Playing around with 6.5 Creedmoore...

[clm2112]

Maybe this summer I can mark out a 500 yard range here on the farm. There is one spot where the gas company carved out service roads between the gas wells that line up. I just have to clean out some trees and brush that would be in the way. I've been offered the use of friend's field, which is about 450 yards across.

 

[Racer88]

Still at 100 yards. That's the only measured distance I have to work with (the range is built between two hills, with the shooting position on the slope of one hill and the target on the facing the slope of the other. It was handy in that it has a natural back-stop.)

I don't know the dimensions of the target rings, but it would appear to be sub-MOA minus that "flyer."

 

[clm2112]

I don't know the dimensions of the target rings, but it would appear to be sub-MOA minus that "flyer."

I think I'm approaching the point where I am the limiting factor. The little white paster marking the center of the target is bouncing around the reticle of the scope. It is cold and my teeth are chattering

Next string using 37.2 gr of Win 748. Chronograph went out to lunch on two of the five shots, so I only got velocities of 2617, 2690, and 2625 fps for an average of 2644. I think I will go to 37.5gr next since I'm not seeing any problems with the primer and I am closing in on the desired 2650 fps target velocity. I did get a clean target this time around.

Had a visitor show up to test out the rifle I rebarreled a few weeks ago. A mid 1970's Remington 700 BDL LA. Changed it to a 270Win using a 2000 era Remington hammer forged barrel converted to Remage barrel nut. Started spitting snow so time to call it quits for the day.

 

[clm2112]

I'll make an observation now... The barrel I'm using is off a new Savage Axis II, i.e. the cheapest center-fire rifle Savage currently sells. And I am impressed. If this barrel is representative of what Savage is sticking on their budget price rifles, then they are doing a good job. Total round-count through this one is only 32 (assuming 2 proof firings at the factory) and it comes clean with a few patches of Sweets 7.62 solvent to clear the copper fouling.

I'm accustom to low cost Remington 700 rifles (ADL and BDL synthetics) that have barrels ranging from good (1 MOA) to abysmal (5+ MOA). It is a roll of the dice on every one.

 

[Racer88]

I'll make an observation now... The barrel I'm using is off a new Savage Axis II, i.e. the cheapest center-fire rifle Savage currently sells. And I am impressed. If this barrel is representative of what Savage is sticking on their budget price rifles, then they are doing a good job. Total round-count through this one is only 32 (assuming 2 proof firings at the factory) and it comes clean with a few patches of Sweets 7.62 solvent to clear the copper fouling.

I'm accustom to low cost Remington 700 rifles (ADL and BDL synthetics) that have barrels ranging from good (1 MOA) to abysmal (5+ MOA). It is a roll of the dice on every one.

My Ruger Precision Rifle 6.5CM is still with the original barrel. It has 4,330 rounds through it. And I can still shoot sub-MOA and even 1/2-MOA with it! Supposedly, 6.5CM barrels are good for about 3000 rounds before they get worn out.

My daughter did this 5-shot group at 100 yards back in September. The bottom hole is 4 shots!

 

[clm2112]

New day, new propellant, new bullet.

Found some new propellant to try out. StaBall 6.5 with load data for the 140gr Hornady SST. The first five rounds using a charge of 41.0gr. I know I flubbed at least one shot, trying to keep the crosshairs within the white paster. But, it is a good place to start. Going to make another 5 rounds of the same charge and try again in a few days. No adjustments made to the scope, it is set for the 123gr/Win 748 and the 140gr S&B factory load. Knowing it would be close, I get to use up smaller targets at 100 yards.... like the NRA 50' Light Rifle target instead of wasting an SR21

 

[clm2112]

Some day you just have to accept the realities of life. Today's life lesson... my eyesight isn't what it used to be.

Went up to the range with 10 rounds of the 140gr SST / 41.0gr StaBill 6.5 ammunition, and 15 rounds of the 142gr S&B factory ammunition. I then proceeded to shoot 5 round strings, alternating between the two ammunition types for each successive target. In a nut shell, the best group was the first string of 5 on the top center target. Then it just got worse from there. By the last group of 5 in the bottom right, I was having a hard time focusing on the target. The image would blur, I would close my eyes for a few seconds, then start over at setting up the shot. I flubbed a bunch of them.

Hard as it is to come to terms with, the problem ain't the ammunition... it's the eyeballs of the guy pulling the trigger.

 

[Racer88]

Distance?

Bipod? Rear bag rest?

Scope? Parallax adjusted properly?

 

[clm2112]

Distance?

Bipod? Rear bag rest?

Scope? Parallax adjusted properly?

100 yards off a Harris bipod but no rear bag, just my shoulder. Scope in a Nikon P308, BDC reticle, 4-12. Diaopter is set pretty well, the reticle is quite clear and sharp. The objective end is not adjustable.

The thing is my eyes. I didn't need reading glasses until a few years ago. Now, I need them to see up close. So, looking through the scope, initially the entire image is quite clear. The longer I look through it, it occasionally gets blurry. Take a break and look away for a little while is like hitting the reset button on the eyeballs.

 

[Racer88]

100 yards off a Harris bipod but no rear bag, just my shoulder. Scope in a Nikon P308, BDC reticle, 4-12. Diaopter is set pretty well, the reticle is quite clear and sharp. The objective end is not adjustable.

The thing is my eyes. I didn't need reading glasses until a few years ago. Now, I need them to see up close. So, looking through the scope, initially the entire image is quite clear. The longer I look through it, it occasionally gets blurry. Take a break and look away for a little while is like hitting the reset button on the eyeballs.

Ah, I see... just looked up the scope. It doesn't have a parallax adjustment. It does make a difference, as I have found out when I forgot to adjust parallax.

On the left, I thought, "Shit! Am I losing my skills??" Then I realized I forgot to adjust parallax. It was still on the setting for 100 yards. Even if the image is in focus or sharp, the parallax may be out of whack.

However, if the scope doesn't have a parallax adjustment (often mislabeled as "side focus"), then you have to work with what you've got. But it DOES make a big difference.

 

[clm2112]

Yeah, pricing scopes... um... looks like I'll be toughing it out a little while longer. Gawd have they gotten expensive here of late. I've used this scope, as well as other Nikon and Leopold non-AO scopes without a problems for decades. In the grand scheme of things, the group sizes are "good enough" for the intended purpose. Every one of those shots is an efficient kill on a groundhog, coyote, or white-tail, even the flubbed ones. It would be nice to compensate for my worsening eyesight with a better scope (something in the 25x magnification range in a 30mm tube with an adjustable objective) but just ain't happening anytime soon.

 

[clm2112]

Switching gears to keep from getting too depressed. I finished making another batch of rounds with the same 140gr SST and 41.0gr of StaBall 6.5 for this coming Sunday or Monday. If the weather is nice, I'll set up the chronograph to see how fast these rounds are moving. Just based on the point of impact being the same as the factory 140gr loads, I'm guessing they are around 2600 fps.

 

[clm2112]

Ok, so far a good eye day. Only been able to shoot one string for five shots between the rain showers that keep coming through. Not enough to get soaked, but enough to get everything wet. I did manage to chronograph the shots. This is the same batch of 140gr SST with 41.0gr of StaBall 6.5 through a cold barrel, about 1 minutes between shots.

Taking a break and wait for the skies to clear a little. Have 41.1gr and 41.2gr loads to try as well.

 

[clm2112]

Ok day, lots of household tasks to do, but I did get up to the range to test some more of the 41.2gr loads. Also shot some of the 123gr loads for comparison. Creeping up to 2600fps. Not much difference. Time to try a little more propellant. I can always fall back to the 41.0gr load. It is already in the running for the "good enough" load.