6.5 G powder?

[Coop]

What's your go to powder for 120gr weight bullets? I'm in North Texas Temps can go from 20 to 100 in just a day or two. I've been loading cfe223 but it goes bockers in hot Temps. Would like something more stable, but still decent velocity. Is varget only solution? It's velocity is pretty weak.

[mdram]

8208xbr and ar-comp are temp stable
if you can find them

[gofastman]

8208XBR is non existent at the moment, I'd just give up on that.
Winchester StaBall MATCH looks like a potential candidate, but data is somewhat limited for the Grendel right now.
AR-Comp is a good choice, but it's painfully expensive.

[DHD]

For 120-123 grain bullets I use LeverRevolution. I have had good luck with 8208 but can't get the same velocity without pressure. Accuracy is a wash between Lever and 8208 and heavier bullets in my rifles.

[EastTNHunter]

H4895. Benchmark may work, but it’s better for the lighter bullets. TAC should be more temp stable than CFE223

[Klem]

Coop,

ADI's single-based (temp stable) powders suitable for the Grendel are 8208 for under 120gn, and H4895 for 120gn and heavier. I recommend H4895.

Benchmark is even faster than 8208; I don't recommend it for this calibre.

[LRRPF52]

My go-to has been CFE223 since about 2012. You hear a lot about temp sensitivity, but I’ve seen nothing but centerline Point of Impact results from 600-1000yds with it.

During my last trip to the range 2 weeks ago, I pulled out a magazine of my 31.2gr CFE223 load in Lapua brass with 123gr A-MAX and inserted it into my Lilja 17.6” barrel Grendel.

Winds were gusting between 4-16mph. I dialed in my dope, held 1.5 mils into the wind, and center-punched a 600yd 18” steel plate 1st-round, bipod supported with rear bag.

I’ve shot that same load from the same Grendel at the same range out to 1000yds and it grouped 6rds into 8” vertical, 4” horizontal.

That Grendel is very lightweight, like an old M4 pre-SOCOM heavy barrel profile when they felt like pistols almost.

My 31.2gr load under a 123gr Hornady is only producing around 47,000psi, yet it is higher velocity than factory ammo with the same bullets.




1000yd gong, first time I shot it at that range where I could get a group.

[bmash]

Coop,

ADI's single-based (temp stable) powders suitable for the Grendel are 8208 for under 120gn, and H4895 for 120gn and heavier. I recommend H4895.

Benchmark is even faster than 8208; I don't recommend it for this calibre.

Klem, please tell me more on why you don’t recommend benchmark. It is listed in Sierra’s load data for 120gr with good velocity. Have you seen pressure spikes or another issue?
(I have plenty of benchmark but H4895 and 8208 are running low…)
Thanks!

[Klem]

bmash,

Sure you can use it, but it's not the most efficient powder for a 120gn bullet

Manufacturers post data for a range of 'suitable' powders, but one will be more efficient than the others.

Quickload simulated in an 18" barrel....
BENCHMARK will give 2332fps at 97%case full, at 52K lbs which is the calibre's recommended max pressure.
8208 will give 2374fps at 99% case full, at the peak pressure limit.
4895 will give 2404fps at 101% case full at peak pressure.

Faster powders will peak-pressure out before getting case full. Slower powders will get case full before reaching peak pressure (unless you compress and even that has physical limits). Those three powders and others talked about on tables and the Forum all work, but some will be better suited than others. So, they all work and should cycle your action. Just that one will have the highest velocity when they're all at the same pressure.

These figures are only a computer simulation and actual velocity and peak pressures will vary, but the general principle of 4895 being most efficient for a 120SMK in an 18" Grendel is sound. If your barrel is a different length then this advice might change, but as you can see any of those three powders will work within a 70fps range - so they all work.

Happy shooting with your BENCHMARK

Klem

[lazyengineer]

AR Comp is my own first choice for 123 gr, followed closeely by TAC, of all things. I have and use 8208, but it has a reputation of being spikey quickly. The trick with Grendel is it's low pressure and a bit slow, so I generally want to run it as hot as I can get away with, to get the most out of it. With 8208, I have plenty of brass casings with extrusion marks into the ejector ;which is very much not what I want to be doing with Grendel. So I still use 8208 some, but I either have to back off, or risk hitting it spiking when I run it towards the very place I want to get my targeted performance at. I like ARComp. It doesn't meter so good, so in the progressive I run TAC, and actually love TAC a lot.

CFE isn't the powder for me. Others love it, so good stuff. I don't like it partly because it's supposed to be engineered as a very high pressure powder, for 62000 psi 5.56 loads; which Grendel is neither the pressure for that, nor the bottle-neck bore diameter to powder reservour ratio. which is to say it's a slow high pressure powder, neither of which are in theory ideal for Grendel. And yet, many people use it with fantastic results, so reality actually beats theory - but that's OK, there are still other powders to be had.

For lighter bullets, I've found a sweet spot of running 90 TNT's with recovered 7.62x39 brass. Maybe my throats are sloppy, but I get my best accuracy with 7.62x39 brass, which have thicker necks that fill up the neck of the chamber better. As always, there are a million factors that go into "accuracy", including how the shooter does with it personally. Lots of the more experienced guys have moved well away from 7.62x39; but I use it and am happy with that brass. With PMC being my favorite.

If I had chance to buy 8lb jugs of anything I want for $200 a jug, I'd load up on TAC and ARComp. I'm interseted in Staball Match, but no data to say much on it.

[muvef]

8208 seems to be the best for accuracy, but it's hard on my brass.

I like PPV for the best speeds and descent accuracy without pressure signs.

TAC is good for both.

I've been using H4895 for 120's and N135 for 100-105's lately.

[DIANEB]

So far TAC with the 120 and 123 grain bullets is one of most accurate in my rifle. The velocity is right around 2500 fps. Especially with the 123 Sierra MK.

[Coop]

Thanks for posts. I do have some TAC, velocity hasn't been very good, but accuracy has been good. I've never tried H 4895 in grendel. I'll be on the hunt for some, should be temp stable. TAC is better than CFE223. Last summer hunting for hog in Oklahoma from shoot house. I had gun laying on window platform it was 95 I think sun was on gun some. But had coyote come out grabbed gun and shot popped primer using CFE223. I had 31gr which had no pressure signs on work up. But in 95 degrees and maybe a sun warm rifle = problem.

[Former Cav]

varget works great in your 223 (and 243 and 308 to 1000 yards).
you can't get enough of it in the grendel case to get the speed over 2350 2400.. BUT the group has been consistent at 13/16 inch through 3 different uppers and 3 different shooters.

[Remington Jim]

I’m a CFE 223 powder Guy with my 120 -130 grers 👍Good Velocity Good Accuracy and no pressure problems in MY Mini 1500 . 👍