buying to reload 6.5 Grendel

[roor]

Welcome to the addiction! I went but one cry once (kinda) and got the Forster benchrest seater and Redding type S with a .290 since I'm running a bolt action. I wish I got the micrometer head now. For powder seems like you can't go wrong with 8208 xbr.

I'd stick to small rifle Magnum primers and they comes from having small rifle primers on hand AND being cheap. Hazmat is cheaper then new fingers especially since most people run near Max loads.

I think Lee spend the brass life by half-ish. Usually Grendel brass doesn't grow much and usually starts it's life short. IMO brass is cheap enough that I wouldn't need an annealer. Money for now is best saved for a chronograph

[Sticks]

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I have used pistol primers in the Grendel with starting loads and had no problems.

I shot some small groups with pistol primers on a 6x45 and someone mentioned I better use small rifle primers.
I switched and the groups became bigger than 2MOA with vertical stringing.

The primer size is determined by the cartridge’s primer pocket, which is the opening at the bottom of the cartridge case. A difference you can see when comparing pistol and rifle primers is how thick the primer’s cases are. Pistol primer cases won’t be subjected to as much pressure as their rifle counterparts – which means they will be slightly thinner and easier to ignite.

calhoonprimers02.png

By studying the numbers (Cup “A” thickness), one can see which primers in the small rifle sections should be more resistant to primer cratering and/or piercing. Primer cup diameters are all similar and appear to follow a specification, but check out the cup thickness in the small rifle primers (Dimension “A”). Some cups are quite a bit thicker than others: .025″ for CCI 450 vs. .0019″ for Fed 200. Large rifle primers all appear to have the same cup thickness, no matter what the type. (As a note of interest, small pistol primers are .017″ thick and large pistol primers are .020″ thick.)

[stead]

If Starline brass is measured at 0.014" neck thickness, wouldn't I order a 0.291" bushing for 0.001" neck tension? 0.289" would have 0.003" tension. Don't think I need that in a bolt-action. I know Starline is usually thicker than others.

[bj139]

If Starline brass is measured at 0.014" neck thickness, wouldn't I order a 0.291" bushing for 0.001" neck tension? 0.289" would have 0.003" tension. Don't think I need that in a bolt-action. I know Starline is usually thicker than others.

There will be a bit of spring back in the brass. I use a 0.285" bushing for a 6.5mm wildcat. It works fine.
I just measured a once fired Hornady 6.5 Grendel case at .011 to .012 neck thickness.
With .001 tension you could probably seat the bullet with your fingers.

[Sticks]

There will be a bit of spring back in the brass. I use a 0.285" bushing for a 6.5mm wildcat. It works fine.
I just measured a once fired Hornady 6.5 Grendel case at .011 to .012 neck thickness.
With .001 tension you could probably seat the bullet with your fingers.

Darn near. Nosler RDF with their smooth taper boat tail goes pretty deep by hand even at .002. Deeper than my starting seating depth for (roo roo) Becky - 6.5 PRC.

OP - you will either want the brass first to get an average, or at a minimum 2 bushings, 3 is better. It would suck to just get one, then find out you did not choose wisely and need another.