6.5 140 Solid Base weight variances

rjm158

Handloader
Oct 15, 2009
695
576
I didn't want to hijack JD's thread on the 308s so I started this one. I loaded some 6.5 Creedmoors using the seconds I got from SPS. As with the 308s, I weighed a handful and found one that was under weight at 139.9 and the rest were over weight at 140. 5, .6, and .7.

These are seconds so I don't expect them to be perfect. As long as they will shoot accurately, I have no concerns about their performance on deer. I'm hoping to get to the range tomorrow and see how they do.

Ron
 
I just received three bags of 6.5 140s and have not checked weights yet. Cosmetically they seem to look good and cannot wait to load them for antelope and deer. I will weight sort them merely to see the variance. I’m excited to run some 140s in my 6.5x284. 125 partitions have been a hammer but are hard to come by. I won’t take shots over 500 yds partly because the wind always blows in the high desert of WY. If 140s will cut the wind a little better then it’s a bonus.
 
I made a range trip yesterday with family to get rifles ready for our deer season that opens this Saturday. I have to say I was disappointed in both the 308 and 6.5 Solid Base accuracy. Both shot in the 1.5-1.75 realm, and this was from proven rifles. The ballistic numbers were good so I can only speculate the weight disparity might have contributed. They would have sufficed if there were no other options, and you kept distances to 100-125 yds.

Ron
 
Well that is perplexing. I am a ways out from testing anything. I will get the lot weighed this weekend and see where my variance is. Thanks for the update and sorry the results were not better.
 
So I was able to take time this afternoon to weight the three bags of 140gr solid base that I received from SPS. I have a fairly crappy digital scale that doesn't show tenths of grains. I weighed each one and if 140 populated, I set it into a pile and tallied it. If it came up differently, I set them in separate piles based on weight (139-141). Then I took each bullet that didn't match and weighed them individually on my bar scale (I use this for all powder measurements when loading) so I could get tenths. Long story short, from 150 bullets, I came up with a total of 11 bullets that were either under or over. I had five that came in at 139.7-.8 and five that came in at 140.5. I had one that touched 141.0. Obviously, I should repeat the process with a digital scale that reads partial grains, to confirm exactly what each bullet weighs. I don't shoot match and I think at the end of the day for hunting purposes results should be good. I have not shot any of them, so results may vary. My 6.5X284 has not had accuracy issues with anything I've fed it. I will start with a previously used recipe for 140 Partitions and see where they print. I may see some different results going from a flat base to a boat tail but would expect that to be more vertical than anything else.
 
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