I've been reloading for 43 years. Shot Prairie dogs (and worked up the ladder loads) with everything from 223 up to 6.5 x 284 for that 1300 yard shot. I've shot in NRA highpower Over the Course (200, 300, 600 ) and Palma (800, 900, 1000). I don't claim to "know it all" but I am telling you this so you now I am not a total idiot.
I've loaded 223, 243, 25-06, 308, 6.5x 284 and of course 38/357, 41M, 44/44M, 45ACP,
with that said. I have NEVER ever had this much trouble trying to get a rifle to group as I have with the 6.5 Grendel. !!!
I Have done 3 different uppers, 1 a sow's ear which was a Bear Creek Arsenal, 2, a PSA 18 inch, and 3, a custom built with a Krieger barrel (I have TWO target rifles that have Krieger barrels and I swear I can thread the eye of a needle with them)
Due to COVID (scam) and MOVING, my ability to find and out door range that is suitable has been spotty. But thus far, these are the loads.
The BEST load ALWAYS comes back to 27.8 and and 27.2 grains of Varget using the 123 Hornady bullets (both sst and eld) at 13/16 inch but they are SLOW as you can't get enough varget in the case to go faster.
the numbers in front of the load (1 through 8) are which was best GROUP. GRoups ranged from 13/16 (consistant with the varget load) up to 8 inches with the CFE powder in the compressed load.
6.5 Grendel Load work up
120 Gr ELD Hornady
8208 XBR Small Winchester Primer New Hornady Br trimmed to 1.515 COA is 2.235 except for GOLT DOT 120’s 2.215
6th 27.4 Grains 2500 FPS APPROX. (book NOT chronographed)
5th 26.9 Grains 2450 “
3rd 26.3 Grains 2400 “
Varget, same bullet as above, same primers, same brass
4th 28.0 Grains 2450 FPS APPROX (book……..
2nd 27.4 Grians 2400 “
1st 26.4 Grains 2350 “ 1.25 INCH best of these 8 loads
BLC-2, same bullet as above, same primers, same brass
8th 31.7 Grains 2570 (FPS APPROX.(book………….) COMPRESSED LOAD, too much BS to load powder comes out on index
7th 31.5 Grains 2540 “ “ “ “
123 Gr SST Hornady
AR COMP Small Winchester Primer New Hornady Brass trimmed to 1.515
1st 28.0 grains 2580 FPS APPROX . (book NOT chronographed) BEST of these 5 loads about 1.5 inch
27.8, 27.6,
2nd 27.4,
27.2
123 Gr Sierra HPBT & 120 Hornady Match
Small Winchester Primer New Hornady Brass trimmed to 1.515
1st 27.8 Grains Varget 123 Gr Sierra HPBT A nickel covers center to center 5 shot group 13/16 inch BEST
2nd 27.2 Grains Varget 123 Gr Sierra HPBT
27.8 Grains Varget 120 Hornaday Match
30.2 Grains BLC-2 120 Hornady Match. Too much BS. COMPRESSED LOAD
30.2 Grains BLC-2 123 Sierra HPBT
**************************************************************************************************123 Sierra HPBT, 120 Speer Gold Dot, & 100 Gr Hornady ELD Match
Small Winchester Primer New Hornady Brass trimmed to 1.515
1st 27.8 Grains Varget 123 Sierra HPBT
2nd 27.2 Grains Varget 123 Sierra HPBT
27.8 Grains Varget 120 Speer Gold Dot 2 inch groups ho hum discouraged on the gold dots they are “LE” bullets
27.2 Grains Varget 120 Speer Gold Dot
31.5 Grains BLC-2 123 Sierra HPBT
31.5 Grains BLC-2 120 Speer Gold Dots samo samo 2 inch plus groups
31.0 Grains 8208 XBR 100 Hornady ELD Match
30.0 Grains Varget 100 Hornady ELD Match
123 Gr Sierra HPBT & 120 Hornady Match
Small Winchester Primer New Hornady Brass trimmed to 1.515 COA on Sierra’s is 2.200 and on Hornadys 2.200 all in these groups below
1st 27.8 Grains Varget 123 Sierra HPBT
27.2 Grains Varget 123 Sierra HPBT
2nd 27.8 Varget 120 Hornady Match
30.0 BLC-2 120 Hornady match
30.0 BLC-2 123 Sierra match
THIRTY LOADS to this point!!
%$#@*****************************************************************************************
Nov 7, 2019 groups .
120 Gr Hornady ELD & 120 GOLD dot
Small Winchester Primer New Hornady Brass trimmed to 1.515 COA on Sierra’s is 2.200 and on Hornadys 2.200 all in these groups below
32.0 Grains of CFE for both 120 Hornady’s and 120 Gold dot’s
31.0 Grains of CFE “
30.0 Grains of CFE “
The 30.0 load was “best” if you can call 4 MOA “best. 31 was WORSE, and 32.0 was HORRIBLE.
Had two of the weeks previous loads which have been consistent around 1 inch or less, they are
1st 27.8 Grains Varget 123 Sierra HPBT
27.2 Grains Varget 123 Sierra HPBT
With NEW Krieger Barrell and tom’s highpower scope.
27.5 GR H4895 120 Gold dot’s Tom’s Loads 3 rounds good, then rounds 4 and 5 open group up to 1.5 inch
29.0 GR Alliant PP Varmint 120 Gold Dot’s Toms loads. As above, 3 rounds good then open up.
JUNE 1, 2023 These loads below are for SPEEDS only as the range had a VISOR over it to keep people (morons) from shooting into the air and over the backstop. By the time I got the chrono set up in FRONT of the "visor" I had a triangle of about 4 inches to shoot through and line up with a target 100 yards away. So I shot for speed only. I won't be going back to that range and it was such a hassle factor with shooting into the east at 9-11 AM the glint would screw with the chrono. I actually went out and bought a LabRadar unit. It WORKS indoors even and NO sky screens to LINE UP!!
TESTS with Oehler 35P chronograph at B-Tactical in Caddo Mills.
108 Grain Lupua 27.1 grains IMR 4064 EACH round (powder charge) was weighed kept with 1/10 grain.
H 2398, L 2391 A 2394 sprd 7 SD 5
27.8 grains IMR 4064
H 2453 L 2453 A 2453 spred 0 SD 0
110 Lehigh Solid Copper Match 04264110SP 27.1 Grains IMR 4064
H 2371 L 2346 A2360 Sprd 25 SD 10
123 ELD Hornady Match FACTORY LOAD
2505 Had error readings. Lots of “glint” Was shooting into the sun (facing East at 9 to 11 AM)
123 ELD Hornady Projectiles 27.1 grains IMR 4064
H 2365 L 2329 A 2345 spred 36 SD 13
120 SPEER GOLD Dot 27.1 grains 4064
H2311 L 2254 A 2290 spred 57 SD 26
AUGUST 2023
LabRadar SHOOTERS WORLD Tactical Rifle powder. Max for 123 Sierra HPBT 28.6 gr. Max for 100 Hornady Amax 30.5 gr.
Assume and carefully start at the LOW end Max load for 108 Lapua OTP Scenar (half way…? Max of 29.5 gr.
NEW Starline Brass (1 NWB 2) CCI BR# 4 Primers. Shooters world Tactical Rifle Powder 20 IN Barreled PSA
All these below to Line are Lab Radar unit (today 8/21/2023)
Max 29.5 H 2636 Low 2609 AVG 2620 Ext Sprd 27 SD 11.5
Max 29.3 H 2630 Low 1937 ?? AVG 2530 Ext Sprd 693 ? SD 302 OUT
Max 29.1 H 2608 Low 2591 AVG 2599 Ext Sprd 18 SD 7.3 <BEST
Max 28.9 H 2600 Low 1862 AVG 2272 Ext Sprd 748 ? SD 334 OUT
Max 28.7 H 2597 Low 2567 AVG 2582 Ext Sprd 29 SD 12.7
Max 28.5 H 2573 Low 2528 AVG 2559 Ext Sprd 45 SD 18.1
Max 28.3 H 2579 Low 2540 AVG 2555 Ext Sprd 39 SD 18.2
Max 28.1 H 2518 Low 2498 AVG 2518 Ext Sprd 32 SD 15.2
Max 27.9 H 2539 Low 2520 AVG 2529 Ext Sprd 54 SD 24.2
All BELOW this line were with Oehler 35P chronograph
Lupua 108 grain scenar OTP IRM 4064
27.1 H 2398 Low 2391 AVG 2394 Ext Sprd 7 SD 5
27.8 H 2453 Low 2453 AVG 2453 ext Sprd 0 SD 0 (1 round)
Hornady 123 eld bullet IMR 4064
Max 27.1 H 2365 Low 2329 AVG 2345 Ext Sprd 36 SD 13
LEHIGH match 110 grain IRM 4064
Max 27.1 H 2371 Low 2346 AVG 2360 Ext Sprd 25 SD 10
SPEER GOLD DOT 120 grain IRM 4064
Max 27.1 H 2311 Low 2254 AVG 2290 Ext Sprd 57 SD 26
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