Best current powder for 6.5G?

[cceckhoff58]

If I was shooting an AR I would favor TAC or X-Terminator. Lower cost, good performance and availability. For a target shooter which is a rare animal amongst Grendel shooters I want a short cut stick powder. 8208 has poor availability. N133 produces greater velocity.

[Mark611]

Yea, I have been loading a lot of ball powders lately for my 6.5Grr and 308win M1A, and I'll say it's not like loading stick powder, I just picked up an 8LB keg of AR comp to try, then I found another powder That's available the A2495, I'm looking for powders that will work for all the calibers I load for, the 2495 has good temp stability and will work in my 223/5.56 Wylde and 6.5GRR and my M1A 308/7.62nato NM rifle and my bolt gun in 308win, The 2495 looks to be promising for all, my pet powders are not around and if you find them their $375 or more for an 8LB keg, which has led me to look for other powders, The pet powders I have I will not use unless there's no other powders out there and then they will be used sparingly, just a bunch of BS for us reloaders

[Zinkin]

I never seem to be at the right place at the right time for 8208.

Really, I should probably just stop trying to chase velocity, etc. With a 335-based SST load I had no problems killing a large doe at over 300 yards last month. It only chrono'd 2400 FPS out of a 20 inch barrel, but when the bullet hit the chest cavity she went down on the spot like she had been struck by lightning. I have good loads with TAC and 335 and these bullets. Maybe that is good enough.

Unless you are benchrest/long range shooting, there is no need to chase velocity only repeatable accuracy, even if you are doing that, slowing it down will often times give you stellar performance. When I am getting weird grouping I slow it down and can often times get them into a ragged hole. That doe you shot at 300 is the proof....What else do you need?

[Zinkin]

One of the problems of getting a steady supply of 8208 is because it is mfg. in Australia, then packaged here in the states....

[Zeneffect]

staball match is not bad for the 123s. not the fastest, def not the slowest either. decent accuracy, powder availability, temp stability.

[Remington Jim]

[Fess]

If I was shooting an AR I would favor TAC or X-Terminator. Lower cost, good performance and availability. For a target shooter which is a rare animal amongst Grendel shooters I want a short cut stick powder. 8208 has poor availability. N133 produces greater velocity.

FWIW, ancient Grendel History: "On March 6, 2006, Arne Brennan achieved a witnessed 1.198 inch 5 shot group at 660 yards using the Lapua 108 Scenar Projectile with N133 powder... no voodoo or black magic powder / bullets there."
It must be noted though, that Arne was using a custom bolt gun and running at well above SAAMI pressures.

[Mark611]

This an old post, but I will say since its original posting I have learned a few things about loading for my AR Grendel's, I started off with a 24'' 1&8 barrel, my goal was to have a target/longer ranger shooter, then I purchased an 18'' 1&8 upper, shooting Factory ammo for me was not my goal, I'm a hand loader, I struggled with getting good performance with velocity and accuracy from my 2 at the time uppers, I tried to get at least 2450fps with decent accuracy, I tried about 9 different powders and tried to make the Hornady 120 and 123gn ELDM's to shoot, no luck, so I purchased some 120gn SMK's with 27.1gn of AR Comp, Bingo! I found what I was looking for, my 18'' 2495 ave, SDs in the 7's 2545 ave out of my 24'' SDs of 7's 3/4'' groups @200m 1.5'' form my 18'' and could be better with a reticule that's not a horseshoe dot that cover up my bull's eye @200m. also IMO the 24'' tube is not worth the 50fps difference in velocity compared to the nimble ness of my 18'' rifle! I recently purchased a few new 18'' 1&8 barrels so I'll probably making my 24'' to an 18'',

[treed]

8208 for me also. Like the temp stability and i have a boatload which helps too.

[trubulator]

Unless you are benchrest/long range shooting, there is no need to chase velocity only repeatable accuracy, even if you are doing that, slowing it down will often times give you stellar performance. When I am getting weird grouping I slow it down and can often times get them into a ragged hole. That doe you shot at 300 is the proof....What else do you need?

Well, the two I shot with Grendel last month were with an ABLR chrono'd at just over 2200 FPS, so clearly velocity is not everything.

[tdbru]

Zeneffect,
I was going to ask if anyone here had given Winchester StaBall Match a try. Just a bit faster burning than CFE223 and supposed to have a copper reducing agent and be temp stable. Looks like a reasonable burn rate for 120 - 130 gr. in the Gr. How extensively have you worked with StaBall Match?
-tdbru

[grendelnubi]

FWIW, ancient Grendel History: "On March 6, 2006, Arne Brennan achieved a witnessed 1.198 inch 5 shot group at 660 yards using the Lapua 108 Scenar Projectile with N133 powder... no voodoo or black magic powder / bullets there."
It must be noted though, that Arne was using a custom bolt gun and running at well above SAAMI pressures.

We have our own Arne Brennan, we call her Diane..... Like to see what she could do at 660 yards.....

[G34]

H335 does it all.

Agree.

[VASCAR2]

Here is a thread on Staball Match powder results. Not much discussion on Staball Match as it was only released in 2022-2023.

https://www.65grendel.com/forum/showthread.php?26197-Winchester-Staball-Match

[Konocti's Wigwam]

There seems to be a few good powders that are tried and proven. For me, H335 is a plus as I had about 6 lbs. on hand.

In general, 6.5 Grendel uses most of the common powders used in 5.56 and 308, 2 cartridges I reloaded for in the past,
unlike 300 blackout and 8.6 blackout which use a faster burning powder.