RL16 in a 6BR does work!

[Patruck825]

I thought I’d share my experience with RL16 in a straight 6BR. I am a big fan of this powder in many other calibers. Everywhere I read said you can’t get enough in the case to get speed. I found that if you use a drop tube, you can do so just fine. It worked in my setup and here are my results.

Hawk hill 26” 1:7.5 twist
105 hybrid
Lapua brass

31.6- 2772

31.8- 2782

32.0- 2782

32.2-2808

32.4-2827

32.6- 2847

32.8- 2864

33.0- 2868

33.2- 2896

33.4- 2901

33.6- 2915 slightly heavy bolt lift

33.8- 2937 slightly heavy bolt lift

 

[JBT47]

How was the accuracy?

 

[Patruck825]

How was the accuracy?

I shot 32.9gr out to 800 yards and it performed fine. The group sizes were not quite as small as with my 4895 load, but I didn’t spend any time tuning it. I just wanted to see if it would work.

 

[Dgd6mm]

I know this is about 10 months old. I'm considering giving this powder a go. Pat did you tweek the load any to see if you could make it as good or better than your H4895 load?

 

[Patruck825]

I know this is about 10 months old. I'm considering giving this powder a go. Pat did you tweek the load any to see if you could make it as good or better than your H4895 load?

I ended up staying with H4895, the accuracy was already there with it and required no more work on my part. Given the great 6br powders available, and the scarcity of RL16 these days, I’d leave it for the dashers and larger.

 

[Evan]

How common is it for a straight 6BR to reach 2900 in a 26" barrel these days? Have the newer powders enabled that kind of speed? It seems crazy to me; not too long ago a 30 inch, fast barrel might make it to 2850 and that was considered good.

EDIT: I double checked the 6br cartridge guide here and it looks like my memory was just fuzzy. The ~2900 range is entirely reachable.

 

[Dgd6mm]

In a 28" I've seen it at 2850- 2875 with H4895 and IMR4895. I can find RL16 with no problem.

 

[Patruck825]

In my 26” H4895 brought it to 2965 before pressure. But my node was at 2870

 

[steve123]

How common is it for a straight 6BR to reach 2900 in a 26" barrel these days? Have the newer powders enabled that kind of speed? It seems crazy to me; not too long ago a 30 inch, fast barrel might make it to 2850 and that was considered good.

EDIT: I double checked the 6br cartridge guide here and it looks like my memory was just fuzzy. The ~2900 range is entirely reachable.

I'm getting right at 2905 fps, give or take a few depending on temps. This is with a 26" 8 twist, Varget at 30.4 grains with 105 hybrids. This next batch I'll be dropping down to 30.3 grains since it's getting warmer now.

The ladder test at 400Y gave .2" vertical for 30.2, 30.4 and 30.6 Varget but this was in January. I chose 30.4 at the time.

 

[theallcineyes]

I shoot the 215's , 210 vld's in a 1:9 twist barrel , was out today with the 215's , use 47 gns of Vargent with BR-4 primers , get speeds of about 2650 getting groups of about 1/4 MOA at 200 Yards , have the chamber really throated out . This is for my FTR rifle.

Cheers

 

[steve123]

I shoot the 215's , 210 vld's in a 1:9 twist barrel , was out today with the 215's , use 47 gns of Vargent with BR-4 primers , get speeds of about 2650 getting groups of about 1/4 MOA at 200 Yards , have the chamber really throated out . This is for my FTR rifle.

Cheers

Those are some heavy bullets for a 6BR - your allseeCineyes???, wink.