I know this has been discussed here, but I can't find it.

How sensitive is R-26?

Thanks

I’m watching this as well. I use a ton of RL26 in the 243, 25-06, 6.5 Creed, 6.5 Swede, 270 Win, 280 Rem, 270 and 7mm WSM, 338 Win, 35 Newton and some others I’m probably forgetting about. So far the last couple of years it has been real good to me. I’ve shot the same loads from about 25-95 degrees and haven’t seen any drama with it. No idea on its actual temp sensitivity but the Magnetospeed hasn’t picked large enough changes to affect the accuracy.

What are you thinking of using it in Smokepole?

Anybody have any data for the 6mm Creed yet?

280 AI with 150's and 160's. It shoots well with those.

In my cold-weather tests in the .270 Winchester with 150-grain bullets, made at zero Fahreheit, RL-26 actually chronographed slightly faster than at 70 degrees. (In the same tests, RL-16 and 23 also proved to be very temp-resistant.)

I haven't tried 26 in the 6mm Creedmoor yet, partly because I do a search of all available data when working with a new cartridge, primarily looking for the highest listed velocities, and 26 didn't turn up there. But RL-16 did, and proved to provide very good velocities and accuracy.

Gracias MD. Hope you have a good hunting season.

I shot four 143 ELDs with RL26 in the 6.5, two at 6deg after sitting out all night and two at 65deg. They only lost 20-30 FPS.

Edit: RL16 lost nothing. Hodgdon extremes lose very little (I’ve tried Varget, H4350, H4895, & Benchmark), and 8208 is quite good. Ball powders have typically lost 70-100+.

An email I received from Alliant just a week or so back.


"Alliant Reloading
Fri, Aug 31, 8:07 AM (9 days ago)

Alan,
Alliant makes three temp stable propellants. These are AR-Comp, Reloder-16 and Reloder-23. There is another we call temp constant and that is Reloder-26.
The first three are full on temp stable propellants by their chemistry. This means that a load worked up at one temp will have relatively constant velocities across temperature regimes.
The Reloder-26 has slightly different chemistry from the three temp stable propellants but differs from the rest of the Reloder series. This makes it a temp “constant” product. Because of its chemistry, we can’t call it temp stable. But word from the field that in most instances this propellant wants to behave very much like a temp stable product. But, we can’t call it such and there have been a few instances where it has not behaved like a temp stable propellant.
All of the other Reloder series of propellants and the Power Pro series are not temp stable. Finally, all of the Reloder series propellants (with the exception of Reloder-17) have de-coppering agents in their composition. AR-Comp is in the Reloder series of our propellants.
Thanks,"

That’s a surprisingly detailed response from Alliant. I like when a company will actually tell you something.

Edit: The response I received from another powder company was that a particular powder I asked about met the military spec. Having read the mil spec that is about as useful as saying it will go boom in the cold.

That is indeed a detailed response.

That is great info, thanks - I'm currently weighing up R16 v R26 for my 6.5 Creed and this is likely to tip things in favour of R16 - I'll happily give up a bit of velocity for consistency.

From what I’ve seen, the only place you’re giving up velocity with 16 is with the heaviest bullets. Likewise, you’re not losing much stability with 26. Both are excellent choices.

Smoke....

I've been running it exclusively in a 6CM with 108 ELDMs @ 3158 and have found it to be very temp stable. I have not had a chance to run it in temps below about 70* here, but maybe we'll get some winter weather come Dec/Jan....grin...

Ran a match with it in August that was fast paced, very little time for the barrel/chamber to cool between 10 shot strings. Temps started in mid 70s and was 108 when we finished. Didn't see any weird vertical dispersion or pressure show up through the day, even with a few rounds getting baked in the chamber pretty good. Ran those same loads over a MagnetoSpeed on a different day with the same temp variance and the FPS change was negligible.

I've tried it in a few other chamberings and have always gotten good velocity out of it, but not always the ES/SDs I wanted. I'm sure some of that can be lent to brass, etc.

Are you guys getting accuracy that similar to Re25? Are the charges the same? I'm shooting a 7mm Rem Mag and am about out of Re25. Thanks.

No, the charges aren't similar to RL-25.

I've gotten good to very good accuracy with every RL-26 load I've tried so far.

Thanks, MD.

P

I've used RL-25 and liked it. I think RL-26 is better. It seems pretty dense allowing one to get enough in a case to do some good. QL seems to like it in a number of applications. From what I've read, '26 is probably more temp stable than '25.

I'm wondering if '26 is actually slower than '25, even though the number is larger. Seems to me '26 could be a tad faster in some applications.

Would like feed back on that.

DF

26 is indeed more temp-stable than 25.

One thing I've learned recently from conversations with various people in the powder industry that relative burn rate is becoming an really iffy term these days, with all the super-progressive burning powders appearing. An example would be, say, a new powder that from its listed powder charges in various cartridge/bullet combinations looks like it burns about like IMR4895. But it has a far different pressure curve, more like one of the 4350's. And in fact one of its characteristics is providing 4350 velocities with lower charges, because it's so progressive.

Which is yet another reason burn-rate charts aren't all that accurate.

I like in in my 7mags.I just increased my load two grains or so with what I load with Reloader-22.Bam,I'm there.With 69.0grs of Reloader-26 I got 3187fps with a 150gr Nosler Ballistic Tip,70.0grs with the Nosler Ballistic Tip gave me 3220fps.Certainly a powder to check out.

69.0grs


70.0grs

Thanks Pharm (and everyone else too).

That target looks like what I've been getting with 68 grains of Re25 and the 162 ELD-X.

Have you run that bullet into flesh yet?

I'm at 3115 fps with the 108 ELD-M in the 6 Creed with 22" barrel. Shot it in several matches, and it's consistent.

P[/quote]


I'm wondering if '26 is actually slower than '25, even though the number is larger. Seems to me '26 could be a tad faster in some applications.

Would like feed back on that.

DF[/quote]

It varies with case capacity. In most cases especially medium 06-08 size it is faster than 25. It loads close to R22 & MRP with usually 0.5 to 1.5% increase in charge weight.
In the 270 WSM R25 & 26 load the same but this is the only instance I have run across. Quickload has the burn rate factor too slow for R26 listing it as slower than R25. I have not used it in the large cases like the RUMs etc so may perform differently in them. It seems very constant in any temperature sensitivity but there might be a pressure spike above around 90-100 degrees. The actual case temperature could be higher if left in the sun or a hot vehicle. Have not checked this out thoroughly enough to tell yet.

Thanks for that info.

I like RL-26 enough to have picked up an 8# jug. That should last me for a while. It's pretty versatile for a slow burner, works well in a number of applications. QL has it as top producer in a bunch of rounds. It may not always be the most accurate.

I tried it in my .257R with 115's. It left unburned granules in the chamber, couldn't chamber the next round. After I got back to the shop, it was OK, rounds chambered. Guess the obstructing granule(s) bounced out with the 4 wheeler ride from range to house.

But, for larger cases, it seems to burn clean and with great performance.

DF

Yep








P

Nice.

A few hundred pounds of good eating. Nice rack, too.

How'd you get him off that mtn.?

DF

Like this








P

Nice. That's pretty darn good velocity with said parameters.

Very nice bull. Congrats and thanks for the feedback!

Reminds me of the story, 300# out of shape hunter, huffing and puffing on a mtn hunt, turns to his guide and asks how that guide would get him back to camp if he had a heart attack or something. The guide with a matter of fact answer informed him that he had taken a thousand pound elk off that same mtn just last week. The hunter asked how he had done that. Guide informed him, ten trips...

DF

This just in:

Alliant has no tested load data for the 6mm Creedmoor.
I will submit your request to the engineering lab for possible future development. But, there is no timetable as to when this may be looked at for development.
Thanks,
Duane V.
Technical Services Rep
Alliant/Blazer/CCI/Speer
2299 Snake River Ave
Lewiston, ID 83501
1-800-379-1732


Semi-hijack, I suppose. Sorry.

https://www.speer-ammo.com/download...iber-6mm_243_dia/6mm_Creedmoor_100_2.pdf

There ya go. '26 on top, followed by 4000 and '23.

Seems the new powders rule.

DF

In useing Reloader 26 in the 6.5X55 swede with the 147 eld it showed no change in velocity from 70° down to 20° Here in a few months I will test down to zero. Not a 6.5 creedmoor but very similar in case capacity.

Currently I'm getting ready to work up a RL26 142 LR Accubond load to use this hunting season and also thinking about trying RL16 in place of 17 for my 130 accubond load.




Trystan

What's you best '26 load, 147's in the Swede?

DF

I'm useing a Tikka T3 with a SWFA fixed 6 in Warne Rings Not lapped


At 49.5 gr of RL26 velocity is 2730 fps
Lapua Brass
Rem 9 1/2
Coal 2.200 at .010 off the lands. This seats the bullet with the bearing surface just above the base of the neck
Loaded to less than .001 run out necksized only with Lee collet on once fired brass


This load is so far proving to be wicked accurate and produced groups at 500 yds pushing the 1" mark on 4 different occasions with temps from 20° to 70° all groups shot on different days starting with a cold bore. I've only shot 7 groups at 500 to date and the other 3 groups were under 2". Seems pretty consistent though I still need to test at zero° This is the only load I've ever had that would push the 1" mark at 500 in any rifle and gave me my first ever under 1" group that pushed the .75" mark

I ran the load all the way to 51 gr and showed no pressure signs. I noticed RL26 seems to burn a bit dirty when I tried it with a 130 accubond and also with 140 hornady interlock. With the 147 eld however it proved to burn much cleaner



Best wishes to you this hunting season

Trystan

How many shots in the groups? That’s a fine shooting rifle!

Thanks for that info.

Agree with '26 burning clean with some pressure, dirty without.

I reported how dirty it was in my .257R with 115's, not the powder for that one, for sure.

But, with heavies in bigger cases, clean, consistent and accurate.

DF

Not to hijack this thread but does anyone have data for the 6.5 Creed with 140/147's and RL16 or RL26?

Quit hijackin' the thread!!! By the way, anyone got data for R-26 and 105's in the .243?

Some data for both: https://www.speer-ammo.com/en/reloading/rifle

Alliant has it for 105s in the 243.

DG1969,

SIerra lists 43.5 grains of RL-16 for 139-142 grain bullets in the 6.5 Creedmoor, for 2800 fps from a 24" barrel.

smokepole,

From the 21" barrel of a Barrett Filedcraft, 46.0 grains of RL-26 got just about 3000 fps with the 105 Berger VLD, in Hornady brass with F210 primers.

Thanks John. I promise the OP, no more thread hijacks.

I’ve settled on ~43.7 grains RL-16 with 140s. Velocities range from 2755 to 2790s depending on bullet (140 Berger, 140 Partition, 139 Scenar, 140 ELD). That is a 21” Fieldcraft.

RL 26 how does it work in a 7 rem. mag ? 160 gr. Nosler partitions or 160 gr. trophy bonded ? thank you

I haven't tried it yet, but will be soon.

I've had good results with RL 26 and 160 grain Accubonds in my 7mm Rem Mag. I got 3000 fps with sub MOA accuracy pretty easily. That's enough for me given the temperature stability of the powder.

Accurate-yes, fast-yes, temp stable-not impressed (at least above 80F). Shooting 140 gr. bullets out of a 270 WSM I'm seeing the same issue with RL26 as I do with RL22. Flame away.

for me when I load for the 7 mag and use it with 160 gr. bullets temp will be below 50 degrees and hunting 30 degrees or maybe less ? so I assumed RL 22 or R26 maybe RL17 will be fine ? my barrel length is 26 inches out of my Rem.700

BC3,

I have yet to encounter a supposedly "temperature-stable" powder that DOESN'T gain in pressure and velocity above 80 degrees. Their temp-stability primarily works well in colder temperatures.

That said, I have also yet to encounter a "temp-stable" powder that gains as much pressure and velocity at 80+ temperatures as non-temp-stable powders, especially some of the old standby spherical powders.

I learned years ago, too leave my rifles alone in hot weather ,its hard on barrel life. that`s why I started shooting trap more my Perazzi likes the heat & cold beer is tasty then !

John, did you ever develope any RL 26 loads for your 6.5x55? Seems like it would work great on 140 gr PT and 156 gr Oryx.

pete -

Also Pharmseller has been posting his results - targets & charge/velocity in the 7 RM.

Favorite 7 Mag Loads thread in General Big Game Forum.

? 68.5-69 gs Rl 26, 160 ELDS, 3000 fps --- killed a GOOD bull Elk. >>Take a look.

I just got 4 # of Rl 26 for my 7 and 270 experiments.


I copied these from that ^^^ post in G B G F.

Finally had a chance to try 147 ELD-Ms in my Fieldcraft. That's a nice first impression for a target load with RL26.

Don’t forget the big cow my brother killed at 375 yards.




One shot wrecked her. This is the entrance.




Put a hole through her lungs you could see through.





My brother’s first cow. We’re bull shooters but after his first elk steak dinner he’s a believer in cow killing.





P

maybe..... elk killing.

I hunt bucks but it DON'T bother me to kill DEER.

I'm at the range right now, got 3150 with 45.5 and 105 scenars, Lapua brass, 23" bbl. Shot one round at 46.5 and got 3200, might be time to back off a little......

Nice. I hope to kill a cow this winter. What bullet was that?

162 ELDX, 2940 FPS at the muzzle.





P