8208 XBR accuracy load wanted

[nathan197]

Pretty new to reloading but I wanted to see if anyone had any loads with 8208 that they had great luck with. I have a 20 inch Odin works upper that is currently with them in Idaho being checked over for underlying issues with cycling. I've tried everything so now they're testing it. Anyways I have had excellent accuracy with the barrel. I loaded up 100 rounds of hornady 129 gr sp with cci 450s over 26.1 grains of 8208 and got a dozen groups at 1 moa or so. A handful of loads were under 1" at 100 and a couple were about 1.5". I do not have a chrono so I dont know the speeds. I am looking for a recipe for as accurate as possible( say inside 500 yards) so this load doesn't have to be super fast. Figure while she is getting repaired I could start a new load.

[HawgHunter]

[HawgHunter]

Was going on through my notes on that 8208 27.1 same gun and bullet

[rabiddawg]

There are no short cuts in this.

Buy the Grendel handbooks. Do your ladder tests and then you will know what your gun likes.

[1Shot]

I have an 18" Oden and it drives tacks with Hornady case, CCI 450, 120 Sierra Pro Hunter, MAX LOAD 28.5 grs IMR 8208 COAL 2.250 and I use a medium Lee Factory Crimp. This load also shoots good in my 20" BCA barrel but it prefers CCI-BR4 primers and a COAL 2.260 This load runs in the 2540s to 2560s fps depending on the barrel.

[nathan197]

Do the grendel handbooks site accuracy results? I have a couple of handbooks and have been using online resources as well but I haven't seen and accuracy results posted in them. I understand that each barrel performs differently but if the general consensus was that a particular bullet pairs well with 8208 then that would be the next bullet I buy and do a ladder and fine tune the load to my barrel if it shot it well. There are lots of bullet to choose from so I posted hoping some people could point me in the right direction.

[Bearcatrp]

As posted above, every barrel is different. You could order 2 identical barrels, one barrel won’t like what the other likes. Reason why you buy different brands of bullets of just one box to test with your favorite powder. You could be risking your life trying someone else load. Up to, it’s your life.

[Wafavre2]

Part of the fun! Try them all in yours till you find the best load for your barrel. It doesn't matter what any one else got for a certain load you will not get the same results. Keep notes and use the OCW method to keep the procedure consistent and only change one variable at a time so as to not mask results.

Will

[grayfox]

Barrels are like fingerprints. Unique. So no, the Hbooks don't list "accuracy" loads. But they are the best reloading resource around for the 6.5 Grendel.
Kind of like the "Complete loading manual for the xxx caliber" coil-bound books, but on steroids for the Grrrr.

[StoneHendge]

In my 2 Grendel barrels, I can't get close to the amount of XBR that others use without major pressure signs. Start low and work your way up. Risking your life is fine - it's a free country. Don't risk the lives of others sharing the range with you.

[1Shot]

As with any load you should always back off quite a bit and work up but it is nice to have a starting point, like on a general observance of what bullet seems to work well for many people in many different barrels with X powder. For example reading here and other forums the Hornady 123 SST for many does not provide the greatest of accuracy but the 120 Sierra Match King seems to shoot for most very accurately. It is also nice to know that many have had pressure spike problems with CFE223 when the temps start to rise and LVR works very well with 125 gr and heaver bullets. As for the Grendel load books there may be some loads that are not in some of the other sources of data but the data world is catching up. And just like everybody's data you have to take the data in the Grendel books with a grain of salt also. I find that I can not load my rifles with some of the suggested COAL in the Grendel #2 manual because I would be well into the lands and thus I find that I have reached MY max load below the book max load. If I had it to do over I would just get the #2 Grendel book because I have been handloading for over 40 years and already had most of the information of #1.

[JASmith]

Try parsing theough this thread:

http://www.65grendel.com/forum/showthread.php?3861-6-5-Grendel-Preferred-Loads

It is a bit long, so you may want to build a spreadsheet for 8208 callouts. Some of the folks report accuracy results, so you might be able to get some insight into trends accross barrels and bullets.

Be sure to share your results with us!

[Schrambo]

I once shot a .448" group of 26.6gr 8208XBR, Nosler 129gr ABLR, CCI 450, Hornaday brass, but damn, the Chrono didn't work... 100 yds, 4700' elevation. temps in the 50s... Lilja 11.5" barrel...

That grouping has eluded me since...

I know it's all me...

[1Shot]

Schrambo I know how you feel. With the load I mention above I shot a 5 shot 100 Yard group .638 with one shot called as a pull before seeing the target. Four of the shots were in a group .144 . This was out of my 18" Oden Works barreled rifle I built. Since then I average between 3/4 and 1" and I know it is me as well as weather conditions. The day I shot the tight group there was no wind and it was one of those days that I just shot really well with everything. Have not had those conditions the last few times at the range.

[LRRPF52]

I’ve shot the hornady 129s a lot.from the old site 28.5 he 2520 wilgeth distance your looking for with sub moa. Lothar walther barrel 20 in 1/8 twist . This is a lite load in my barrel. Start low wrk up.

HawgHunter: I think there might be some typos in your post.