139 Grain Scenar with H4350

[soldierofchrist]

Just to let you guys know I have been playing around with all the different bullet types out there and found that with the 139 grain Scenars and 42 grains of H4350 loaded with a federal 210 primer to an overall cartridge length of 2.800" gets 2850 fps and shoots 1/4" groups regularly out of my Savage 10 Predator Advantage Max-1 with a 24" barrel. It has an extreme spread of 12fps and a SD of 6 fps.

[Trent]

soldierofchrist,

I just got done working up loads for the 139gr Lapua Scenars out of my Savage 12 LRP. My most accurate load ended up at 41.0gr. I also experienced a nice accuracy node at 42gr but I found that my primer pockets were getting trashed. I got a .397" group and then on the 4th shot my primer fell out of the case. I could put a primer in and it would just fall in and out without me touching it. I went with the 41gr load. Brass is too expensive to only get 2 or 3 loads on them.

Keep an eye on your primer pockets.

[soldierofchrist]

I am not having the same problem, the primer is just beginning to flatten but it shows less pressure for me then the 120 grain Factory Varget loading. I do live at 5300 ft in elevation and don't know if that would lower pressures or not, Maybe the LRP has a tighter chamber but that would be weird as it would be counterproductive in tooling costs for Savage. Thanks for the heads up though.

[giterdone]

A little off subject but.... Soldierof Christ raised a possibility of a tighter chamber in the 6.5 C.M. Savage 12LRP.  I measured fired cases from my DPMS LR 6.5
Creedmoor and compared them to those fired in the Savage 12 LRP 6.5 Creedmoor and the neck, shoulder diamerer and angle, and head dia. all measured the same fired, the only difference was headspace between the two chanbers which leads me to believe they are using reamers from the same source.

[Trent]

This got me thinking and I just measured some of my fired cases out of my Savage LRP and compared them to my tight chambered Shilen barrel Creedmoor brass. The Savage is actually tighter by 0.002" in headspace and in the fired neck diameter. Interesting.

With my Hornady FL die screwed down and cam'ing over on the press it is bumping the shoulder back perfectly at 0.002". I shouldn't see much brass growth in this gun.

This thing shoots the 139gr Lapua so well that I am glad I have 1200 of them on the shelf. I don't necessarily look forward to buying more when those run out though. 

[boltman13]

My rifle with a 29" barrel loves 139's with 41.5 gr of H4350 and a BR2 primer.  I am only getting about 2,820 fps and I would not excede my load in my rifle as it is very accurate and the brass is holding up well.  Soldier of Christ's load works great in his rifle, but may be too hot or very hard on brass in many 6.5 CM's.  I would caution anyone working toward 42 grs of H4350 to do so slowly and watch very carefully for excess pressure signs.  When I first started down the 6.5 CM road I was hoping for 2900 fps with a 140 gr bullet.  I now know, at least in my rifle, with safe pressures, that just isn't possable.

[JFComfort]

That has been Vegas50's and I load for our match rifles for over a year now.

41.6 H4350
139 Lapua Scenar
COAL 2.82"
Average velocity 2,880 fps

[soldierofchrist]

yeah the only thing that made me a little sad was that I found out that the 139 grain scenars only truly have a BC averaging around 0.576 which I was all hyped up about the BC of 0.615 that was listed on Midway, but I can forgive them because this bullet is amazingly consistent. But for the price difference i may go back to the Hornady 140 A-max as they are about $10 dollars cheaper a hundred and shoot just as well for me.

[Rob01]

And have a higher BC

[JFComfort]

Buy the 139's by the thousand its cheaper. I have had great luck with the 140 A-Max in the past. Stopped shooting them because Hornady was having trouble keeping up with demand.