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Alliant Reloder-16

I made an error, H4350 is 1.62g/cm3 vs RL-16 at 1.607. I mistakenly pulled the H4831 value. That would most likely put it in the density neighborhood of IMR4451.
 
I finally got back to the range with a chronograph. 6.5 x 47 Lapua with Reloder 16, 205M primer, 130 gr VLD Hunter, 28 inch barrel, and 63 degree temp. Five shots each

Load Ave Velocity (fps) SD ED
39.6 2803.7 2.9 5
40.4 2859.5 4.2 10
40.8 2888.0 7.5 13
41.2 2911.0 6.8 17
41.6 2949.8 6.5 17
41.8 2953.8 8.3 23
42.0 2973.6 9.3 26

Best groups were 39.6, 40.8, and 41.6.
 
My RL16 has arrived from Midsouth. I want to compare to RL17 in 6.5 Creedmoor and 6.5x47. Will look at it for 6 Dasher but I'm still liking Allianz 2000-MR there.
 
If anyone is still looking for some, 1# and 8# containers in stock right now at Powder Valley... they must have just recently added it to their webpage because it wasn't even listed last week. $173 for the 8# jug.

Haven't used it yet, but based on all these early reports I'm going all-in and picking up a bunch for my 6.5 Creedmoor where it should work great and also give it a try in my new 6 Norma Dasher with the 105 Hybrids.
 
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45.0 grains of reloader 16 in my 308 sr brass was about all I could get, will have results in a week or two, each kernel was .03 to .04 gr

Loaded coal for this load and my go to load is 3.078" and I am 2.346 cbto, with .199 fb in my ftr rifle, 200 hybrid berger
 
Got out to the range this morning with.....

308 win, .199 fb, .340 nk, 31" 1:10.25 rot bartlein bbl, Lapua SR brass, cci 450 primers, twice fired and annealed, only .oo1 nk tension
all loads were run with 200 gr hybrids .010 off with wilson chamber seater
Coal was 3.078

all on fx-120i scale
41.0 gr Reloader 16 = 2333 fps
41.50 gr Re 16 = 2325 fps
42.0 gr re 16 = 2357 fps
42.5 gr re 16 = 2394 fps
43.0 gr re 16 = 2418 fps
43.5 gr re 16 = 2448 fps
44.0 gr re 16 = 2488 fps
44.5 gr re 16 = 2506 fps
45.0 gr re 16 = 2540 fps (cpmpressed/crunch load) for me....not using a drop tube

for reference, my "match" load is 43.54 gr varget and it registered 2645 fps today over 5 shots

today in south Louisiana it was 83F, 65% Humidity, 30.09 BP, +1600 DA

the last three groups shot very well, i think this need LR primer and more neck tension possibly
 
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Got out to the range this morning with.....

308 win, .199 fb, .340 nk, 31" 1:10.25 rot bartlein bbl, Lapua SR brass, cci 450 premieres, twice fired and annealed, only .oo1 nk tension
all loads were run with 200 gr hybrids .010 off with wilson chamber seater

all on fx-120i scale
41.0 gr Reloader 16 = 2333 fps
41.50 gr Re 16 = 2325 fps
42.0 gr re 16 = 2357 fps
42.5 gr re 16 = 2394 fps
43.0 gr re 16 = 2418 fps
43.5 gr re 16 = 2448 fps
44.0 gr re 16 = 2488 fps
44.5 gr re 16 = 2506 fps
45.0 gr re 16 = 2540 fps (cpmpressed/crunch load) for me....not using a drop tube

for reference, my "match" load is 43.54 gr varget and it registered 2645 fps today over 5 shots

today in south Louisiana it was 83F, 65% Humidity, 30.09 BP, +1600 DA

the last three groups shot very well, i think this need LR primer and more neck tension possibly

So, the RL 16 was 200fps slower than the Varget in the same load using "Palma" brass?
 
Yes, loading to same spec that made my varget load good for me, I suspect the slower burning re-16 needs a large primer and more neck tension??

Thanks for the report. I want to try some in my 260AI w/ the Palma brass. I will also load some LR primer brass rounds w/ BR primers to test difference if any.
 
I finally found some RL 16. It is being drop shipped by Midway. Want to shoot 120 TTSX out of 23" 6.5x47 for hunting. Just before hitting pressure (40.3gn) was able to shoot a group into the low teens with H4350 @ .100" off of the lands. Got very excited until discovered was only 2700 fps. I would be thrilled if could get the 120 TTSX, accurately and safely, up to 2800 fps. in this rifle. I am getting pressure signs much earlier with the 120 TTSX than I am the 130 VLD. I would not have thought that I would give up 100 fps with the TTSX but appears to be so. I will also try RL 16 with the 130 VLD Hunting. I can get the 130 VLD moving over 2800 with Varget and H4350 out of this barrel.
 
Had an opportunity last Sunday to try some I'd snagged a few weeks ago in that 308 case-based short-necked 284INCH chambering I'm messing with this year.

With 180 Hybrids & std. load of 44.5gn H4350 I got 2,721 avg. fps / SD 9 for 5 rounds on an uncleaned bore.

RL16 then gave me:

2,739 fps avg. / SD 9 w/ 45.4gn;
2,742 fps avg. / SD 3 w/ 45.4gn again;
2,758 fps avg. / SD 7 w/ 45.6gn;
2,739 fps avg. / SD 5 w/ 45.8gn;
2,779 fps avg. / SD 8 w/ 46.1gn;
2,783 fps avg. / SD 7 w/ 46.4gn.

This was all @ 600 yards w/sling & irons on a windy day. Have yet to review vertical (my SMT system's got everything in log file) but initial impressions were all were under 1 MOA.

With any luck I'll be over at WGC (Lodi WI) this Friday @ 1,000 yards for another go'round.

RL16's less dense than H4350; a case full weighs less than one filled with H4350. I forgot to write down how much less though....
 
Had an opportunity last Sunday to try some I'd snagged a few weeks ago in that 308 case-based short-necked 284INCH chambering I'm messing with this year.

With 180 Hybrids & std. load of 44.5gn H4350 I got 2,721 avg. fps / SD 9 for 5 rounds on an uncleaned bore.

RL16 then gave me:

2,739 fps avg. / SD 9 w/ 45.4gn;
2,742 fps avg. / SD 3 w/ 45.4gn again;
2,758 fps avg. / SD 7 w/ 45.6gn;
2,739 fps avg. / SD 5 w/ 45.8gn;
2,779 fps avg. / SD 8 w/ 46.1gn;
2,783 fps avg. / SD 7 w/ 46.4gn.

This was all @ 600 yards w/sling & irons on a windy day. Have yet to review vertical (my SMT system's got everything in log file) but initial impressions were all were under 1 MOA.

With any luck I'll be over at WGC (Lodi WI) this Friday @ 1,000 yards for another go'round.

RL16's less dense than H4350; a case full weighs less than one filled with H4350. I forgot to write down how much less though....

I could not average under 1 moa @ at 600y with any of the above conditions, much less all the above. Damn..... I would be darn proud to get a bullet into 60" at that distance with irons, sling, and wind.
 
I tried 34.4grs RL16 w/moly'd B105VLDs in my 29" bbl'd Dasher this afternoon, temp just under 70*F. Used CCI 450s in Lapua brass that had been fired four times. Velocity was much lower than expected - a 8rd string averaged 2785fps. Will try 35 & 35.5grs next time out.
 

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