Who is loading 6.5 Grendel?

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kayaker1

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I have just started with mine (Howa Mini, standard profile 22").

Hornady factory 123gr ELD match wont do better than 1.5" but first handloads were 95gr Vmax with Benchmark, and 120gr Barnes Match Burner with 8208XBR. All but 2 charges were sub-MOA.

What hunting loads are you guys using? I have some 100gr TTSX and figured 29gr Benchmark might get me 2700fps+ and be a great deer load.
 
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My hunting load is 129gr Nosler ABLR over Alliant AR-Comp. 2325 fps from my 19.6" barrel and shoots really well

I'm waiting on the new 115gr Tac-Tx Barnes which was designed specifically for the Grendel. Expansion down to 1600 fps
 
I have a couple that I worked up;

123gr SST
28.1gr 8208XBR
Federal 205MAR primers
Lapua Brass
~2460fps out of a 20" barrel

129gr Nosler ABLR
26.7gr AR Comp
Federal 205MAR primers
Lapua Brass
~2370 out of a 20" barrel

Also tried 130gr Sierra Game changers with similar load data to the ABLR's and they were sub MOA for me. Haven't tried any of the lighter 100gr offerings yet.
 
Ive been loading some for an Auto-Loader, off the top of my head I cant remember exact data but Ive shot some 100gr Nosler partitions and 129gr Hornady SSTs (sub moa). Both were loaded with CFE-223 and CCI small rifle primers in Hornady Brass.

When I get home Ill try and remember to update.
 
I'm shooting a Howa Mini 22" using the 123SST seated .015" off the rifling, CCI Small Rifle primers, Starline brass and 28.2gr 8208XBR @ 2520, cloverleafs or smaller @ 100. I have a bunch of loads with the same bullet and seating depth but with CFE223 working up to 32gr. Haven't had the time to run them over the chrono yet. It likes the 123 SST so much I haven't tried anything else plus I just bought 400 of the SST's for a super price from Nechaco Outdoors so I'll probably just stick with them for now.
 
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I load for a 20" SLR, 24" 527 American and a 25.5" 527 MTR. Everything from 95 Vmax to 123 ELDM's, depending on the rifle. I'm not a hunter, so no experience with 'game' type bullets other than the Vmax should a skunk wander too close to the yard and my cats want a play buddy.
 
I think I am switching powders to CFE223 using the 123SST 0.015" off the lands. I just tested some loads up to 32gr and saw no pressure signs at all but I did see a very obvious node at 31.2 to 31.6 with a spread of 6fps between them. I then loaded 20 @ 31.4 and shot 2 groups of 10 over the chrony, 3,3and 4 shots with cooling in between. 7fps spread on the first group,2701-2708fps and 8fps on the second group 2702-2710fps each into one ragged hole on my backing target. I have never seen numbers like this in all my years of reloading. I'm usually happy with 30-40fps and have seen a couple accurate loads even higher. I'm impressed so far but I am wondering how temp sensitive this powder is as I will possibly carry the gun year round.
 
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