RL 16 in 6.5 CM

[stevenedwards]

I am new to loading for the Creedmoor and have been trying to use RL16 but I have case capacity issues with it. For example the RL recipe for NBT 120gr states a maximum of 45.5 and makes no reference to the load being compressed. At 44.3 grains my case is full to the brim ! and it appears at the point of compressing at about 42.2 grains. The brass is new peterson LRP which is averaging 50.26 gr. H2O.
Any thoughts or experience would be appreciated.
I have no problems with V-N150 and starting to develop some good grouping with both 120gr NBT and Fox 100gr.

 

[paul o']

Just thinking here aloud ! ? are you using a powder drop tube and have you tested the H20 of the case's ( edit see you have lol) also will the powder vibrate down ? easy way to test is just nick her indoorses powder tooth brush to test see if it will settle down into the case .

 

[Everlong]

I'm using RS62 in my 6.5CM and went up to 44.6gn without needing to compress (max load quoted by Reload Swiss is 44.8) I ran my first tests on Sunday with 140g ELD-M, 3 rounds each of 10 different charge weights. At 44.0 and 44.3 (3 rounds of each) I got SDs of 6 and 5 and a group size of 0.27MOA @ 44.0 and 0.34MOA @44.3 - MV was 2670 - very happy with that. These were also the very first rounds I've ever loaded

 

[stevenedwards]

Just thinking here aloud ! ? are you using a powder drop tube and have you tested the H20 of the case's ( edit see you have lol) also will the powder vibrate down ? easy way to test is just nick her indoorses powder tooth brush to test see if it will settle down into the case .

I will try the tooth brush thing and report

 

[stevenedwards]

I'm using RS62 in my 6.5CM and went up to 44.6gn without needing to compress (max load quoted by Reload Swiss is 44.8) I ran my first tests on Sunday with 140g ELD-M, 3 rounds each of 10 different charge weights. At 44.0 and 44.3 (3 rounds of each) I got SDs of 6 and 5 and a group size of 0.27MOA @ 44.0 and 0.34MOA @44.3 - MV was 2670 - very happy with that. These were also the very first rounds I've ever loaded

Very well done. I will take a look at the RS details

 

[paul o']

Please wash it after or the game will be up

 

[paul o']

Guys in my club all use RS60
but when my 6.5 cm turns up I guess ill find out lol

 

[Everlong]

Very well done. I will take a look at the RS details

Cheers - good luck

 

[NigelM]

Hopefully @dodgyknees will turn up on this thread soon. He has been using RL16 in 6.5CM and has found it to be very dirty and difficult to clean. I have been looking at powders in the same range for 6.5 Lapua and have settled on RS62 which is single base. RS60 is a double base powder, very aggressive on the throat - I have been down that road and will be sticking with single base in the future.

 

[stevenedwards]

Hopefully @dodgyknees will turn up on this thread soon. He has been using RL16 in 6.5CM and has found it to be very dirty and difficult to clean. I have been looking at powders in the same range for 6.5 Lapua and have settled on RS62 which is single base. RS60 is a double base powder, very aggressive on the throat - I have been down that road and will be sticking with single base in the future.

Thats interesting. I cleaned the new barrel after the first shot then three then five and didn't notice any thing but after 35 rounds it took a hand full of patches before they ran clean.

 

[scotch_egg]

I have also just completed load development with RS62 in a 24” barrel I was getting 2680 to 2750 with excellent groups throughout the range.

Although I also found that at 43g my Lapua small primer brass was full and the crushing sound is disconcerting.

 

[Edinburgh Rifles]

If your chasing velocity rs60 and n550 are the two to choose

Compressed loads are not bad per se
But if too compressed you can get a solid column down the centre that can create a variable burn rate and issues

Will run yours through quick load and see what is spit out theoretically

 

[stevenedwards]

If your chasing velocity rs60 and n550 are the two to choose

Compressed loads are not bad per se
But if too compressed you can get a solid column down the centre that can create a variable burn rate and issues

Will run yours through quick load and see what is spit out theoretically

Thanks Ed. My real point was how can Alliants web site display loads that physically will not go in the case never mind the bullet !

 

[User00033]

All reloading data needs to be reviewed carefully with regards to your choice of components. The Peterson brass is good stuff, but thick walled and hence holds less powder. Alliant RL16 is a low density powder. Thus, its not too hard to work out why a max load might not fit the case. The thicker small primer brass doesn't fit well within standard LR primer brass load data, I haven't seen any load data for either Peterson or Lapua SR brass though I haven't been looking for it either.

Down these parts we are getting faster outcomes with RL16 and SR brass than is listed in the books with LR brass and standard (traditional) powders. I think it might have promped the warning sticky at the beginning of this section. Its all done with a keen eye on pressure signs of course.

The RL16 in 6.5 Creedmoor and 6.5x47 is filthy stuff in two of our rifles and the carbon buildup required a hefty dose of oven cleaner to get rid of. Nothing else would touch it. At first I was wowsered by the additional velocity, but in percentage terms it is still just a few % (6-9%) and has very little overall impact on external ballistics or terminal performance. So I am sticking with good old H4350.

I don't know anything about throat erosion and have no data or experience of it to share.

Dirty patches after a dose of oven cleaner:

 

[stevenedwards]

Interesting. If we could get H4350 I'm sure a lot of us would be using it, its a case of finding the closest alternative.