Powder advice needed

[Jim Boyd]

Hey Folks,

Working on getting set up to learn to reload.

Want 6.5 Grendel.

All advice is appreciated but specifically:

I can get 7 1/2 bench rest primers. Ok to use?

Also I am very confused about powders. Do I need more than 1 option and can you help me understand the best brands and specs.

brand new to all of this.

Many thanks.


Tickler: at my buddy’s place in north central Georgia. He is there about every day.

 

[Gator89]

Browse here:

https://www.65grendel.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?3-6-5-Grendel-Ammunition-amp-Reloading

 

[trial&error]

Options are what we had a few years ago. Today pick your bullet weight and keep your eyes open for one of the prescribed powders In your manual.

 

[menhadenman]

Wow, that is a stud of a buck. I have a couple Grendels and reload quite a bit. If you have a Howa or an AR platform I can provide some starting points that have worked well for me. The small benchrest primers will be perfect. I've used 85 grain to 130 grain bullets but you'll probably do best with 100-120s.

My favorite powders for that round are CFE223, Benchmark (hard to find these days), IMR4198, and BLC-2. The 4198 will be faster burning and CFE223 on the slower end

Here's a good site you can use for free... you can narrow powder/bullet combos down for what you can get your hands on. Good luck - it's worse than fishing

https://www.hodgdonreloading.com/reloading-data-center

 

[Elkbane]

I usually research Nosler Reloading's web site and choose a Hodgdon powder that has a burn rate closest to what Nosler says is their most accurate powder tested. And they have quite a bit of data on trim length, loaded length, primer type for each cartridge listed.

You choice of powder will be determined by what bullet weight you want to shoot. Looks like TAC and H335 work pretty well across the bullet weight spectrum, but I haven't loaded for that cartridge. I'd be looking for a powder that is temperature insensitive and makes a pretty full case.

https://www.nosler.com/65-grendel

see link.
Elkbane

 

[JeffinPTC]

Free data:
https://forum.gon.com/threads/11th-edition-hornady.1004356/#post-13073883

There's a lot of powders in the Speer "view all" list. Now you have to find one.

There's Doctorate level advice from Professor BriarPatch in this thread:

https://forum.gon.com/threads/did-you-reload-anything-today.978145/page-14#post-12623588

I posted from a thread in #266 here, and Jimmy replied that he did some of the work on the powder comparisons.
Keep reading and he's got some stuff about primers too.

 

[JeffinPTC]

And I should point out that Brian Enos evidently has shut down his forms mentioned in my previous post.
There's a TON of shooting/reloading stuff on Jouster's #2. Major Culver passed several years ago, but someone continued his legacy:

http://www.jouster2.com/forums/forum.php

More tonnage here on Steve's Pages. He died also. Cancel the signin paywall and accept the terms:

https://stevespages.com/page8.htm

Your Grendel is here on the .264 page:

https://stevespages.com/264_31.html

Go back to home page for literally gigabytes of data.

There's 225 pages of reloading on the CMP Forum, mostly for Military rifles though

https://forums.thecmp.org/forumdisplay.php?f=94&order=desc

And that's a nice buck.

 

[Dub]

Hey Folks,

Working on getting set up to learn to reload.

Want 6.5 Grendel.

All advice is appreciated but specifically:

I can get 7 1/2 bench rest primers. Ok to use?

Also I am very confused about powders. Do I need more than 1 option and can you help me understand the best brands and specs.

brand new to all of this.

Many thanks.


Tickler: at my buddy’s place in north central Georgia. He is there about every day.

View attachment 1166227View attachment 1166228

What a STUD





@menhadenman is gonna be a great voice of experience with hunting loading for the 6.5 Grendel.


I think you may be in luck on the powders. My initial interest for my own 6.5G is for target fun. When I reload for it it'll be medium velocity loads for use in an AR-15.

I've been getting powders like TAC, AA2200, IMR4895, etc. They'll crossover into other cartridges I want to load for as well.


If I was hunting with it....especially in a bolt action....the CFE223 he mentioned seems to be the velocity king (and it's been available lately). Find a good hunting bullet and success will be close in hand.

 

[Jim Boyd]

What a STUD





@menhadenman is gonna be a great voice of experience with hunting loading for the 6.5 Grendel.


I think you may be in luck on the powders. My initial interest for my own 6.5G is for target fun. When I reload for it it'll be medium velocity loads for use in an AR-15.

I've been getting powders like TAC, AA2200, IMR4895, etc. They'll crossover into other cartridges I want to load for as well.


If I was hunting with it....especially in a bolt action....the CFE223 he mentioned seems to be the velocity king (and it's been available lately). Find a good hunting bullet and success will be close in hand.

So far, TAC and AA2520 seem to be acceptable (for 123 gr) and available.

Now, on to the bullets!

 

[Dub]

So far, TAC and AA2520 seem to be acceptable (for 123 gr) and available.

Now, on to the bullets!

Again....those will hopefully be great for target use.....but the CFE223 looks like the hunting powder of choice....from what little bit of reading I'd done.

I strongly recommend grabbing some of it to start with and pair it up with a proven hunting bullet.

 

[furtaker]

I miss the good old days when you could just go to a reloading store or browse online and find just about any powder or bullet you wanted to try.

 

[menhadenman]

Call my buddies in Montana! It’s spendy but if I had to shoot a stud with a 6.5G the MKZ would up there. I’ve got a pile of bullets and don’t mind sharing. Let me know if you’re ever up in the hills and I can break off a few bullets for you.

https://www.cavitybackbullets.com/

 

[rmp]

Call my buddies in Montana! It’s spendy but if I had to shoot a stud with a 6.5G the MKZ would up there. I’ve got a pile of bullets and don’t mind sharing. Let me know if you’re ever up in the hills and I can break off a few bullets for you.

https://www.cavitybackbullets.com/

How have those performed for you? I remember reading about them a couple years back.
I still haven’t tried the 30 cal Hammers. Soon, I hope.

 

[WishboneW]

Jim, if you are just learning read, read, and READ again several reloading manuals. I recommend Modern Reloading second edition by Richard Lee. Both sierra and hornady have good manuals as well

 

[rosewood]

So far I have had good luck with H335 and 123 SSTs. Can't find the SSTs now. Just picked up some Barnes Match Burner in 120 that I found on sale, haven't tried them yet. I have been using CCI 450s. But I would also use any primer suitable for a 223/556 in the Grendel. Brass has been difficult to find also. Depending on what press you have, you may have to order a new shell plate. I ended up spending near $100 to get a conversion kit for my 550B. It use the 7.62x39 plate.

Rosewood

 

[menhadenman]

How have those performed for you? I remember reading about them a couple years back.
I still haven’t tried the 30 cal Hammers. Soon, I hope.

Only one animal down with it so far, but my daughter’s first deer. Small one but it dropped like a sac of concrete. Probably about 50 yards so I’m guessing impact was 2500ish. Bullet performed great, great wound channel.

So far as accuracy, I think they’re solid but not spectacular (at least not in my guns). They make a 108 and 118 gr option in 6.5 if I recall. Check out their videos on hogs. Fun if nothing else.

My buddy will be hunting with Hammers in his 300 PRC this year. I keep hearing lots of good things but I probably have a few hundred bullets lined out for my deer rifles - all 8 of them - so not yet for me.

Maybe once I get that 300 Norma ????

 

[rmp]

Thanks for the report.

Take a look at Wheelers 300 Norma Improved if you haven’t already. It’s tempting.

 

[menhadenman]

Thanks for the report.

Take a look at Wheelers 300 Norma Improved if you haven’t already. It’s tempting.

Looks pretty sweet. Part of me wonders if I really want a 300 that shoots 220s over 3,100 fps though?
Funny how splitting hairs on the .308s are just like splitting hairs on 0.264s. Dunno if there's much difference to an animal with all the calibers that have been around for 50+ years.

Like the mental gymnastics I'm going through between a dozen different bullets and powders, two 7 RMs, 25-06, 30-06, a and few 6.5s - all for an antelope I'll probably stack with one shot at 60 yards 10 minutes in on the first day.

 

[rosewood]

Looks pretty sweet. Part of me wonders if I really want a 300 that shoots 220s over 3,100 fps though?
Funny how splitting hairs on the .308s are just like splitting hairs on 0.264s. Dunno if there's much difference to an animal with all the calibers that have been around for 50+ years.

Like the mental gymnastics I'm going through between a dozen different bullets and powders, two 7 RMs, 25-06, 30-06, a and few 6.5s - all for an antelope I'll probably stack with one shot at 60 yards 10 minutes in on the first day.

We call that being prepared. Better to have to much than not enough.

Rosewood

 

[Elkbane]

Back to your specific question (s).

Yes to 7 1/2 primers. Any small rifle primer will work. I generally prefer Federal primers when I can get them in LR, have used CCI SR primers mostly in 223 AR's and worked well.

Best and most uniform bullets (I weigh them and measure seated length) 6.5 mm bullets in 123 gr Ive found were Lapua Scenars, but all barrels are different and that was in a 28" custom barrel in .260 Rem, and the speeds were 350 fps faster than I think you are going to be able to drive them in a Grendel. And they aren't hunting bullets. YMMV

Elkbane