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Just picked up an 8# jug last week. I'm using this on a 6.5 Creedmoor with 140 grain Ballistic tips and my 270 WCF with 130 grainers.

I don't have a ton of experience with this particular powder but it seems to check all the boxes as I'm looking for similar velocities as Reloder 17 but with tempature stability. Anyone else in this boat?

41

It works for me. Kinda been like Alliant version of H4350 with a bit of speed.

Just checked a couple of handloading sources. Speer's #15 manual (the latest) shows this for 140-grain Hot-Cors using RL-17 and RL-16 in the 6.5 Creedmoor from a 24" barrel:


RL-17, 41.5 grains maximum for 2747 fps.
RL-16, 42.0 grains maximum for 2746 fps.

For the .270 Winchester, again with a 24" barrel:

RL-17, 54.0 grains maximum for 3102 fps.
RL-16, 53.5 grains maximum for 3088 fps.

Plenty of load data on Alliant's site.....

https://alliantpowder.com/reloaders/Powder.aspx?powderid=41

RL16 is a little bulkier than RL17. I found an 8 lb jug of it in 2021 for $245 when H4350 was unobtanium..... RL16 is a good alternative to H4350.

I use RL16 in 6.5x55, .270WCF, 30-06 wherever H4350 works well.

I've been using it in a number of cartridges including 6.5 Creedmoor with 127-140 grain bullets, .280 Rem with 139 's and .300 Win Mag with 168's. Most of these loads are with Barnes LRX or TTSX bullets.

It works well in all these loads and as noted by others, gives a bit more velocity than H4350.

I don't have a 270Win but I use Rel16 in my 6.5CM with 123-140gr HPBT bullets for silhouette rifle loads. Rel16 works fine there and seems to be very close to H4350 in how it performs. I've also used it some in a 257 Roberts and a 6.5x55 SE with good results.

RL 16 has become my go-to powder for my 6CMs and 270s.

RL16 works great in 270 and 6.5 creedmoor. In my 270 kimber 84l I used alliant published loads and was on book velocity with 130 nosler partitions which was right at 3200 fps. I ended going with slightly lower charge since often hunt pigs in hot weather and normally back off some but was still over 3100 fps. In creedmoor have tried with multiple bullets as well and also great results.

Lou

I said it when it came out. Hodgdon was having a hard time keeping up with 4350, so Alliant said we can do it.
RL17 was basically 4350, and Rl16 is the extreme version of it. just my opinion..not fact

Little secret with the 270 - try 51, 52 grains under a 150 gr bullet. Should be 2900 or a shade more and MOA. Recoil is soft given the light loads but speed is there.

That's a good piece of intel Bill.

Cartridge : .270 Win. (SAAMI)
Bullet : .277, 150, Nosler PART SP 16323
Useable Case Capaci: 60.130 grain H2O = 3.904 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 3.340 inch = 84.84 mm
Barrel Length : 22.0 inch = 558.8 mm
Powder : Alliant Reloder-16 *C *T

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 0.962% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step Fill. Charge Vel. Energy Pmax Pmuz Prop.Burnt B_Time
% % Grains fps ft.lbs psi psi % ms

-09.6 87 47.00 2639 2320 44984 11654 99.4 1.263
-08.7 88 47.50 2665 2365 46328 11745 99.6 1.245
-07.7 89 48.00 2691 2411 47710 11831 99.7 1.228
-06.7 90 48.50 2716 2458 49134 11911 99.8 1.212
-05.8 91 49.00 2742 2504 50600 11987 99.9 1.195
-04.8 92 49.50 2767 2551 52108 12058 100.0 1.179
-03.8 93 50.00 2793 2597 53662 12123 100.0 1.163
-02.9 94 50.50 2818 2644 55263 12183 100.0 1.148 ! Near Maximum !
-01.9 94 51.00 2843 2692 56909 12242 100.0 1.133 ! Near Maximum !
-01.0 95 51.50 2868 2739 58608 12300 100.0 1.118 ! Near Maximum !
+00.0 96 52.00 2892 2786 60357 12358 100.0 1.103 ! Near Maximum !
+01.0 97 52.50 2917 2834 62159 12415 100.0 1.088 ! Near Maximum !
+01.9 98 53.00 2942 2882 64012 12471 100.0 1.074 ! Near Maximum !
+02.9 99 53.50 2966 2930 65930 12526 100.0 1.060 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+03.8 100 54.00 2990 2978 67895 12581 100.0 1.047 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+04.8 101 54.50 3014 3027 69937 12634 100.0 1.033 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!

Results caused by ± 10% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 10% relative to nominal value:
+Ba 96 52.00 2993 2983 72226 11914 100.0 1.026 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
Data for burning rate decreased by 10% relative to nominal value:
-Ba 96 52.00 2740 2501 49379 12672 98.2 1.204


That's one I'll give a shot. Heck, I'd like to try the 150 ABLR's with that load. 16 has been very accurate and maybe it'll shine with that bullet.

That's my plan as well Scott. 52.0 is my load and in my 24" Kimber, clocks 2905 or so. It is amazing how easy the recoil is with that load in a 7 lb 270. I built that load for elk this year and tried Re16 on a whim. Funny thing is 150 gr Partitions shoot smaller groups than the ABs by a smidge - 2 bullets I have a lot of confidence in.

A guy could do a lot of hunting with a 150 going 2900.

Yeah, that's a good post hunting season idea. I'd like to try the 150 ABLR's and get some goodness out of them in my M70.

It has worked good for me in the:
.358 Norma 250 gn
.300 H&H 200 gn
.30-06 168 TSX, 180 Np and 200 gn
and especially the .220 Swift 50 to 55 gn

I won't give exact numbers because I do not have my notes in front of me but I've been using it in 260 Remington and in 22 250 with heavy bullets like 75 ,80 and 88 grain.

a great powder with gold dust for the price they get for it now

Boy, that is the TRUTH! But what the heck doesn't these days in our beloved sport!

41gr of RL 16 and 140gr ELD-M's is very very accurate in my Bergara 6.5CM. SST 140's are almost as good. I get 2600fps out of a 22" barrel. I have used up an 8# jug in that rifle. Would buy another if I could find it reasonably. Last RL-16 I saw was $55/lb.

FWIW: I noticed in one of the Hornady Podcasts (where they were showing their facility) notes showed 41.2gr of RL-16 being tested.

I use RL-16 and the 140 ELDs for my comp load.