If You Could Only Have Two Grendel Powders

[BluntForceTrauma]

I am always on a quest to find the fewest powders that give the best velocities for the most bullets.

After I burn through all my current powders, I'm thinking of trying this experiment — based on studying Sierra, Hornady, and Alliant data for the .224 Valkyrie since there's not much relevant data regarding 6.5 Grendel:

Starting with the lighter weight bullets and going heavier, I'm thinking Alliant Power Pro Varmint (PPV).

Starting with the heavier weight bullet weights and going lighter, I'm thinking Alliant Power Pro 2000-MR (PP2K).

As I meet in the middle, maybe there's some overlap, but that's OK.

Wouldn't it be cool to have two powders that give the fastest velocities for all Grendel loads?

What you guys think?

[grayfox]

Some of the choice depends on which bullets one shoots a lot.
For me the 120 class uses AR Comp the most, although I do play with some CFE in the 129-130s.
My 100's use 8208Xbr.
The 90 TNT - H335.

ARC and Xbr would be closest to my favorites because of really good speed but also some temp stability.

[Rosecrans1]

I like temp stability so I go with 8208xbr and H4895.
If I didn't go all temp stability and to open up a larger range of grain bullets, I would go cfe223 and 8208xbr.

[doktarZues]

I reload 223 and 6.5 grendel. Have had outstanding results with IMR 8208 XBR from 55-77gr on 223 and 90-120 on the grendel. I'm not trying to hot rod or wring every fps out, though. I just want temp stable, consistently moa or better loads and 8208 does that for me on demand. So that's all I really need.

[A5BLASTER]

From what I'm seeing with my handloads I have zero need for any temp unstable powder.

Ar-comp and h4895 are giving me same or better speeds/sd/es then any other.

So my vote for only 2 powders is ar-comp and h4895. In fact it's bout all I use now. I have a ton of other powders I need to get rid of.

[Grendelshooter]

Reloading heavy 223 (75/77) and Grendel all I need is AR Comp.
I need no other powders. It’s literally all I buy.

[1Shot]

For sure IMR 8208 which is about all I have worked with successfully so far with 120 gr bullets. I am going to give Speer 90 gr TNTs a try and will try H355 and IMR 4895 of which I have a BUNCH of some time when things straighten up.

[Mitdr774]

So far my two most consistent loads are 123 sst with Benchmark at about 2475 fps and 120 pro-hunter with IMR 3031 at 2500 fps. I have debated switching the 3031 for something else though.

[BluntForceTrauma]

What do you guys like for the lighter class: 85–120?

For the heavier class: 107–130?

Granted, there's some overlap.

[lazyengineer]

For me, 8208 and TAC.

I like 8208, but as others say, pressure can be spikey. In my opinion, Grendel is a round that you want to push near safe-max as much as you can, to make it shine; moreso with Grendel more than many other rounds. And there's nothing wrong with that, but it just means the window of goodness is a tighter than a lot of other rounds.

With 8208, doing that you can end up going high pressure faster than some other powders in Grendel. At least, that's what people say, and I think I'm seeing it too. That said, my best performance so far comes with 8208. A lot of people like CFE223; but I'm not one of them. I can't get it to group well in my kit at least. In my experience it has really high SD until you run the pressures up, which isn't a great thing to do in Grendel. That said, a lot of people really think it's the best powder for Grendel, so not sure what to say.

RamShot TAC has treated me pretty well - gets some of the higher velocities you can hit with Grendel, yet gets little press. I think you can safely push it up to better speeds at better pressures than 8208 (i.e. it's not as spikey as 8208). It groups good, but lacks the T-stability quite as good as 8208, and maybe doesn't always group as good as 8208.

I've tried ARComp and like it, but that's just an odd powder. I run a progressive for a lot of stuff, and it's a large grain powder that doesn't really meter that great. Odd choice design criteria (going large grain), for a powder that is intended for small capacity tactical rounds like .223; much of which tends to be run on progressives.

As a wild card, if going light, or willing to sacrifice velocity, Accurate LT-32 is a remarkably good powder that gets very little press. It's what I use with my 95 V-Max loads. But it's fast, so even with the lights you sacrifice a little velocity, and when going heavier, you start sacrificing a lot.

Just my 2 cents!

[A5BLASTER]

What do you guys like for the lighter class: 85–120?

For the heavier class: 107–130?

Granted, there's some overlap.

I like h322 for the light weight pills but ar-comp seems to be right there with it.

120 and 123's ar-comp all the way.

129 are heavier it's h4895.

I could live just fine with ar-comp and h4895 as my only powders.

[ported45]

8208 and XBR

[mel]

I've only tried 2 powders so far ppv and h4895

4895 was horrible in my gun
Ppv well we all know how that's been working for me

Am interested in trying out tac

[FLshooter]

I’ve already got the two only powders that I want.H335 and 8208XBR. I mostly shoot only 123 grain ELDM or SMK.Both work great for those bullets in my rifles.

[CJW]

8208 and AR Comp

[biodsl]

Everyone can send me all your CFE223 since you won't be needing it any longer.

[Grendelshooter]

For me, 8208 and TAC.

I like 8208, but as others say, pressure can be spikey. In my opinion, Grendel is a round that you want to push near safe-max as much as you can, to make it shine; moreso with Grendel more than many other rounds. And there's nothing wrong with that, but it just means the window of goodness is a tighter than a lot of other rounds.

With 8208, doing that you can end up going high pressure faster than some other powders in Grendel. At least, that's what people say, and I think I'm seeing it too. That said, my best performance so far comes with 8208. A lot of people like CFE223; but I'm not one of them. I can't get it to group well in my kit at least. In my experience it has really high SD until you run the pressures up, which isn't a great thing to do in Grendel. That said, a lot of people really think it's the best powder for Grendel, so not sure what to say.

RamShot TAC has treated me pretty well - gets some of the higher velocities you can hit with Grendel, yet gets little press. I think you can safely push it up to better speeds at better pressures than 8208 (i.e. it's not as spikey as 8208). It groups good, but lacks the T-stability quite as good as 8208, and maybe doesn't always group as good as 8208.

I've tried ARComp and like it, but that's just an odd powder. I run a progressive for a lot of stuff, and it's a large grain powder that doesn't really meter that great. Odd choice design criteria (going large grain), for a powder that is intended for small capacity tactical rounds like .223; much of which tends to be run on progressives.

As a wild card, if going light, or willing to sacrifice velocity, Accurate LT-32 is a remarkably good powder that gets very little press. It's what I use with my 95 V-Max loads. But it's fast, so even with the lights you sacrifice a little velocity, and when going heavier, you start sacrificing a lot.

Just my 2 cents!

Funny you mention TAC.
I’ve still got about 20 pounds of it from when I started I to 5.56 reloading. 24.3-24.7 grains of TAC was a clone load of MK 262 for me in a Douglass barrel with the CLE march 5.56 chamber.

I could never get consistent performance with it though. I tried really hard to like it, and I do like it more than 2520, but I never got solid precision from it. That was a long time ago though, maybe I should give it another try.

Just goes to show how individualistic the results can be with reloading. I hated 8208 and working with it, but AR Comp is the best powder I've ever worked with.

[tdbru]

i've found 3 that i like. H4895, Benchmark, and Pro Power Varmint. mostly because that's what i have on hand. H4895 is very temp stable. Benchmark is not too far behind and works well with the light bullets. PPV does give the velocity it promises. still need to play with more loads and bullets and see what turns out best. the Sierra manual seems to be the only bullet maker manual mentioning PPV much, and for some of the calibers i run, it really performs. it's not as temp stable, though, as the other two. if forced to pick just two...hmmm... that difficult. since i don't do a lot of very long range shooting, yet, with my Grendel, i'm leaning towards PPV for the speed.
-tdbru

[Jimla]

CFE223 and IMR 8208 XBR

[Mitdr774]

i've found 3 that i like. H4895, Benchmark, and Pro Power Varmint. mostly because that's what i have on hand. H4895 is very temp stable. Benchmark is not too far behind and works well with the light bullets. PPV does give the velocity it promises. still need to play with more loads and bullets and see what turns out best. the Sierra manual seems to be the only bullet maker manual mentioning PPV much, and for some of the calibers i run, it really performs. it's not as temp stable, though, as the other two. if forced to pick just two...hmmm... that difficult. since i don't do a lot of very long range shooting, yet, with my Grendel, i'm leaning towards PPV for the speed.
-tdbru

Benchmark and 123 SST is around 2475 FPS from my Howa if my memory is correct. That was using just a hair over a book max load from Hornady, but below max from another source for the same bullet. I do plan on trying it with some 100gr Hornady bullets as well though. To me that seems to be close to the kind of velocity I should expect with that weight bullet in this cartridge. When things start to become normalish again I plan on buying an 8lb jug of Benchmark. I do want to try H4895 in the Grendel, but it is one of the powders I am playing with in my .243 right now. If it looks like a winner there, I may also look for an 8lb jug of that as well.