Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting RL26 with 6.5-06 and 7mm Remington data from today

The 6.5-06 was shooting Berger 140 vlds with CCI primers. Started with 52.5 grains of RL26 and ended up at 55.5 grains, going up .5 grain at a time. Final velocity was 3030 fps which is about 90 fps faster than I have had this rifle going with 56 grains of H1000.
All 7 rounds went into a group well under an inch. Good start.

Took a guess on the RL26 with a 180 Hornady ELD-M in the 7mm. My rifle has a long throat and I hit the lands at 3.505. So loaded up at 3.49 oal and started at 68 grains. That proved aggressive as first round was 3003 fps. No pressure though so shot the 69 grain load. It went 3070 fps. At that point, I stopped and loaded up 5 rounds at 67.5 grains.

Those 5 rounds went .66 center to center and clocked at 2970 fps. So with a 25" barreled 7mm remington, that bullet is doing 2970 with a claimed bc of .797. Anxious to load up a number more and see if the bc holds up.

Two questions re 6.5-06.
What is length of barrel?
What range of vels with 125-130's?

My 6.5-06 with a 23" barrel and 56gr RL-26 with a 140 Berger VLD does 3050fps , 100fps faster than my previous load of 49gr. RL-17.

24.5" barrel, and never shot any lighter bullets in it.

Liking it for this load a lot. Shot up all the 147 ELDs in some short action stuff. Want to try it with that bullet next.

Need to get some RL26.

I put 30lbs worth of 1000 in the larder last summer, kinda went buy crazy after it finally hit the market again..Wish i would have waited.

Nice to see someone posting something about shooting.

That 180 ELD load is a beast.

My 26" Krieger 6.5-284 will consistently shoot 140 VLD's at 3K with RL-17, around 48 gr. IIRC. Great accuracy.

Guess I need to try some 26.

DF

I've been playing with the 140rdf and 26 in my 260ai. I'm running about 2930fps.

DF- Norma or Winchester throating on your 6.5-284?

Norma.

It's on a pre-64 with Borden's Bumps. Bet you haven't seen one like that...

Plenty of COAL room with LA.

DF

What am I seeing with the extractor collar on the M70? Looks like the .308/.243 set up but longer?

It was a .243.

I bought '06 bolt stop, ejector, box mag follower and spring, opened the box mag to 3.4".

The follower was milled to accommodate the fat .284 case.

DF

Makes sense now... was the bolt handle ground at all for scope clearance?

No.

Scope is high enough that it works well.

DF

I'm going to try some

DF- You are right!!

Nice rifle to say the least....

Thanks, Mike.

You see Borden's Bumps on 700's and their clones. Putting them on a pre-64 was a bit different.

For those not familiar with this concept, the smith cut recesses at the front and rear of the bolt, took SS rifle pieces, halved them, milled them to fit in the recesses. He JB glued them in place, milled them oblong such that the bulges run up and down the action raceways, but when the bold is closed, there is minimal up and down clearance, the bolt perfectly square with the case head, minimal bolt movement with firing. It's a bench rest trick, not seen so much on hunting rifles.

This gun is a solid half MOA shooter out to 400 yds., 4" at 600 with 140 gr. Hunting VLD's and SST's. I want to try 139 gr. Scenars. I don't do enough LR shooting, don't have a convenient set up.

DF

Neat stuff guys. I have a Tikka (long box) with a 23" Bartlein in 6.5 Shehane that loves 4831SC and 139 Scenars. Running 3025fps. R26 in the Q for that one too.

Wrapped up the 6.5-06 load yesterday. 55 grains of RL26, cci primer, 3.32 oal, 3000 fps with 140 vld. Shooting half moa and loading up a bunch to confirm drops and blast things this summer.

Still messing around with the 7mm for some reason and may also try RL26 with some 105 hornady in the 243.

Kurt, sounds like you got an extra 50 fps over H-1000?

Where did you see pressure signs (if any)?

Thanks

I ran 47-49 gr 26 with a 105.

Thanks HC, that 243 load is next up.

Phil, I went to 55.5 grains and never saw pressure signs. The accuracy at 55 grains and 3000 fps was so good I just stopped going up.

Thanks.

Btw, I ran a .015" jump and it was far more accurate than a kiss for me in the 243.

Kurt, there's a little info. here on '26 in the .243 if you're interested.

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/11763086/4

Thanks Phil. I'll start low with it for sure. I do like the potential there. If the 105s don't work, going to slum 70 ballistic tips and shoot coyotes and pd's with it.

HC, my 6.5 actually likes those 140 vlds jumping about .05. It's like a mini Weatherby lol. I'll probably start the 105s in the 243 with a kiss and back it up fairly soon if results aren't good.

Stretching a few rigs out tomorrow so hoping for relatively calm winds here. Should be a good day.

I've got to try some RL26 in my 6.5-06!

Back in stock at Lone Tree Cabelas today.

Broke in a new 6.5-06 with 130g Accubonds. Ladder test with RL 26 and another with H4831sc.

Found a node at 55g with RL 26. .3 MOA

Going to try the 127g LRX next with both powders.

My rifle has a Rem action with a 26” Bartlein barrel, 1-8 twist.

I run 140 gr Nos Bal Tip in 7mmRM
I run 120 gr Nos Bal Tip in 6.5-06

Both at 3.34" and IMR-4451
Both have killed deer out to ~630 yards

The 6.5 and the 6.5 PRC must be identical in capaciity. My PRC loads and velocity's match your 6.5 06 exactly.


lefty

I need to try RL-26 in my 6.5-284 (ballistic twin to your 6.5-06). I'm currently shooting 140 VLD's at 3K over 48.5 gr. RL-17 out of a 26" Krieger. Will try your load (worked up, of course). I have a big jug.

Bud's 7RM went to Africa, loaded with 160 NAB's over 67.5 gr. RL-26, at around 3K out of his 26" Sendaro, shooting 3" groups at 400. Most PG game was DRT with one shot. A Wildebeest took 3 hits at around 300 yds. First two to the chest, dead critter walking, a third to the neck, nose in the dirt. My bud was very pleased with rifle and load, PH was as well.

DF

26" 7mm RM 180 ELD-M RL26 I went to 67.5, settled on 67.0 for about 2915 IIRC.. Might push it some more, or not, at least check the velocity some more.

I'd go with accuracy. Critters will never know the difference, 2,900+ vs. 3K fps... And not a lot of different at extended range.

DF

For sure. Looking back at my notes, I did fire a couple at 68.0 for 2966. Whereas my 67.5 were 2962. Stopped appropriately, in my understanding of these things... This was kissed. At .030" jump the 67.0 was the more accurate. I will be reconfirming 67.0 but I think it's more accurate than I, and that's what I'm looking for. LOL

BTW, this load hits at 3800'.
368 yards 1.4 mils
416 yards 1.7 mils
535 yards 2.8 mils

Then other projects and directions took hold. Time to get back at it.

Welcome to the Fire.

Keep us posted on your load development with the 127 LRX.

How much faster was RL-26 than H-4831, accuracy difference?

DF

Throw the 6.5-284 into that mix.

DF

yup



lefty

Sorry, I forgot I posted here.

Come a long way since 2020

The H4831SC @ 53.5g and RL 26 @ 55 grains shoot almost identical in my rifle.

I got slightly better accuracy from a 130g AccuBond over the 127g LRX.

I ended up cutting 2” off the barrel and having it fluted so I could shave 1.5 lbs off. I got lucky and it shoots the same, just 40+/- FPS slower (2860).

Now I am trying to speed up the LRX load. My rifle has a slow barrel. The good news is that I have shot 5 grains over book max before I started seeing any signs of pressure.

Off to the range😄