Anyone using S&B 6.5 140gr Bullets?

[phaedra1106uk]

I've been trying these out and having problems getting consistent grouping.  3 or 4 within 1" with the odd flyers sometimes up to 1" further out.

I've been ladder testing using 5 different weights of N150 and N160 and only found one load where they would group, 41gr of N160, this gave .34" centre to centre. 

I usually use Nosler 140gr Custom Competition or Lapua 139gr Scenars, both of these give excellent grouping at several nodes and are very consistent with no flyers.

Adjusting by 0.5gr either way the group opened up to over 1" with the odd flyer again.

I shot 2x 5 shot strings at 41gr, the second grouped to just under .39"

Factory S&B use a Coal of 2.75" and push them to 2650fps, unfortunately the chrono at the pipe range I use for testing was shot out a while ago.

So, has anyone found anything similar with these bullets?

[phaedra1106uk]

No, these are S&B, their factory 6.5 Creedmoor ammo performs pretty well from most reviews I've seen of it.

The PPU 140 "Match" HPBT I tried were hopeless in both the 6.5C Ruger RPR and Tikka 260 that I had at the time, couldn't get a decent grouping at all.

I've tried the S&B's in both my current Creedmoor's (Tikka Tac A1 and Bergara BMP) with almost identical results.

I'm loading up 50 rounds of the 41gr load and will try them next visit to the pipe range, would have tried them next week but our Otterburn shoot has been cancelled.

[phaedra1106uk]

Steve Smith's at Dinnington, 2x 100yd 1M wide pipes, £15/hour each.

[meles meles]

We have had good success with S&B's no 2905 Strela 140 grain FMJ-BT 6.5mm bullets.  We used Hornady cases, CCI primers and 44.1 grains of RS 62 powder. In a Tikka Tactical with a 24" barrel that load consistently gave 0.5  MoA groups at 200 mards with no fliers. LabRadar gave a mean velocity of 2,720 fps.  There were no signs of pressure on the cases / primers but we didn't feel the need to try and push the bullets any faster given the accuracy level attained. 

The same bullet in a Carl Gustav 63 target rifle (6.5x55) does very well out to 1,000 mards using 44.7 grains of RS 60

[phaedra1106uk]

Thanks Badger 

I suspect I wasn't pushing them fast enough, my 140 Nosler and 139 Scenar loads are about 2630fps with 36gr of N150

The max Viht N160 load is around 42gr so I'll try a few around that.

[Catch-22]

5 hours ago, phaedra1106uk said:

Thanks Badger 

I suspect I wasn't pushing them fast enough, my 140 Nosler and 139 Scenar loads are about 2630fps with 36gr of N150

The max Viht N160 load is around 42gr so I'll try a few around that.

Yeah, those are particularly anaemic loads.

You don’t mention the cartridge you’re shooting, but possibly a 6.5 creedmoor or .260rem?

Ive found the past 6.5x47L rifles I’ve had really start to shine with higher pressure loads. 

[phaedra1106uk]

Yes, 6.5 Creedmoor, the N150 is just over the Viht max load for the 139 Scenar (35.5), I'm using Starline large primer cases.

[meles meles]

Just to clarify, the first load we gave was for 6.5 Creedmoor in a TikTak, the second for 6.5 Norsqueagian in a CG63. Neither load is hot, but check the data against a book and start low and work up to keep the elves safe...

[phaedra1106uk]

Always

I've ran small primer Starline with 38.5gr of N150 through both my Creedmoors with no pressure signs.  When I switched to large primers I ran a a full ladder test working up from 33gr, I found 36gr gave the lowest SD and it produces at least .30" centre to centre groups out of both rifles at 100yds.

I'll see if I can get a chrono on the 41gr N160 loads and see what they read.