6.5 grendel powders

[Bbowl1]

24" AA upper

I know there is already a decent amount of posts on this scattered around. Just hoping to get sone solid info in one place on my bullet combination.

I have been using 123 amax and 123 ncc

I have been using XBR 8208 with good accuracy and ok fps 28.0gr seems to give a good 2600fps in 40 degree F. 28.6 = 2650fps


It's come time I need more bullets and powder. So I am wondering if I should try something new.

Out to 900yd max, 600yd normal range and looking for sub moa. I get .5-.75 in ideal conditions at 600yd range events. Very little wind at their setup.

I'm open to a different bullet weight to, 123 just seems like the go to. Again, from scattered information.

I have read the best is AA2520. Also read it's very temp sensitive. My regular temps range from 40-90 degrees F.

I have a lot of varget on hand but it doesn't seem to do well, at least with 123gr. I also have h335 and blc 2. I have read they aren't the greatest either.

 

[bobke]

CFE 223 has proven excellent with 120-123gr Hornady, Lapua and Nosler bullets-don't have much inventory of Sierra's, other than 107's, which I haven't worked with yet. Wouldn't feel constricted if I only had 8208 to work with, as it's also powder of choice in AR10 with 155gr bullets, and is useful across the full range of Grendel bullet weight choices.
LRRPF52 has posted a wealth of info here and at 65grendel.com forums, as well as two published volumes of Grendel reload data, which every owner should have for reference. TAC, 2520 and others can work, but as you'd mentioned, some can be temp sensitive.

 

[Unknown]

My go to powders for the Grendel have been, Tac, W748, 2520, and X-terminator. The one I use most is W748 as it seems to give me the best velocity with the least pressure signs. I stay with the 123 grain bullet weights as they seem to have the best compromise between range, velocity, and wind bucking. I usually load around 30.2 or 30.3 grains of W748 to get velocity in the 2540 FPS area. Velocity changes with various bullets, ambient temperature, and powder lots. Although 30.5 is the max load, I just don't need the little bit more velocity, or want to work my brass that hard.

 

[bjay]

Ive heard rl15 pretty good too.. i saw 2 budies using them 28.5-29.00gr and its bugholes

 

[WildBill3/75]

I've been using 8208xbr and like it.

 

[BIPMaster]

I've been using 8208xbr and like it.

Ditto. So far in limited testing the 8208 under 123gr Scenars has shown great promise.

 

[fx77]

lots of Powders work well...
Bullet
Primer Powder Starting
Load Maximum Load (24") V (28")
V (19.5") V (16") V (14.5")
Weight Type Manufacturer C.O.L. (in)
Manufacturer/Type Weight (grains) Velocity (fps) Weight
(grains) Velocity (fps) Velocity (fps) Velocity (fps) Velocity (fps)
Velocity (fps)

90 TNT Speer 2.200 CCI#450
Hodgdon Benchmark 30.0 2800
30.5 2880 2936 2780
2730 2660




100 Scenar Lapua 2.260 CCI#450
Viht N133 27.0 2640
27.5 2710
Viht N135 27.2 2600
28.3 2720
Viht N530 27.0 2633
27.5 2729
Accurate 2460 27.5 2614
30.2 2810 2850 2770
2597 2540
Hodgdon H335
29.4 2786

107 Match King Sierra 2.260 CCI#450
Western Tac
29.5 2730 2750
2445 2423
Viht N135 27.0 2536
27.3 2605
Viht N140 27.2 2443
28.6 2520
Viht N530 25.7 2554
26.3 2590
Viht N540 27.9 2488
30.0 2610
Hodgdon BL-(C)2
32.0 2730
H335 28.0 2541
28.9 2650
Accurate 2460
29.3

108 Scenar Lapua 2.265 CCI#450
Viht N135 27.0 2536
27.5 2620
Viht N140 27.2 2443
28.8 2550
Viht N530 25.7 2554
26.5 2600
Viht N540 27.9 2488
30.0 2610
Hodgdon BL-(C)2
32.0 2730
H335 28.0 2541
29.0 2660
Western Tac
29.7 2760
2670
Accurate 2460
29.4

108 Scenar (Moly) Lapua 2.265 CCI#450
Western Tac
30.7 2790

123 Scenar Lapua 2.265 CCI#450
Viht N140 26.5 2310
27.9 2430
Viht N540 28.0 2360
28.6 2470
Hodgdon H4895 27.0 2423
27.7 2450
Hodgdon Varget 28.0 2358
28.5 2400
Win 748 30.0 2475
30.5 2590
Hodgdon BL-(C)2 31.5 2570
31.8 2545
2455 2380 2366
Accurate 2520
30.7 2630
AA Factory Powder
30.8 2620 2645
2565 2472 2428




123 Sierra Match King 2.260 CCI#450
AA Factory Powder
30.9
2477 2377
AA Factory Powder
30.9 2650
2594 2465 2450
Viht N140 26.5 2310
27.9 2430
Viht N540 28.0 2360
28.6 2470
Hodgdon H4895 27.0 2423
27.7 2450
Hodgdon Varget 28.0 2358
28.5 2400
Win 748 30.0 2475
30.5 2590
Hodgdon BL-(C)2 31.5 2570
31.8 2545
2455 2380 2366
Accurate 2520
30.8 2630


120 Sierra Match King 2.220 CCI#450
AA Factory Powder
30.7 2660
2614 2470 2430
Hodgdon BL-(C)2 31.5 2540
31.7 2570
Accurate 2520
30.6
Western Tac 27.5 2436
28.8 2560
Viht N135 26.2 2410
26.4 2430
Viht N140 26.5 2325
28.0 2431
Viht N540 28.0 2300
28.6 2475

120 Ballistic Tip Nosler 2.245 CCI#450
Hodgdon BL-(C)2 31.5 2540
31.7 2570
Accurate 2520
30.6
Western Tac 27.5 2436
28.8 2560
Viht N135 26.2 2410
26.4 2430
Viht N140 26.5 2325
28.0 2431
Viht N540 28.0 2300
28.6 2475

120 FMJ BT Norma 2.245 CCI#450
Accurate 2520 30.7 2649
31.0 2670
Western Tac 27.5 2440
28.8 2562
Hodgdon BL-(C)2 31.5 2578
31.8 2602
AA Factory Powder
30.9 2700
2520 2480

129 SST Hornady 2.260 CCI#450
Hodgdon BL-(C)2 29.0 2300
31.0 2467 2485
2302 2267

130 HPBT Norma 2.265 CCI#450
Hodgdon BL-(C)2
29.0 2400 2430
2170
AA Factory Powder
29.0 2510 2540
2350

130 Scirroco Swift 2.265 CCI#450
Hodgdon BL-(C)2
29.4 2398
2280
Viht N540
28.0 2410
Win 748 28.0 2300
29.0 2380
Hodgdon Varget 26.0 2235
27.0 2312
Western Big Game 28.0 2163
30.0 2350




130 VLD Berger 2.265 CCI#450
Hodgdon BL-(C)2
29.0 2370
AA Factory Powder
29.0 2492

 

[Bbowl1]

Really is looking like 8208 is the best

 

[Drifter™]

I have experimented with over a dozen powders in over a dozen barrels using 123gr bullets in the Grendel, with well over 10k rounds fired. AR-Comp has proven to be the most accurate powder each and every time, with decent velocity, and excellent temp stability. 27.7gr to 28.0gr is usually golden, and CCI #41 primers have worked best with this particular powder. I've burned over 35 lbs of AR-Comp since it was introduced, most of which has been in the Grendel.

If velocity is what you seek, CFE-223 and LeveRevolution are best, although at the expense of a little accuracy and quite a bit of temp sensitivity.

 

[1Sg (ret)]

Tag

 

[gewehr]

give BLC-2 a try its always worked great in my experience

 

[country888]

I really like CFE for the 123gn bullets, im getting great velocity and accuracy with a 18" satern barrel. XBR would be my next choice, it also works well.

 

[cecchino76]

Tag for reference , Just happened to find a 18" Satern that I am exited to try

 

[stanley52]

So no ones mentioned it and maybe it for some reason doesn't work, but I think Benchmark could have a lot of potential

 

[jambau]

I have used benchmark with 107 gr. SMK's in my early experimentation with the Grendel. Notes show it was a decent performer but dirty. I have a great shooting load with RL-15 and 120 gr. A-Max's but velocity is low. No pressure signs but I can't fit anymore powder in the Hornady cases. Maybe another case would allow another grain or so. Currently I'm loading AR-Comp with 120 gr. SMK's and getting .5 MOA. This load is giving me 2,633 fps. with an SD of 12.28 and spread of 31. This is from a 24 inch barrel.

 

[bobke]

Nothing to get excited about for accuracy yet, but hit an all time high velocity for 5 shot avg of 2719, SD of 8.1 with 123 Nosler CC, 31.5 CFE, RP 7.5 primer in annealed Hornady brass. 93d, 24" Satern barrel with short throat, tight chamber. May play with seating depth and see if I can dial in for a more accurate load, but more likely dial charge back a half grain and work back up. Pretty stunned with velocity and kept going to be sure not a fluke. Magnetospeed V3. Some pressure indications, but no flattened primers. Grendel just continues to impress.

 

[sandwarrior]

What I've found is temp sensitive powders don't work well over a range of temps. Too many people treat this like loading a bolt gun. It's not. You have to allow for working gasses and differences in pressures at the port due to burn speeds. You also have to take into account the 6.5 Grendel has 20% more volume than the 5.56 which the AR was designed around.

So, IMO, all the double-based uncoated powders are out. You need a relatively faster powder that has flexibility at both high pressures and different temps. Two powders I know of meet the speed, temp, and pressure criteria for the Grendel, they are IMR8208-XBR and CFE-223. I've loaded with a lot of success with the 8208. I have not had time, or components or rifle dedicated to working loads for CFE223. But, I have used in in 5.56 and it works well.

I've tested the 6.5 Grendel in temps ranging from -20 deg. F to over 100 deg. F and while I worked good loads up in RE-15, BL-C2, AA2520, Win 748, TAC, X-Terminator, RE-12, RE-10. and VV N530.

The problem is you work up a load in the summer and come winter, you're ripping up brass. WTF? you think. What is happening is the slowing down of the burn causes the pressure curve to reach farther down the barrel. Which means too high of port pressure. Backing off a little only makes it worse. Odd it seems, but it's because you have to watch the pressure curve down the barrel not the chamber pressure.

In Winter of course, you get a load that works in the cold. Then come summer, that load may/may not be too hot. Now, you're dealing with chamber pressure being too high.

The only way to beat this that I saw was to get a relatively fast burning powder, to mitigate barrel pressure curve issues, and a new well treated burn retardant type powder so you could run maximum chamber pressures. The only two that met that criteria were IMR8208 XBR and CFE223.

As I write this I see AR Comp is mentioned. I will say looking at it, it should work too. But, like CFE223 I haven't tested it.