6.5 Creedmoor questions- dumb it down for me please

[zimm17]

I reload for many calibers with both a Dillon 550B and a Lee classic single stage. I'm getting into 6.5 Creedmoor and once I have a few hundred rounds of Hornady brass, I'm going to roll my own.

I did a search and holy crap, I'm over my head with all the geek talk. I'm not shooting matches, just having fun making small groups at the range.

The consensus seems to be a Redding type S bushing die. What size?

I always thought neck sizing was the way to go for ammo into the same rifle. Why all the talk about full length resizing?

Lee collet- neck sizer?

What am I supposed to do- full length resize, then neck size? I'm confused.

Forster micrometer bullet seater- easy enough.

Now for the press- should I set up my Dillon with a new plate/caliber conversion/powder measure, or stick with the single stage press? I won't be doing high volume, just 100-200 at a time every few months. I have a Lee powder measure and dribbler.

 

[Supersubes]

I’m more of a fan of Hornady Match dies at half the price of the Redding, and superior quality. Totally usable expander ball as well.

.289 bushing, but depends on the brass.

Fl size every time. Don’t even consider neck sizing.

Some remove the expander ball and use a mandrel in a second operation to bump the necks up to desired size and push imperfections to the outside. I like hornady’s expander ball design, and I don’t bother with the mandrel.

Personal choice on what press to use.

Most importantly, the Creedmoor in NO different than anything else. You geek as much or as little as you want to. Given its intended use, along with Hornady’s good specs for the cartridge to begin with, it tends to be very easy to load for. It just hasn’t been molested over decades like many other cartridges.

 

[zimm17]

Well that would make life easier. Hornady match dies and the single stage press at least to start. Now to research loads....

 

[260284]

I use the above Hornady dies on my 6.5 Creed, .289 bushing for Prime brass and .291 for Peterson for .002" neck tension. I have the same dies for .223 and they work fine for me. Use some blue loctite on the expander ball/decapping pin threads.

 

[Supersubes]

Well that would make life easier. Hornady match dies and the single stage press at least to start. Now to research loads....

Easy button. Roughly 41-42 gr of h4350 or RL 16, in any brass make, behind any good quality 140 jumped 20 thou.

 

[260284]

Easy button. Roughly 41-42 gr of h4350 or RL 16, in any brass make, behind any good quality 140 jumped 20 thou.

Yep, 41.4 of RE16 in Peterson brass, CCI450, .020" off the lands = 2830 fps with a SD of 6 out of a 23.5" Bartlein. Attached 5 shot group that was one hole for the first 3.

 

[Vodoun daVinci]

Just started reloading 6.5CM this year....on my third set of ladder tests and everything is fabulous.

I'm using Redding Premium Deluxe 3 die set - I always full length resize, trim to length, then resize the necks with the neck sizer die. Nice neck tension.

Redding Premium Series Deluxe 3-Die Set 6.5 Creedmoor

Redding Reloading Equipment has focused on building the finest quality, American Made products for the precision handloading market since 1946. Redding...

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I'm using Hornady brass, 147 gr. ELD-M's, CCI Large Rifle Primers, Alliant Reloder 26 and build them one at a time on an ancient green single stage RCBS press.

Accuracy is sub MOA with sub .5 MOA coming to the surface as I tweak the loads and COAL. Like the OP, I shoot for distance and tiny group size. Kinda home spun F-Class Benchrest.

VooDoo

 

[John Glidewell]

Some remove the expander ball and use a mandrel in a second operation to bump the necks up to desired size and push imperfections to the outside. I like hornady’s expander ball design, and I don’t bother with the mandrel.

You can get the Whidden expander ball kit and customize your neck tension. It's an inexpensive upgrade, the kit comes with 5 expander balls, .001" difference between each one.

 

[spife7980]

I would use the 550 before for I bought another single stage. Should be plenty of theads that pop up in a google search.

Whidden/unique floating tool heads are the go to for precision reloading on a dillon. http://www.uniquetek.com/product/T1389
Many dedicate one tool head to sizing and a second tool head to seating.

 

[zimm17]

I'm not go to buy another single stage press. I was saying that I can screw the hornady match dies into my Lee press and start making bullets sooner/cheaper than decking out the 550B with $200 worth of stuff to automate another caliber.

 

[Tokay444]

Just started reloading 6.5CM this year....on my third set of ladder tests and everything is fabulous.

I'm using Redding Premium Deluxe 3 die set - I always full length resize, trim to length, then resize the necks with the neck sizer die. Nice neck tension.

Redding Premium Series Deluxe 3-Die Set 6.5 Creedmoor

Redding Reloading Equipment has focused on building the finest quality, American Made products for the precision handloading market since 1946. Redding...

ads.midwayusa.com

I'm using Hornady brass, 147 gr. ELD-M's, CCI Large Rifle Primers, Alliant Reloder 26 and build them one at a time on an ancient green single stage RCBS press.

Accuracy is sub MOA with sub .5 MOA coming to the surface as I tweak the loads and COAL. Like the OP, I shoot for distance and tiny group size. Kinda home spun F-Class Benchrest.

VooDoo

I’ve been full length sizing to bump my should back .001” every fining, but it isn’t growing! It hasn’t grown from 1.908” since I got it new. Alpha LRP.

 

[ditter]

I have the Redding Dies, they're great. I want to upgrade to the bushing dies. I full length size every firing. I shot around 150 Horandy ELD-Match factory rounds to collect brass. But I then moved over to Berger factory ammo, which uses Lapua brass. If I had to do it all over again, I would gone straight to Berger, because Lapua brass is really top notch. I load that with 41.6 or 42.5 grains H4350 and CCI BR primers and I'm getting best groups of .25MOA at 100, 200 and 300 yards and sub MOA all day long. I've tried a bunch of different bullets. The 140 Bergers are definitely the best, Hornady ELDM is great. I have the RPR.
If you can get 10 firings from the brass, you can load the Berger rounds for about .80 cents each. Cant beat that.

 

[Gbyleveldt]

Well, I have the Redding bushing dies and stopped using it. I use the Redding body die to bump shoulders and Lee Collet die to size the necks. I do this for all calibers that I load for, from 22-250 all the way to 338LM.

For a bushing die to work properly, you have to turn necks, which is a whole new level of effort that I don’t feel like and, quite frankly, is debatable as to worthwhile improvement. Using Lee collet die with both Hornady and Lapua brass, runout is a non issue for me (I stopped checking runout sometime ago, as it was always under 2tho)

Many here may disagree, just as many will agree. Lee collet dies are cheap, much cheaper than bushing dies. Nothing to lose by trying it first to see if it works for you.

 

[John Glidewell]

I would stick with a FL die. I quit using the bushing dies, they do not size the neck all the way down to the shoulder junction. Most precision folks either do as above, multiple stage sizing or just match FL dies. I use whidden FL dies with the custom expanders. Sizes and sets neck tension in one step.

 

[spife7980]

I like my type s full length bushing die. Its adaptable and it does what I need it to.
Some dont like the unsized portion of the neck, some believe it helps align the bullet in the chamber.

The bushing dies DONT require you to turn necks in order to function. Obviously if you remove the expansion step (via ball or mandrel) then yes, the thicker parts will be pushed further inside, but thats mitigated with good brass and using an expander. I use my bushing die and then also open them back up with a mandrel, very similar in result to the lee collet system only mine will work on my coax press unlike the lee collet.

I always thought neck sizing was the way to go for ammo into the same rifle. Why all the talk about full length resizing?
Lee collet- neck sizer?
What am I supposed to do- full length resize, then neck size? I'm confused.

Dont just neck size only, its not worth the inevitable chambering issues and inconsistency in sizing cycles because eventually you will have to full length anyways.

If you are going to use the lee collet you generally use a body die to touch the case body.
Full length does the whole case. .
Body does it all but the neck.
Neck does only the neck.
Full length bushing with no bushing installed is functionally a body die.

If you normal full length you will be working the neck in that process making the lee collet redundant.

There are concessions you make no matter what die you chose.

 

[TheOfficeT-Rex]

I’ve been full length sizing to bump my should back .001” every fining, but it isn’t growing! It hasn’t grown from 1.908” since I got it new. Alpha LRP.

My alpha LRP has grown to 1.912" after three firings, but I bump .002" each time. The less you work the brass, the less it will grow.

 

[clcustom1911]

Easy button. Roughly 41-42 gr of h4350 or RL 16, in any brass make, behind any good quality 140 jumped 20 thou.

Preach, my good sir. This is Truth.

 

[zimm17]

Oh I like the "easy button" when getting started for sure. Hornady brass, Hornady match dies, and a load with lots of recommendations. Sweet. I do however already stock Varget for my match 75gr .223 loads. Reloader 16 will require another mail order Maybe I can throw together some Varget loads to see how they work before giving UPS $30 in HAZMAT shipping.

 

[clcustom1911]

Oh I like the "easy button" when getting started for sure. Hornady brass, Hornady match dies, and a load with lots of recommendations. Sweet. I do however already stock Varget for my match 75gr .223 loads. Reloader 16 will require another mail order Maybe I can throw together some Varget loads to see how they work before giving UPS $30 in HAZMAT shipping.

Varget will do better with 120-130 grain bullets. It's a hair too fast for above 130g. Reloder 16 works with everything 130+, literally. It's magical pixie dust.