8208 XBR load data

[AmishEskimoNinja]

I bought a pound of this stuff because I heard it ran great in the grendel with a 123 gr bullet. I've got a handful of reloading catalogs but I can't find any load data for 123 gr A-max with 8208. The only catalog I have that lists the 123 gr A-max is Hornady, and they don't have data for the 8208. Can you help a brother out?

(note, edited to specify a specific 123 gr bullet)

[NugginFutz]

Well, I've been running 28gr behind the 123 Amax with great success. ES in the single digits. Hornady cases, and 450 primers. The tricky thing about 8208, I'm told, is that (how did that go?) it loads incrementally well. Kind of ok, ok, ok, Oh Crap!

Start 10% low, and sneak up on it while watching your velocity curve with your Chrony, if you have one. I'd run .3 grain increments, and no larger, during your work up. Please observe all safe practices, while doing so.

Mine started to show signs at about 28.4 grains, but I never saw any "Oh Crap" indications, since I stopped.

Hope this helps.

[heinz57grendel]

What barrel are you running? Have you checked your chamber length?

[LRRPF52]

There's a lot of 8208XBR data in both Volumes I and II of the 6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbooks. Hodgdon's has at least 6 different loads for as many projectiles, and there is a bunch of 8208 data in Volume II for a number of pills.

With 123gr, work up and don't go over 28.5gr, or an accuracy node, or an excursion, whichever you decide. I think it's an excellent and efficient powder with lower pressures behind 100gr pills, and you can see that in the Hodgdon's data. It gets some of the fastest speeds with pressures under 50,000psi. I like that.

[AmishEskimoNinja]

What barrel are you running? Have you checked your chamber length?

I've got a stock AA 20" lightweight upper.

[AmishEskimoNinja]

There's a lot of 8208XBR data in both Volumes I and II of the 6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbooks.

I don't remember seeing any 8208 data in Volume I. I didn't buy volume 2 because I was disappointed with Volume 1. Not that much load data, and no info on 123 gr bullets in volume I. Why would you write a reloading manual for a specialty caliber and exclude the most popular bullet? Is volume II better?

[JASmith]

I don't remember seeing any 8208 data in Volume I. I didn't buy volume 2 because I was disappointed with Volume 1. Not that much load data, and no info on 123 gr bullets in volume I. Why would you write a reloading manual for a specialty caliber and exclude the most popular bullet? Is volume II better?

The load data in Volume 1 focused on data from commercial sources that were willing to give permission to publish their data. That allowed an early release and bought time to assemble the data in Volume 2.

Check under the Sierra 123 gr bullet on page 50 of Volume 1.

[poli]

If you go to Hodgdon's load data site you'll find a lot of loads:

http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/rifle

Their site seem to be down now, but this is what they have for Sierra 123gr.

123gr.jpg

Start low and build up from there.

[AmishEskimoNinja]

Check under the Sierra 123 gr bullet on page 50 of Volume 1.

Thanks, I actually didn't check in the Hodgon section since it was an IMR powder. They list the OAL as 2.250, which is pretty similar to the 2.245 the Hornady manual lists for the 123 gr A-max.

[LRRPF52]

I don't remember seeing any 8208 data in Volume I. I didn't buy volume 2 because I was disappointed with Volume 1. Not that much load data, and no info on 123 gr bullets in volume I. Why would you write a reloading manual for a specialty caliber and exclude the most popular bullet? Is volume II better?

There's a lot of 123gr data in Volume I, as well as 8208XBR data on Hodgdon's load data pages 49-50. There are 166 different loads in Volume I, covering a lot of hunting and target projectiles from 85gr-156gr. I refer to Volume I all the time, and have tabbed my desk copy. I especially find the pressure data very helpful, as well as the popular powders that work with certain projectile length/weight ranges. Even though I helped write it, and thought I wouldn't use it much, I use it way more than I ever expected.

Which is the most popular bullet you are referring to? I'm not certain there is one. In your OP, you didn't state which 123gr projectile you are loading. There are a lot of them for 6.5mm, including:

123gr Lapua Scenar (very present in Volume I)
123gr Sierra Match King (same, including data with 8208XBR on page 50)
123gr PPU Soft Point (factory load marketed by Wolf)
123gr SST (didn't exist when we wrote Volume I)
123gr A-MAX (see JASmith's comment)
123gr Nosler Custom Competition (a more recent production bullet)

Which one of these are you looking for data on? Volume II has a lot of data for both the 123gr A-MAX and the 123gr SST with 8208XBR, covering barrel lengths from 14.5" to 24", as well as at least 10 different powders for those 2 bullets alone. Volume II has some 226 different loads in the load data tables, all hunting bullets. There are pages and pages that present the data like this:



It also has some very detailed and meticulous terminal ballistics testing of a number of hunting projectiles across a wide impact velocity spectrum, to give the hunter a highly educated perspective on what can be expected at different ranges in terms of penetration and expansion with those bullets:



Give us some more detailed information about which of the six 123gr projos you are using, and we will be able to help out.

[AmishEskimoNinja]

Sorry, I should have specified in my original post that I was talking about the 123 gr A-max.

[JASmith]

You might feel very comfortable getting Volume 2 -- The five loads for 8208XBR and the 123 gr A-Max combined with the ballistic testing of the 123 gr SST and the bullet weight recommendations section should serve anyone interested in medium game very well.

[explorecaves]

You might feel very comfortable getting Volume 2 -- The five loads for 8208XBR and the 123 gr A-Max combined with the ballistic testing of the 123 gr SST and the bullet weight recommendations section should serve anyone interested in medium game very well.

Agree - Vol II is well worth the money

[IceAxe]

I just finished reading mine. I would recommend getting the two volume set as reference is occasionally made to volume one, and I will now have to order it separately. Ah!

[Crippleshot1]

I agree as well. I find both volumes full of very useful info for the informed reloader or shooter. A great composition of info. With more to come I'm sure. Can't wait.