Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Favorite RL16 loads for 6.5 Creedmoor

I actually found a couple pounds of RL16 and have done a little testing but am curious what others have found to be promising loads. Especially with the 130-140gr bullets.

41.5 with 143 eldx

42.5 with 139 - 143's.

I'm running Alpha brass which is considerably thicker than Hornady brass. Load is 40.6 gr behind a Hornady 140 ELD. Gives me 2710 fps out of a 26" barrel.

42 grains 140 AB Hornady brass.

43 gr / 120 Bt works great.

In Alpha Brass, all you can fit under a 120 BT works great. It works very well with the 140 ELDM and 143 ELDX as well, but RL26 seems to yield a little more velocity.

Guess I should add that load is with Hornady brass...

RL 26 worked great in Hornaday brass with 147 gr fast and accurate. In Alpha brass with RL 26 and 147 gr slow speeds.

Thinking RL 16 or RL 17 with 147 gr & Alpha brass.

Anyone got loads for 147 gr Alpha brass 143 & 147 gr Chrono speeds, please.

I use 42gr RL16 with 147 eld-m in alpha brass. With a 20” barrel I’m getting 2640-2650 fps.

Tried 41gr of r16 with 140gr Speer Hot Cors - shot several 1/2" 3 shot groups. Avg about 2725fps. Hdy brass and cci 200 primers. Just picked up some 140 SST's and 140 Interlocks to try. Never really got 140's to shoot well with H4350.

Remington280,
If you don’t mind me asking, what kind of velocity are you getting from that load?

41.5 grains with 140 ELD gives me 2804 fps through my 26 '' Howa. Accuracy averages in the .2'' to .3''

What brass?

Sorry i forgot to mention the brass. I use peterson select SRP brass.

Alpha brass, CCI 200 Primer, 42 GR RL 16, Horn 147 GR ELD M 4 at .392" at 100 yards

22" Tikka LH 6.5 Creed Moor left Crono at home! 15 F at range still winter here

43.0, Hornady 143 ELD-X, Peterson large primer brass.

Would you go RL 16 or RL 17 for lighter 120-130 grain copper monolithic pills?

Better question is where can you find RL-16 right now??

Original factory load for 120 gr was Varget as I recall. I ran RL 17 with Barnes 127 GR

Rgr. How far off the lands were ya? About to measure specs and get a 6.5 load worked up with TTSXs

Compressed load? 42.0 in a Hornady case fills the case up to the shoulder. Might be why it shoots so good, near full cases or slightly compressed?

42.0 with 140SST's in Horady Cases, CCI 200 2.800 OAL was very promising this weekend. Several 1/2" groups at 2730fps. 41.0 with 140 SP Interlocks at 2.710 OAL is a fantastic load also out of my Bergara. Starting to not miss H4350 as much.

Getting roughly 3000 fps with RL-16 and 135 Hornady A-Tips from my 6.5 CM with Fed 210s in Hornady Brass in a 24” barrel and the same load gets me 2800 fps out of a 16” barrel 6.5 CM.

43 grains Reloder 16 under 129 Interlocks for 2812 fps, from my 24-inch Criterion barrel. Good accuracy.

TTT

42.0 grains
143ELDX
210M
Hornady brass
2628 FPS
Tikka CTR 20”
Repeatable .3” ,5 shot groups.

Would you go RL 16 or RL 17 for lighter 120-130 grain copper monolithic pills?
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Not the original poster but I am using R-16 for loads I previously used R-17 due to cleaner burning and reduced temperature sensitivity. Loads and velocities will be really close, not completely interchangeable but close. The only time 16 won't work is if you are already compressing the load with R-17, 16 is less dense.

Same with R22 & R-23 but they don't load as closely as 16 & 17.