6.5 Grendel recipe

[bikemutt]

I'm following the break in procedure outlined by Howa for my new 1500 mini action 6.5 Grendel. Now I'm starting to imagine hand loading for this bundle of joy. Anyone here at THR have a reloading recipe they might want to share? I'm thinking 123 gr SST projectiles to start with. Brass will be Hornady fire formed, primers and powder are open to suggestion. I have lots of Varget but open to others.

Thanks.

 

[farmerboy78]

+1

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I don't load for the 6.5 Grendel but my shooting buddy does. He is shooting a 6.5 Grendel upper, not a bolt action rifle.

His load us a 123gr Hornady A-Max bullet over 29.0gr Varget. It us a slightly compressed load but not a lot. That load has been very accurate for him. I have shot it, it is accurate.

 

[bikemutt]

Thanks ArchAngelCD, I'll give that a try.

 

[rg1]

The new Hornady 10th lists Varget from start 25.2 at 2100 fps in an 18" Alexander Arms rifle using Hornady cases and Win SR primers. 26.4-2200 fps,
27.6-2300 fps, and 28.9 as maximum at 2400 fps, Overall length of the 123 SST as tested was 2.245".
Lyman's 50th list the123 A-max with a starting load at 28.0 grains for 2272 fps and a max load at 29.0 for 2350 fps also in an Alexander Arms upper but in a 16" barrel using Hornady cases and CCI 450 primers.
My powder is AA 2520 with 123 gr. Hornady bullets using RP 7 1/2 primers. I can duplicate factory velocity with 2520 with good accuracy. For what it's worth, I find buying factory Hornady with 123 gr. bullets a great deal. Great shooting factory loads, hard to match with handloads, and afterwards you have once fired brass from your rifle. Nearly as cheap as buying factory new brass by itself. For instance you can buy a box of 123 SST's for $20.50 or $102.50 per 100 or you can buy 100 new Hornady cases for $70. Then add 100 premium bullets, powder, and primers. The factory Hornady is the best deal. On sale now at Midway. Some good info at Alexander Arms website:
http://www.alexanderarms.com/images/pdfs/grendel_reloading.pdf

 

[LoonWulf]

Im running 123s ahead of cfe223, accuracy has been good and performance on game is reliable....id really like to try these in a bolt gun.

Theres a guy asking about the howa mini in 6.5 in rifle country if you have time to stop in, you can probably answer his questions better than i did.

 

[CarJunkieLS1]

123 SST at factory load COAL and for powder my Grendel and others seems to like IMR 8208 the best. 27.1-28.3 seems to be a sweet spot.

 

[bikemutt]

Thanks for the additional tips and suggestions.

I flat ran out of time to complete the full 20 round break in recommended by Howa, I did get 10 in though. So, I decided to handload the 10 fired cases. There are no neck sizing dies for 6.5 Grendel I can find. I spoke with Lee about it and they said they have not seen demand for one so, no plans to offer one. My LGS reloading guy says I can neck size with a FL die by lowering the stem as much a possible and setting a stop right after the stem clears the neck. I tried that but I just don't have a feel for it yet.

This would most likely only apply to a bolt rifle so I may be asking for speculation here as most seem to be running the Grendel in an AR-style platform.

Thoughts please?

 

[horsey300]

Thanks for the additional tips and suggestions.

I flat ran out of time to complete the full 20 round break in recommended by Howa, I did get 10 in though. So, I decided to handload the 10 fired cases. There are no neck sizing dies for 6.5 Grendel I can find. I spoke with Lee about it and they said they have not seen demand for one so, no plans to offer one. My LGS reloading guy says I can neck size with a FL die by lowering the stem as much a possible and setting a stop right after the stem clears the neck. I tried that but I just don't have a feel for it yet.

This would most likely only apply to a bolt rifle so I may be asking for speculation here as most seem to be running the Grendel in an AR-style platform.

Thoughts please?

That's not neck sizing so much as partial sizing....folks been doing it for ages. Won't work as good as a Lee collet, but it will kinda work. If I wasn't sizing a belted magnum and didn't have a Lee die, I'd just FL for consistency. But it IS doable. I think from what others say this decision will come down to how much you want out of each load. You're gonna be bumping shoulders and cleaning wax either way. Wilson and redding make neck sizing bushing type dies for you.

 

[jmorris]

There are no neck sizing dies for 6.5 Grendel I can find.

The round is tapered, run the die down and size the non tapered neck as much as you want, just don't go down far enough that it touches the rest of the case and you have in effect a neck size die.

 

[bikemutt]

Thanks horsey300, I found the Redding die at Midway!

 

[horsey300]

Thanks horsey300, I found the Redding die at Midway!

Yup just be warned, those bushing dies are NOT a collet at all.