Thread: RL16 284WIN

Hi guys,

Is there anybody out there that could recommend me a starting load please. Can't find any data for this powder and cartridge including in my two reloading manuals.
I have here a bottle of the Rl16 and some 150gr nosler
BT projectiles the rifle barrel is 22 inches, will look at measuring the the COAL shortly also. Any help is much appreciated.

Regards.

Swap that for rl17. Think you would be better off and whoever you swap with will be pretty happy.

I would start somewhere around 50-51gr and build up from there. That should have you starting on the safe side. I got up to 55gr where I hit pressure with 2209 and the 150NBT in mine. Pressure at 54gr with Rel 17 and 162 ELD-M. Pressure at 53gr with Rel 17 and the 162 ELD-X. Hopefully that helps somewhat.

Like @stagstalker has stated, RL17 is a good starting point. I found a variety of 150 - 162 high bc pills work well around 53-54 gn and hit pressure signs pretty quickly at anything above 54gn. In my 7mm08 I’ve run 150 gn ELDX and 150 LRAbs with RL17 and 16 and in both cases ended around 45gn powder.

I have some RL16 loads from recent development on both a Tikka and BSA 284 on this site somewhere if you search on 284

With 140BTs I worked up to 56 from memory and up to 53.5 with 162 ELDs. Split the difference for the 150s which lines up with stagstalker above

Originally Posted by Magnus

Hi guys,

Is there anybody out there that could recommend me a starting load please. Can't find any data for this powder and cartridge including in my two reloading manuals.
I have here a bottle of the Rl16 and some 150gr nosler
BT projectiles the rifle barrel is 22 inches, will look at measuring the the COAL shortly also. Any help is much appreciated.

Regards.

RE16 should be just fine, I'd start a ladder at 52gr and ladder up .5gr at a time to a max of 54.5gr. Thats with a 150gr NBT seated at 3.080 COAL

If your COAL is shorter than that, then start a little lower, make sure that you stop shooting any further rounds, if you strike excess pressure signs, you'd likely see heavy bolt lift on a fired round, and/or ejector stamps on the case head, both of these signs are too hot and you'd need to back off about 1gr of powder charge.

Thanks for the comments guys, I'll have a play around shortly with the coal once I have a spare moment to make a modified case to get a measurement at the lands and work back from there, the rifle is a rechambered 7mm08 bergara scout which has a longish throat, just playing around the measurement at jam the coal is longer then 3.150 so should be good. I'm picking with the break action high pressure sign will relate to sticky extraction and ejector witnesses marks on the case. Again thanks for the replies guys.