Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Bolt action 6.5 Grendel pressure limits

They aren't absolutes. Consider how irrelevant the SAAMI limit for the 8x57 Mauser is for loading a Remington 700.

In a Zastava I load ww748 - 28gr. and Sierra 120 hpbt 2387 fps out of a 20". Groups opened at 28.5

Might get the drift, despite having no first hand or even 2nd hand knowledge of the 8x57 Mauser. Still I feel better with the 6mm ARC & having Guidelines to follow. I have worked up loads in the past that offered good accuracy with the 129 GR SP & LVR that offered phenomenal velocity with no pressure signs. Though in recent years I have come to appreciate additional load data to provide guide rails to further support my findings.

For reasons I do not understand for sure, no formally tested load data has been provided for LVR in the 6.5 Grendel.

On the other hand LVR data has been provided for the 6mm ARC, even specifically for bolt actions. 6mm ARC has currently covered the 6.5 Grendel utility for my use, probably better.

I like the 6mm ARC for BC, Velocity, low recoil & terminal effect on game with my reloads. I also liked the 6.5 Grendel for all the same reasons, I just like the 6mm ARC a lot better. Going on 3 years with the 6mm ARC & the 6.5 Grendel has underwent some serious neglect since.

The SAAMI max for the 8x57 is 37,000 CUP. The Remington 700 is perfectly fine with the 8mm Remington magnum at 54,000 CUP. Hodgdon's online 8x57 data is shown at 11,000 to 12,000 CUP above SAAMI max, and it is still well on the mild side for a Remington 700. Heck, their starting loads are at the SAAMI max.

This is a rather extreme example, but it certainly makes the point.

Perhaps others would like to know why as well.

I received a PM titled Why: & the content followed "Do people like you insist to push the limits beyond a cartridge limits ?? If you want more, find another cartridge. Simple.🤨"

I have broken away from needing to satisfy the upper limit of a bolt action cartridge that was simply not, encouraged to be loaded heavier. As the designer seems to simply have preferred to limit the loads to the weaker AR bolt face limitations.

Though I have no doubt that the cartridge & the bolt action rifles are up to a bit more pressure when teamed together. I am of the opinion that the designer preferred to lessen the risk of over pressure loads for the marginal AR bolt construction. If no higher pressure loads for bolt action exist then the risk of firing too hot of loads in the marginal AR bolt face is minimized.

Seems Hornady was comfortable offering Gas gun pressure limits for the 6mm ARC as well as Bolt gun data allowing a noteworthy bit more pressure in the bolt gun. Seems they intend to do the same with the 22 ARC as well.

Would folks like me be way off base to suspect the concept of different pressure limits depending on action type, just may apply to the 6.5mm Grendel, much like the 6mm ARC?

Was the idea of 9mm +P ammo a bad idea may be another perception to this train of thought?

European C.I.P. Pressure is 58,740 PSI

In my CZ 527 I’ll step it up a bit…..above SAAMI

Check out the grendel forum. Some guys there running bolt guns. You could run QL and get an idea. But you are right saami pressure is low because of the AR bolt.

Thanks. I will.
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