Any luck with 140gr nosler RDF in 6.5 Creedmoor?

I Know what you mean about consistent shooting. I feel like I'm just really getting the hang of this rifle. I never used to actually target shoot rifles, every year I'd pop off a couple rounds at a 100 yds to make sure I was sighted in. Then I'd shoot a deer and go home. In the summer I'd load up a few rifles and go out to a friends gravel pit and have a fun day probably 4-5 times and that would be it. But after messing with this rifle and trying to get consistently accurate with it everything is finally clicking, but without good consistent accurate ammunition it's hard to know if it's me or the gun. Now I have two loads that shoot very good for me and I'm also starting to get really good consistent results so I feel like I'm finally getting it right. It's a really good feeling and I'm loving it.
 
My test criteria is to shoot 5, and calculate the best 4 shot groups for data. It's all about creating as much data as I can using averages. I'll always favor a 1.25 MOA consistent load vs. a "one day wonder" .3 MOA load that shot 1.75 MOA a month later.
 
Man there is lots of good info here.
I couldn't get the 140 RDF to shoot well out of my 6.5 gas gun. I was using H4350 and Varget. 1 MOA is a must and the criteria I use. 10 shot group @ 200 yards.
3 shot groups can lie!
140 Bergers, 140 HPBT Hornady, and the ELD-M worked well.
 
One of the reasons I prefer several three shot targets is because after so many rounds a 3/4" dot starts to get obliterated slightly off center. This then draws my eye off center on the target falsely opening up a group. But by shooting clean dots with three rounds, and then counting all of them as literally one collective target I feel I get a more accurate picture of both what I'm doing and what the gun/loads are doing. I don't just pick the best one and declare it the winner. So basically with my targets that have four dots each I'm essentially shooting twelve rounds per target. But for load development, I first shoot two rounds each using the MagnetoSpeed, then go back and shoot three rounds each without it. I then look for possible nodes using these two pieces of data. Armed with this I'll then shoot three sets of five rounds, one right in the middle of the node, then one going down a 3/10 of a grain, and one going up 3/10 of a grain. At this point if I feel I have a clear picture of a good load, I'll load up 20 rounds and shoot 4 groups of 5.
 
I agree that a single 3 shot group or even an average of a few 3 shot groups isn't a dependable indicator of accuracy. I also believe that the average of a few of the best 5 shot groups isn't a dependable measure of accuracy either.

However, a 50 group average of 3 shot groups is a pretty good indicator of the performance of a powder-bullet combination.
The average of twenty 5- shot groups is a better statistical indicator of the combination of the shooter's performance as well as the powder-bullet combination's performance than the large sample, 3 shot group average.

If I am trying to find out what powder-bullet combinations to focus on, I want to try an eliminate the effect of shooter variations.
If I am trying to measure my performance, I use 5 shot, 10 shot, or 20 shot groups.

I look at group sizes as just tools to give you some idea of different types of performance.
 
While this is not typical (I had to run the simulation a lot of times to randomly get one this bad; note that a 3:00 wind was dialed in, too) it is possible for three shots to do this kind of thing to you. If the second set of three was all I had printed, I would be very pleased for a short time, but at that point know neither the actual POA nor the typical grouping potential of the gun.

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I have a home made excel spreadsheet shooting journal that I started in 2013. I currently have 953 entries logged spanning 21 different firearms and 16 different calibers. A lot very helpfull data accumulated to help me track trends both positive and negative. Once I find a nice consistent node, I don't just load it and forget it. I like to test said load both in June and November to verify that the load still averages good accuracy, especially shooting 600 yds in the cold months. I almost always have to increase powder charges during the cold months. Very rarely can I brag "sub moa all day long". A 40F ambient temp variance is a very challenging variable to overcome. Cold dense wind in November is VERY different than lighter air in June. My data advantage is I know my rifle's "good" accuracy nodes no matter what the conditions are. Again I go by my most consistent AVERAGES. The 168 SMK or Nosler CC and Varget seem to provide me with the widest forgiveness within my .30 cal barrels, and wide temp environments.
 
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So true. Even though I shoot mostly indoors on a 100 yd range where the temp is pretty stable I notice the difference. As our weather gets colder and both my rifle and ammo sit out in my car all day, I have to shoot about 6 rounds to even start warming the barrel. Then as I'm waiting between shots for consistent barrel temp, I also chamber a round so it also warms to the temp of the chamber. This gives me pretty consistent results. But as I shoot the warming rounds you can see the changing POI, and I know it's ready when the POI meets the POA. Even though I'm not supposed to have ammo in our shop, I do bring it in by stashing it in my lunch kit, so it's at least around 50-60 degrees like the hangar averages.
 
This thread got me off my butt and to the range for testing. I loaded up my 140 RDF's and R17 to see what we get with my McRees Precision 6.5CM barrel. Not bad, seems i'm going to move away from IMR4350 with the Nos 140's and pursue more tweaking to these R17 loads. Tested 41g to 43g , and testing was shot at 200 meters, calm breeze. Each charge in the pic shows promise. I'm especially interested in the 42.5 load as throwing out the single flier at 3 o'clock, seems to be minimal vertical stringing. I tested 43 gr as well and got substantial vertical stringing of about 2 moa


 
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Even though I'm not supposed to have ammo in our shop, I do bring it in by stashing it in my lunch kit, so it's at least around 50-60 degrees like the hangar averages
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A lot of the rimfire benchrest crowd here bring their ammo to the range in coolers during the summer, that might work in reverse for you. Put the ammo in a small cooler at your house and sit it next to a heater vent while you get ready for work, seal it up and put it in your car and it should stay pretty warm while you work. Bake a tater to put in there with it and not only would the ammo stay warm but you could have a snack on the way home

oh and a lot of guys are finding the RDF's like .035 to .045 jump, might try a few at those lengths to see if the groups tighten
 
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I may try seating deeper than .015, but I need to shoot more of them as they are first to confirm this load before I start tweaking it. When I was still trying to make it work with RE16 it didn't make any noticeable difference with seating depth testing, but who knows if this would be the same with the new load. All part of the process, fun and games.
 
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