So just as a feedback I have done this very quick load development in 2208 with the Speer HotCor for a cheap combo to shoot at the club ($0.70 a shot).
Load tested: 33-34-35-36-36.5
Pictures below, groups of 4.
50m, open sights.
The top group on the second picture is a test group, with the luxury package: ELD-M with 46 grains of 2213SC.
- LD Speer HC 140.jpg (77.61 KiB) Viewed 1495 times
- LD Speer HC 140+ ELD M.jpg (76.49 KiB) Viewed 1495 times
Conclusion:
33 and 34 grains were terrible. The necks of the cases were all black with powder residues. Seriously underpowered I would say.
35 grains was perfect: 3 impacts touching each other, the 4th one not far. 36 and 36.5 grains were not bad, but with more recoil.
So yes, 2208 can work very fine on the 6.5!
Always amazed at the differences you can see from one load to another.
Sometimes I wonder if it's just variations in performance of the shooter (his eyes!), but I see the same differences from one load to another when doing a load development with a scoped rifle and front/rear rests, so the selection of the powder load clearly plays a pivotal role in the accuracy.
So I am settled on the 35 grains load, next stage is to test at 100m and then at the military shoots!
Interesting fact: you can see that the groups move consistently towards the left as the powder load increases from 33 to 36.5gn. And I haven't done any windage adjustments. Strange?!
NB: the luxury load ELD-M / 2213SC (top group in the second picture) did not do better than the Speer in that 50m test, so I will shoot the Speer at 100/200 and keep the ELD for 300m.