Which Is Easier To Reload-308, 6.5 Creedmor Or No Difference?

[rayatphonix]

Didn’t Hornday publish the recipe on the side of the ammo box ?

Early Hornady CM ammo had the recipes printed on the box. Some loads used Superperformance powder. In my rifle I’ve never had much success with that powder whether Hornady or myself loaded it. That powder has sat around my bench for close to a decade untouched. I’ve probably still got a box or two of that ammo. I’ll check when I return home.

 

[Charlie98]

Yeah it's worth it I think. It's a different use case.

As long as you are aware of the cost of admission.

FWIW, I shot my Savage 10 in .308 side by side with my friend's RPR in 6.5CM... They both did the same thing, the 6.5CM was just easier to do it with. A lot of people criticize the 6.5ManBun... ooops... I mean the 6.5CM as being new or boutique, which it sort of is, but in reality, it still a very good cartridge, and particularly if you are handloading. Component cost is what it is.... a box of SMK's aren't cheap in .308 or 6.5mm, so take your pick. Over the life of shooting a specific cartridge, using the .308 and the 6.5CM as examples, you get about 20 rounds more out of a pound of powder... all else being equal... with the 6.5CM, not a deal breaker in my book.

 

[lightman]

Kind of late to the party here and it looks like everyone has added a lot of insight. The basic principal of loading for the two is the same. Both are bottle neck rimless cases. A quick look shows that dies from the same brand are the same price or about the same. Good brass is available for both. There are more bullet choices in 308 than in 6.5 but some of the 308 weights are not really suitable fir the 308 case. It looks like 6.5 bullets cost a little more than 308's. A lot of powders will work for both. The charge weights are a little higher in the 308. The 308 is usually very easy to find a good load for as there are so many good combinations. Some 6.5's can be a little picky. The 6.5 shoots flatter and bucks the wind better. You won't go wrong with either choice.

 

[peeplwtchr]

Thanks for the great feedback everybody, .308 it is!

 

[rayatphonix]

Here’s a photo I took of two early boxes of Hornady 6.5 CM ammo. The one on the left is for 120 gn Amax bullets and the one on the right is 140 gn Amax. I have a box of Hornady Superperformance, but there’s no recipe on that box. My CM rifle in those days was a Ruger #1V. I still have the rifle, but it spends most of its time in my safe. Last time I used it I shot 4 deer in one sit, still a personal record.

Amax’s were perhaps my favorite all-around bullets. Wish they still made them in 6.5 caliber.

 

[jmr40]

I define "Easier to reload" to mean that a wide variety of components work well with that cartridge. I have more experience with 308, but I've not found a bad combination of bullets, brass, powder, or primers. Just about everything I've tried gives me satisfactory velocity and accuracy. 30-06 is very close, but I've still had better results with 308.

I can't say the same for some other cartridges I've loaded for in the past. I tried hard to like 7mm Rem mag, but never found a load that gave me the speed and accuracy I was looking for. Some loads were accurate, but slower than 30-06 with the same bullet weights. Others gave me good speeds, but poor accuracy.

While I don't have as much experience with 6.5 CM I've found it to be even more accurate than 308. I read reports of H4350 working well with bullets in the 140 gr weight class and that is what I tried. The results are so good I've not seen any reason to change. I've tried 3 different bullets with the same near max powder charge with similar results. Hornady 143 ELDX, 140 gr Barnes Match Burners, and 139 gr Lapua Scenar's. The Scenar's are a touch more accurate, but the others are close. I did experiment briefly with Ramshot Hunter when H4350 was in short supply. The results were promising, but as soon as I got more H4350 I stopped using that load.

 

[JFrank]

The recipes are on the box, just like making a cake

 

[Charlie98]

I read reports of H4350 working well with bullets in the 140 gr weight class and that is what I tried. The results are so good I've not seen any reason to change.

Same here... except I was using the now discontinued IMR4451 because I couldn't find either of the 4350's. If your 6.5CM rifle can't shoot the 142grn SMK well, there's something wrong with your rifle.

I did, finally, find a can of H4350... I expect good things.

 

[Charlie98]

Thanks for the great feedback everybody, .308 it is!

Curious... why the .308 over the 6.5?

 

[peeplwtchr]

For posted reasons.

 

[ParallelCode]

Simple solution, buy both. But seriously, as far as loading goes, no real difference in 308 or 6.5CM.

The classic gun forum solution to such problems. I like it!

 

[rdnktrkr]

I don't load for the 308 but load for its daddy the 30-06, the good thing about 30cal bullets is the great variety and availability, I have worked up loads from 125gr to 180gr for multiple rifles using multiple powders, this old round is very versatile and easy to find an accurate load.

I purchased 6,5CMs this year and last and am still working up loads that are less than moa at 600yrds, 100 to 300yrds I'm there, my best loads so far are with A2700 and Ramshot Hunter. I have not tried the lighter bullets in the CM that were suggested earlier, I've been loading 130s and 140s, I will see if I have any 108s in my Grendel stash to try when we hit the range in the spring.

I think the 308 brass will be easier to source and cheaper than 6.5cm, comparable bullets are close in price, you use a little less powder in 6.5cm, if the recoil is a problem add a muzzle brake, I have one on one of my 6.5s and it is a soft shooter, Use a good lube and polish/clean your dies/resizing button and your ready to go.

 

[Varminterror]

Amax’s were perhaps my favorite all-around bullets. Wish they still made them in 6.5 caliber.

They do. The A-Max’s were retipped and relabeled as ELD’s. So those common weights which were available as A-Max’s are now called ELD-m’s.

 

[IbexArmament]

No difference, as others have said, in the mechanics of the reloading. Pretty simple there. You'll have to ascertain what sort of rifle you want I suppose. You said you already have it picked out, yes. But anyway, many rifles can be swapped out to accept both. The way I look at it, .308 is a fine place to start. It's easy to find brass, bullets, and powders, and primers will be hit or miss regardless of whether its .308/6.5. For example, I'm looking at what we have in-stock today and I grabbed a box of Barnes Match Burners for example. They are only $35/100. 6.5 die sets I've got for $50-60. For .308, I have Hornady 150-Grain FMJ BT's about the same price, and dies the same. Price-wise, I think you'll be in the same boat either path you go down. Reloading is fun, and a hobby too. You'll not save too much money, you'll maybe shoot more for what you were spending previously, or shoot the same, spend more, but ultimately have more fun doing it. I know you're not likely to go buy both rifles. 6.5 is the new hotness indeed, and it's certainly better out to a good range, better so than .308 after some distance. In the end, you'll have both rifles, so which do you want first? .308 is sort of a round to cut teeth on, I'd say. It's where I started.

 

[IbexArmament]

They do. The A-Max’s were retipped and relabeled as ELD’s. So those common weights which were available as A-Max’s are now called ELD-m’s.

 

[peeplwtchr]

Thanks, Hornady Match BTHP are great in my .223, maybe better in .308, well see.

 

[AJC1]

Thanks, Hornady Match BTHP are great in my .223, maybe better in .308, well see.

That seems to be a bullet widly sold as blems or seconds which work great for analysis for speed tuning. If your blasting for crono data no reason to pay more.

 

[rayatphonix]

Thanks guys!