6.5 grendel
- Thread starter mrduke
- Start date
Mr Duke,
Don't know which powder Black Hills is using for their Grendel loads, but I'll warn you that most of the commercial operations are using non-cannister grade powders. In other words, you can't get them. On the other hand, there's plenty of powders that will work quite well in the Grendel. Some that come to mind are VV's N133 or N135, Hodgdon's H335, BL-C2, 4895,either flavor) or even IMR 4064. Good little cartridge, and a super performer.
Hope this helps,
Kevin Thomas
Lapua USa
Don't know which powder Black Hills is using for their Grendel loads, but I'll warn you that most of the commercial operations are using non-cannister grade powders. In other words, you can't get them. On the other hand, there's plenty of powders that will work quite well in the Grendel. Some that come to mind are VV's N133 or N135, Hodgdon's H335, BL-C2, 4895,either flavor) or even IMR 4064. Good little cartridge, and a super performer.
Hope this helps,
Kevin Thomas
Lapua USa
MrDuke,
I am loading Lapua Brass with 24gr. of IMR4198, Standard CCI Small Rifle Primers,
95gr. Hornady V-Max and getting 1/2 MOA Groups at 100 yards. Working on a load for the Hornady 129gr. SST Bullet at the present. Also have some new Hornady 6.5 Brass I will be trying soon. The 95 gr. V-Max Bullets shoot great! Just got back from Prairie Dog hunting in Texas last week and it did a fine job. 500 + Dogs between the three of us. It was smoking the critters out to 350-400 yards. It almost turned them inside out on impact.
AR
I am loading Lapua Brass with 24gr. of IMR4198, Standard CCI Small Rifle Primers,
95gr. Hornady V-Max and getting 1/2 MOA Groups at 100 yards. Working on a load for the Hornady 129gr. SST Bullet at the present. Also have some new Hornady 6.5 Brass I will be trying soon. The 95 gr. V-Max Bullets shoot great! Just got back from Prairie Dog hunting in Texas last week and it did a fine job. 500 + Dogs between the three of us. It was smoking the critters out to 350-400 yards. It almost turned them inside out on impact.
AR
MrDuke,
I know this is an old post. As Kevin stated BlackHills and other major manufacturers tend to use a non-canister grade powder. One item you didn't mention is whether your Grendel is an boltgun or AR15 platform. www.65grendel.com has discussions on bolt and AR rifles.
Boltguns can get away with a little more, as opposed to AR15's as far as warm loads. The case volume with the longer or heavier than 123gr bullets is going to impact the potential for reaching higher speeds as well as the throats in many AR designs - not that speed is everything to all shooters. Extruded powders are going to take up more case volume. In the AR platform I've found that double based powders are the better choice to retain speed for case volume without giving up accuracy.
AA2460, AA2520, TAC and Xterminator are the most prevalent from what I've seen and what I use with either 100gr Scenars or 129gr SST's.
I know this is an old post. As Kevin stated BlackHills and other major manufacturers tend to use a non-canister grade powder. One item you didn't mention is whether your Grendel is an boltgun or AR15 platform. www.65grendel.com has discussions on bolt and AR rifles.
Boltguns can get away with a little more, as opposed to AR15's as far as warm loads. The case volume with the longer or heavier than 123gr bullets is going to impact the potential for reaching higher speeds as well as the throats in many AR designs - not that speed is everything to all shooters. Extruded powders are going to take up more case volume. In the AR platform I've found that double based powders are the better choice to retain speed for case volume without giving up accuracy.
AA2460, AA2520, TAC and Xterminator are the most prevalent from what I've seen and what I use with either 100gr Scenars or 129gr SST's.
DHD
Silver $$ Contributor
Boltman,
They do work well. The only problem with the ones I have are they are deadringer for the 123 scenar. So they take up the same volume in the case which is plenty. The 107 and 123 SMK's are different and I can get more powder behind the 107 SMK. My rifle prefers the 107's, but with more tinkering I think it will shoot all of the 107, 108, 123 smk, and 123 scenar well enough. Mostly use AA2520, TAC, and now 8208.
They do work well. The only problem with the ones I have are they are deadringer for the 123 scenar. So they take up the same volume in the case which is plenty. The 107 and 123 SMK's are different and I can get more powder behind the 107 SMK. My rifle prefers the 107's, but with more tinkering I think it will shoot all of the 107, 108, 123 smk, and 123 scenar well enough. Mostly use AA2520, TAC, and now 8208.
It works...eating frag-lead is also avoided....
Lone Hunter
Silver $$ Contributor
Zombie Thread. I use H335 for the 85 gr Sierra and 8208 for the 123 grain bullets. I like to keep the 8208 down some from max but in the heavier bullets it shot the best. CFE223 pressure spiked with the heavier bullets in the heat.
Ramshot TAC works well in mine as does N133 or 135.
Lone Hunter
Silver $$ Contributor
Would love too but when H335 shoots like it does with light bullets and 8208 shoots lights out with medium to heavy bullets I will have to stay with them. IMR 4198 is like 8208 in being very hard to find. Never heard of Win148.
Whatever you do DO NOT TRY AR COMP! Its terrible. More for me!!
The Grendel is reloader friendly (not finicky) and performs well with a number of popular powders including most of common powders used for .223/5.56 with bullets in the 85gr - 110gr weight. As the bullet weight starts getting heavier (115gr - 130gr) these faster powders start building too much pressure. There are other powders that perform better (mild pressure) for these heavier projectiles, such as 8208 XBR, AR Comp, H4895, CFE 223 and LEVERevolution.
I would recommend that you need to some reloading resources that have been tested. There is a great set of loading manuals specific to the 6.5 Grendel that will cover just about every bullet and powder combo. I have attached a link below that has both (2) books for $47... as compared to a lot of web listings, such as Optics Planet, that are selling the books separately for $40-$45 for each volume.
https://www.ar15buildbox.com/shop/6...ading-Handbook-Combo-Volumes-1-2-x9555123.htm
I would recommend that you need to some reloading resources that have been tested. There is a great set of loading manuals specific to the 6.5 Grendel that will cover just about every bullet and powder combo. I have attached a link below that has both (2) books for $47... as compared to a lot of web listings, such as Optics Planet, that are selling the books separately for $40-$45 for each volume.
https://www.ar15buildbox.com/shop/6...ading-Handbook-Combo-Volumes-1-2-x9555123.htm
Don't forget/overlook H4895. Although ARComp and H4895 are different powders, both produce near-identical performance in accuracy and velocity, with the added benefit of being temperature stable powders.
HandgunHTR
Gold $$ Contributor
I will throw my $0.02 in, even though it is an old thread. There is still good info here.
I have two different 6.5 Grendels. One is a 24" TC Encore. The other is a 18" Ruger American (started as a 22", but it has been chopped). Interestingly, I get great accuracy with the same loads from both of them. Not sure if that is a coincidence or just a consequence of a cartridge that performs well in many platforms.
My two go-to powders are AA2520 and 8208XBR. I use 105 grain monos for most of my hunting (Cavity Back MKZ) and 120 grain A-Max and 123 grain SSTs for most of my target and plinking. The SSTs can do double duty, however. Both my loads are close to listed book max, but are super easy on brass. For my Encore, I am using Hornady brass (from original factory SSTs loads) and I am on the 8th firing, annealing after every 3 fires. Primer pockets are still tight and I have not had to trim brass yet either.
I do have some AR-Comp and AA2200 that I use for 6.8SPC loads, but have had such good results from AA2520 and 8208XBR, that I have not even tried working up loads with them.
I have two different 6.5 Grendels. One is a 24" TC Encore. The other is a 18" Ruger American (started as a 22", but it has been chopped). Interestingly, I get great accuracy with the same loads from both of them. Not sure if that is a coincidence or just a consequence of a cartridge that performs well in many platforms.
My two go-to powders are AA2520 and 8208XBR. I use 105 grain monos for most of my hunting (Cavity Back MKZ) and 120 grain A-Max and 123 grain SSTs for most of my target and plinking. The SSTs can do double duty, however. Both my loads are close to listed book max, but are super easy on brass. For my Encore, I am using Hornady brass (from original factory SSTs loads) and I am on the 8th firing, annealing after every 3 fires. Primer pockets are still tight and I have not had to trim brass yet either.
I do have some AR-Comp and AA2200 that I use for 6.8SPC loads, but have had such good results from AA2520 and 8208XBR, that I have not even tried working up loads with them.
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