6.5 Grendel Preferred Loads

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  • Bwild97
    Warrior
    • Jan 2015
    • 217

    Originally posted by fdbyrne78 View Post
    I'm just beginning work on an AR Comp load for 123 SSTs with my 20" Satern. There are a lot of people in this forum with more experience than me, but I'd ask how far off the lands you are. My throat is very short but I didn't notice until I burned through 100 rounds of factory SSTs and started loading my own. I started seeing pressure signs much earlier than I expected. When I went back and checked the factory loads they were well into the lands. My handloads were too and it was causing pressure problems.

    My most accurate load so far with the SSTs is over 28gr of AR Comp running about 2550 fps out of my 20" barrel. No pressure signs on the brass. I did back way off when I started seating them deeper and worked back up.


    What was the OAL for your loads?

    Comment

    • fdbyrne78
      Bloodstained
      • Aug 2017
      • 97

      If I load the SSTs any longer than 2.215" then I'm in the lands.

      Comment

      • Crusty
        Warrior
        • Dec 2017
        • 237

        At 2.260" OAL I'm still more than .050" off the lands with 123gr ELD-M bullets. I run out of mag length (@2.296") before I can get into the lands. I shot a spread of bullet seating depths to fine tune the load, and surprisingly 2.260" OAL (1.690" to the ogive) had the least vertical dispersion.

        Something I'm still scratching my head over is that I also reset the bullets in a box of Hornady Black ELD-M factory ammo with the seating depth on my die unchanged, and the rounds all came out .010" shorter (OAL and to the ogive) than the rounds I had just loaded with the exact same bullets. I'd be surprised if there was that much variation between runs of these bullets but I'm coming to believe that must be the case.
        Last edited by Crusty; 12-27-2017, 12:40 PM.
        I'll be yer Huckleberry.

        Comment

        • VASCAR2
          Chieftain
          • Mar 2011
          • 6218

          Crusty the tips on A-Max and other match bullets have quite a variation on length and is noticeable when seating. A more precise way is to measure off the ogive of the bullet instead of the tip. Once I started measuring off the ogive I saw that the bullet seating depth was consistent and the nose of the bullet varied. I watch the overal length of the bullet’s tip to ensure my rounds fit in the mag but tend to focus more on the ogive length.

          Comment

          • Crusty
            Warrior
            • Dec 2017
            • 237

            I guess I was expecting them to be more uniform with the plastic tips. I'm going to pull those bullets again and reset them to the same ogive length because my groups open up as the OAL gets shorter.
            I'll be yer Huckleberry.

            Comment

            • Niles Coyote
              Bloodstained
              • Jun 2016
              • 46

              Originally posted by Crusty View Post
              Now that's better - when I start seeing ejector marks I start sweating. I hate to give AR-Comp up completely because it's performed so well for me, and I'll load some up at that weight and try again.
              Im pretty happy with that load.
              18" JP barrel


              20" PF bartlien barrel

              Comment

              • Sticks
                Chieftain
                • Dec 2016
                • 1922

                Originally posted by Crusty View Post
                ...Something I'm still scratching my head over is that I also reset the bullets in a box of Hornady Black ELD-M factory ammo with the seating depth on my die unchanged, and the rounds all came out .010" shorter (OAL and to the ogive) than the rounds I had just loaded with the exact same bullets. I'd be surprised if there was that much variation between runs of these bullets but I'm coming to believe that must be the case.
                Morbid curiosity go to me, and I did something like this with American Gunner 123 HPBT ammo, and did them at .005" increments. They were a touch close to my lands so I wanted to see if pushing them back would help.

                The 2.242 COAL from factory got slower the shorter I went (stopped at 2.220). Lost about 10 fps for each depth.
                Sticks

                Catchy sig line here.

                Comment

                • Hermosa65
                  Unwashed
                  • Dec 2017
                  • 2

                  Folks,

                  New to forum. New to 6.5 Grendel. Not new to handloading. I recently purchased a new CZ-527 6.5 Grendel and mounted a Leupold VX-R 3-9x40 scope. After reasonable break-in, I could not get a group under 2", with most groups at 2.5". I tried the Wolf and Hornady 123 ELD factory loads. After that, I tried a few loads at both ends of the bullet weight spectrum (new Hornady brass and WSR primers): 85 Sierra HP + 29.5 - 30.5 Benchmark and 129 Hornady SST + 25 - 26.8 Varget. I was able to get 1.5" groups with the 85 and 30.5 Benchmark and 129 SST and 25 Varget. Definitely not satisfying. In frustration, I found this forum and thread. It was very informative and I thank everyone who has contributed to it. On the experience of others here, I loaded 123 ELD and 30, 30.5, 31.2 CFE233 (a favorite powder of mine for 223) and a COAL of 2.260. The attached picture is a 5 shot group with 31.2 CFE223 at 100 yards. No signs of overpressure on the primers. I sunk the first two through the same hole up top. So, 4 + 1 flier. Unfortunately, I left my chronograph at home. Altitude 341 ft, Barometer 30.5, Temperature 28 degrees, relative humidity 32%, 9 MPH wind.

                  Thanks again to everyone who has posted their load data. Happy New Year.

                  IMG_5381-3.jpg

                  Comment

                  • Jgilesg
                    Unwashed
                    • Nov 2017
                    • 5

                    Hey guys
                    I see that CFE 223 seems to be one of the preferred powders. I did see mention of AR-Comp early in this string and then it just kind of stopped. I was at my local shop and they had 8# of AR-Comp for 125.00 a and I couldn’t resist. I load for an AR-10 in 308 as well as a 15 in 7.62x39 and I can use it for them.
                    Are most of you using 223 only and is the AR-Comp a reasonable alternate?
                    Thanks
                    JG

                    Comment

                    • cb4017
                      Warrior
                      • Dec 2016
                      • 183

                      AR-Comp is a great powder in the Grendel. It has become my favorite. A sweet spot seems to be around 27.6 grains behind a 123 gr bullet. Shoots sub MOA in my Grendels.
                      Cliff
                      USN Ret., FPD Ret.

                      Dues Vult

                      Comment

                      • Jgilesg
                        Unwashed
                        • Nov 2017
                        • 5

                        Thanks Cliff
                        I don’t know how I missed the post a few before mine showing 500 and 1000 yard impacts.
                        That’ll work for me

                        JG

                        Comment

                        • 1911man
                          Warrior
                          • May 2015
                          • 482

                          Originally posted by Jgilesg View Post
                          Hey guys
                          I see that CFE 223 seems to be one of the preferred powders. I did see mention of AR-Comp early in this string and then it just kind of stopped. I was at my local shop and they had 8# of AR-Comp for 125.00 a and I couldn’t resist. I load for an AR-10 in 308 as well as a 15 in 7.62x39 and I can use it for them.
                          Are most of you using 223 only and is the AR-Comp a reasonable alternate?
                          Thanks
                          JG
                          I use AR Comp in 308 as well as 223. I dont have my recipe book in front of me but I know my load for .308 is 41.7 grains of AR comp with the 168 ELD. Gets 2700 fps out of a 20" barrel and has sds around 10 fps and ES around 15 fps. I hit targets easily out to 800 yards with it. Its a great powder and I routinely find it on sale.

                          Comment

                          • ErikS
                            Warrior
                            • Dec 2017
                            • 138

                            Originally posted by cb4017 View Post
                            AR-Comp is a great powder in the Grendel. It has become my favorite. A sweet spot seems to be around 27.6 grains behind a 123 gr bullet. Shoots sub MOA in my Grendels.
                            Ditto. This load works for my BCA 16 inch also.
                            Last edited by ErikS; 01-22-2018, 07:56 PM.
                            #shareyourspare

                            Comment

                            • Crusty
                              Warrior
                              • Dec 2017
                              • 237

                              27.5gr was a good accuracy node with AR-Comp in my rifle but it showed significant pressure signs (flat primers, ejector indentations, extractor wipes, etc.) so be cautious (like maybe don't go there). I'm going to explore HBN coated bullets and 27.6gr of AR-Comp could be just right with coated bullets.

                              I've seen reports from others who found an accuracy node around 26.8gr/123gr/#450 which didn't show pressure signs and that's where I'm going next, after a failure with Power Pro 2000-MR (a flier in every group and significant temperature sensitivity). Once the node is found I'll introduce the HBN coated bullets and look for the node again.
                              I'll be yer Huckleberry.

                              Comment

                              • beastep
                                Bloodstained
                                • Jan 2018
                                • 82

                                Originally posted by ErikS View Post
                                Ditto. This lad works for my BCA 16 inch also.

                                At what OAL?

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