Which Powder to Start With?

[kymountainman]

In the past I have always bought 2 or 3 different powders and ladder tested before settling in on one powder.

However, this time around ... being so close to Christmas ... I've read where 8208XBR is a good 'all around' powder for Grendel.

Should I be ok starting with 8208 and loading Hornady 129 gr. SSTs to start off with?

[Rickc]

That or cfe223.

[koden]

CFE223, Leverevolution and AR Comp for bullets 123g and up.

[jonny rotton]

which one?

what powder would be a good start for the nosler 129 long range??
what says you?

[6.5 Grendel]

Leverevelotion.

[LRRPF52]

In the past I have always bought 2 or 3 different powders and ladder tested before settling in on one powder.

However, this time around ... being so close to Christmas ... I've read where 8208XBR is a good 'all around' powder for Grendel.

Should I be ok starting with 8208 and loading Hornady 129 gr. SSTs to start off with?

8208 is a great powder, especially with the 107gr SMK, and many people have had excellent results with it under a 123gr.

However, once you step into the 120+gr bullet weight, you do need to watch what you're doing or it can spike on you.

With a 123gr, you don't want to exceed 28.5gr (Compressed).

I personally think other powders are more ideal under a 129gr, like CFE and LVR.

Hornady lists 26.2gr max under a 129gr Hornady bullet for 8208XBR.

[kymountainman]

8208 is a great powder, especially with the 107gr SMK, and many people have had excellent results with it under a 123gr.

However, once you step into the 120+gr bullet weight, you do need to watch what you're doing or it can spike on you.

With a 123gr, you don't want to exceed 28.5gr (Compressed).

I personally think other powders are more ideal under a 129gr, like CFE and LVR.

Hornady lists 26.2gr max under a 129gr Hornady bullet for 8208XBR.

Good advice. However, in doing inventory this morning I dug up 500 Nosler 123 gr. bullets. Nosler 7 lists 8208 as the accuracy load for that bullet at 26 grains. Max is 27 grains.

I think I'll load 5 each @ 25.5, 26, 26.5 and 27 and see which performs better. I might be able to dial it in with .3 grain increments when I settle on a accuracy node.

[LRRPF52]

I find their data to be strangely conservative, even by Hornady's standards.

8208 definitely is one of the go-to accuracy powders for 6.5 Grendel, along with AR-Comp.
26gr with 8208 under a 123gr is extremely slow.
Hodgdon's lists 28.5gr Compressed under the 123gr SMK.
We just haven't seen much difference in max loads between cup and core bullets in the 123gr weight class, and it is driven primarily by bullet overall length and the boat tail protruding into the powder column more than anything else in my analysis.

Bearing surface and jacket construction appears to be similar enough in all of them to not affect charge weight substantially.

One load that I have seen a lot of in 6.5 Grendel with a 123gr and 8208 is 28.3gr. Many forum members have found that load to be an accuracy sweet spot for them.

I recommend using .3gr increments with this case since it is 1% of average usable case volume. .5gr increments don't give you the node resolution, and open the door to hitting a pressure spike with one increment to the next in the upper end, especially with 8208, but we normally have only seen that once people get past 28.4 or 28.5gr with a 123gr.

I would just load a pressure ladder, starting at 25.5, then 25.8 etc. Establish the pressure trend with .3gr incrments over your chrono/magneto, and look for significant departures from a ~20fps average per .3gr charge.

[Texas]

I started with CFE 223, and have been pleased.

[doc_lewis]

Benchmark has done wonders for me behind the 123 AMAX and SST. Also tested CFE, LVR, Tac, and XBR with decent results. Shooting a JP-15 Grendel with 18" BBL with Lapua brass, CCI BR4 Primers, & Hornady dies.

[nuthead]

I've gone up to 29gr of 8208 with a 123gr amax in the Howa Mini-action (but I seat the bullets out to 2.31 which would reduce the pressures)

I've found the accuracy node at 28.5gr (Lapus brass, cci primers) - there's a range report in the bolt action section

As always work your loads up and proceed with caution

[ScoutH57]

8208 XBR and CFE 223 are my go to powders for 6.5 Grendel, .308 and some .223.

Use at your own risk:

27.8 Grains of 8208 XBR is superb out of my 18 inch Odin Works barrel with 123 Amaxes. Hornady brass, CCI 450 primer.

[Rickc]

I use cfe223. Can anyone chime in why Hogdon doesn't recommend cfe for the grendel?