Thread: 6.5 Reduced loads

Hey guys - been thinking about this for some time and after a bit of advice on reduced loads for the 6.5 Grendel. My son shoots it, loves it, and we've a great full powder charge shooting the 123gr. SST over a max charge of 8208 but that combo just doesn't seem suited to bush stalking under 100 yards. Ideally, were trying to get something more quiet but not sub-sonic as there isn't many options for bullets that expand sub-sonic that I'm aware of ? So I'm thinking a 140 - 160 grain projectile going at what ever the the min expansion is recommended, 1500 - 1600 fps ? Remember this will only be used under 100 yards, probably less than 50 yards.

We've a Howa Mini cut to 18 inches with a DPT. Thinking of adding an extra baffle or two, but are reduced loads noticeably quieter ?
Thoughts, recommendations appreciated ?

Originally Posted by Pete_D

Hey guys - been thinking about this for some time and after a bit of advice on reduced loads for the 6.5 Grendel. My son shoots it, loves it, and we've a great full powder charge shooting the 123gr. SST over a max charge of 8208 but that combo just doesn't seem suited to bush stalking under 100 yards. Ideally, were trying to get something more quiet but not sub-sonic as there isn't many options for bullets that expand sub-sonic that I'm aware of ? So I'm thinking a 140 - 160 grain projectile going at what ever the the min expansion is recommended, 1500 - 1600 fps ? Remember this will only be used under 100 yards, probably less than 50 yards.

We've a Howa Mini cut to 18 inches with a DPT. Thinking of adding an extra baffle or two, but are reduced loads noticeably quieter ?
Thoughts, recommendations appreciated ?

Im not sure if the reduced loads will be noticably quieter, but if you went to a lighter bullet, maybe a 90gr TNT at mild loads, and run an extra baffle or two the recoil will be much less and the extra baffle/s will also help with reducing the noise.

Ive recently been playing with 90gr TNT's in my Howa mini getting ready for the kids.

Not so much worried about reduced recoil, just after something more suitable for closer ranges so thinking something heavier, going slower and preferably quieter but as you say, may not infact be that noticeable.

look at speer spbt or nosler partition...you want soft and heavy... and yes definitely quieter with less powder in case...can notice difference even in .223 and definitely in .308 or poohseventy.
close range is the place where round nose with exposed tip excells...neither of the above are that but both have exposed lead tip and soft fast opening front.

AR2206H. You can use this powder for reduced loads. Load down to 60% of the max listed load. Have a look on the ADI site.

http://www.adi-powders.com.au/faq/#f21b4c284d0d2d9af

Ok done a bit more reading and potential projectiles are:

Nosler Partition 125gr. or 140 gr. (listed expansion down to 1800 fps)
Hornady Round nose 160 gr. (listed expansion down to 1600 fps)
Norma Oryx - 156 gr. (listed expansion down to 1500 fps)

ADI 2206H sounds like the ticket then but I have checked out their load data and they have good info on the 60% reduced load from max but dont list 2206H for the 6.5 grendel, so I might flick them an email. At those speeds does anyone have an idea if stabilisation will be an issue in the 1:8 barrel ?

Suppressor?

Originally Posted by outdoorlad

Suppressor?

Yep DPT and thinking of adding more baffles.

with 1;8 stabilisation should NEVER be an issue....