Retumbo for a 6.5x284 load

bloomqmx

New Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2011
Messages
4
Any of you LR shooters used Retumbo to load 6.5 x 284's (140 VLD) and why you would use this powder which is designed for large capacity magnums and slow burn rate? Just wondering..have read a few articles about this load.

Thanks

Mike
 
I haven't used it myself because I have been have had good success with H4831 sc. I have spoken to a few people that do use Retumbo with 140 VLD's and they have gotten excellent results with higher velocities than 4831 sc (around 100 fps). The charge weights are in the 56-58.5 range and magnum primers are used to give tighter velocity spreads. The other claim is that this powder gives excellent temperature stability. I had planned on trying it if I wasn't able to get at least 2950fps with 4831 sc.
 
57-58 Grains Ret with a Fed 215 works great in a 6.5x284. The 215's seem to deliver better velocity as well as smaller ES and SD's.
 
I know this is an old thread but it just came up in my google search. I use 57.5 grains of Retumbo with a 215 primer and get approx 3065 out of the barrel. My gun loves this load depending on how i'm shooting it can go 1/4" or better. I have a HS Precision fluted sporter contour, it's definitely not a rifle you want to string 5 shoots with. Barrel gets warm after a few. However, it shouldn't take more than a shot or two to hit something at distance:)
 
I know this is an old thread but it just came up in my google search. I use 57.5 grains of Retumbo with a 215 primer and get approx 3065 out of the barrel. My gun loves this load depending on how i'm shooting it can go 1/4" or better. I have a HS Precision fluted sporter contour, it's definitely not a rifle you want to string 5 shoots with. Barrel gets warm after a few. However, it shouldn't take more than a shot or two to hit something at distance:)

What. Bullet are you using with your load?
 
I'm using a 140 grain VLD with an overall length of 3.115.

Thanks, your results and load are very similar to what I use. Based on this older post that was running a few years ago, I tried Retumbo. Prior to that I was using H4831SC. This powder was extensively used by the long rang bench rest shooters in the 6.5x284. I had very accurate results and tight ES but H4831sc gives up as much as 100FPS compared to Retumbo. Results were excellent. Shortly after this Hodgdon changed Retumbo. Others found this to be the case as well.The results that I got on my first lot produced velocities with 1-1.5 grains more powder(59gr) compared to a few lots I have purchased since. Also, using a 210M verses a 215M primer will cost 30-50FPS but the 210M wll consistently give tighter ES that are less than 10 FPS in both my 6.5x284 rifles. I currently run 58gr with a 210m for 2975FPS, ES of 8 FPS. Retumbo is exceptionally accurate and a great powder for this caliber when using the 140 VLDs. With it I have taken a couple of dozen deer, antelope , and coyotes between 600 and 1100 yards with this load, My magnums have been collecting dust.
 
Retumbo, H1000 and Ramshot Magnum all work really well in the 6.5-284. Retumbo is my favorite it gave me the best numbers out of the three but all three loads shoot half moa or less.
 
I had to work up a copper load in Barnes 127 LRX that all the usual powders I've had success with were giving pressure signs at lower velocities. Ended up with 49.1 grains of IMR 7828 giving me 3030fps ES 11 on a cold barrel and 2886 ES 8 on a warm barrel(2nd and 3rd follow up shot). It's strictly a hunting rifle so I use the cold barrel info. It's not the powder I would have thought would work but it does. Good luck !
 
Tried Retumbo through my 6.5-284 last July and was thoroughly please with the accuracy and velocity. I am pushing the 140gn A-Max at approx. 3040fps and groups are literally one-hole. I'm using the CCI BR2.
I've only taken it to 700yds so far on paper but accuracy is very good at that distance. I didn't measure it with a ruler or tape measure but 5 shots could be covered with a playing card :)
I also used this load during this past deer season and 7 out of 8 were one-shot DRT. The one exception; I used a .25-06 Sendero w/115gn Berger. It was also one-shot but the doe ran about 50-75yds. No biggie, she still made it to the chili pot! :)

I've been trying Retumbo in my .300WinMag with the 208gn A-Max and CCI 250's but best I can do so far is .5". May try a different primer to see if I can tighten it up some more. Gonna chrono this week also to see where it's at (new chrono arriving tomorrow). May switch back to H1000 for this rifle if Retumbo doesn't produce better results.

Good Luck. JohnnyK.
 
Was running in to pressure with ETips in my 7Mag and Retumbo has gotten me about an extra 100fps (over H4831) and no pressure signs. Great accuracy too.
 
I could not get my 6.5-284 to shoot the 140 VLD without getting flyers. So for season I put that load on the back burner and loaded some 140 Nosler BT which from past experience tune very easily. Only Took me a couple days to get those punching one hole at 100 and with no wind I get about 1" at 500 yards. Which is great but my velocity is only 2820. With 50.2 grains H4831SC I am just under pressure signs. At 50.5 grains the bolt starts to get a little heavy. I didn't think to try the Retumbo. It may get me another 100 or so fps. That would make me a little happier.
 
Warning! This thread is more than 6 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.
Top