RE-26 - Initial Results, .243 AI

[JLT]

With all the buzz about this powder since its introduction, I figured I'd give it a whirl in my .243 AI. I loaded five rounds each at 48.0, 48.2, 48.4, 48.6 and 48.8 grains of RE-26 and took them to the range this past Sunday for an initial impression and I came away impressed. Data follows . . .

Load data: Lapua brass, COW fire-formed and once fired. Federal LRM primers. Hornady 105 grain A-Max seated ~.005" off the lands. Charges individually weighed (GemPro 250).

Rifle specs: Stevens 200 action, trued and squared, PTG bolt head, .250" ground recoil lug. 26" X-Caliber barrel, .115" leade, bull contour, 1:8 twist. Choate Ultimate Varmint stock. Sightron SIII 6-24x50, MOA-2.

I fired from the 200 meter line. Shot strings were clocked using a MagnetoSpeed v3 unit. Conditions were benign, with winds calm-to-slight breeze quartering away from the left. I let the barrel cool between strings.

48.0 grains RE-26: Avg Vel 3235 fps, SD 13.4. Five shots into a round .64" group. First shot from a clean, cold barrel clocked 3212, affecting the SD and ES. It went a touch low, too. A good start . . .

48.2 grains RE-26: Avg Vel 3256 fps, SD 11.7. Group .79" with some horizontal stringing. Good vertical.

48.4 grains RE-26: Avg Vel 3269 fps, SD 11.5. Group .98" - I yanked one a bit. Four of the five went into .68".

48.6 grains RE-26: Avg Vel 3294 fps, SD 14.0. Group .91". Perhaps I got sloppy with a powder charge or two in this group, as the ES was 33 fps and the shots were dispersed more vertically. The second shot in the string clocked 3277 fps, well below the following three.

48.8 grains RE-26: Avg Vel 3305 fps, SD 9.2. Group 1.15", BUT, I yanked the first shot in the string high. Called it the instant the trigger broke. The next four went into a tidy little snowman, all touching, and measuring .48".

Encountered no pressure signs at all and the smoke started to clear up at 48.6 grains. The case necks still showed a little fouling at 48.8.

I'll continue increasing the charges by .2 grains for my next trip to the range and see what we get toward 50.0 grains. I'll also load ten at 48.8 and see if I can confirm the initial test's grouping. If I get similar results, I think I'll stop there. I'll be happy with an A-Max or similar at 3300 and grouping around .25 MOA. I'm not greedy . . .

Mr first experience with this powder has been quite positive. I'll report back with additional data. It might be the real deal in the .243/.243 AI.

 

[Frankr]

I have been shooting in a 6XC 1-7 twist with a 115 HVLD I was impressed with it at first. I can push that 115 at 3,150 FPS but it has been inconsistent..I have backed off it and have 15 loaded and another 15 1/2 gr hotter loaded off the GemPro 250....Sitting on the kitchen table too lazy to go to the range..I have just been tired and I could go if I wanted to..just too lazy to go shoot them...No it does look like with the 115 RL26 is going to work for me. Nice thing about the XC is I have shot H4350,RL 17 , 23 , 26 it all shoots good...just trying to find something stable and consistent.

I hope it works out for you.

 

[hunter243sgk]

Good info. Please let us know as you try more. Good Luck!!

 

[Frankr]

JLT let me know if you settle on a consistent load.
Looks like for me in my XC 43.5 grs behind a 115 VLD is going to be my load. I shot them today shot well at 200 and 500 yards..group was consistent today but I did not chrony it..I know it's over 3K but under 3,100.

 

[jpretle]

Your data comes at a very opportune time for me. I just finished fire forming brass for my 243AI.
Consider this thread tagged.

 

[JLT]

I did not get an opportunity to test more loads this past weekend due to inclement weather - Sunday was just miserable in central NY. I plan to test 49.0 to 50.0 in .2 grain increments and see if I start running into pressure signs. That's in addition to testing my results with the 48.8 gr load.

It may be a busy range day this weekend. I was looking at my 6.5x284 and wondering . . . . I get good results with 51.6 gr of 4831SC but I wouldn't mind poking around for a node or two above the current load's 2,946 fps. A 140 VLD at 3,250 and a guy could shoot at the moon . . .

 

[rifleman700]

With all the buzz about this powder since its introduction, I figured I'd give it a whirl in my .243 AI. I loaded five rounds each at 48.0, 48.2, 48.4, 48.6 and 48.8 grains of RE-26 and took them to the range this past Sunday for an initial impression and I came away impressed. Data follows . . .

Load data: Lapua brass, COW fire-formed and once fired. Federal LRM primers. Hornady 105 grain A-Max seated ~.005" off the lands. Charges individually weighed (GemPro 250).

Rifle specs: Stevens 200 action, trued and squared, PTG bolt head, .250" ground recoil lug. 26" X-Caliber barrel, .115" leade, bull contour, 1:8 twist. Choate Ultimate Varmint stock. Sightron SIII 6-24x50, MOA-2.

I fired from the 200 meter line. Shot strings were clocked using a MagnetoSpeed v3 unit. Conditions were benign, with winds calm-to-slight breeze quartering away from the left. I let the barrel cool between strings.

48.0 grains RE-26: Avg Vel 3235 fps, SD 13.4. Five shots into a round .64" group. First shot from a clean, cold barrel clocked 3212, affecting the SD and ES. It went a touch low, too. A good start . . .

48.2 grains RE-26: Avg Vel 3256 fps, SD 11.7. Group .79" with some horizontal stringing. Good vertical.

48.4 grains RE-26: Avg Vel 3269 fps, SD 11.5. Group .98" - I yanked one a bit. Four of the five went into .68".

48.6 grains RE-26: Avg Vel 3294 fps, SD 14.0. Group .91". Perhaps I got sloppy with a powder charge or two in this group, as the ES was 33 fps and the shots were dispersed more vertically. The second shot in the string clocked 3277 fps, well below the following three.

48.8 grains RE-26: Avg Vel 3305 fps, SD 9.2. Group 1.15", BUT, I yanked the first shot in the string high. Called it the instant the trigger broke. The next four went into a tidy little snowman, all touching, and measuring .48".

Encountered no pressure signs at all and the smoke started to clear up at 48.6 grains. The case necks still showed a little fouling at 48.8.

I'll continue increasing the charges by .2 grains for my next trip to the range and see what we get toward 50.0 grains. I'll also load ten at 48.8 and see if I can confirm the initial test's grouping. If I get similar results, I think I'll stop there. I'll be happy with an A-Max or similar at 3300 and grouping around .25 MOA. I'm not greedy . . .

Mr first experience with this powder has been quite positive. I'll report back with additional data. It might be the real deal in the .243/.243 AI.

FWIW 3300 fps with this powder and bbl length you will be around 64K psi. Its not saami rated so pmax is set at 55K. With Lapua you should be ok in the brass part of it.

Looking at your velocities there is a flat spot from 48.2 - 48.4. I would load 48.3 do seating depth testing and then work on ES / SD if needed.

 

[TAJ45]

I think I would be very mindful of the .6 to the .8 load especially since there was an observed slow shot, in your words "well below following the other three". With your 33 ES, it would seem you are past the next load's avg. Only an 11 fps gain with the skewed 3294 ........ I'd give it some thought.

 

[TAJ45]

Update to my post.

Spoke with my very experienced, load work up, savvy Bud abt what I posted.
He said you can find those flat spots of velocity increase on the way to a good node that is above the plateaus.
He worked up a load for a relative's 7 SAUM iirc, hit two flat spots and ended up at 3700, 140gr Combined Tech - that is humming!
That entire concept is counter intuitive to me. Makes me shake my hoary head. However, with him experiencing this multiple times and times again over the years ......

 

[JLT]

FWIW 3300 fps with this powder and bbl length you will be around 64K psi. Its not saami rated so pmax is set at 55K. With Lapua you should be ok in the brass part of it.

Looking at your velocities there is a flat spot from 48.2 - 48.4. I would load 48.3 do seating depth testing and then work on ES / SD if needed.

Thank you for the observations. I appreciate a 'different set of eyes'. Just curious - is that 64K PSI coming from QL? I find that interesting, given the pressure estimates for charge weights for powders that are substantially faster and with different pressure curves, eg., H4831SC. I will absolutely proceed with caution, but I have encountered no indications of pressure so far. Bolt lift is easy, primers are nice and round on the edges and case head expansion is negligible - .0005", maybe, according to a superb Mitutoyo micrometer - throughout the range. Yes, Lapua brass has my back, but all of the indirect measurements seem to be in the black.

I agree with your flat spot observation. It's possible that most of this charge weight range represents one whopping large node in my rifle. I did have an opportunity to validate the accuracy results for the 48.8 gr. load - it is indeed a keeper, with two subsequent 5-shot groups averaging ~.52" at 200 meters. That's about as good as I can hold . . .

The 48.2 - 48.4 spot will be tested further as well. Thanks very much for the recommendation. Accuracy wins out in the end!