Anyone using high BC 142-143gr bullets?

[desentis]

Hornady has the new ELD-X in 143gr with a G1 BC of 0.625

And
Nosler has a new accubond 142gr with a G1 BC of 0.719

I'd like to give these a try in my odin work 20" upper, but I'm just starting to learn about reloading the Grendel.

Are these not appropriate bullets for 6.5 Grendel?

I did search and it seems like loads top out around 129gr.

[BluntForceTrauma]

In general, the 140-class are too heavy and too long for the 6.5 Grendel case. Even the 130-class are pushing it, but there are so many beautiful BCs out there that it's tempting!

[cory]

Actually I'm getting promising results with the Hornady 140gr HPBT. However, I suspect that these newer offerings will be to long by a large margin.

[desentis]

The Nosler is 1.450",

IDK about the ELD-X

There is also a nosler accubond 129 with G1 0.561 that is 1.350"

What is (about) the max length I should be considering?

[bwaites]

The Nosler is 1.450",

IDK about the ELD-X

There is also a nosler accubond 129 with G1 0.561 that is 1.350"

What is (about) the max length I should be considering?

If you seat them short enough to fit in the mag, you take up lots of powder room in the case. If you could seat them long, you still only can get 30-32 grains of powder in the case, so it's a bit underpowered with slow velocities.

[cory]

The Nosler is 1.450",

IDK about the ELD-X

There is also a nosler accubond 129 with G1 0.561 that is 1.350"

What is (about) the max length I should be considering?

1.350" is really about it.

[desentis]

thanks that's excellent information.

The swift sirocco in 130gr looks pretty good.

[Rainman]

Not quite what you are looking for but tomorrow I will be testing some handloads with the 143 grain ELD-X in 6.5 Creedmoor. Control loads will be Hornady and Winchester factory 140 grain ammo. Anticipating decent results if all the hype about the ELD bullets is true. Hopefully Hornady will soon release a 6.5 ELD with appropriate weight for the Grendel.

[LRRPF52]

I would have agreed with some of the bullet length limitations listed here, but I no longer do. Here are the reasons why I'm at where I'm at now:

1. I have gotten great results with the 129gr Nosler ABLR. It has a length of 1.365". I like loading CFE under it, which produces substantial velocity to handle any of your game needs that I can imagine, even from a 10.5" SBR Grendel.

2. The 127gr Barnes LRX solid with lower expansion threshold is 1.392". We thought for many years that it was too long for the 6.5 Grendel. A guy down in Texas who never got the memo, loaded it for his exotic game hunt down there, and harvested an Oryx with it successfully using his 18" JP 6.5 Grendel.

Many of the 140gr bullets are not even as long as these, so I would look at the individual performance constraints and capabilities of the bullets you are considering, find an optimum powder for them that doesn't have much room to spike pressure on you, and reference available reloading resources.

The 6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbooks will have more loads than you know what to do with, and are a fairly comprehensive set of guides to assist you in this.

[Cornbread]

Has anyone tried cutting a slot in the mag so you can load 3-5 rds longer than mag length?

[schrödinger's cat]

I would have agreed with some of the bullet length limitations listed here, but I no longer do. Here are the reasons why I'm at where I'm at now:

1. I have gotten great results with the 129gr Nosler ABLR. It has a length of 1.365". I like loading CFE under it, which produces substantial velocity to handle any of your game needs that I can imagine, even from a 10.5" SBR Grendel.

2. The 127gr Barnes LRX solid with lower expansion threshold is 1.392". We thought for many years that it was too long for the 6.5 Grendel. A guy down in Texas who never got the memo, loaded it for his exotic game hunt down there, and harvested an Oryx with it successfully using his 18" JP 6.5 Grendel.

Many of the 140gr bullets are not even as long as these, so I would look at the individual performance constraints and capabilities of the bullets you are considering, find an optimum powder for them that doesn't have much room to spike pressure on you, and reference available reloading resources.

The 6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbooks will have more loads than you know what to do with, and are a fairly comprehensive set of guides to assist you in this.

Great info ! What would be the first three or four bullets you'd recommend I try for the best accuracy at 1000 yards ? I'm waiting for my 24" bull barrel. And I'm also curious about cutting a notch in the magazine.

[LRRPF52]

Top 3 bullets I would look at for 1000yds are:

123gr Scenar
123gr SMK
130gr Berger Hybrid

[pdq5oh]

My rifle likes the Berger Hybrids at long range. I've had good luck with them at 1000 yd steel.

[schrödinger's cat]

Top 3 bullets I would look at for 1000yds are:

123gr Scenar
123gr SMK
130gr Berger Hybrid

Thank you. Do you suggest I start with CCI 450 ?

[desentis]

Okay, so I'm ordering the reloading guide. Do I need both books? Or will #1 be good enough.

I've also got some of the Swift Scirocco IIs in 130gr. And some Hodgdon IMR 8208 XBR ready to go.

Can anyone give me an idea of load range for this combo? Or any loads that have worked well?

According to Hornady (at least for the 129 Amax) it's 22.4 - 26.2gr

I'm also seeing 129 gr SSts loaded around 26.3gr.

I'm thinking of 23.0 - 26.0 (I usually check every spent case for overpressure signs). I don't need to wring every fps out of my gun. But I have seen loads reported up to 27 and 28gr!

Thanks

[LRRPF52]

Okay, so I'm ordering the reloading guide. Do I need both books? Or will #1 be good enough.

I've also got some of the Swift Scirocco IIs in 130gr. And some Hodgdon IMR 8208 XBR ready to go.

Can anyone give me an idea of load range for this combo? Or any loads that have worked well?

According to Hornady (at least for the 129 Amax) it's 22.4 - 26.2gr

I'm also seeing 129 gr SSts loaded around 26.3gr.

I'm thinking of 23.0 - 26.0 (I usually check every spent case for overpressure signs)

Thanks

Both Volume I and II have data for the 130gr Swift Scirocco, and Volume II includes the data for it from Volume I, but with additional loads.

I think you meant 129gr SST, as there is no 129gr AMAX.

A start load of 23.0gr of 8208XBR will be fine under the 130gr Scirocco, but work up in .3gr increments if you're going to use that powder. I personally would look at other powders for that bullet, because 8208 can spike on you with 123gr even.

LVR and CFE are good powders under the 130 Swift. AA has data for Varget, N540, BL-C(2), N140, Big Game, and W748. Running a pressure ladder with a chronograph and staying within published loads will set you up for success. If it were me, I would load CFE223 under it and work up.

[desentis]

Thanks.

I was planning on 0.3gr increments and using my chronograph. I don't have any factory ammo in 130gr, but I will be very cautious when I get anywhere close to 123gr factory velocities.

I have been thinking about trying CFE, but I have a supply of 8208XBR right now. It was one of the few powders that I could find and it appears to be good for .223, .308 and 6.5G, with low temp sensitivity (my local temps range from Zero to about 80).

Could you share the upper range you might go to?

[BluntForceTrauma]

Hodgdon's reloading data shows, for example, the 123 SMK at 2.250 under 28.5C XBR going 2,497 fps from a 24bbl at 50,000 psi.

[desentis]

Unfortunately, Hodgdon doesn't go up to 130gr bullets.

Do you think 26.0 is topping out for 130grainers?

[LRRPF52]

Hornady's data is a good starting point, but keep in mind that the 130gr Swift might slug up into the rifling faster than the Hornady pills, creating more start pressure, so just work up carefully with a starting load and pressure ladder. Hornady found that 26.6gr was max for them with 129gr cup and core pills, but the jackets might be harder on the Hornady's than what you find on the Swift.

Just know that as you get up towards 26.0gr, things might depart from the trend on you.