What did you do at your reloading bench today?

[lazarus]

Finished 200 rounds 30-06 for my buddy's M1 Garand . Started 200 rds 30-30. Also looking for load recipe for 135 gr hornady a-tip running out of a 6.5 grendel

I can't find any loading data on it. However, Nosler has load data for their 130gr RDF.

https://www.nosler.com/65-grendel clicking on the 130 tab.

I found one mention online of loading 135 A-tips in grendel, but I would NOT use that person's loading data (they don't give all of it) as they were loading it to 2500fps out of an AR-15. I cannot imagine that was safe pressures (it was not a 24" barrel), even with a slower powder, with a 135gr bullet. I would imagine safe velocities would be in the 2300fps range for most slower powders.

Anyway, I found that the Nosler 130gr RDF is 1.333" long, the 135gr A-Tip is 1.3886".

Best suggestion I would do is load it as long as it will possibly go to fit in the magazine without ramming in to the lands (bonus points if a bolt gun you are loading for) and then I would down rate the powder charges by 5% and make sure you are starting from the minimum load and slowly work up.

The load data is based on a 24" barrel. So assume around 150-200fps less with a 16".

 

[Harrys]

Finished 200 rounds 30-06 for my buddy's M1 Garand . Started 200 rds 30-30. Also looking for load recipe for 135 gr hornady a-tip running out of a 6.5 grendel

Shooter's Reference Load Data for 6.5 Grendel

shootersreference.com

 

[Overwatcher]

Biggest any of my manuals have is 130s in 6.5G. What powder are you using?

I’m not using any yet but probably will use Varget. I’ve seen some loads I would not try . Thanks for the info. I will post a recipe when I get it work out.

 

[lazarus]

I’m not using any yet but probably will use Varget. I’ve seen some loads I would not try . Thanks for the info. I will post a recipe when I get it work out.

I wouldn't. Varget is a pretty fast powder for grendel, and not a good match at all to heavier weight bullets. You'll be pretty low on velocity and have less wiggle room during load development.

For example, Nosler's data has their 130gr RDF ringing in 27gr max for Varget, but at only 2259fps from a 24" barrel. IMR4166 was most accurate at 25gr and 2271fps with a max charge of 26gr at 2338fps. And CFE 223 is 31gr max at 2511fps (which is about the max I've seen for 120s...so I question Nosler's load data there. They have it loaded to 2.260" and the max load data Hornady has, I think is 123ELD-M at 31.2 (31.6?) gr loaded to 2.245". So shorter, but the 130 RDF is a much longer bullet and heavier.

Anyway, if Varget is what you have, Nosler has a load you can try (I'd again reduce by 5%), but Varget isn't going to get you much velocity.

 

[Overwatcher]

I wouldn't. Varget is a pretty fast powder for grendel, and not a good match at all to heavier weight bullets. You'll be pretty low on velocity and have less wiggle room during load development.

For example, Nosler's data has their 130gr RDF ringing in 27gr max for Varget, but at only 2259fps from a 24" barrel. IMR4166 was most accurate at 25gr and 2271fps with a max charge of 26gr at 2338fps. And CFE 223 is 31gr max at 2511fps (which is about the max I've seen for 120s...so I question Nosler's load data there. They have it loaded to 2.260" and the max load data Hornady has, I think is 123ELD-M at 31.2 (31.6?) gr loaded to 2.245". So shorter, but the 130 RDF is a much longer bullet and heavier.

Anyway, if Varget is what you have, Nosler has a load you can try (I'd again reduce by 5%), but Varget isn't going to get you much velocity.

That's all I have right now. And you know the availability problems we all face . I found some IMR 8208 but I'll be dang if I'm paying $95 a pound. I'll start light and work up with what I have .

 

[lazarus]

That's all I have right now. And you know the availability problems we all face . I found some IMR 8208 but I'll be dang if I'm paying $95 a pound. I'll start light and work up with what I have .

Oh jeez. Yup, I hear you. Availability sucks. I’ve been pretty lucky…so far and haven’t run out of anything I normally use (yet) and I have acquired some new powders I think will work well for what I want to load.

I do love CFE223 and haven’t seen it in ages. Thankfully I had stocked a fair amount. Though I haven’t loaded much rifle in awhile. Mostly been working on pistol loads the last year, year and a half.

I do have some Nosler all copper 120s I just got to work up a load in 6.5G sometime soon.

 

[erwos]

Shot my test batch of 9 Major last night through my open 2011. Gun and fingers all still intact. If anything, it was not quite as violent as I thought it was going to be... I see why people like this stuff for major PF. It does look super weird to have a JHP loaded to 1.16, but it all fits in the magazines and the gun, so I guess it's fine. Certainly not going to mistake it for anything else.

Same gun fired semi-hot standard-pressure 124 FMJs just fine, so looks like I've got good practice options.

 

[pitpawten]

Learning from my mistake, I opted to just dump the powder on the powder scale instead and throw the emptied case back into the shell feeder for weight trials. All 300 9mm were progressive loaded without incidence.

Good stuff here, abundance of caution and coming up with a plan to avoid it next time

 

[ScottW]

Working getting some brass set up to reload. Presently, neck turning. I use the 21St Century lathe. It’s really nice and makes turning necks a breeze. It’s still slow, a “breeze”, but turning necks is slow going.


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[4g64loser]

Working getting some brass set up to reload. Presently, neck turning. I use the 21St Century lathe. It’s really nice and makes turning necks a breeze. It’s still slow, a “breeze”, but turning necks is slow going.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Worth the effort in the end, though. Love the looks on people's faces when they see those single digit extreme spreads.

 

[ScottW]

Worth the effort in the end, though. Love the looks on people's faces when they see those single digit extreme spreads.

So true. If you want consistent neck tension, you really need to turn the necks. I’m using Lapua brass, but I still turn them ever so lightly.

 

[erwos]

Cracked open the package, and it seems I did indeed score a new in box Dillon 650 for $500 shipped! Spent the day ordering some necessary parts to get it rolling in 45ACP. Just in time, too... down to under a hundred rounds of 45, and there's no way I'm loading hundreds on a turret again.

 

[4g64loser]

So true. If you want consistent neck tension, you really need to turn the necks. I’m using Lapua brass, but I still turn them ever so lightly.

Used to just turn off the high spots on lapua. Now I go to a complete cleanup. On any other headstamp, a full cleanup is mandatory.

Today I examined some Peterson 6br brass. I like it except for the slightest burr in the flash holes. Visible with the naked eye and good light but very evident with a loupe. I'm going to turn the necks to .012 wall thickness to match my lapua brass and at some point load it up to compare it live.

Now it's time to trim some 308.

 

[ToolAA]

Used to just turn off the high spots on lapua. Now I go to a complete cleanup.

Did you notice any significant difference when changing approaches on the Lapua brass. I just prepped 200 cases removing high spots only. Now wondering if it makes sense to just hit them again. I was worried about removing too much metal.

 

[Squaregrouper]

Confirmed my 124gr RMR MPR w/6.7gr HS-6 functioned well in my AP5. Pumped out 500rds.
FWIW- 1275fps and dedicated to the AP5.

 

[4g64loser]

Did you notice any significant difference when changing approaches on the Lapua brass. I just prepped 200 cases removing high spots only. Now wondering if it makes sense to just hit them again. I was worried about removing too much metal.

Yes. Extreme spreads tightened slightly. This is particularly noted in 308, 223. 6br was pretty tight already but I lost some slight fliers (keep in mind that with 88 bergers that rifle parks them in the quarter to three eighths range bag and bipod at 100) and extreme spreads regularly stay in the 8-10fps range. Been at five but I'd call that luck not the standard.

 

[lazarus]

Cracked open the package, and it seems I did indeed score a new in box Dillon 650 for $500 shipped! Spent the day ordering some necessary parts to get it rolling in 45ACP. Just in time, too... down to under a hundred rounds of 45, and there's no way I'm loading hundreds on a turret again.

Get a Lee Classic. Come to the darkside.

Lol.

I do highly recommend them. Not going to be as fast as a progressive when a progressive is working well, but so much easier to setup and getting running. But very easy to swap calibers with a new head, verify things are set right and start cranking out ammo. It is especially good for finicky calibers where a progressive is likely to be a nightmare to setup (like 32acp). It is the kind of thing where it is very easy and quick to crank out 50 or 100 rounds. Not the sort of thing I'd want to sit down and do 1,000 rounds on. But good for a medium volume shooter who is probably doing 3000 rounds a year or less. Heck, probably fine even if you were doing 4000-6000 rounds a year. But that starts getting into the kind of volume a progressive might make more sense. Then again, it is also great if you shoot a LOT of calibers. If all you shoot is 9mm, .45, and .223 well then a progressive is probably right for you.

But here is me, over here, with 13 calibers that I reload for (for now) and I shoot most of them fairly frequently (okay, technically I have not yet reloaded for .30-06, but it is coming).

I'll get a progressive eventually when my kids are out of the house or I am retired and have a lot more time on my hands. But I am probably not shooting more than 1500 of 9mm and 800 of .45acp a year, on top of my various other calibers. Once I am reloading >2000 rounds a year of any one caliber it'll probably make sense for me.

 

[lazarus]

Confirmed my 124gr RMR MPR w/6.7gr HS-6 functioned well in my AP5. Pumped out 500rds.
FWIW- 1275fps and dedicated to the AP5.

My concern with them at those kinds of speeds would be them holding together. RMR makes some good stuff, but I don't think they've published much in the way test data. And I'd be shocked if their MPRs were bonded bullets. So they likely have a relatively narrow range at which they'll expand, but not have the jacket separate. That might not be too fast, but I'd personally want some limited test data (even if it is just shooting into some water jugs) to backup that they don't come apart at those speeds.

 

[erwos]

Get a Lee Classic. Come to the darkside.

Lol.

I do highly recommend them. Not going to be as fast as a progressive when a progressive is working well, but so much easier to setup and getting running. But very easy to swap calibers with a new head, verify things are set right and start cranking out ammo. It is especially good for finicky calibers where a progressive is likely to be a nightmare to setup (like 32acp). It is the kind of thing where it is very easy and quick to crank out 50 or 100 rounds. Not the sort of thing I'd want to sit down and do 1,000 rounds on. But good for a medium volume shooter who is probably doing 3000 rounds a year or less. Heck, probably fine even if you were doing 4000-6000 rounds a year. But that starts getting into the kind of volume a progressive might make more sense. Then again, it is also great if you shoot a LOT of calibers. If all you shoot is 9mm, .45, and .223 well then a progressive is probably right for you.

But here is me, over here, with 13 calibers that I reload for (for now) and I shoot most of them fairly frequently (okay, technically I have not yet reloaded for .30-06, but it is coming).

I'll get a progressive eventually when my kids are out of the house or I am retired and have a lot more time on my hands. But I am probably not shooting more than 1500 of 9mm and 800 of .45acp a year, on top of my various other calibers. Once I am reloading >2000 rounds a year of any one caliber it'll probably make sense for me.

I have a Lee Classic with the reverse ejector, and it has done OK work for me. But it turns out that three progressives (Evo: 223+300, 650 #1: small primer stuff, 650 #2: large primer stuff) goes really really far in doing everything I need them to with minimal changeover hassle. While I wouldn't want to keep swapping calibers on an 1100 or Evo/Apex, it's pretty speedy on a 650/750, and it costs a heck of a lot less.

Also, priming on the Lee absolutely sucks, and it's not a great case prep platform. 650's not amazing for case prep, but I can get an offset toolhead pretty cheap.

 

[Bluemoon]

I loaded 50 rounds of 30-40 Krag.