6.5 grendel load ideas

[crosstimbers]

So, I have ordered a 527 in 6.5 Grendel. It is the synthetic stock model that has the shorter barrel which is suppressor ready. I have hand-loaded for over thirty years, but have no experience with this cartridge, and online data is ... somewhat confusing, maybe due to much of it being for AR type rifles.

I was surprised to find that dies were rather expensive, and that none (zero) of the many powders I have on hand appear to be recommended for use in this chambering. I have 6.5 bullets but they are all 140s which generally appears to be considered a bit heavy for this cartridge. So Ill be buying new powder, new bullets, new dies (ordered already) and new brass.

My question is this. What is a good all-around load for this cartridge, for use in the shorter barreled rifle I am buying? I found that none of my manuals have data for this cartridge, and as I said online data is somewhat difficult to sort through.

Since Ill have a CZ I realized this would probably be the better place to ask

Intended use will be hunting, deer and hogs.

[Crawl]

Recommend 123gr SSTs from Hornady. Hornady brass

Powder doesn't matter too much because this is a forgiving cartridge.

For seating depth, loading to the cannellure works fine.

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[crosstimbers]

Thanks.

Still if someone has an idea on a good all-around powder for this cartridge I'd like to hear it.

[Crawl]

What powders do you have?

4895 is good
CFE223 is taking down pigs
Benchmark has been good as well.

Unfortunately the best overall powder for me has been the impossible-to-find 8208.

If you're using smaller bullets like 100gr, RL10x is good.

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[crosstimbers]

There are two 4895s I believe. I have some IMR 4895, and I think I have seen H4895 recommended for this round (IIRC). Also have IMR 3031, some Reloader 7 and small quantity of some others. I dont believe any of these are especially suitable for such small cases but maybe Im wrong.

CFE223 seems a popular choice, as does H355...barring any info to the contrary thats where I figured I would probably start. If I can find some of either that I dont have to mortgage my home to buy

[Earl Keese]

I haven't picked up my Grendel in over a year. 🙁
Some good info here though:
https://www.65grendel.com/forum/showthread.php?3861-6-5-Grendel-Preferred-Loads

There used to be a 2 volume Grendel reloading manual available from one of the admins on the forum IIRC.

https://www.65grendel.com/forum/

[crosstimbers]

Thanks. That was interesting reading, though again those guys seemed to be mostly talking about AR-type rifles, not that it means the loads wouldnt work in a bolt gun. I did remember the H4895 vs IMR 4895 postings I had seen on other forums over time, and did some looking around. Since it looks like imr 4895 is at least suitable for this caliber, and because I have a quantity of it on hand.....and because everything is insanely expensive just now. I may start there.

One less component to buy hopefully.

[Crawl]

Intentionally avoiding being too specific here...

However, I loaded some 123 SST bullets, right at the cannellure, on top of a slightly below max powder charge (max CFE223 in the Hornady 10th Edition for this bullet is 31.2gr) of CFE223. My buddy shot it through his rifle that is zeroed for factory Hornady 123SST rounds. He didn't shoot paper, and he didn't chrono it, but he did hit steel without changing his zero, and he killed the first 2 pigs he shot at from 75 yards.

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[Crawl]

Based on the Hornady manual, H4895 is one of the faster powders, IMR4895 is toward the middle, and CFE223 is the slowest. Varget and RL15 toward the middle of this band also.

Best data I've ever found was on the 68forums

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[crosstimbers]

Based on the Hornady manual, H4895 is one of the faster powders, IMR4895 is toward the middle, and CFE223 is the slowest. Varget and RL15 toward the middle of this band also.

Best data I've ever found was on the 68forums

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Im watching some CFE on gb at the moment. But I would have to get it at a decent price. There is a show coming up in my area, and I thought I might go scout for powder, sometimes I get lucky that way.

[tdogg]

Thanks. That was interesting reading, though again those guys seemed to be mostly talking about AR-type rifles, not that it means the loads wouldnt work in a bolt gun. I did remember the H4895 vs IMR 4895 postings I had seen on other forums over time, and did some looking around. Since it looks like imr 4895 is at least suitable for this caliber, and because I have a quantity of it on hand.....and because everything is insanely expensive just now. I may start there.

One less component to buy hopefully.

Yeah lots of data for gas guns.  They will work but will be anemic in a bolt gun. At least they should be safe.   

I have a load I'm still working on with n133 and 100gr ttsx for a deer load.   I gave up on heavier bullets just because of low velocity out of my gasser.

Cfe223 and ar comp seem to yield higher velocity.   What is the purpose of the rifle?   Hunting? If I could find either cfe223 or ar comp I might entertain a heavier bullet.

Cheers,
Toby

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[joedirt199]

65grendel.com has a load section with tons of info and reports from other users.

[crosstimbers]

65grendel.com has a load section with tons of info and reports from other users.

Thanks!

I do wish it were easier to use 140 gr bullets in this caliber, as I have lots of them on hand.

[Old Rocket]

I have 5 grendels,  you have to remember it was designed for the ar15 platform.
Guys have great success with the 129gr ablr noslers.
I personally love 8208 and ar comp and with 120-123 gr projectiles. 123gr eld and 120gr smk.
Walking in the woods I carry the 16" barreled wilson combat ar and have a howa mini that rarely gets used. Gas guns are more fun for me.
I have a range with steel 2 through 6 hundred yards and talk about fun.
Like Earl said the 6.5 grendel forum is your friend.

[crosstimbers]

Thanks, and Ive been there looking around.

On another note...I just received some brass that I bought online. It was listed as "mixed headstamp" but what that seems to have amounted to is one (1) Hornady case and the rest all PPU.

I know that 6.5 G PPU ammo had a recall back in 2016, and have been doing a lot of reading about that. I'm hoping that this stuff is newer manufacture and hopefully more safe. I dont know if there is a way to tell or not, if its older or newer production. Some of what Ive seen shows annealed brass and this doesnt look like it is annealed.

I have some new Hornady brass so its not like I have to use this stuff, but I will probably give it a try eventually.