Reload or sell my Grendel upper?

[muvef]

If I lived in California I would already be reloading regardless of the caliber. I do really enjoy it. Some do not.

[DeanD]

never mind, misinterpreted your post

[Cotay]

All serious shooters in California really should consider both reloading and obtaining an 03FFL/COE.

Reloading makes obvious sense due to the price of factory lead-free rounds and it gives you some headroom during ammo shortages. Plus, it's just fun to work up loads and squeeze accuracy out of your rifles.

The other option is to obtain your 03 Federal Firearms License (Curio & Relic) and a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) from the CA Department of Justice. Once you have both your 03FFL & COE in place, you can purchase ammo online from non-California sellers still willing to ship to California since 03FFL/COE holders are expressly exempt from the ammo laws prohibiting online purchases from out-of-state vendors. Purchased ammo goes straight to your home and no background check is required (the COE is essentially an annual pre-background check). Calguns.com maintains a list of vendors still willing to ship to 03FFL/COE holders...it includes the likes of Brownells and Palmetto State Armory.

I left California for good last November, but I did both while I was there.

[White Smoke]

Reload for sure. It's fun, relaxing and, over time, saves you a bunch of money...plus you get better accuracy and performance from your gear. First of all, Kalifornication has gone the non-lead route. The rest of the country is following. I would not be surprised if most of the country had a lead ban within 10 years or so. There are plenty of non-lead bullets available right now and more are coming out all the time. The one I am working up a load for right now is the Barnes 115 grain TAC-TX which was specifically designed for the 6.5 Grendel. I also have a lead load using the Speer 90 grain TNT for out-of-state work on prairie dogs. Barnes has been the leader for non-lead bullets, but there are others out there. The load for my 223 upper uses Barnes 55 grain MPG's and is DEADLY! Just as a suggestion, you might switch to CCI #41 primers for an AR platform. They were specifically designed to be used in an AR and are slightly "harder" to avoid "slam-fires".

[JASmith]

Ronincjn,

We Grendeliers are to be found in surprising places in this state. What part of California do you live in?

A quick glance at your list makes me think you are very close to having enough to start. Do you have qny once-fired brass?

Second, there might be a kindred soul near enough to you that you could participate on a reloading session and ask some questions.

Of course, you might not want to take that step because it gets that much closer to acquiring an incurable addiction to the Grendel and reloading!

[Ronincjn]

Reload for sure. It's fun, relaxing and, over time, saves you a bunch of money...plus you get better accuracy and performance from your gear. First of all, Kalifornication has gone the non-lead route. The rest of the country is following. I would not be surprised if most of the country had a lead ban within 10 years or so. There are plenty of non-lead bullets available right now and more are coming out all the time. The one I am working up a load for right now is the Barnes 115 grain TAC-TX which was specifically designed for the 6.5 Grendel. I also have a lead load using the Speer 90 grain TNT for out-of-state work on prairie dogs. Barnes has been the leader for non-lead bullets, but there are others out there. The load for my 223 upper uses Barnes 55 grain MPG's and is DEADLY! Just as a suggestion, you might switch to CCI #41 primers for an AR platform. They were specifically designed to be used in an AR and are slightly "harder" to avoid "slam-fires".

I decided to move forward and reload. I plan on working up my first load of 85gr TREX this coming week. As far as primers I have 1000 cci450 so I’m gonna work thru those for the moment and maybe pick up some more once this COVID-19 BS is over. Thanks for the input!

Ronincjn,

We Grendeliers are to be found in surprising places in this state. What part of California do you live in?

A quick glance at your list makes me think you are very close to having enough to start. Do you have qny once-fired brass?

Second, there might be a kindred soul near enough to you that you could participate on a reloading session and ask some questions.

Of course, you might not want to take that step because it gets that much closer to acquiring an incurable addiction to the Grendel and reloading!

Hi JASmith,
I live in Monterey county, and yes I do have plenty of once fired hornady brass (150+\-) and more that’s gonna be once fired by the weekend. I’m looking forward to working up my very first load over the next several days. I’m looking forward to taking a pig with my own hand-loaded rounds and hopefully my first deer come August.

[HuntTXhogs]

This was my load for the 85 grain makers
Accurate and hit hard on coyotes and hogs

I loaded these in 2x fired Federal Brass , CCI 450 primers , 2.280" COAL (base to tip) , 31.5 grains of H335 - chrono'd at 3000 FPS in my 18" barrel.

[Ronincjn]

This was my load for the 85 grain makers
Accurate and hit hard on coyotes and hogs

I loaded these in 2x fired Federal Brass , CCI 450 primers , 2.280" COAL (base to tip) , 31.5 grains of H335 - chrono'd at 3000 FPS in my 18" barrel.

Nice! Your review of these 85gr TREX along with A5blaster are the reason I decided to give these a shot. What did you use as a starting load? I was going to start around 27gr and work up by 0.3gr. At 15 rounds that gets me to 31.2gr on the high end maybe I’ll load up a couple more and see if I find a speed node on the higher end as well. Hodgdon load data shows a max of 32gr but that is with a Sierra 85gr and I’ve been told the LFP tend to build pressure faster than their lead counterparts.

This is what I have scripted out so far, any advice would be appreciated:

Powder - H335
Primer - CCI450
Brass - 1 fired Hornady
Bullet - 85gr TREX Maker’s

Brass trim length - 1.514”

Shoulder bump - 0.005” back
Start - 1.222-1.224
End - 1.217-1.219

C.O.A.L - 2.260? (waiting on comparator to measure Ogive for CBTO)

Starting Load - 27gr
Ladder - 0.3gr +

1 - 27.0
2 - 27.3
3 - 27.6
4 - 27.9
5 - 28.2
6 - 28.5
7 - 28.8
8 - 29.1
9 - 29.4
10 - 29.7
11 - 30.0
12 - 30.3
13 - 30.6
14 - 30.9
15 - 31.2

Also looking at giving the CCB 118gr a look as well but that is one long projectile.

[Javman]

As stated by grayfox, 100gr TTSX were on of the easiest to load and tune for my AR.

[HuntTXhogs]

Here is the data I went by: I did 2.260” COAL or a smidge longer

BULLET WEIGHT

85 GR. SIE HP

ManufacturerHodgdon
PowderH335

Bullet Diameter.264"
C.O.L.2.240"

Starting Load
Grains29.0
Velocity (ft/s)2,705
Pressure 37,700 PSI

Maximum Load
Grains32.0
Velocity (ft/s)2,956
Pressure 49,300 PSI

[JASmith]

Hi JASmith,
I live in Monterey county, and yes I do have plenty of once fired hornady brass (150+\-) and more that’s gonna be once fired by the weekend. I’m looking forward to working up my very first load over the next several days. I’m looking forward to taking a pig with my own hand-loaded rounds and hopefully my first deer come August.

How often do you pass by the East Bay toward Tracy?

[Ronincjn]

How often do you pass by the East Bay toward Tracy?

Unfortunately, not often at all. Most of my work travel takes me south.

[JASmith]

Got it!

Starting the reload habit solo can be scary. With luck a fellow Grendelier will be close enough to your normal haunts that you can see how they work. One or two sessions should be enough to build confidence.

...and who knows? You might find a new hunting buddy!

[White Smoke]

Here's a question for you...What length to seat? I've been trying to get a load for the Barnes 115 grain TAC-TX. The info on the Barnes site says they loaded to a COAL of 2.185". I did some preliminary testing with OAL and it indicated that longer OAL's were more accurate. I have two new loads made up for the range this week, both with a COAL of 2.23". This is the same OAL as I use with my 223 upper. It shoots at 0.37" with the 55 grain Barnes MPG and a 2.23" COAL. The 223 upper also shoots better with bullets seated long. Another reason I picked the 2.23" OAL was that it is about maximum to fit in the magazine with a little "wiggle room". Has anyone else experimented with different OAL's? I should be going to the range Wednesday or Thursday, depending on my son's work schedule and him putting a new front sight on his Henry 45-70.

[Lemonaid]

Precision rifle blog has a excellent series of articles about bullet jump (seating depth) https://precisionrifleblog.com/2020/03/2...velopment/
Some Grendel mags the max you can go is 2.260" (E-lander), with others about 2.290" is where I stop. Longer than that the tip starts to rub inside, especially in the curved part of the high capacity mags.

[White Smoke]

Thanks. I'll check that site out. My mags are E-Lander's. I just don't want to get that tight in the magazine. I know that 2.25 or 26 will work, but I like a bit more wiggle room. I don't like jammed mags.

[White Smoke]

That was an interesting, but technical read! I have never looked for a flat spot in the velocity curve before. My method is to load up ladders for the different powders starting at the suggested starting load and going to the maximum suggested load in half-grain increments. I shoot four bullets at each powder charge and shoot a separate target for each load. That way I can line up all the targets on the dining room table when I am done and see how the respective groups progress as the powder charge goes up. In a perfect world, the groups start out large and then tighten up and then widen out again. The tightest group is the one I want. Now, depending on what the groups on either side of my "best" group look like, I may adjust the powder charge up or down a 10th or two to get to the actual "best" load. It's sort of like working a bell curve. Once I have found the best charge weight, I then play with the seating depth, starting at the maximum length allowed by the magazine. For this test, I usually shoot five rounds at the maximum length allowed by the magazine and then five more at a shortened length and so on. I will then set the targets out on the dining room table again and evaluate the changes, if any, in the seating depth. I will then chronograph my "final" round and call it good. I've been having a bit of a problem with accuracy and consistency with my Grendel. I get some tight groups, like under a half-inch and then go back with a five-shot group to confirm that load only to have the group blow out to an inch and a half. WTF? It was then I started playing with the seating depth, primarily because Barnes data showed their test COAL was 2.185" and I've never shot anything that short except for the really light bullets where you can't possibly get the 2.23" length and still have the bullet gripped sufficiently in the case. I'm shooting some Speer 90 grain TNT's at 2.19", but that's a short bullet compared to a non-lead 115 grainer. Anyway, like I said above, I'm going to the range this next week with some set out to 2.23" and we'll see what happens.

[White Smoke]

Like I said above, I've been having accuracy and consistency problems BIG TIME. One day I'll shoot a group in a test ladder that measures under a half-inch and then build a 5-shot confirmation group that shoots over 2". I'm going to a buddy's house tomorrow who was a USMC armorer and we are going to tear it completely apart and rebuild it. I'm then going to the range Thursday with a different scope just in case the scope is the problem. I don't think so, but that's the last variable. If it doesn't shoot Thursday, it's getting a new barrel.

[White Smoke]

After exhaustive testing using several different loads and two different scopes, the consensus was a bad barrel. I called Ryan at Gunfighter Tactical and he told me to bring it in and they would look at it. After a consultation, I ordered a new Odin Works 18" Intermediate barrel. When it came in, I called again and they told me to bring it in. Lee changed out the barrels while I waited. OUTSTANDING service! I then went to the range on Wednesday.

The new Odin Works barrel did it! I shot four ladders with the Speer 90 grain TNT using CFE223, IMR8208, Reloder 10x and H335 and two ladders with the Hornady 95 grain V-max using CFE223 and IMR8208. There were more sub-MOA groups than there were groups over an inch and four right at or under 1/2". I wound up with two great loads for each bullet. Now to do some final testing and chronograph each load before making the final decision of what powder to shoot for each bullet. For the 90 grain TNT, 32.0 grains of H335 gave a 0.51" group and 31.5 grains of CFE223 gave a 0.61" group. For the 95 grain V-max, 31.0 grains of IMR8208 gave a 0.47" group and 30.0 grains of CFE223 gave a 0.49" group. Once I finalize these loads, I'll load up some of the Barnes 115 grain TAC-TX's. The Speer 90 TNT is on the left and the Hornady 90 V-max is on the right.

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[FRB6.5]

Nice shooting! Good to hear you were able to get everything sorted out.