03-05-2012, 04:33 PM
It was wet and windy this weekend, but I did get out with the new 6.5 can and the Grendel. Good news and bad news. The bad news is I got my reloads off a tad for some odd reason and had chamber feed problems due to the OAL being just off a tad. The bullets were seated out to far and were being jammed into the lands, on over half the bullets, to the point that the bolt was out of battery, which should be an easy fix.
Now the good news: Previously I had full function from 12 and 12.5 gr of AA-2015 using Hornady .267 bullets seated deep and using a carbine spring plus a 3 oz buffer from the carbine, in a full rifle stock. My estimated subsonic threshold was 1116 fps the 12.5 gr load was 1100 and the 12 gr load was 1024 so I decided to take 12.2 gr loads to my range at the farm. There was no failure to function with the 12.2 gr load using the 3 oz buffer and the carbine spring but the chamber problem was obviously exasperated by the light spring, so after 15 rounds I changed to the rifle stock's full length spring. The load with that longer spring functioned flawlessly as well, with the 3 oz buffer. The additional power helped feed the rounds better. But, this feeding issue was my fault to start with and had nothing to do with the load or its function. However I suspect it probably had to do with the velocity's extreme spread.
I have some work to do on the load, as the highs and lows were very wide for my taste, 974 fps for a low and 1098 fps for a high with two 5 shot averages between 1074 and 1076. But even at 974 fps the load still functioned the action with the rifle spring! I just want to snug up the extreme spread and I hope revising the bullet seating to a depth without contact with the lands will do the trick nicely. This load remained sub sonic at its highs through 40 rounds and the load still shot under 1 inch at 50 yards for 5 rounds in a high wind, over 25 mph.
I am running a Rock River lower with a White trigger, a rubber wedge, and a Model 1, 6.5 Sporter, upper with a 16 inch ER Shaw 1-9 twist Carbine barrel with a mid length tube, the bolt is a Model 1 matching bolt, lubed with white lithium grease. I removed the carbine stock and replaced it with a full rifle stock which I am used to. Scope is a 3x12x50 tactical with a lit red dot, topped by a laser. The can is a Liberty Torch QC 6.5mm, which is 8 inches long.
Full Function= Strips 5 rounds from 10 round mag without failure to cycle and locks the bolt back on last shot, every time. I made no effort to place the powder in the case before each shot, like raising the muzzle, etc.
Ed
Now the good news: Previously I had full function from 12 and 12.5 gr of AA-2015 using Hornady .267 bullets seated deep and using a carbine spring plus a 3 oz buffer from the carbine, in a full rifle stock. My estimated subsonic threshold was 1116 fps the 12.5 gr load was 1100 and the 12 gr load was 1024 so I decided to take 12.2 gr loads to my range at the farm. There was no failure to function with the 12.2 gr load using the 3 oz buffer and the carbine spring but the chamber problem was obviously exasperated by the light spring, so after 15 rounds I changed to the rifle stock's full length spring. The load with that longer spring functioned flawlessly as well, with the 3 oz buffer. The additional power helped feed the rounds better. But, this feeding issue was my fault to start with and had nothing to do with the load or its function. However I suspect it probably had to do with the velocity's extreme spread.
I have some work to do on the load, as the highs and lows were very wide for my taste, 974 fps for a low and 1098 fps for a high with two 5 shot averages between 1074 and 1076. But even at 974 fps the load still functioned the action with the rifle spring! I just want to snug up the extreme spread and I hope revising the bullet seating to a depth without contact with the lands will do the trick nicely. This load remained sub sonic at its highs through 40 rounds and the load still shot under 1 inch at 50 yards for 5 rounds in a high wind, over 25 mph.
I am running a Rock River lower with a White trigger, a rubber wedge, and a Model 1, 6.5 Sporter, upper with a 16 inch ER Shaw 1-9 twist Carbine barrel with a mid length tube, the bolt is a Model 1 matching bolt, lubed with white lithium grease. I removed the carbine stock and replaced it with a full rifle stock which I am used to. Scope is a 3x12x50 tactical with a lit red dot, topped by a laser. The can is a Liberty Torch QC 6.5mm, which is 8 inches long.
Full Function= Strips 5 rounds from 10 round mag without failure to cycle and locks the bolt back on last shot, every time. I made no effort to place the powder in the case before each shot, like raising the muzzle, etc.
Ed