RL16 Looks To Be A Winner for 6.5

[gasrat]

I know the quest for H4350 has hit a lot of places and that quest has resulted in empty shopping carts. I also know a lot of people choose it for their 6.5CM as I did. I also know I’m probably beating a dead horse with this, but I just wanted to share my real world experience from this morning.

I have H4350 that I was lucky enough to obtain the other day. However, trying to feed a 6.5 and 6mm Creedmoor, the 16 lbs I have won’t last long as I’m having to break in the new 6.5 barrel and I wanna stretch this powder as far as I can.

So I purchased some RL16 to run in the 6.5 because I’ve seen others have success with it. After this morning I believe it’s gonna work. I loaded up 20 rounds with 42.0 grains to see how it was gonna do. The bullet was a 140 ELD-M seated 0.020 off the lands with virgin Lapua small rifle brass.

After a few shots to get zeroed, this was shots 6 through 10 outta the barrel, which is a Hawk Hill, chambered by Bugholes.

Now the load may go to shit after I get more rounds down the barrel, but right now, it’s looking like a winning alternative.

 

[High Desert duck]

Nice, I had great luck with RL16 in my 6.5 CM. It is pretty dirty though. It was about 109fps than the H4350

 

[spife7980]

I really liked rl16 in my 6xc but I have loads developed with h4350 for too many rifles now so I’ve just been stocking h4350 but for someone new with no time invested already I think rl16 would be the better choice between the two.

 

[EN2722]

Nice, I had great luck with RL16 in my 6.5 CM. It is pretty dirty though. It was about 109fps than the H4350

Was it 109 FPS faster or slower than H4350?

 

[gasrat]

Was it 109 FPS faster or slower than H4350?

What he said.

On a side note, here is 5 shots with some H4350 loads I had left over from my previous 6.5 Bartlein. These were loaded with 42.2 of H4350. I used these loads as zero loads. 3 through 5 are in the black. 1 and 2 was off to the right during adjustment. Shot the low one, came up then shot the 2nd one off to the right a little.

Once zeroed, these two loads shot almost identical. Will put a chrono on around 80-100 rounds and do a ladder test to find a node.

 

[EN2722]

What he said.

On a side note, here is 5 shots with some H4350 loads I had left over from my previous 6.5 Bartlein. These were loaded with 42.2 of H4350. I used these loads as zero loads. 3 through 5 are in the black. 1 and 2 was off to the right during adjustment. Shot the low one, came up then shot the 2nd one off to the right a little.

Once zeroed, these two loads shot almost identical. Will put a chrono on around 80-100 rounds and do a ladder test to find a node.

Nice! Good information. I’m currently split 50/50 on H4350 or RL16 for a 260 Rem.

 

[Steel head]

I still have 5# of H4350 that I’ll burn up with cheap BTHP’s in my 260

My serious load is R16 pushing 147’s at 2800ish with really good vertical.
load has been shot at a mile+ numerous times and done surprisingly well.
It’s also well below pressure which started at 2890ish.
Every time I’ve chrony’d that load it’s been less than 4 SD and I’m possibly the laziest and sloppiest reloader on SH.


H4350 was unable to safely hit that speed with that bullet in my barrel.

 

[EN2722]

I still have 5# of H4350 that I’ll burn up with cheap BTHP’s in my 260

My serious load is R16 pushing 147’s at 2800ish with really good vertical.
load has been shot at a mile+ numerous times and done surprisingly well.
It’s also well below pressure which started at 2890ish.

H4350 was unable to safely hit that speed with that bullet in my barrel.

I’m interested to know barrel make and length, PM if you would like.

 

[Steel head]

I’m interested to know barrel make and length, PM if you would like.

26” Shilen select match with the long freebore 260 chamber.

 

[High Desert duck]

Was it 109 FPS faster or slower than H4350?

The RL 16 was about 100 FPS faster than the H4350.

 

[EN2722]

The RL 16 was about 100 FPS faster than the H4350.

Thank you that’s good information to know.

 

[Steel head]

Thank you that’s good information to know.

I had similar results.
80-100FPS faster.

 

[b2lee]

The secret is.....it was chambered by Bugholes....Greg Young could make a banana shoot 1/2 MOA or better. He's turned me from zero to hero on my latest build.

 

[sierracharlie338]

I had similar results.
80-100FPS faster.

So if I just picked up 8lbs I did good?? ??

 

[Steel head]

So if I just picked up 8lbs I did good?? ??

Probably.

I’m curious if any 30-06 hunters are trying R16.
it should be awesome for that application as well

 

[sierracharlie338]

Probably.

I’m curious if any 30-06 hunters are trying R16.
it should be awesome for that application as well

Haven't seen it with that caliber that I can recall. Between a possible 6, my 260s and a 7mm-08 I think Ill find a use for it.

 

[gigamortis]

RL-16 definitely has more headroom at the top of the chart than H4350. The dirty residue everyone talks about is due to the anti-copper fouling additive. The dirty residue seems to help with keeping cold bore shots at the same POI as a warm barrel. I clean every 200-300 rounds anyway.

 

[JMGlasgow]

I tried RL16 in my '06 with 165 and 185 bullets. Velocity was down and so was case fill. Max pressure came early.

I also found that RL16 causes rapid carbon buildup in suppressors. I stopped using it because of that. I think there's a pattern of decoppering powders and rapid carbon buildup.

 

[Steel head]

I tried RL16 in my '06 with 165 and 185 bullets. Velocity was down and so was case fill. Max pressure came early.

I also found that RL16 causes rapid carbon buildup in suppressors. I stopped using it because of that. I think there's a pattern of decoppering powders and rapid carbon buildup.

Interesting.
I can understand the case fill now thinking about it.