RL16 is it the go to for 6.5 CM?

foul bore

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I have been loading a 6.5 cm with H4350 and imr4451 with decent results, but I am looking for better. bullet is 140gr. Berger VLD primer fed 210. for any of you using RL16 are you getting better results, if so describe
 
I don't know about better since I've never used H4350 but I'm running RL-16 in my target 6.5 Creed with the 140 ELD-M and in my 22" hunting rifle with the 140 Berger EH. Both have great accuracy and the Berger 140 has had great terminal performance.
 
For ease and accuracy if I wanted to shoot the most consistent load in a mid size 6.5, I'd run 4350 and a 140 Berger somewhere in the 2800-2850 fps range. That's what I ran for years, then Hornady came out with the 147 and was half the price of the Berger, and H4350 went missing, so I tried the 147 and RL16. You can get the combo to shoot, but it definitely took more fiddling than 4350 and a 140. I run RL 16 with a 147 in my son's 6.5 Creedmoor and have run it in my 6.5x47 and even have a load for it in my 6.5 Addiction.
 
If you are looking for more velocity Rl-26 will give you more than Rl-16 or H4350, if you can find any to try. Speer has data for the 140's on their website.
 
I just had my first experience with RL16 this weekend, and it looks promising so far. I loaded up enough rounds to go out and break a barrel in. I started low, and worked up to 42 grains of rl16 with the 147 eldm, and it produced a .5 moa 5 shot group. My next trip out will be more towards finding velocities, es, sd, and groups. But so far, I'm impressed.
 
That's very close to the load I have for my son's rifle. From a 24" barrel, he's getting 2790.
 
The Hodgdon manual shows almost identical results for h-4350 and h-4831sc. I can get all the h-4831sc I want. Anyone try it?
 
In a few 6.5 Creeds that I reload for, RL16 is "better" in that it eeks out a few more fps and nets the same accuracy as it was previously shooting with H4350. For example, most 140-143 grain bullets would find a half MOA or better node around 2600-2700fps with H4350 and then fall apart if pushed harder. RL16 would push those velocities up to 2700-2800 with the same accuracy. Is a possible extra 50-100fps worth it? Up to you.

The other "better" piece is, at the moment, RL16 is easier to find than H4350.
 
The Hodgdon manual shows almost identical results for h-4350 and h-4831sc. I can get all the h-4831sc I want. Anyone try it?
I've tried 4831SC in one rifle (6.5 Ruger American Predator), so small sample size. Tried OCW with 142 ABLR and 143 ELDX and didn't want to shoot much below MOA after a lot of testing. Same rifle did great with RL16, 26, H4350 and Superformance with easy to find 3/4 to half MOA loads with same bullets.
 
I've only loaded Superformance and RL26 in mine. A 22" R.A Predator I had and a 26" XBolt HCLR. I got the same velocities with each powder but RL26 was more swirl-tap-swirl and SF just pour and seat.
I've shot these bullets: 100TTSX, 120ELD, 120GMX, 127LRX, 123 MK, 143ELDX, 147 ELDM, 147DRT and shot great groupswith very little tuning. Cloverleafs with most of em. I was mostly trying to see what the guns and bullets were capable of velocity wise. Both of these guns just plain easy to get to shoot well.
22" velocities rounded to 5: 143eldx/2810, 120eld/3000, 147eld/2770, 100ttsx/3230

26": 147eldx/2880, 147drt/2870, 100ttsx/ 3330(before breakin), 127lrx/ 2995, 120mk/3030

I know Superformance isnt known to be temp stable but it's not very sensitive in my experience with a handful of calibers.

Rl26 is purported to be temp stable (tho not the temp consistent claim made for rl23/16 etc) but has a rep of being spikey and erratic in warmer temps. Like 80+. I agree, I thot my chrono was actin up till I did a search.

That's my 13 months and 800rds of 6.5 creed experience.
 
I wrote this back when I was at TTAG. Apologies if crosslinking is forbidden, but it was a fun experiment to show that, yes, RL-16 is a more temp stable powder than H4350.


Since then, I've used it for 170gr class bullets in 30-06 and found that it's a bit faster (50 fps) or so than H4350. Subjectively, I *feel* like I can get to a more accurate load faster with H4350, but RL-16 still works really well and is a lot more available.
 
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