Thread: 6.5 grendel load data

Ok a question for the grendel gang I've got a howa mini coming supposed to arrive fri went to pick it up today but didn't turn up but no big deal good things are worth waiting for ay so I've gone ahead and got new brass some speer 90gr tnts and some cfe223 and dies what have you guys found as far as good loads go and does a howa mini cater for loading to mag length or can you seat just off the lands and still have bullets that fit and feed from mag cheers nd

Would pay to see if AR loads are different from bolt action. A bolt action will be hotter.

I've found BM2 and H335 work best with 90-95 bullets in my CZ. CFE223 is great for heavier bullets. Doubt you'll get a 90 close to the lands with much bullet left in the neck.

ok thanks looking forward to playing with this round kind of looks like its pick a number and take a chance as far as data with this bullet and powder combo is concerened was guessing 30 to 34 mark

also does anyone know what the equivilant of cfe223 is in adi as far as i can work out its similar to 2208

Greetings All,
Perhaps it would be better to just look up the Hodgdon on line data. Hodgdon does not list CFE223 or AR2208 for 90 grains in the Grendel as they are both likely too slow. Hodgdon does list H4198 (AR2207), Benchmark ( Benchmark 2) and H322 ( I think this is AR2219). All give above 2,800 fps with a 24 inch tube so this will be a bolt action. All are compressed loads, another sign that CFE223 is unsuitable.
Regards Grandpamac.

I dont always believe the data that states compressed loads until I've tried it myself an example is my 6.5 06 I'm 1 gr over book max load which is supposed to be a compressed load but I can still feel and hear powder shaking in the case

The compression isn't a problem in of itself. But if you go from using a fast powder to a slow powder, you have to add more grains to get the same pressure. Velocity is a result of pressure. If the data says that the fast powders are already at/near compression, that means you probably don't have the case capacity to add enough extra grains of slow powder to build up the same pressures.

CFE223 is at least as slow as, if not slower than, 2208. 2208 is too slow for Grendel but CFE223 gets away with it because it's a ball powder (denser) and so you can fit more in to compensate. You can get enough in there under a heavy bullet for it to work well - but with a lighter bullet you need even more powder and there just isn't enough capacity there to fit the required amount in.

You'll get better speed and less bark (from all that slow burning powder being chucked out the muzzle) with a faster powder.

Greetings Again Northdude,
Agree with data on compressed loads. I had to seat my normal .223 projectile a little deeper recently due to a change in profile. My standard load of AR2206H is now compressed where it was not before. Form a burn rate list recently it appears that CFE223 is a little slower than Varget (AR2208). H335, which I think is another ball powder seems to give top velocities in the Grendel.
I would be interested to know what you are using in the 6.5 - 06. I seem to have a caretaker role for a rifle in that calibre and load data seems to be all over the map.
Regards Grandpamac.

In my 6.5 06 I was running 53.4gr 2217 and a 140gr sst grouped well cant remember velocity and I think I used 54gr 2217 with 120gr match kings and gold dots those grouped well and got just over 3000 fps people say use the latest hornadys but I'm sick of working up a load with them and then they fukn stop making them so I'm going with 140 gold dots they are a sexy lookn bullet if your not into plastic coloured tips

The gold dots would be a bit to hard I'd be guessing for the grendel but are brutal in the 06

Originally Posted by northdude

In my 6.5 06 I was running 53.4gr 2217 and a 140gr sst grouped well cant remember velocity and I think I used 54gr 2217 with 120gr match kings and gold dots those grouped well and got just over 3000 fps people say use the latest hornadys but I'm sick of working up a load with them and then they fukn stop making them so I'm going with 140 gold dots they are a sexy lookn bullet if your not into plastic coloured tips

Thanks Northdude,
I am currently loading 52 grains of AR2213SC with the 140 grain Hornady Interlocks which produce 2,780 feet per second. Velocities seem to vary widely from rifle to rifle with this calibre so I worked up to the velocity rather than powder charge. I used the same technique with my 6.5 x 55 as the data is all over the place. I have AR2217 and will try with both in the future. I have chronographed Norma 6.5 x 55 factory 140 grain loads that gave 2,750 fps years ago.
Regards Grandpamac.

I'll have a look when I get home and post data again

Originally Posted by northdude

also does anyone know what the equivilant of cfe223 is in adi as far as i can work out its similar to 2208

I think all adi powders are single base powders and cfe223 is a double base powder so is temp sensitive, I stopped using cfe223 as in the summer it gave me ejector swipes.
BM 8208 is good up to 123gn bullets but be careful going past 123gn as it spikes very quickly.
I use ar2207 on the 84-90 gn projectiles and bm8208 after that.

ok for my 6.5 06
120gr gold dot 58gr 2217 3127fps
120gr gold dot 49.5gr 2209 2842fps
120gr smk 58gr 2217 3068fps
140 interlock 53.5gr 2217fps
all with fed mag primer and easy sub 1" groups at 100m