Is the 6.5 Grendel article reprinted in any of JB’s books or do I need to find a back issue of the magazine it appeared in.

I’ve got a couple bolt Grendel’s and I bought factory ammo for the brass, but I’m burning through it and I’m ready to start loading for them. I’ve got 500 123 SST’s and 500 120 NBT’s to load, so I’m looking for a good starting point. JB’s loads that work have always been a fantastic starting point for good loads.

Would love to hear anyone else’s experiences with the Grendel in a bolt as well. Loads that worked or not, or anything like that.

I’ve got TAC and CFE 223 and quite a few other powders but hopeful for those two.

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Sorry, but my Grendel, the second, is on a 120gr Gold Dot diet with PP2000MR “stuffing”.

Speer data.

The 6.5 Grendel article hasn't been reprinted in any of my books, mostly because it appeared in the October 2021 issue of Handloader. Dunno if Wolfe has that issue's contents available on their website.

Thank you for the info. I’ll look for a copy of that issue.

Anyone have any loads to add to the thread for a bolt gun?

I use AA 2520 from Alexander Arms 6.5 Grendel reloading data

https://www.alexanderarms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/grendel_reloading-2018.pdf

My handloads with a max load of IMR 8208 XBR and a 123 SST are doing 2427 fps from a 16 1/2" howa mini and shooting slightly under an inch at 100 yds. It has been deadly on deer.

I’ve heard some good things about that bullet for deer. Planning on using for deer myself. I’ve got 2 CZ-527’s in the Grendel and I just had a Bighorn Origin action with a proof 16-1/2” barrel in an ADG carbon stock built. Should have the rifle back from the smith this next week. It’s really the rifle I’m itching to load for. Gonna slap a DeadAir Nomad Ti on it and it may well become my main deer rifle down here, although it does have some competition lol.

Check your PMs

I would use the TAC and 120 gr BT’s. TAC is listed by Nosler as the most accurate for 120 class bullets in their manual. I just loaded some up to test myself tonight. With the amount of snow we are getting, it will be April before I can test these jokers out. I’ve also gotten decent results with 120 gr. ELD-M’s and BL-C(2).

Hudge, I was kinda hedging my bets on TAC. I bought 16 pounds of it to join an 8 pounder I already had. Between the fantastic accuracy I get with 223’s I saw it should also work well in the Grendel. This little cartridge sure has gotten under my skin.

JohnChilds,

I looked at my loading notes and the load table for the Handloader article. Unfortunately I didn't try TAC, because my usual method of selecting powers for such try-outs is top velocity--which also often results in fine accuracy--and published data for TAC didn't make the cut.

In my tests top powder with lighter bullets (up to 107 grains) was Vihtavuori N133, and with heavier bullets (120+) CFE223, Shooters World Match, and Vihtavuori N540.

For what it might be worth... I hopped on the Grendel bandwagon a couple of seasons ago...

I have worked with and tested up to 140 gr SP Speers with my Ruger Predator...

Tried all sorts of stuff, that was not listed on a lot of load charts, but cross referencing 7.62 x 39 loads for ideas...

powders I reach for from 85 grain HPs to 140 gr Speers..

1. H 322
2. Benchmark
3. 3031 ( like this one a lot also...)
4. 4198
5. W 748 ( like this one a lot, and so does the rifle.)
6. AR Comp... another darn good one..

My Ruger hasn't been real picky, and turns in some great accuracy... In 3 seasons the Grendel has scored twice ( two seasons).

one of my most accurate rifles, seems to digest about anything I feed it... real well..

I think it shoots so well, because the lack of recoil makes it easy to shoot well...

for magazines, I just switched over to polymer 223 mags which work just fine for feeding, and I like better than the metal mag that came with the rifle.

No problem ringing steel at 300 and 400 yds with mine... fun rifle and caliber.

748 has and is really temp sensitive for those that live in warmer climates just FYI

Im a fan of 8208 ...

Could not get the velocity with Tac was accurate though. AA 2520 had velocity and accuracy and I have a lot of it!

I stopped at 2450 FPS to 2500 FPS with 120 to 125 gr bullets in a 20" AR with good accuracy with AA 2520 .

Don't know A Arms barrel length?

Thanks for all the great info.

Luckily I have 8 pounds of CFE223 to try. Might be looking for some of the AA2520 and VV540. I do have several pounds of VV530 that I thought might work with the 123 SST’s.

I have concerns about CFE-223's temp sensitivity, but it has provided great accuracy in my Grendel (CZ 527). I have read that 8208 is pretty temp stable and it is performing well too, just not quite as well as CFE-223.
Is it correct that AR Comp is about the most stable of the bunch? I have been looking for some of that to try.

Thanks,
Rex

Hey KK, do you or anyone else know the barrel length that Alexander Arms used for these data? Pretty good speeds - wondering if it's on the long side?

Thanks,
Rex

Be careful with that data, has proven to be very hot in some rifles.

Which is why I didn't include TAC in the loads tested in the Handloader article.

Over the decades I've been writing about handloading that while many handloaders brag about tiny groups, most are at least as interested in muzzle velocity, perhaps more so.

Have also found that many powders resulting in top velocities also tend to result in finer accuracy, so when selecting powders to test in a cartridge-specific article I do a search of recent, published data, to narrow down the potential "best" choices.

This turned out to be a good strategy as MANY more powders kept appearing every year. Otherwise I'd have had to spend months of range-time, testing every new Wonder Powder in every new Wonder Cartridge. I was still loading and shooting thousands of rounds each year, but otherwise couldn't keep up....

748 isn't necessarily high pressure in the Grendel, and for here in Oregon.. its just fine for deer hunting seasonal temps here in the Southern part of the state...

I don't think you'd be pushing the limits with it in Texas either, as I know that is where you were from before your relocate to Alaska.

texas in summer.. yeah maybe... so back off your load a grain or two... and you should be good to go.

I've used it up to 140 grain Speers, with a 29 grain load.

AR Comp really works out real well with the most velocity potential in my Ruger Predator with 120, 123 and 129 grain bullets...

I have worked up two very accurate loads for my Howa Mini Grendel. H335 with a 123 grain SST, and Alliant Power Pro Varmint with a 90 grain TNT. I've tried a number of powders, and settled on those two loads, at least for now.