Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Brass and bullets ordered. Where should I look first for powder choice? 6.5CM

Have 100 pcs of Starline LRP brass and a box of 130 NAB on order. What powder should I try first? RL 15? RL16? RL17? H4350? RL26? One of the Ramshot offerings? Rifle is a Savage 110tactical.

I had great luck with H4350...Loads were good enough I never tried other powders...

+1

17 would be my first choice. Start at 40ish.

4350 and my 6.5 does cloverleafs.

H4350 should do it

For the 130 I would start with RL17

Varget with bullets up to and including 130gr. H4350 with 130gr and up.

John

1. RL-16
2. H-4350

The Nosler 130 Accubond is an excellent choice! Especially for a deer bullet.

RL 26 w/ 147 ELDM and 156 EOL

*Note- I use SRP Brass

Reloader 16!

It all started with H-4350.

I have found that IMR-4064 shoots real good out of a M1A match rifle.

Have had good luck with W760, R16, and IMR4064, but best results with H4350.

Load development for the 6.5 creed I used H4350, IMR4451,RL16,RL17 & RL26. Found H4350 to be my accurate load in 100 to 400 yard range. For stretching out beyond I have found RL26 gives 200 fps more using Large Rifle Primer brass. Hornady brass because it can be loaded with more powder does produce the highest velocity however, problems develop about the 5th reload with loose primer pockets. I find Peterson brass to hold up 20+ reloads when annealed after each firing, My accurate long range load using Peterson with RL26 and Fed 215 develops 2915 fps in 24" barrel..

Part of your problem can be availability. Re 26 is difficult to find and others run in cycles. For that bullet, I would say H4350 is a good starting point, because it always works. IMR 4350, Re 17, Re 16, Re 15, H4831 and maybe even some of the new 6.5 Sta Ball will do fine. In my .260, I like the Re 17, but in the Creed, I usually use Re 26 and 147 ELDM bullets.

RL-16 and 130 NAB’s are a match made in heaven. Start around 42 grains and work up until you get about 2930-50 fps. I usually get accuracy right away. I’ve loaded this combo for 5 different Creedmoors and they’ve all shot it extremely well. Usually end up between 43-44 grains.

Gonna toss another bullet in the mix as well. Hornady 120 gmx. I'll try em with 4350. But may need a faster burn rate

I use IMR 4350, great groups

In my 260 I use R17. i would have tried H4350, but couldn’t get any at the time, but accuracy of the 120 gr Nosler BTs over R17 is so good that I’m staying with it. For my brother’s 6.5 CM, I was able to get H4350. Using the Nosler 120 gr BT’s in his Bergara, accuracy was extremely good. I can surely say that those two powders worked great for me.

I hear good things about H414 too - accuracy and max velocity.

38.5gr of RL15 has been very accurate with 130 grain bullets from my 6.5 CM. H4350 is also supper accurate at about 41.3 gr. Both run about 2725 fps.