Projectile: Berger 6.5mm 130 AR Hybrid

[kmon]

Loads for Boltaction rifle only

Tried CFE 223 today, 4 load weights from the CZ527 29.7, 30, 30.3 and 30.6 COAL on all loads 2.285. Target has 1 inch grid and the orange dots are one inch. Range temp 96 degrees starting cooled off to 87 by the time I quit shooting, altitude 525 feet.




Bottom right dot I knew I screwed up shot 5 it is the one to the left. Bottom center group is also 30.6 grains along with bottom right. 30.6 gr showed a little bolt swipe on the case head of a few cases that had been in the sun, Winchester small rifle primers were showing a little flattening on those that had the bolt swipe. No sticky extraction with any of the loads though.

I say looks like this rifle likes these bullets. Chronograph battery died before I got any data. Spare batteries are in range bag for next time.

Will be getting some of these bullets to the GrendelData guys when they want them for pressure and gel testing.

The 123gr SST loads I put together today were a bit less impressive, best group was a little over an inch.

Gotta love how well CFE 223 meters, those loads were all thrown with a RCBS powder drop. My old redding balance beam scale was less than the width of the 0 mark on all drops checked.

Next time we get in some IMR 4166 I will be trying it, burn rate is between 8208 and CFE223. Extruded powder though that is supposed to be less temperature sensitive but has the copper fouling eraser like CFE.

[kmon]

Oh these loads were in New Lapua brass, looking forward to see if fireformed brass to my chamber will improve it any, brass shot today slides into chamber easy so will just neck size the next time. Then again not sure I can shoot any better. Today was my 3rd time shooting since early November to shoot and one of those was with a new scope that would not hold zero. Current scope on it is a Bushnell 6500 2.5X16-50 with target turrets and have plenty of elevation to get to 1k or more with the 25MOA dip rail.

[lwminton]

Berger officially announced the 130 Hybrid today.

http://www.bergerbullets.com/new-65-130gr-ar-hybrid-otm-tactical/?utm_source=Berger+Blog+%7C+Introducing+The+New+6.5mm+130gr+AR+Hybrid+OTM+Tactical+Bullet&utm_campaign=Berger+Blog+06-09-2015&utm_medium=email

[acourvil]

Gunstop reloading supplies has had these in and out of stock several times in the last couple days. EuroOptics and Bullets.com are both taking orders but don't show them in stock.

kmon - did you work up any gas gun loads with these?

[kmon]

Gunstop reloading supplies has had these in and out of stock several times in the last couple days. EuroOptics and Bullets.com are both taking orders but don't show them in stock.

kmon - did you work up any gas gun loads with these?

Planning on getting started for the gas gun next week. 24 inch AA Overwatch upper on a Spikes lower with a 3# Timmney

[cory]

PowderValley.net has these in stock if anyone needs any.

[BluntForceTrauma]

Nukes brought to my attention some reloading data from Berger using their new 6.5mm 130 Hybrid in the 6.5 Grendel. Note the COAL.

Thanks, Nukes, and good to have some more data points!

[montana]

Nukes sent me a reply about kmon's loading data from Bob Blaine technical specialist at Berger bullets.
Thank you for getting back with us. With the longer 2.285” COAL, you can increase the charge for CFE223 to no higher than 29.1 grains for the maximum charge. You would still use the listed minimum charge of 27.5 grains of CFE223. This COAL update is only considered to be valid for the use of CFE223 only. This works out to be a 0.7% increase in usable space. The charge that “Kmon” is showing is definitely beyond the safe SAAMI pressure limits at the longer COAL and must not be considered a safe load based on accepted SAAMI pressure limits.

Kind Regards,
Bob Blaine
Technical Specialist
Berger Bullets Technical Support Team
techsupport@bergerbullets.com

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4275 N. Palm Street
Fullerton, CA 92835

Tech Line: 714-441-7202
Fax: 714-441-7201

AS WITH ALL RELOADING, APPROACH THE MAXIMUM LOADS WITH CAUTION, AS ALL RIFLES AND RELOADING TECHNIQUES WILL BE DIFFERENT. IF YOU CHANGE ANY OF YOUR COMPONENTS: THIS INCLUDES DIFFERENT POWDER LOT NUMBERS; YOU MUST REFIGURE YOUR LOADS BY STARTING WITH THE MINIMUM LOAD.

[kmon]

If you will remember all data I have posted is for a Bolt Action and said the 30.6 grain loads were showing some pressure signs in it flattened primers but bolt lift was still smooth. 30 grains no pressure signs and 30.3 had a little primer flattening. I have not posted any data for the AR yet.

I am keeping the AR and Bolt action loads easily separated by using Hornady brass in the AR and Lapua in the boltaction.

I wonder how Hornady gets 31.7 grains for a max safe load behind the 129gr SST.

Also waiting with some ready to ship out to the GrendelData crew for pressure testing if they still want them.

[cory]

I'd be interested to know how Berger is deriving their data. Those numbers don't jive with my experience using CFE 223. I don't have a huge sample size, but in my AR the max charge of CFE under 140gr bullets seems to be 31.0gr if not just north of that. I can get to 32.0gr of CFE under a 123gr safely. (These are all loads for cup and core bullets)

I suspect that max pressure for this bullet will be between 31.0gr and 32.0gr. I suspect I'll find a node right around the 31.0gr mark. Using the tumbler (vibratory) method on the loads, I start compressing CFE at 30.6gr with a COL of 2.265".

What primers were you using kmon?

If Berger's data is from testing and not quickload, I wonder what primers they used.

[kmon]

My loads have been with Winchester SRP since I have a few thousand of them, they are a pretty soft cup on them and the primers beginning to flatten are the only pressure indication and the range temp when I was shooting those was 97 degrees.

One of the complaints I have heard many times with the Berger reloading manual is the seemingly low max loads listed. Hornady lists 31.7 grains as Max with the 129gr SST bullet, and our GrendelData site pretty much confirms that.

[rwh]

I ran quickload and it predicts that 29.1 gr of CFE gets a pressure of 51199 PSI with an OAL of 2.285 and a case capacity of 37.5gr H2O for the Berger 130gr VLD bullet. I suspect Berger is running quickload to get that number using the 130gr VLD bullet from the quickload database. I created a bullet profile for the 130gr AR using the measurements on the Berger product announcement. The 130AR is shorter than the 130VLD and takes up less space in the case for the same OAL. Using the bullet profile with the 130AR dimensions quickload predicts a pressure of 51926 with 30.1gr of CFE223 and a velocity of 2554.

The thing is that quickload hasn't proved to be all that reliable in predicting loads for my grendel. It comes pretty close for some powders and it's way off with others. I have no idea whether CFE223 is one of the powders quickload does well with, but I am willing to wager that there is no way you can stuff enough RL-17 into a grendel case to get 2518FPS with a
130 grain bullet.

I bought the berger reloading manual and haven't found it very helpful. The loads I've tried in my rifles have turned out to be conservative. Some might say too conservative. On the other end of the spectrum, the data I've tried from VihtaVuori had maximum loads that were too hot for my rifle.

[LRRPF52]

Grendel case volume is more like 35.5gr of H2O fire formed. Unfired brass is not that far off.

Quick Load has predicted pressures that were over 20,000psi than what has been actually measures with a highly calibrated strain gauge and test breech with CFE223.

[rwh]

I meant 37.5gr H2O for the case volume, which is measured from my fired lapua cases.

[GarandThumb]

The thing is that quickload hasn't proved to be all that reliable in predicting loads for my grendel. It comes pretty close for some powders and it's way off with others. I have no idea whether CFE223 is one of the powders quickload does well with, but I am willing to wager that there is no way you can stuff enough RL-17 into a grendel case to get 2518FPS with a
130 grain bullet.

We'll find out soon enough. I just loaded 50 rounds with RL-17, Lapua brass and cci 450 primers. Five different charges, 10 rounds each:

29.3 x10
29.5 x10
29.7 x10
29.9 x10
30.1 x10

I should be able to run through these in the next few days. I'll have my chrony with me so we should get a decent idea.