Noob Question .... Reloading Other 6.5mm Bullets

Can you use any 6.5 bullet in a Grendel reload?? Some of the Bullet manufacturers (like speer for example) have 6.5 mm bullets, but do not have Grendel specific bullets. Which in turn means they don't have load specs for the Grendel. So, can you use a 6.5 bullet that wasn't designed for the grendel and just use the lowest load specs for a Grendel round of similar weight and design.

What I mean is, if speer doesn't make a 120 grain bullet for Grendel but they do make a 120 grain 6.5 mm bullet for a different round. Can I use that bullet in a Grendel?? I know the manual I just read says that you should not. But, what do you do when there are no Grendel bullets? But, there are plenty of other 6.5mm bullets on the shelf?? I'm sure this is a common question, what say the more experienced reloaders??

Mutt

Apart from the Hornady 123 AMAX, there are NO bullets designed for the Grendel specifically.

All the other 6.5 bullets may be used, so long as you load them to proper length and use appropriate charges. Some of them have not been loaded in the Grendel yet, so there is no data for them.

When I started loading the Barnes bullets AA had no factory load information. I simply took a similar weight bullet, went down 10% in powder charge, and worked from there.

It is critical that the bullet itself be loaded to the proper length for the ogive, and there are threads here discussing various methods to do so properly.

Bill

Thanks,

That pretty much what I was thinking. Although reading the manual, they say not to use the loading specs from one round and use them on another round. After reading that, I was assuming that they meant ..... If I use the max load with a bullet from maker A and it works fine in my gun. Don't use that same max load with a bullet from maker B, because things might be different and make the load dangerous. But, what I got from that paragraph was that if I used a similar to type of bullet say a bullet from maker A and it is a BT and then a use another bullet from maker B, even though it is a BT and the same grain, it may be made differently. But, I saw no reason why a person could not use the bullet from maker B and just start at the minimum load you would use for maker A. Then work it up slowly until I find out what the max load is for maker B's bullet. I hope my logic in this regards is not messed up. I am a new reloader and just trying to figure out what to do ...... "When it's not listed in the book". I'm not trying to bend, break or make up my own rules for realoading my first day out. I just found a gap in information and since the Grendel is so "relatively new" I didn't know how to fill in those gaps safely.

I also wanted to know if those other 6.5 bullets would work. I guess 6.5mm is 6.5mm. Thanks for the info. Now lets see if I can figure out an interesting way blow up my gun ...... LOL.

Mutt

Thanks,

That pretty much what I was thinking. Although reading the manual, they say not to use the loading specs from one round and use them on another round. After reading that, I was assuming that they meant ..... If I use the max load with a bullet from maker A and it works fine in my gun. Don't use that same max load with a bullet from maker B, because things might be different and make the load dangerous. But, what I got from that paragraph was that if I used a similar to type of bullet say a bullet from maker A and it is a BT and then a use another bullet from maker B, even though it is a BT and the same grain, it may be made differently. But, I saw no reason why a person could not use the bullet from maker B and just start at the minimum load you would use for maker A. Then work it up slowly until I find out what the max load is for maker B's bullet. I hope my logic in this regards is not messed up. I am a new reloader and just trying to figure out what to do ...... "When it's not listed in the book". I'm not trying to bend, break or make up my own rules for realoading my first day out. I just found a gap in information and since the Grendel is so "relatively new" I didn't know how to fill in those gaps safely.

I also wanted to know if those other 6.5 bullets would work. I guess 6.5mm is 6.5mm. Thanks for the info. Now lets see if I can figure out an interesting way blow up my gun ...... LOL.

Mutt
Stick with bullets of 130 grains or less until you are comfortable with what you are doing. If possible, use bullets with known data.

Be cautious, but otherwise you have a reasonable plan.

Bill