

45 Colt with a 4.75-inch barrel ranks as one of Brian’s favorite handgun configurations. Some of my better Grendel recipes included Ramshot TAC and VihtaVuori N540.The Colt SAA. I'd previously used Accurate 2015, 2495, and 2520 Alliant Reloder 10-X and Reloder 15 and Hodgdon H335 and Varget.
#Big max rcbs ram pressure pro#
Alliant now offers AR-Comp and Power Pro 2000-MR. In addition, managing the propellant gases for reliable operation is a primary consideration for an autoloader, and since it has been a few years since I handloaded for the 6.5 Grendel bolt gun, there are now several new propellants from which to choose. For reliable operation, the cartridge must readily "fit" the chamber and, when fired, must provide internal ballistics compatible with the rifle's self-loading operation. Unlike in a bolt action, chambering and extracting the cartridge/case is not augmented by muscle power. Maintaining headspace is always important, but it's critical in an autoloading rifle.
#Big max rcbs ram pressure trial#
So I selected 20 pieces of brass and, by trial and error, readjusted the sizer die until I achieved the proper chamber fit. I tried chambering a few cases I'd fired in my bolt rifle, but the headspace was a bit too much to ensure reliable functioning in the AR. Handloading the cartridge for my new AR upper was pretty straightforward. military's service cartridge.Īs I said, my first experience with the 6.5 Grendel was in a rebarreled bolt-action rifle, but recently I used a Sun Devil SD15 AR-type rifle for a couple of handloading reports for the Hodgdon and Lyman reloading manuals, and because the Grendel was so accurate in my bolt gun, I purchased a 6.5 Grendel upper for my SD15 to see what handloads could do in it. According to several knowledgeable folks, it should have already replaced the 5.56 and 7.62 NATO rounds as the U.S.

The increased caliber allows the Grendel to launch bullets weighing from 90 up to 129 grains with exemplary results. Simply stated, it's a slightly enhanced 6mm PPC case necked up to load. Many scribes have earnestly spilled their guts with extraordinary rationales and statistics supporting the cartridge. There's no need to recount everything that's been written about the origins and relative merits of the 6.5 Grendel. Heck, my first experience with the 6.5 Grendel was in a rebarreled Savage bolt rifle. I don't own a Garand or an M14, and my Ruger Minis are still nearly unfired. 30-06, and 6.5mm Grendel - but mostly only in bolt-action rifles. Over the years I've worked with - and have come to appreciate - some of the traditional semiautomatic-rifle cartridges, including. And although I have acquired a few AR-style rifles - and handloaded for them and shot them - I tend to gravitate back to my comfort zone: blued-steel and wood-stocked rifles. Blued steel and a nice piece of walnut make me happy.

I admit that from the first time I shot a firearm I've been a traditionalist at heart. In fact, the fantastic performance my 6.5 Grendel handloads exhibit has helped change my view of a certain firearm platform. The 6.5mm Grendel is just such a cartridge. Sometimes you find a cartridge that really shines when it's handloaded, and it reinforces the notion that reloaders can improve the performance of their chosen cartridge and firearm.
