6.5 Grendel Preferred Loads

[JASmith]

You might like Ammoguide.com. They have a very good handloader's forum and a huge trove of loads in a lot of different calibers.

[NugginFutz]

No thanks I will get it for free elsewhere. if people are too greedy to help others out, that's a shame. I will post my load data when I get it.

It's all free - right here. All you need to do is what some others have done, and that is to use search and find it all over the site. Asking for everyone to repost their information in a common data format seems like a good idea on the surface, but it's not like that hasn't been suggested before. Not everyone has time, and not everyone is still active.

JASmith made a clearly genuine suggestion. Those guys went through a lot of trouble assembling that database, as well as adding significant value to it by pressure testing the loads. Pressure testing rigs are generally not cheap. Time, materials and other expenses needed to test various loads is not trivial, either.

If you do not wish to sign up for their service, that is fine. Free country, and all that. No need to call people greedy for offering a pretty unique service at a fee, though.

[bwaites]

I really like the idea of this but have a request either for a new sticky load development post or to ease the use of this one. Can a format be done so one does not have to read through a lot of talk were we can just compare loads with each other? Some thing similar to this:

Barrel:
Chamber:
Brass:
Primer:
Powder:
Bullet:
OAL:

People are perfectly willing to share, start a thread posting the format you want, and request that ONLY posts adhering to the format be posted. However, most of what you ask is available for the searching, you just have to dig. People here love to help, but they are busy and if the information is here, they expect that you will do your part.

The reloading manuals and data site are worth the money because they have the accumulated knowledge all in one spot in easily searchable formats. But free is fine, too!

[Confederate]

Even free has a price. And in this case it is to dig and research. It all there!!!!!

[Drift]

No it's not "all there" any longer. This forum has crashed at least twice, taking huge amounts of Grendels devlopment history and reloading data with it. Even Alaxander Arms has changed/cut/simplified its online Grendel reloading data. I'm down to like 10k rounds of loaded ammo so when that runs out I guess I'll have to spend the $20 and get a subscrition. I do hope that when that comes to pass there will be a there will still be an online reloading manual available.

[LR1955]

Guys:

I don't get it. There are only so many ways to load for a Grendel without blowing the rifle to pieces. All are clearly stated on the Hodgdon, Alexander Arms, AA Powder and othe web sites I can't recall right now. Not to mention right here via the stickies.

I recall very clearly twenty and more years ago that for a person to find load data, they had to buy a manual for a lot more than $20.00. I recall calling Sierra just after I spent some serious money on one of their load manuals to ask about some data for a cartridge they didn't include in the manual but did have in their latest manual. They told me to buy the newer manual.

We are pretty lucky today that we can get pretty extensive data for free from Hodgdon, AA, Winchester, and VV. Or a guy can search here on the Grendel forum.

Twenty dollars is not much at all to get an extensive amount of Grendel data and I am sure the guys who spent their time, money, and effort on this data base will keep it updated. Something that didn't happen when our only alternative was to buy a hard copy from one of the bullet or powder companies.

LR55

[mnhntr]

I would like to apologize for the greedy comment. After reflecting on it I am sorry if I offended anyone. I will share my data as I get it and if others wish to sell theirs well that's on them and no one should criticize for it.

[Bwild97]

The load data within the database is not “being sold”, all the data in the Grendel database is publicly available. You just have to search over pages and pages to get the data your looking for. The sub. fee keeps the site up and running and provides a convenience. A quick way to find what you are looking for. You also get some very specific info about the projectile you select. Over all it is a value, quality service.

[Ultramag Brion]

Well , I guess I'll toss in my .02 worth . . . .

Today was the first decent day we've had here in some time . It was about 60 , and bright and clear , with about 5-8 mph winds and low humidity. We're about 500ft above sea level here at Kamp Krusty.

I'd finally found some 123 SST's and A-Max's , so I thought I'd try some IMR 4198 loads out.

The rifle is a Franken-AR , LaRue trigger , RRA lower , with a Grizzly side charger upper with a Leupold 6-20 x 50 LR/AO. She has a 264LBC chamber in a 20" Lilja 1-9 that my buddy chambered and machined for me some time ago .

Hornady virgin brass
123 gr A-Max
CCI 400 primers
2.250-.255 OAL.

I made three different loads , 23.5 , 23.8 , and the winner at 24.1 grains .

The two lighter loads were both 'meh' , at about an inch . . . . but the 24.1gr load was decent , with five shots into two ragged holes about a half inch apart .





I adjusted the scope , four clicks right and two up , and shot another 5 shot group at the 1-inch circle . . .



Not as neat as the first , but I wont complain.




There's no signs of cratering or anything else , so I'll try a couple steps hotter and then fine tune what I come up with .

I love this rifle in this cartridge , I should be able to shrink her down to a single ragged bug-hole , now that I'm in the ballpark , with some experimenting with 8208XBR and CFE223 . . . . once I can find some locally .

[Ultramag Brion]

The rifle , looking down my 100yd range
(can only enclose 5 pics in a post)

[AZ. Old Guy]

Just wondering, who's ammunition box is that and what size? Thanks

[Ultramag Brion]

Just wondering, who's ammunition box is that and what size? Thanks

It's an MTM , made for short , and super-short mags . . . . it's too big , really , but does the job for now.

Somewhere in this Kamp are a couple PPC boxes....but I cant seem to find them.

[NugginFutz]

Here my preferred MTM cases for my Grendel reloads. They fit the Grendel round ideally, along with 22PPC, 7.62x39, 22-250 and several others. Max OAL for this case is listed at 2.50".

[AZ. Old Guy]

That looks like it works fine with the foam insert.

[Ultramag Brion]

That looks like it works fine with the foam insert.

Yeah , good idea.



ETA: - - - My mistake in the first post I made , they were regular CCI # 400 primers . . . . not BR/Match , sorry bout that.

[Ultramag Brion]

I managed to go throw two more groups down range just now .

One with 24.4g , and another at 24.6g . They opened back up to an inch plus and started showing pressure signs...faint ejector mark and slight cratering .

It's a bit more windy today , and a front rolled through last night with a bit of rain.

The keyhole is from my 300RUM ,yesterday , testing with 230 Berger Hybrids (Much fail)

[Blacklab]

I like your signature ultra mag

[Ultramag Brion]

[lamrith]

Thanks for the Info Ultra!! I just picked up 4# of H4198 and 1# of 8208 this morning, plus my H335 I have for 223..

I will back off a bit and work up toward your 24.1grn with my amax 123's

[NugginFutz]

The setup is 20" w/ rifle length gas and a JP silent capture buffer (rifle buffer on a PRS stock) I have dialed down the gas block to the min setting for functioning but I have been looking at changing out the spring to a heavier option and see what that does to slow things down. I do understand 28.5gr is on the limit and I did work up to it, I did loads from 28.5 down to 27.7 and like mentioned in this thread the 28.5 was the most accurate. Other than the belting and a handful splitting there were no pressure signatures on the primers at all which is why I found the case issues odd, I haven't seen that happen to brass without issues on the primers too.

Did you ever find a root cause for your belting cases? I seem to recall others mention unlocking as their issue. Also wondering if you've got the correct bolt for your chamber - .124" vs. .135" bolt face depths...