Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles RL-16 Usage Application

Anyone try it in the 223 / 5.56 with heavy bullets?

StaBall 6.5 is somewhat slower but has loadings listed for heavy bullets, for comparison.

RL-16 is fine grained, unlike many stick powders in it's burn range, so not too bulky for the small case & I have lots of it to find a home for besides, 270, 280, 'o6 & 7-08 which I really like it in.

MM

I have a couple pounds of this powder. I'll be watching for reference.

Load it the same as re15.

You mean RL15 1/4, or RL15.5?

15

RL-16 is definitely slower than RL-15, so it will surely take a little more than RL-15 loads to reach it's top potential.

But conversely, RL-15 loads would be a safe starting point.

MM

I beg to differ. Do as you wish but I personally don't think this is safe advice.

RL 15 is closer to IMR 4064 / VARGET.

RL 16 is really close to RL 17 or H 4350.

The charge weights will not be the same or similar enough to use RL 15 data as a starting point.

You have the relative burn rates for the powders that you listed right, but you seem to have how the relative burn rates relate to pressure (velocity) with a given weight bullet in a given cartridge ass backwards.

To reach a given pressure, a faster burning powder (RL-15) will require less powder that a slower powder (RL-16) to reach that pressure.

So given that, RL-15 charges would be lighter than RL-16 to get to equal pressures.

The problem one runs into with many of the slower powders is that you will run out of case capacity before you reach max pressure, especially with bulky stick powders in small cases.

RL-17 for example would never get to top velocity in a 223 because you could not get enough in the case.

The only reason that RL-16 might work is that it's a very fine grained powder.

An example of that is 2000-MR vs RL-15 in the 223 with heavy bullets.

It takes a significantly higher charger weight of 2000-MR than RL-15 to reach max pressure.

MM

I've developed several loads with RL-16. The charge weights for a given cartridge are very different than those for RL-15, so I wouldn't recommend using RL-15 charge weights as a guide.

I've also developed some loads for RL 15.5. The charge weights for RL-15.5 loads in .338 Win Mag (200 and 210 grain bullets) and .375 H&H (270 and 300 grain bullets) are quite similar to those for RL-15.

Reloader 16 works for me in a .243 ai when using Barnes 95gr LRX bullets. I tried a good many different powders and R 16 was the only powder I could get to shoot 1/2" moa. Determined is a understatement.

Yes, it works well for me in several other cartridges, which; like the 243, have published data.

The problem with the 223 / 5.56 is that there is no published data from any source that I can find for RL-16.

MM

Re16 seems to be very similar to H4350 in burn rate---at least for the applications in which I have been using it. I don't see how you could possibly get enough in a .223 case or even a .223 AI case to develop the pressure needed to achieve a clean, complete burn. But then again, I have been surprised before.

I don't have anything backwards. I'm fully aware that it takes more of a slower powder to generate pressure.

I only cautioned that using Reloder 15 data to actually load Reloder 16 was not good safe advice.

I didn't say it in my earlier post, but I'll say it now.
There's so many places to use RL 16 like the OP mentioned but the 223rem isn't in my opinion one of them. I think he should save it for his 270, 280, 7mm08, or '06.