6.5 Range Time

[airedale]

So today I got out the 6.5 PRC Winchester Model 70 and the Howa Super Light 6.5 Creedmoor for sighting and ammo testing. At the end of last year's hunting season I changed the scopes out on both rifles. I went with a little more power on the Winchester mounting a Burris 4.5x14 Timberline, the Super Light Howa got the same power scope but a different model, a HD 1X5 Leupold replaced a Leupold Vari X 3 1X5. I also went with a different set of mounts on the Howa using a Tally setup.

Things did not go as I had hoped, the Howa with the factory base and Millet rings shot great for me last year. The new setup presented me a problem, the HD Leupold ran out of vertical adjustment printing my groups about 4 inches high at 75 yards, I was not happy. I had two choices, go back to the original scope mounts or try to shim the rear scope ring enough to bring the point of aim down where it belonged. I chose the latter and I shimmed the scope with some scope shimming material which consisted of very thin adhesive backed aluminum foil cut to fit inside the ring. I have yet to test it out as I did not get at it right away but it should solve the problem, I aint got to go down much.

I had the Winchester to test out with some handloads loaded with 120 gr Barnes, to be honest they did not group quite as good as I had hoped. The speed was right on the money, a little over 3200 FPS out of a 24 inch barrel, they were advertised to be in the 3300 FPS area out of a 26 inch Barrel. I am going to play around with the overall length and see if I can get things tightened up. I have a couple of more loads to try out if these do not do what I want.

This is the kind of stuff that makes things interesting and gives great satisfaction if the problems can be ironed out.

Al

[airedale]

So today I gave the Howa another range session after shimming the scope, in a nutshell no dice! She still shot way too high. So I am thinking the two scope used on the rifle were basically the same so i9t had to be those Tally mounts, off the came and I put the factory base back on, mounted up the HD Leupold and hit the range again, and again no dice, the scope just does not have enough built in elevation to bring her into my point of aim.

So I just chalked it up, wasted enough ammo, and luckily I have other scopes I can use, sooo, back go on the Tally mounts and I mount the mini 3X9 USA Redfield that was on the Winchester 6.5 PRC. I am pretty sure the problem is solved from giving a look with my bore sighter, what I have seen so far the Hornady 123 gr SSTs are grouping the best.

After putting everything away I look out at the range and there are 11 Turkeys out there scratching around, apparently all that gunfire did not faze them as only a few minutes had passed.

Al

[airedale]

Update, So I have found this to be very strange for a Leupold scope not to have enough adjustment built into it, I have mounted many Leupolds for myself and for others when I worked in a gun shop and never have run into this problem but I have never used an HD model with a lock button.

I just got off the phone with Leupold and they provided me with information that is not in the manual where it should have been and saved me a lot of time and ammo. They apparently ship this scope with it set in the middle of its range (which is normal), but I have to remove the elevation cap and adjust it down using a screw driver. I would not need to do this if I was adjusting my point of aim up, but need to do it if adjusting down. The rep said the "mechanical stop" prevents the downward adjustment initially, thus I must take off the cap to adjust point of aim down. 

 

So I took the cap off as instructed and there was no screw but there was a nut type adjustment and with a pair of pliers I turned it way down and put the lock cap back on.so now it should work. What a pain in the ass.

 

I am sick of mounting and remounting, I have a ton of other things that need to be taken care of. So for now the little compact Redfield stays on the rifle.

 

Al

 

Edited September 9 by airedale

[airedale]

Hit the range and I am as happy as a pig in shit, the Howa is laying them in there putting up ragged holes with everything I am trying. The 140 Sierra bullets were seated just a tad too long, they were bumping the lands when put into the chamber, their shape is not quite as streamlined as the Hornadys so I came into the gun room and seated them down just a bit.

The break in the action was needed as after I touched off the last shot here come the goofy Turkeys on to the range, I will have lunch and hopefully they will be back in the timber so I can test the Sierras.

Al

[airedale]

Another update, I got those Sierra bullets seated just a little deeper and after the Turkey left I ran them through the rifle and they shot beautifully, I usually do not try so many different bullets but have the 6.5X300 and the 6.5 PRC I wanted a good selection to evaluate. This 6.5 Creedmoor is making a big impression, 4 different loads with different bullets and powders and they all shot so good. Like Ron Spomer said "this may be my new favorite rifle'!

100 gr Barnes averaged 3150 FPS loaded with the new Winchester StayBall

123 Hornadys averaged slightly over 2700 FPS loaded with Varget and those new Peterson small primer cases

140 Sierras and the 143 Hornady EDLs averaged 2550 FPS loaded with Varget

Al