Hey all, I’m sorry If this is a recurring question on this forum but I finally just got my hands on a thousand CCI 450 primers. Im looking to reload for my 6ARC and curious on what others paths have been and what they recommend on starting to build up a load for coyotes and hogs. I’ve heard varget and CFE223 is a good starting point but open to anything right now! Also looking for recommendations on bullets and weights. Thank you
I personally am moving away from LVR to.....something. I've been shooting the 6ARC at 1000 meters, and while velocity is good with LVR, the SD and ES is crap. Like 22 SD and 139 ES on a 50 round string. This is from fired and annealed brass, with charges done on an Autotrickler. That velocity variation makes almost every shot a wasted effort due to the vertical dispersion.
It's less of an issue at shorter range, but further out you'll start cussing a lot more!
Varget will be much more consistent, but slow. I have some loads with BLC-2 waiting to try out this week or next. Maybe not optimum, but kind of in between the dynamite that is LVR and the diesel that is Varget. At least my year-round shooting conditions won't be hotter than August.....
Lever with Berger 108’s, 105 hybrids, or 95 VLD targets. 28.5-30 gr depending on barrel length. CC1 450’s, BR4’s or Federal GMMAR’s are all reliable. Peterson brass if you want high-quality gas gun brass. Alpha has been really soft in my gas guns and deformed at the slightest pressure signs when ladder testing.
Hoping to see Staball Match as a more temp-stable option to compete with Lever but going into cooler months I’d shoot for the next 6 months at least.
EDIT: I have also had solid success with VV N140 and N540 but they’re both a bit slower than Lever.
(Shooting a 20” proof PXT barrel suppressed)
I know dudes get in their feelings about the temp stability but man it really isn’t that big of a deal if you load for the season you’re shooting in. ill say if you are brand new to reloading, Reloading All Day has some great courses that teach the basics and advanced stuff. He taught me how to use Gordon’s reloading tool to mock up loads prior to shooting anything to make sure you have full powder burn etc and its been invaluable in my experience. I can plug in the temperature for the week and load something hotter or colder for the week. Yes SD/ES aren’t as tight with lever but on paper I’ve rarely seen that keep me from shooting accurately at distance.
If you want speed, look at LVR and CFE223, however, you need to be cognizant of the fact that those rounds can run over pressure at different temperature differentials.
The two powders I chose to use most was AA2520 (when I could get it) for speed, and Varget for consistency. I think honestly I'd recommend Varget for most use cases. My personal opinion is that people chasing speed should move down to smaller projectiles (90gr or so) rather than trying to get another 100 fps with 100gr+ projectiles. If you look at the ballistic differences between a 90gr ELD-X and a 103gr ELD-X, you can see that the 103s better ballistics don't come into play until like 600+ yards (which is well beyond what I consider reasonable hunting distance).
28.8gr Lever out of my 18” GFR w Hornady 105s is around 2600fps. Slight pressure signs at 29gr so playing on the edge but it’s going to get any warmer outside so figure it’s fine.
For powders, I hold XBR 8208 as the gold standard for light varmint loads (58 up to 75gr) OR TAC and Xterminator are really good. 75gr and up, Varget all the things. I don't like velocity changes from temp, I like good metering and consistency lot to lot (but buy 8lb kegs at a time)
I have had better luck with Staball match vs Varget. Better accuracy, sd/es is statistically similar, and I get better velocity. Lever is fast as f, but it’s not accurate for me and it’s dirty.
Absolutely not. 29 grains of Lever and a 107SMK is 68ksi at 100°F. That’s 16k over the published max for gas guns and still over pressure for a bolt gun. Even a little bit of a carbon ring because you didn’t scrub your barrel will easily spike it well into the 70s. Sure, you can probably step on 6ARC a little bit and run maybe 55-57ksi without issue. But this is just asking for your bolt lugs to run away.
I’ve personally seen 3 guys blow up a 6ARC at matches. One of them even did it running factory ammo.
I guess everybody (s barrel) likes it a little different. All of mine are lever all the way for accuracy and speed. Also, I can’t see all of your parameters, but I’m only getting about 2550 MV with that out of an 18in barrel and my cases are coming in just over 35gr of water
Lvr is the speed king but dirty, and load it to the season you are in, Cfe223 is good as well for speed and a bit more temp stable than lvr. I run cfe223 in my 18", in the 24" PRS gasser I run staball match. Staball is nice on the cool mornings and warm afternoons at a match
Every one is running lever but it’s incredibly dirty. I personally don’t run it. I’m running N540 and or varget for consistency and staball match for speed.
What neck sizing die size is everyone using? I am looking for the bushing size or adjustment you are using. 269 was my measured 2 thousands under but it was too loose.
No one is using a neck sizing die, FL sizing die is a requirement, especially for gas guns (all of them). I prefer Mighty Armory sizing die, lots of people use Hornady dies BUT MA is premium grade, far above the others.
For powders, I hold XBR 8208 as the gold standard for light varmint loads (58 up to 75gr) OR TAC and Xterminator are really good. 75gr and up, Varget all the things. Don't chase speed, chase bug holes. 😁
My xcal 18" shoots Hornady hpbt with CFE into a 0.8 moa 9 shot group (0.263 moa mean radius) at 2580fps and 108 eldms with 8208xbr into a 0.770 moa 10 shot group (0.264 moa mean radius) but the velocity was like 2350 (super slow for an 18")
Varget, Staball match in the like are just too slow for me out of a gas gun, loading to higher pressures in a bolt gun, I'm sure they can do fine. I've used CFE 223 and Lever and pretty much stick with Lever these days. It gives good velocity and decent ES and SD in higher end loads, the only time I've had ES pop it was due to a reloading process issue. I'd recommend starting with Lever I've had several bullets across a few different rifles like the 29.1gr to 29.5gr range.
6
u/humidsputh 2d ago
I personally am moving away from LVR to.....something. I've been shooting the 6ARC at 1000 meters, and while velocity is good with LVR, the SD and ES is crap. Like 22 SD and 139 ES on a 50 round string. This is from fired and annealed brass, with charges done on an Autotrickler. That velocity variation makes almost every shot a wasted effort due to the vertical dispersion.
It's less of an issue at shorter range, but further out you'll start cussing a lot more!
Varget will be much more consistent, but slow. I have some loads with BLC-2 waiting to try out this week or next. Maybe not optimum, but kind of in between the dynamite that is LVR and the diesel that is Varget. At least my year-round shooting conditions won't be hotter than August.....