New 6.5 Creedmor, 130 or 140 grain rounds?

Joined
Jan 23, 2014
Messages
508
Location
John Day, OR
Hey guys,

Well, I've been eyeing a 6.5 or 7mm-08 for a while now. Wanted one for myself and for the kids to use eventually.
A buddy e-mailed me the sale Cabela's has on the Savage 12FL so I decided why not.

I reload, but haven't shot or played around with a 6.5 before. I plan on mounting a VX3i on it, maybe try a CDS dial.

So, any recommendations for a recipe? 130 vs 140 grain rounds? I use Accubonds for the most part, and prefer Nosler since I have a buddy that lives in Bend and can score some factory rejects for cheap.

I prefer the speed of the 130 grain round, but the gun has a 26" barrel so maybe 140 grain rounds won't be too much of a slouch.

Looking forward to trying this one out. After spending a few hours shooting the .338 win mag yesterday, I won't mind a lighter recoiling gun!
 
Last edited:

Stid2677

WKR
Joined
Sep 13, 2012
Messages
2,349
Mine likes 130 grain Accubonds, with Reloader 15, that is a 6.5mm CM load. Multiple kills with pass throughs out to almost 500 yards.
 

GKPrice

Banned
Joined
Sep 27, 2014
Messages
2,442
Location
Western Oregon
been having great luck with loads, only a couple of kills so far but 130's seem to be the sweet spot like Stid2677 says
 
Joined
Jan 29, 2015
Messages
1,876
Location
Kalispell
130's here as well... I am shooting out a 20" pipe tho and right around 2700. Using 42.5 grains of IMR 4451 with great accuracy. As always, work up.

I'm shooting VLD hunters btw.

Interesting, shooting 127 lrx with same load gets me 100+ fps higher velocity, but with about twice the group size (still right around MOA tho).
 

Stid2677

WKR
Joined
Sep 13, 2012
Messages
2,349
I'm a firm believer in buying a rifle to fire a specific weight of bullet. IMHO, the 130 is best in the 6.5CM, 140 is the sweet spot for 7MMs, 180 for most 30 cals,, etc.... That is why I bought my 6.5CM,, to be honest I bought it for my wife, but love packing it so much, that and it shoots... Topped with good optics it is easy a 400 + yard rifle.
 
Joined
Feb 21, 2017
Messages
1,794
Location
Colorado
Just shot some 143gr. ELD-X from Choice this weekend and was very impressed with the accuracy. Haven't tried them on game yet, but hopefully I'll see what they do to a mule deer in about 3 weeks.
 

Boreal

WKR
Joined
Nov 11, 2013
Messages
356
Location
Anchorage, AK
My 6.6CM likes the 130s, but dislikes 140s. I'm getting ragged holes at 100 with 127 LRX and 42.5 gn RL17 from Lapua brass. Also put 130AB around 1", but I don't have those results with me. That was with the blemished bullets. I don't think you're going to have any problems with the 130 AB if you find the right recipe.
 
Joined
Jan 8, 2016
Messages
989
Location
SW Idaho
I'm a firm believer in buying a rifle to fire a specific weight of bullet. IMHO, the 130 is best in the 6.5CM, 140 is the sweet spot for 7MMs, 180 for most 30 cals,, etc.... That is why I bought my 6.5CM,, to be honest I bought it for my wife, but love packing it so much, that and it shoots... Topped with good optics it is easy a 400 + yard rifle.

I'd be interested to hear your take on why these sweet spots exist on the lighter bullets? I've always tried to shoot on the heavy side for best results. For instance my 7RM has really only shot 160gr and up, best results for accuracy have been from 168gr bullets. I've got a 6.5CM on the way and was planning to find what it liked in the 140-147 range.
 

Stid2677

WKR
Joined
Sep 13, 2012
Messages
2,349
I'd be interested to hear your take on why these sweet spots exist on the lighter bullets? I've always tried to shoot on the heavy side for best results. For instance my 7RM has really only shot 160gr and up, best results for accuracy have been from 168gr bullets. I've got a 6.5CM on the way and was planning to find what it liked in the 140-147 range.

Twist rate and tube length would be my guess, don't pretend to be any kind of expert. Just my experience in trying many different loads in different calibers.
 
Joined
Mar 6, 2013
Messages
3,030
My 260 likes 130 Accubonds but they were a messier bullet than I like. Went to 127 LRX and they shoot even better and I have some 124 gr hammers I need to work up a load for. 127 will probably be the hunting load again this year.
 
OP
F
Joined
Jan 23, 2014
Messages
508
Location
John Day, OR
I'd be interested to hear your take on why these sweet spots exist on the lighter bullets? I've always tried to shoot on the heavy side for best results. For instance my 7RM has really only shot 160gr and up, best results for accuracy have been from 168gr bullets. I've got a 6.5CM on the way and was planning to find what it liked in the 140-147 range.

I tend to agree that not all guns like heavy bullets. I tried 225 grain and 250 grain bullets out of my .338 Win and ended up finding the 200 grain AB shot the best with RL 19. I can get sub MOA accuracy easily with that load. I did have the barrel shortened to 21" though so that might have an effect.
 
Joined
Dec 28, 2015
Messages
489
I'm a firm believer in buying a rifle to fire a specific weight of bullet. IMHO, the 130 is best in the 6.5CM, 140 is the sweet spot for 7MMs, 180 for most 30 cals,, etc.... That is why I bought my 6.5CM,, to be honest I bought it for my wife, but love packing it so much, that and it shoots... Topped with good optics it is easy a 400 + yard rifle.

This is completely false. False False False. You can dang near find a "sweet spot" with any rifle and any bullet weight. Some guns will be choosy about bullets but not bullet weight. People will say their gun doesn't like a particular bullet weight but have they really tried every bullet in that weight group? I'd wager not and I'd also wager they would find one with the right recipe that will shoot well.

The most efficient bullets in the 6.5 CM are 140 grain bullets.

The most efficient bullets in .284 (7mm) are 165-180grn

The most efficient billets in 30 cal are usually in the 200-215 grn. Clearly it depends on the specific cartridge. A 300 rum is completely different than a 30-06.

Now back to the question. 140 bullets are much more efficient than the 130 bullets. Here's the data.

All data for a 6.5 cm

140 ELDM @ 2770 fps. My current load
9fa8e6859d71a94a944e47b9ce80739e.png


130 Berger vld @ 2820 fps.
d4275b7e12d16603c2681bca454b8cdd.png


130 Berger vld @ 2820 fps with 10mph cross wind
0ebb21e49127644fcfeb17773dae982e.png


140 ELDM @ 2770 fps and 10mph wind
b1107b0b79647a359190573d283fc9e0.png


Those who don't want to read the data:

The 130 drops almost 9 inches more than the 140 at 1000 yards.

The 130 drifts 16.5 inches more at 1000 yards in a 10mph wind.

The 130 has almost 200ft lbs less energy at 1000 than the 140.

Shot what you want and what your rifle likes. If you reload you won't have a problem finding a good load with either weight of bullet.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Stid2677

WKR
Joined
Sep 13, 2012
Messages
2,349
This is completely false. False False False. You can dang near find a "sweet spot" with any rifle and any bullet weight. Some guns will be choosy about bullets but not bullet weight. People will say their gun doesn't like a particular bullet weight but have they really tried every bullet in that weight group? I'd wager not and I'd also wager they would find one with the right recipe that will shoot well.

The most efficient bullets in the 6.5 CM are 140 grain bullets.

The most efficient bullets in .284 (7mm) are 165-180grn

The most efficient billets in 30 cal are usually in the 200-215 grn. Clearly it depends on the specific cartridge. A 300 rum is completely different than a 30-06.

Now back to the question. 140 bullets are much more efficient than the 130 bullets. Here's the data.

All data for a 6.5 cm

140 ELDM @ 2770 fps. My current load
9fa8e6859d71a94a944e47b9ce80739e.png


130 Berger vld @ 2820 fps.
d4275b7e12d16603c2681bca454b8cdd.png


130 Berger vld @ 2820 fps with 10mph cross wind
0ebb21e49127644fcfeb17773dae982e.png


140 ELDM @ 2770 fps and 10mph wind
b1107b0b79647a359190573d283fc9e0.png


Those who don't want to read the data:

The 130 drops almost 9 inches more than the 140 at 1000 yards.

The 130 drifts 16.5 inches more at 1000 yards in a 10mph wind.

The 130 has almost 200ft lbs less energy at 1000 than the 140.

Shot what you want and what your rifle likes. If you reload you won't have a problem finding a good load with either weight of bullet.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Don't get twisted Brother,,, I never said most efficient. I said "sweet Spot" I mean that to say, easiest load to get to shoot accurate and kill, with the least amount of dialing in or with factory off the shelf ammo.

Peace my friend, just my uneducated opinion worth what you paid for it.

Steve
 
Joined
Dec 28, 2015
Messages
489
Don't get twisted Brother,,, I never said most efficient. I said "sweet Spot" I mean that to say, easiest load to get to shoot accurate and kill, with the least amount of dialing in or with factory off the shelf ammo.

Peace my friend, just my uneducated opinion worth what you paid for it.

Steve

I'm not twisted. You're just providing false information with no factual basis.

Please explain how it's "easiest load to get to shoot accurate and kill, with the least amount of dialing in" with a 130 grn bullet over a 140 grn bullet. 140 grn bullets are no more finicky or difficult to load than a 130 in a 1-8 twist barrel.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

KurtR

WKR
Joined
Sep 11, 2015
Messages
3,533
Location
South Dakota
140 amax now the 143 eldx. I have killed lots of stuff with both. Seen the 130 Berger kill also the 130 accubomb (personally not a fan) and the Barnes I think 127 all out of creedmoors or 260 rem kill stuff. The thing that connected all of them was putting holes in lungs and hearts. Non worked good with gut shooting. So pick what shoots best it will kill.
 
Joined
Dec 28, 2015
Messages
489
What? nobody likes the 147 eld?.....

It's not a bad choice but it is a little heavy for the CM. The 140 just carries ballistics better. It really shines in the 6.5x284. It would be sweet in a 6.5 SAUM or 6.5 PRC!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Joined
Dec 30, 2014
Messages
8,168
This is completely false. False False False. You can dang near find a "sweet spot" with any rifle and any bullet weight. Some guns will be choosy about bullets but not bullet weight. People will say their gun doesn't like a particular bullet weight but have they really tried every bullet in that weight group? I'd wager not and I'd also wager they would find one with the right recipe that will shoot well.

The most efficient bullets in the 6.5 CM are 140 grain bullets.

The most efficient bullets in .284 (7mm) are 165-180grn

The most efficient billets in 30 cal are usually in the 200-215 grn. Clearly it depends on the specific cartridge. A 300 rum is completely different than a 30-06.

Now back to the question. 140 bullets are much more efficient than the 130 bullets. Here's the data.

All data for a 6.5 cm

140 ELDM @ 2770 fps. My current load
9fa8e6859d71a94a944e47b9ce80739e.png


130 Berger vld @ 2820 fps.
d4275b7e12d16603c2681bca454b8cdd.png


130 Berger vld @ 2820 fps with 10mph cross wind
0ebb21e49127644fcfeb17773dae982e.png


140 ELDM @ 2770 fps and 10mph wind
b1107b0b79647a359190573d283fc9e0.png


Those who don't want to read the data:

The 130 drops almost 9 inches more than the 140 at 1000 yards.

The 130 drifts 16.5 inches more at 1000 yards in a 10mph wind.

The 130 has almost 200ft lbs less energy at 1000 than the 140.

Shot what you want and what your rifle likes. If you reload you won't have a problem finding a good load with either weight of bullet.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I don't disagree that typically 140s will outperform 130s in wind drift but what you posted looks to be a 140 at higher pressure than the 130 load. I bet I can push a 130 JLK fast enough in a creedmoor to perform as well as a 140 eld.

Nodes in my 6.5x47 are 2770 fps for 140 hybrids and jlks and 2950 for the 130 AR hybrid or Hunting vld. The 130s do just fine.
 
Top