Powder for 5.56 and 6.5G-There can be only one!

[Grendelshooter]

You load 123gr 6.5 Grendel and 77gr 5.56.
You live in an area where ambient temps range from highs of 114 in the summer to lows in the 20's in winter, so temperature stability is very important!
You can only have ONE powder for both rounds to buy in excessive bulk.
What powder do you choose?

From reading around, 8208 would seem to be ideal. Performs well in both calibers and is very stable. Just seems to be an overall great powder, but that said I have no experience with it yet.

I'll be testing some of that tomorrow, and I have a can of cfe 223 to test next week.
I want to find one that works and buy a metric butt-load of it.

Your suggestions and experiences would be greatly valued!

[Kilco]

8208 or ARCOMP.

I prefer 8208 because for me I like the case fill in both Grendel and 5.56. ARCOMP you usually need to compress a bit, especially in 5.56 with the 69-77gr pills. Both are great powders.

For that kind of temp range, I would stick with extruded (stick) powders.

[kmon]

ARCOMP and 8208 are good ones to look at.

Wish IMR would give us Data for the 4166 powder, it is very temp stable and a little slower than 8208. Load workup I have done with it shows good promise, but not ready to publish those yet.

[LRRPF52]

8208 XBR or AR Comp

[1911man]

8208 or ARCOMP.

I prefer 8208 because for me I like the case fill in both Grendel and 5.56. ARCOMP you usually need to compress a bit, especially in 5.56 with the 69-77gr pills. Both are great powders.

For that kind of temp range, I would stick with extruded (stick) powders.

What he said

[LRRPF52]

I'll also say that every time I even think about loading for 5.56 anymore, I look at all my 6.5mm projectiles and brass, see the wind drift in my head for both, and don't bother loading the 5.56/.223 anymore. Feels like I'm wasting powder for what I'm trying to do. I have a bunch of high-end .224" match projectiles too, including Scenar-L, TMKs, SMKs, but just have lost interest when I know what a 123gr smacking the steel loads and sounds like.

[Brett]

I'll also say that every time I even think about loading for 5.56 anymore, I look at all my 6.5mm projectiles and brass, see the wind drift in my head for both, and don't bother loading the 5.56/.223 anymore. Feels like I'm wasting powder for what I'm trying to do. I have a bunch of high-end .224" match projectiles too, including Scenar-L, TMKs, SMKs, but just have lost interest when I know what a 123gr smacking the steel loads and sounds like.

I agree, Grendel has taken my interest from .223 for anything beyond 100yds.

[GarandThumb]

Ditto on AR Comp and 8208 XBR.


I still load for my 556 AR. I can pick up bags of factory seconds 55gr or 60gr nosler ballistic tips for ~$14 a bag when they are on sale at shootersproshop. I have a load with Varget and AR Comp that will pretty much give you a 10 shot one ragged hole at 100 yards. It's a large ragged hole, about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch, but one hole non the less I usually take 3 rifles to the range each time I go out, so the 556 is good when I'm letting the other barrels cool, and it's not as distance challenged as 22lr. I will also bring it along for friends and family to shoot.

[Kswhitetails]

I guess it's time for a 45 min road trip to Powder Valley for some 8208. The LGS wants 27/lb for it and he's giving me a discount because I offered to buy all 8 pounds. 45 minutes to save $40 and I'm still supporting a local family owned business. Where are my keys...

[shooter545]

I am in for AR Comp and 8208.

I have gotten rid of almost all of my "precision" .223 stuff and just use it for either SBR or carbine type stuff. I have a rather large amount of factory match that I use for demos because it is a current military caliber.