My results from testing RL 26 in the 280 Rem.

I wanted to get an idea of each bullet weight for RL 26

Ruger No 1-A 22" barrel
Norma brass
Rem primer
Temp 60 degrees
Pro Chrono set up at 10' from muzzle

All bullets were .005 off the lands

I fired two shots for each bullet weight.
Two minutes between shots and 5 minutes between each string.

I worked up to these loads, and I consider them a max hunting load for my rifle.
Absolutely no classic pressure signs for any load listed here.


Nosler 120 BT
RL 26 -- 65.0 grains
3,252
3,236

Nosler 140 BT
RL 26 -- 63.0 grains
3,122
3,144

Nosler 150 CT/BT
RL 26 -- 62.0 grains
3,051
3,072

Nosler 160 AB
RL 26 -- 61.0 grains
2,996
2,959

Nosler 175 Partiton
RL 26 -- 59.5 grains
2,873
duplicate

The 175 load/speed is steep and I will reduce it by 0.5 to 1.0 grain.

Everything but the 120's made a nice little same poi cluster.

Tried RL 26 in my 24 " 280 Rem it does not like the 150 gr Nosler Ballistic tip but I have lots.

RP case , Rem 9 1/2 primer, 150 N BT, 59 gr 3015 FPS 3" group, 59.5 Gr 3.3 " group 3003 FPS, 60 Gr 3035 FPS 4.6" group, 60.5gr 1.6" no excess pressure signs.

Tried 62.0 grains in my 280AI with a 150 gr LRAB this week with very promising results. No traditional pressure signs at all, great groups. I'm encouraged at this point...more testing to follow.

That looks to be a very good powder for the .280....

Looking at your findings makes me want to find a can of RL 26 and give it a go....

I am on the 150 Btip 58.5 h4831 fed 210 load for my .280 right now... small groups and dead game is its strong suit

That has got me excited now.

The 160g results look like a compelling elk choice, particularly if one owns a svelte rifle...

That's my thinking as well.

I also think that RL 26 would be the ideal powder for the 280 Ackley.

This will be the rifle for my mule deer hunt in November, loaded with Nosler 140 BT's.

I'm not scoping the rifle for this hunt.

Do agree, though have not sprung for any as yet. Both rifles share similar powder tastes.

For that late season deer, mine wore a scope...took a long time for that tag...:)

The AI goes a full pound under the mauser 280 and also use the same 140NBT for mule deer @3200. Sheep too, once... Good luck this November--migration hunt?

Not really, I wish!

A hunt I put in for with no bonus points and wanted a good chance to go. I like the challenge though to pull a nice md buck out of a so-so unit.

Grinning--you never know what will step out...good luck SU, and thanks for the 26 gack.

i am very interested in your loads SU35

the velocities you show are very fast, considerably more than published data that i have from a number of sources

most loads i work with top out around 48,000-50,000 CUP do you think your loads are exceeding this pressure, and if so are you feeling safe cause your using a Ruger No1, would you use these loads in a bolt action ???

I had a pal run QL for these loads and none of them exceeded 63,000 psi from what I could see. I guess that's OK for a 280 Remington.

I know QL is just a model and might (or might not) correspond to our rifles but they seem OK near as I can tell.

Actually they aren't any more than I have seen myself in the 280 with RL22 and MRP years past,even if I did throttle back those loads a bit. I worked mostly with 140's.

You bet I do, and yes I would use them in a bolt action.

If the 270 Win or the 280 Ackley can push 65k, I don't know why a 280 Rem can not.
How much more does the Ackley capacity have over the standard case? Not that much I think.

Also,
because I had to know...I pushed the 160 load to 61.3 grains and hit 3,000 mv on the nose.

That's a nice elk load if in fact it really make a difference in the field.

There's just something magic to me anyways about the 3k number.

Interesting Bob, and fwiw, The loads I shot "sounded" boom and not crack.

That's one way how I tell if I've gone over the line of sane pressures.

Bob I should correct myself and say I was looking at velocity levels on QL and not precise charge weights. But this no big deal because it isn't unusual for charge weights to vary a bit for the same velocities.

I had set it up for a 22" barrel though.

QL seemed to "blink" at any loads creating more than 63,000 psi, but the velocities you see are within that limit according to them.

Where does RL 26's burn rate fall or compare to some of the other slower poweders?

I have started a limited amount of testing but so far it appears to be right between R22 or MRP and R25. In 08 sized cases it seems closer to R22 and in WSM cases it is closer to R25. I haven't tried it in anything larger than the WSM yet to see if the bigger the case the slower it burns trend continues or not.

I will be curious to see what other peoples experience is.

It is a progressive burn type powder so it is different than say 7828 and H1000 in it's pressure curve.

Last year I ask Alliant this question and could not get an answer as the answer changed a couple of times.




I shot 63.0 grains of MRP to compare with 63.0 of RL 26 and came up with these speeds.

Nosler 140 BT
MRP -- 63.0 grains
3,169
3,144




I also shot 63.0 grains of N560

140 BT
N560 -- 63.0
3,197
3,189
This had sharp loud cracks and slight pressure signs.



Edited to give correct MRP speeds.................

All this sounds eerily familiar.........

Rummaging around desk drawers today I found an old copy of Rifle 69 with an article on the 280 Remington by Layne Simpson. This was back around 1980.

He was using a few different rifles with different barrels and throat lengths. But his velocities and charge weights with MRP are so similar to what we are seeing here that I can't help but note the similarities.

I do recall that article was what pushed me to RL22 in the first 280 I owned. R22 was new, and MRP was hard to find at the time. I ended up using 61 R22 with 140 BBC and Partition for right around 3100 fps+-.

Later, I had a NH Classic FW in 280 that gave about 3130-3140 with both RL22 and MRP. That rifle was my last fling with the 280.

Is it possible the burn rate is very much like MRP? At any rate they all seem very similar.

That is very interesting Bob!
I picked up 8 lbs of MRP on the cheap last year and am trying it out in the 280 and 270. Looks close to 26 to me.

Bob I reflect sometimes....How far have we come?

A lot seems like refinements rather than quantum leaps forward.

Yeah, and I'm making the full circle and coming back. LOL....

SU:

63g MRP runs 140s at 3160 in my AI and 64 nets me 3200fps (24"). This particular rifle efficiently matches Nosler book speeds.

fwiw, the difference betwixt MRP & RL 22 has been, for me, as much the batch as fps in the 280 & 280AI over time. A 3.5-4g case capacity difference betwixt two current samples--50fps seems about right.

Interesting powder info below. Hoping to run some 26 under 160's loaded out a bit in the 280 (which dang near translates into an AI at the doctrinal OAL).

Alliant 23,26

Maybe RL 26 gives the same speeds but at a lesser pressure.

They sound wonderful but so far getting them locally has not been possible. That's what we had as a problem with MRP years ago,so eventually I gave up on MRP. Inconsistent availability..

I hope these two powders don't suffer the same fate. No matter how great they are, they aren't worth much if you can't get them.

Yeah, it does. Some lab results would be nice prior to buying a can, but hey. Thinking maybe, it could replace RL25's slot nicely, here anyway.

Question, please:

With that 140g load, was the case full? How much more room w/o compressing?

Fired cases, in a Norma case the powder comes up just before the neck, at the top of the shoulder.

In a Winchester case there is just a bit more room.

I would consider them a full case without compressing.


Both powders, MRP and 26 look very similar.


RL 26 is impossible to find now. It was abundant around here a few months ago.

Interesting thread, Bob, & nice to see info from people that I think are reliable.

I've used RL-22 & MRP interchangeably for years in both the 280 & 270, both in multiple guns.

In the 280, with 140 Partitions or BT's I've never been able to make myself go over 61 gr. for around 3050 FPS.

With 150's, I've stopped at 59.5 gr for around 2950'ish.

Your velocities with the 160 gr. bullets & RL-26 makes about everything else a moot point.

I've not tried any '26 yet but guess I'll have to give in but I've got a fair amount of MRP & '22 on hand...........both work too well to just dump them.

MM

MM,

Thanks for your input,

The 160's are really showing some promise.


Here is a load I shot this evening shooting the Berger 168 Classic Hunter.

Berger 168 Classic Hunter
RL 26 -- 58.5 grains
2,917
2,909

in my 7x64 i am loading 140BT's @ 59gr of RL22 for the same sort of speeds Montana Man is getting with his 150's, i have gone to 60gr but my bolt was a little stiff so i went back to 59gr, the 7x64 and .280 are meant to be interchangeable with load data so i will be watching this thread closely

i can only load to max COAL of 84.5mm due to magazine limitations so heavier than 150's don't interest me, the RL26 loads posted on here are quite exciting if i can get it in Aus, will have to wait till i get to the city again to chase some up

O_R Good luck on finding 26 powder. I'm down to just a few more loads and I'm out.

Thanks for the 140g info SU

160s are looking like a good match.

Barns 145 LRX
RL 26 -- 61.5
3,031
3,003

Asked them about the AI - no data. Curious about the 145lrx for it. How much over the standard 280 can you safely load the AI?

Checked the only reliable store to have Alliant powder and all they have is RL 10, 15 and 22

if i order it will be 9 months waiting

bugger

Just got two 1 pounders at my local Sportsmans Warehouse. Don't know where to start though...

fwiw...

Grab the Nosler #7 manual. Try a few loads and check your rifle's behavior (and your handloading skills) against the book's results,
then let your comparative velocity be your guide to RL26.

IMHO, you cannot rely on anecdotal velocity results from other handloaders or someones else's rifle's pressure signs. Forget that, rifles vary too much.

Trust me, an AI not showing pressure signs does not mean you running safely. While the 280 AI has the potential for getting the most out of a factory produced "standard" case--if you are running past the book you are on your own...

The 280, OTOH, has always been loaded to lower pressures and book loads leave money on the table, giving guys a lot to argue over...:)

Interesting. I have RE26 on hand and am looking for a powder to use with high BC bullets (in particular 175 grain Accubond Long Range) in my custom 26" barreled Remington 700. I don't think Nosler has RE 26 listed. Other powders I'm looking at are: H4831sc, H1000, Re22, and finally H4350 - which are the appropriate powders that I have on hand. It's too cold for testing right now though and I don't have the stamina/drive that MD has for cold weather testing (It's f---ing cold out right now). I plan on using the selected load in various temperatures and desire a low fowling load with high accuracy.

With 26 a good chrono is a must does not show traditional pressure signs. My 280 shoots great with RL 26 and 162 GR Horn A Max so so with 150 gr. I have a lot of RL 26 when it works it is exceptional in certain cartridges not all. Berger has a little data with RL 26.

Trying to get the Nosler LR AB to shoot has been frustrating I gave up! Easier to get a standard bullet to shoot then try it. Especially when trying a new powder to the rifle to many variables. If you get the N LRAB to shoot let us know please.

It's too cold for an old man (And I'm not a writer) to sit at a shooting bench and test -- Below zero - wind chill -40F and lower. Supposed to warm up and each day is closer to Spring.

I'm looking for an accurate high BC load/bullet combination and temp change resistant is a must. I'll have the chrono out there. High velocity would be nice, but within 150 fps of tops is fine.

My shooting bench is right where wind can be nasty. Maybe I can do something about that this summer.

well i just got hold of a supply of RE26, did some testing with 162gr SST's out of my 7x64 (euro 280) i started at 55gr and increased in 0.5gr increments and got to 58gr and had reasonable success at that load was shooting aprox 0.4moa, 56gr was also showing promise
i am waiting on some 165gr Sierra game changer bullets to also test with this powder. was with a 84.5mm OAL Norma brass and CCI BR-2 primer

when i test the SGC bullets i will have a chrony to see what sort of velocity i am achieving, but so far its not really dazzeling me i dont think its going to be much faster than my re22 loads just going on the drop figures i got with my first loads, but does seem to be at a lower pressure primers are only just filling out and still have an easy bolt lift, max loads with re22 show sure pressure signs in my rifle, at 58gr of re26 it was just starting to lightly compress, i might try 58.5gr next session

I know this is an old thread but I finally secured some RL 26 and tried it in my new Weaver Rifles 280 it has a 24 inch barrel It also has a relatively short throat but all my testing has been with 150 grain bullets mostly the long range accubond.
Here is what I got yesterday temperature was about 80 degrees using the 150 grain long range accubond.
57 grain 2901 fps
58 grains 2965 fps
59 grains 3018 fps

None of the loads showed any traditional pressure signs, easy extraction primer pockets are still tight. I haven't tried much in terms of accuracy but the few I put on paper showed a lot of promise.

Remington 700 24 inch barrel, 59.0.grs RL 26, 160gr AB, rem 9 1/2 mag primer, seated to 3.330 avg velocity 2892.

old thread i know but hey.

Ive got some 150 NBTs loaded ahead of 58 gr of rl 26 in win. cases. as soon as I get time and my model 70 back from the smith I will take that and a rem 700 XCR2 to the range and test these, some 140 NPTs being pushed by 55.5 gr of IMR 4350 140 NPTs pushed by 56 gr of H4831, and 150 NBTs pushed by 56 gr of 7828ssc

hopefully one of these combinations will show enough promise in the accuracy dept to tweek it

I'll be interested to see how you do with the 50 NBT, I use it with IMR 4831 around 2900 fps. My velocities with the 160 TBT with RL26 are very similar to what SU_36 was getting. My average with 60.0 grains was 2985 fps in my M700. I punched the info into QL and it predicted within 3 fps at 64K pressure.

Thanks for bringing this post back from the past. I’ve acquired 2 pounds of RL26 in the past 4-5 weeks. After testing H4831SC and 150 gr ELD-X’s yesterday, I’m barely hitting 2700 FPS with a max charge of what Hornady shows in their manual. I bought the RL-26 to try in my 270 WSM, but my load with H4831SC and 140 gr. Berger VLD’s are giving me over 3100 FPS and 1/2” groups, so I’m happy.
It seems the 2 cartridges that got me into reloading in the first place, 260 Rem and 280 Rem., are my 2 hardest to find an accurate load in, and if it is accurate the velocities are way down.

I’ve had the same experiences.

My two hardest are my 6.5x55 and my 280 Remington

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I’ve had the same experiences.

My two hardest are my 6.5x55 and my 280 Remington
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If ammo wasn’t so hard to find, I’d stick with factory for my .280. The .260, I’ve had one load that was great, but my lack of record keeping at the time has prevented me from repeating that. I now Lee a lot more thorough records.

Try using 270 Win data for the 280 Rem, usually they line up pretty close as they’re virtually twins.

That's how I look at it too. Whatever a .270 can do with a 140, the .280 should be able to do with a 150 generating roughly equal pressure---in theory, and based on almost equal sectional densities.

If ammo wasn’t so hard to find, I’d stick with factory for my .280. The .260, I’ve had one load that was great, but my lack of record keeping at the time has prevented me from repeating that. I now Lee a lot more thorough records.
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I had ok results with my 260 Rem until I tried superformance powder. Granted I don’t have a chrono, I’ve been running right at max loads per book with no pressure signs and getting excellent accuracy. Solved my problem with a picky kimber montana 257 rob as well. Superformance is one of the few that seem to still show up available in these crazy times.