7.62x39 and 6.5 grendel reloading advice please!

MilitaryCollectorMark

MilitaryCollectorMark

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So I have zastava 7.62x39 and Dad has a CZ 527 in 6.5 grendel.

Need advice on brass, powder and bullet selection. For the x39, I heard that the Hornady? 123 gr. SST is a really good bullet.

For the Grendel, what would be a good bullet? I do have the 2017 Hodgson reloading magazine that lists a 120 gr. Barnes TSX, I did find this.
https://www.handloadermagazine.com/6-5-grendel-handloads
JH-TABLE.jpg


Seems that the 120 gr. Nosler BT was the most accurate in his gun. Are their any other bullets and powders that might work just as good? Are there and vihtavouri powder that might work? The brand seem to be more available and a little less money then others I've seen?
 
Hey Mark,

I'm sorry, I've never loaded lead SP hunting ammo for the 7.62x39, but AA1680 and RE 7 have done very good for me in that round. Just starting to use CFE BLK. The other classic for that catridge is H4198/IMR4198.

For brass I've used both PPU and Winchester and both have done fine.

On the 6.5 Grendel, the 100gr TTSX seems to open very well at Grendel velocities. The ones published there are way slow. Might be AR pressure loads and not bolt gun pressure loads? Check out the Barnes Technical Data section of their website you can likely step those up.

They make a 115gr Tac-TX with a decent (.386?) BC that is supposed to be optimized to Grendel speeds.

Cheers
 
Hard to beat the Barnes 115gr Tac-Tx for a Grendel hunting bullet. I use Alliant AR Comp mainly in my Grendel
 
And now I'm looking at ballistics tables again comparing 6.5 Grendel to 7.62x39mm...again.

I swear part of being a gunnut is obsessing over a couple hundred foot/lbs of energy that aren't gonna matter if bullets go where they should, and losing sleep over some extra hunting range you'll never use.

But then...so much cheap steel case to shoot, still...argh.
 
Joel said:
And now I'm looking at ballistics tables again comparing 6.5 Grendel to 7.62x39mm...again.

I swear part of being a gunnut is obsessing over a couple hundred foot/lbs of energy that aren't gonna matter if bullets go where they should, and losing sleep over some extra hunting range you'll never use.

But then...so much cheap steel case to shoot, still...argh.
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There is no comparison the 6.5 GRENDEL is a much superior cartridge ! Lots of different bullets avail in true 6.5 caliber - Hornady - Nosler - Sierra - Speer dozens of different weights styles etc of bullets available ! 7.62 x 39 is a 310 dia bullet Hornady and Nosler make one each of a 123 grer only .
6.5 Hornady 123 gr SST bullet has a .510 BC 7.62 .310 dia is .295 BC ! Lol

After a 100 yards the 6.5 grendel way outperforms the 7.62 in EVERY WAY ! JMO. RJ
 
remington jim said:
There is no comparison the 6.5 GRENDEL is a much superior cartridge ! Lots of different bullets avail in true 6.5 caliber - Hornady - Nosler - Sierra - Speer dozens of different weights styles etc of bullets available ! 7.62 x 39 is a 310 dia bullet Hornady and Nosler make one each of a 123 grer only .
6.5 Hornady 123 gr SST bullet has a .510 BC 7.62 .310 dia is .295 BC ! Lol

After a 100 yards the 6.5 grendel way outperforms the 7.62 in EVERY WAY ! JMO. RJ
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Yep, 6.5 grendel was created to be a target bullet. Good out to 400 yards? 7.62 x39, I've read guys using .308 diameter bullets, might be good to try and see if their would be any difference.
 
Not many will argue that the 30-30 with a 150gr bullet isn't a good killer at moderate ranges. At 100 yards, it delivers approx 1950 fps / 1270 ft lbs of energy.

In comparison, A 6.5 Grendel 123gr SST (2580 fps MV) carries 1270 ft-lbs to 250 yards, 1950 fps to 380 yards

7.62x39 123gr SST (2350 fps MV) carries 1270 ft-lbs to 75 yards, 1950 fps to 155 yards
 
todbartell said:
Not many will argue that the 30-30 with a 150gr bullet isn't a good killer at moderate ranges. At 100 yards, it delivers approx 1950 fps / 1270 ft lbs of energy.

In comparison, A 6.5 Grendel 123gr SST (2580 fps MV) carries 1270 ft-lbs to 250 yards, 1950 fps to 380 yards

7.62x39 123gr SST (2350 fps MV) carries 1270 ft-lbs to 75 yards, 1950 fps to 155 yards
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Yeah, the sectional density of the 150 gr. round nose will be good, better in some ways then a pointed bullet in the 6.5 at 100 yards. I know in the 2023 Gun digest their is a right up on the different bullets.
 
For the X39 the 125gr bullet is really short and conical ( like a handgun bullet) and does not get good ballistics for any distance. If you pull a surplus steel core bullet from the cartridge and compare the soft point will be 25% or more smaller. You are better off making a heavier load such as 150gr or 170gr to not only add extra length and ballistics but much more energy for hunting. The CZ 527 is an excellent little rifle for accuracy and can easily handle a heavier load than the most common 125gr projectiles.

If you can find PRVI 125gr soft point commercial loads, they grouped out of my cz527 the size of a dime. I've never felt the need to load for this round to improve accuracy when all 5 shots were touching each other. I did load 170 gr for hunting that had reasonable moa groups but my girlfriends at the time (new shooter) didn't like the heavier load and I re-sighted the scope back for 125gr soft points.
 
fiddler said:
For the X39 the 125gr bullet is really short and conical ( like a handgun bullet) and does not get good ballistics for any distance. If you pull a surplus steel core bullet from the cartridge and compare the soft point will be 25% or more smaller. You are better off making a heavier load such as 150gr or 170gr to not only add extra length and ballistics but much more energy for hunting. The CZ 527 is an excellent little rifle for accuracy and can easily handle a heavier load than the most common 125gr projectiles.

If you can find PRVI 125gr soft point commercial loads, they grouped out of my cz527 the size of a dime. I've never felt the need to load for this round to improve accuracy when all 5 shots were touching each other. I did load 170 gr for hunting that had reasonable moa groups but my girlfriends at the time (new shooter) didn't like the heavier load and I re-sighted the scope back for 125gr soft points.
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Are they the blue box PPU? I did buy 5 boxes of 123 gr. PSP.
 
MilitaryCollectorMark said:
Yeah, the sectional density of the 150 gr. round nose will be good, better in some ways then a pointed bullet in the 6.5 at 100 yards. I know in the 2023 Gun digest their is a right up on the different bullets.
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sectional density of a 123gr 6.5mm is .252, a little higher than a 30 cal 165gr
 
MilitaryCollectorMark said:
Are they the blue box PPU? I did buy 5 boxes of 123 gr. PSP.
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I bought maybe 20 boxes from Budget over a dozen years ago. I was sure it was PVRI but I can look next time I go the farm. They were 100% Excellent accuracy.


Edit:


The New box is Blue PPU. The old box was blue/white. Looks like the same bullet specs but I haven't shot them to say for sure.
 
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fiddler said:
I bought maybe 20 boxes from Budget over a dozen years ago. I was sure it was PVRI but I can look next time I go the farm. They were 100% Excellent accuracy.


Edit:


The New box is Blue PPU. The old box was blue/white. Looks like the same bullet specs but I haven't shot them to say for sure.
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Ah, I have 4 boxes of 123 gr. PSP in the plue box PPU, do have one box of round nose also. Haven't shot it from a bench yet so can't say how it'll group in my rifle, was shooting off hand at about 40 or so yards and hitting my gong.
 
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