Need advice with the Berger 156 EOL

[Concrete shooter]

Hello everyone!

Need some advice from the experts here.
I've been working up a load with the 156 berger for my 6.5 creedmoor.
Rifle: Steyr pro hunter threaded heavy barrel. Barrel length is 25.6 inches

Components:
Lapua srp brass, cci br4 primers.
156 grain berger eol seated 15 thousandths off the lands.
Powders tested are h4350 and rl 16.
Velocity topped out at 2640 fps for h4350 with cratered primers showing up.
Velocity with rl16 reached 2703 fps with very slightly flattened primers.
Accuracy was excellent with both powders. My question is (looking at the photos) does the rl16 load look safe enough to run for my hunting load? If so,
I will load up 100 to 150 rounds of it.

Thanks in advance!

 

[918v]

Pop the primers out and try to seat new primers. If the primer pockets are tight then the load is safe.

 

[Concrete shooter]

Thanks 918v!
I processed the brass and re-primed, pockets are still good!

 

[ShtrRdy]

Those primers look fine to me. Did you notice if the bolt needed a little more force to open?

 

[TEUFEL820]

Are you using a .062 firing pin?

 

[Chesapeake]

If you can find it, you will probably have some excellent results with RL26 as well and likely no pressure issues.

 

[Hiwayman92]

Although I’d argue the 156 is too heavy for the Creedmoor because of velocity/BC trade off, Reloder 26 would easily be the go to powder for me. I run the 147’s at 2875 in a 26” barrel.

 

[Concrete shooter]

I was concerned about the velocity trade off as well. It looks like it will be a good hunting load though at 2700 fps or above. 2700 is all I get with rl16. I would love to try rl26 if I could find some!

 

[Hiwayman92]

Another that I haven’t tried, but may work similar to 26 is VV N565

 

[Concrete shooter]

Those primers look fine to me. Did you notice if the bolt needed a little more force to open?

Are you using a .062 firing pin?

There was no change in bolt lift.
Just measured the firing pin, yes it is 0.62

 

[kingston]

My 156 EOL load with RL26 in 6.5 CM Lapua brass runs 2780 out of a 22” tube.

 

[Concrete shooter]

My 156 EOL load with RL26 in 6.5 CM Lapua brass runs 2780 out of a 22” tube.

That's awesome! I wish I could find some

 

[GNCC407]

That's awesome! I wish I could find some

No kidding, Ive been looking since May and was told by Alliant that they were going to be shipping to there distributors in June. Here we are in October and still no signs of it anywhere.

 

[Steel head]

That's awesome! I wish I could find some

kinda funny,,,R26 and H1000 are hens teeth and H4350 is on every shelf I see.

 

[GNCC407]

kinda funny,,,R26 and H1000 are hens teeth and H4350 is on every shelf I see.

I resorted to H4831SC

 

[Steel head]

I resorted to H4831SC

I’ve used H4831SC a few times.
Maybe I didn’t get the speed I wanted but accuracy and awesome SD’s were never a problem.

 

[GNCC407]

I’ve used H4831SC a few times.
Maybe I didn’t get the speed I wanted but accuracy and awesome SD’s were never a problem.

Thats where I'm at I lost about 100fps, but I am getting low single digit SD's.

 

[kjnolder]

I recently picked up some Berger 156’s and thought they may be too long and too slow. In fact, I have to load them to my max mag length with an AICS mag. I’m way off the lands but had too because it’s so long I had to seat it deep. I’m running 49.5 gr of RL 26 and getting 2950 with an ES of 13 and SD of 6. I think I will switch from the 147 eld just so I can have one load for PRS and same load for hunting.

 

[Concrete shooter]

I recently picked up some Berger 156’s and thought they may be too long and too slow. In fact, I have to load them to my max mag length with an AICS mag. I’m way off the lands but had too because it’s so long I had to seat it deep. I’m running 49.5 gr of RL 26 and getting 2950 with an ES of 13 and SD of 6. I think I will switch from the 147 eld just so I can have one load for PRS and same load for hunting.

I'm fortunate, the mag for my rifle allows 3.14" of length. 2.965" c.o.a.l puts me 0.015 off the lands. Even at that length 47.6 grains is a heavily compressed load netting 2820 fps. I shot it at 600 and was pleased with the results: 0.5 moa with 1.25" of verticle.

 

[kjnolder]

I'm fortunate, the mag for my rifle allows 3.14" of length. 2.965" c.o.a.l puts me 0.015 off the lands. Even at that length 47.6 grains is a heavily compressed load netting 2820 fps. I shot it at 600 and was pleased with the results: 0.5 moa with 1.25" of verticle.

What kind of mag and or rifle? That’s awesome. I’m afraid I may not get the perfect group I’m after because of it. And assuming your using RL 26 I would try and fit another grain of powder in there. I’m level with the case when I put powder in. I have to tap it to get it to settle. But my ES is 13 and SD 6 and no pressure signs. I was convinced the gun would blow up the first time I tried it so I went up in 0.1 gr increments.

 

[db2000]

Christiansen Arms MPR 6.5 PRC 24” carbon barrel 1-8” SilencerCo ASR Flash Hider
Magento v3

53F 44% 30.23mmHg
Berger 156 gr Elite Hunter HPBT
H4831 54.5
Hornady brass x 6
Fed 210M
COL 2.035
COAL 2.940
2823, 2830, 2852, 2849, 2848
2849, 2833, 2856, 2843, 2845 SD 10.6
2”

Berger 156 gr Elite Hunter HPBT
H4831 54.8
Hornady brass x 6
Fed 210M
COL 2.035
COAL 2.940
2852, 2866, 2852, 2870, 2859
2865, 2875, 2877, 2868, 2877 SD 7.5
2”

Berger 156 gr Elite Hunter HPBT
Rx 26 55.0
Hornady brass x 1
Fed 210M
COL 2.030
COAL 2.940
2893, 2883, 2886, 2887, 2881
2882, 2897, 2901, 2882, 2908 SD 9.3
1.5”

Berger 156 gr Elite Hunter HPBT
Rx 26 55.3
Hornady brass x 1
Fed 210M
COL 2.030
COAL 2.940
2914, 2894 SD 14.1
1”

48F 86% 30.08mmHg
Berger 156 gr Elite Hunter HPBT
Rx 23 52.0
Hornady brass x 1
Fed 210M
COL 2.030
COAL 2.940
2805, 2823, 2839, 2827, 2842 SD 14.7
2” cold clean barrel

Berger 156 gr Elite Hunter HPBT
Rx 23 52.5
Hornady brass x 1
Fed 210M
COL 2.030
COAL 2.940
2851, 2851, 2845, 2869, 2853 SD 9.0
1.25” slight pressure circle

Berger 156 gr Elite Hunter HPBT
Rx 23 52.8
Hornady brass x 1
Fed 210M
COL 2.030
COAL 2.940
2871, 2872, 2888, 2896, 2866 SD 12.7
1.25” mod ejector circle pressure marks

Berger 156 gr Elite Hunter HPBT
Rx 26 55.5
Hornady brass x 1
Fed 210M
COL 2.030
COAL 2.940
2896, 2940, 2950, 2920, 2927
2907 SD 20.1
1.5” high ejector circle pressure marks

Berger 156 gr Elite Hunter HPBT
Rx 26 56.0
Hornady brass x 1
Fed 210M
COL 2.030
COAL 2.940
2949, 2962, 2956, 2947, 2955
2951 SD 5.4
1” mod pressure on bolt ejecting rds

EDIT 9/30/21: Finalized on this load
Berger 156 gr Elite Hunter HPBT
Rx 26 55.6
Hornady brass x 3
Fed 210M
BTO 2.220
COL 2.020
COAL 2.920
2931, 2940, 2956, 2943, 2953 SD 10.0
0.5”

 

[maddazzshooter]

If you can find it, you will probably have some excellent results with RL26 as well and likely no pressure issues.

This is very good advice and I would also recommend using magnum primers. The RL26 was very smoky when I was using BR4s and Federal 215s changed my results totally to awesome !!!! Very low SDs…