6.5 Grendel load development

[a_savage02]

Hello all,

I have a 6.5 Grendel in a ar platform I am going to start reloading for in the near future. I have about 7lbs of imr 3031 I bought years ago for 223. And was hoping I could use it in the 6.5 Grendel.

If anyone has any load data and have used 3031 in the 6.5 Grendel and would like to share their experience it would be much appreciated. Also what powders have been working for you in the Grendel. I will be shooting 120gr Barnes March burners.

Thanks have a good day.

 

[Eric_F]

I can't help you with the 3031, never used it. But 8208XBR is usually the recommendation for 120gr-123gr bullets. Usually then I think it's CFE223 for the lighter stuff and LVR for the heavier (like the 129 ABLR I use for deer).

 

[dok7mm]

My best with 120 BT is with 8208 also.

 

[a_savage02]

My best with 120 BT is with 8208 also.

Will cfe223 work for 120's? I hardly ever see 8208 available anywhere the last year or two.

 

[DUCKMAN11]

I've found that out of my 20" bolt gun the "heavies" 125-135gr bullets are a bit anemic in the Grendel as in pretty slow. I'm working up a load with the 97gr hammers and cfe223. I said that to say this..... if the imr 3031 doesn't work with the 120 match burners then I would switch to a 90-110gr mono. IMR3031 is just a little faster burning than benchmark and with the 120gr bullets In a gas gun I'd START at around 22.5gr of IMR3031 and work up 0.1gr at a time till you hit pressure.......if it were me.

 

[Dentite]

Will cfe223 work for 120's? I hardly ever see 8208 available anywhere the last year or two.

I has for me. I used CFE223 with 123 grain SSTs and it worked great. Can't remember the charge weight off hand.

 

[highbrow]

28 gr 3031 works well with the 123 ELDM for me. Used 26 gr for the 140s.
CFE 223 is probably one of the better powders for the Grendel. I use 31.5 gr for the 123 ELDM. Good velocity and accuracy.

Speer had data for 3031.

 

[a_savage02]

Awesome thank you guys. I'll probably try and pick up some 8208 or CFE223 in the future but Im going to see if I can get something to work with the 3031 first cause I have so much of it. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[JasonAL]

Will cfe223 work for 120's? I hardly ever see 8208 available anywhere the last year or two.

I use CFE223 with 123 SST's. I plan on using H4895 for 85-90gr copper bullets.

 

[a_savage02]

I've found that out of my 20" bolt gun the "heavies" 125-135gr bullets are a bit anemic in the Grendel as in pretty slow. I'm working up a load with the 97gr hammers and cfe223. I said that to say this..... if the imr 3031 doesn't work with the 120 match burners then I would switch to a 90-110gr mono. IMR3031 is just a little faster burning than benchmark and with the 120gr bullets In a gas gun I'd START at around 22.5gr of IMR3031 and work up 0.1gr at a time till you hit pressure.......if it were me.

Why would you start at 22.5?

 

[DUCKMAN11]

3 reasons

1. It's interwebs advice on how to build an explosive device that will be set off 4" away from someone's face. I'd feel horrible if something catastrophic happened off my "advice"
2. It's going in a gas gun that I've never shot. Behind a bullet I've never shot. I don't know what his operating system consists of. I don't know what BCG and ESPECIALLY bolt he's running or what buffer and spring and gas system he has. So at 22.5gr it should be a very mild and probably very safe load.
3. I only have personal experience with benchmark and a good starting load with it is 23gr. IMR 3031 is a little faster burning than benchmark but not by much. So by down charging a little in the beginning he could easily have a safe starting load to work up from.