was Hornady with a weight of 148 grains, fully prepped primer pocket a deburred flash hole.  Cases trimmed to the shortest at 1,910".  The barrel is a factory Savage I bought from a Savage forum member.  It's an unfired take off.  Current round count is 70.

Quote from: gman47564 on December 19, 2018, 06:04:59 AMIs it possible that the extractor is in backwards.  (Turned 180 degrees)

No, that's the first thing I checked.  I even replaced the extractor from a bolt head that I knew worked fine and the rounds did the same thing. 

Quote from: mnbogboy on December 18, 2018, 10:30:22 AMAlso a burr on the edge of the extractor spring hole will keep the ball from "sliding" in with ease.

Question: is it a Savage bolt head or PTG?  I had trouble with a PTG head a while back.  Locations of both the extractor & extractor hole were off from Savage bolt heads.

No, factory bolt and head.  Cleaned under the extractor and the extractor spring hole, polished the extractor and groove it rides in, .140" ball used but problem persisted.  Thankfully the change to a different action/bolt solved the problem and the rifle feeds/fires/extracts fine. 
Preliminary load development with a 140 gr Hornady BTHP over 40.6 grains of IMR4350 yielded a 200 yard group of 1.295". Velocity, 2645 fps.  Number of rounds thru the barrel is 40.  I expect the barrel to shoot better after it breaks in.