6.5mm 139gr scenar vs 140 amax

[bornhunter04]

It appears that the amax and scenar have similar ogive profiles. Does anyone have a base to ogive measurement for both bullets. I'm considering trying some 139's especially if I could seat them out a bit further than the 140 amax. My rifle has a bit of a short chamber. Yet I jump the 130 bergers a long ways. Currently I'm running 123gr lapua and 130 bergers. But can't quite run the 140 amax at mag length. Its just a bit shy.

 

[Rob01]

The 140 AMAX is 1.375 OAL and the base to ogive measurement is .7". It's an excellent bullet in the 6.5s.

If you have a short chamber why can't you run the AMAX? Are you using a DBM or internal mag?

 

[427Cobra]

I don't measure base to Ojive often, a handful of 139Scenars measured .795 and 30 or so 140AMax measured .759 with my Hornady insert, IMHO the Scenar is good bullet, but not 12-15 dollars a box better than the AMax

 

[HodgdonExtreme]

IMHO the Scenar is good bullet, but not 12-15 dollars a box better than the AMax

Depends on your usage, for sure. I can't remember a time when shooters had to find out the hard way (by missing a lot) that Lapua had goofed up and made a bunch of bad bullets as has happened recently with Hornady. [EDIT: In Hornady's defense, these are NOT normal times in the firearms/ammunition industry, and I think we're all grateful for the bullet makers to be cranking them out as fast as they can].

I've found, in general, that Hornady bullets vary the most (as compared to Berger, Sierra, Lapua) in bearing surface length, base-to-ogive length, weight, and diameter.

I've never ever found a blem bullet in any other color box than in a red one. A box of 6.5mm 140gr HPBT had several bullets that were completely missing the boattail.

Frankly, I've found them to usually shoot quite well - I think they'll probably outshoot me 95% of the time. However, bullets with more variance from one to the next does not give you the feeling of confidence you NEED when you wake up the morning of a match and start filling your magazines.

 

[bornhunter04]

Thanks for the numbers cobra. That gives me an idea of what i'm looking at. As per the chamber being short when i first got the rifle i had my smith measure the chamber with a 140 amax jammed since i didn't have the gauges yet. The 140's jammed before a 2.800 COAL was reached so i was always afraid of chambering a 140amax round at that length since it would probably seat the bullet deeper and cause a pressure spike. But i measured my chamber when i got home tonight now that i have the tools. According to my gauges a 140 amax jammed will have a COAL of 2.833, so i should have plenty of room to seat the 140's out and the 139's to mag length. Barrel has 960 rounds through it now.