Ok. Unlike you I do not have a youtube channel. But I have been reloading for over 40 years. I still have both eyes and all my digits. I am not one to go out on a limb and push the envelope by nature. I tend to stay within published data unless working with a wildcat of course. One of my reloading mentors was a good friends dad who basically taught me what not to do lol. This guy was an old wildcatter who loved to push the envelope. Of course back in the 80's reloading data wasnt quite so lawyered up. I saw him lock up more than a few actions. Thankfully he never hurt himself and if I showed you his old data sheets you would poop your pants.No, not that I recall. That figure was speaking in generalities to the data I see people advertising regularly. It is often 20k-30k over pressure.
Oh I'm well aware that the "half moa all day" crowd just loves the stuff. In my testing, RL26 hit 3107fps with a 140EH before I hit pressure. Guess what? H4831SC hit 3130fps. I've repeatedly seen this with 6.5 PRC's. H4831SC rivals, or often beats RL26 on velocity... and the H4831SC universally shoots better and is more stable across the life of the barrel.
Look at the data, most of which I collected while streaming live on youtube. Look at how many times RL26 is beat by H4831SC. Look at how many times N560 and N565 is right there with it. Look at the velocities I'm reporting pressure at, compared to the loads you see people claiming around here all the time.
From an accuracy and precision standpoint, I do not use Alliant powders in virtually anything. This RL26 magic pixie dust myth is very often being pushed by people that have not tried anything else, or at least haven't tried much else. They CERTAINLY have not been comparing performance on target. It's very likely they haven't been comparing bore stability, precision and accuracy stability across a long string of fire, resilience to adverse conditions, or how many rounds can be fired while maintaining accuracy and precision before cleaning is required.
Let me make this as clear as I can. In every rifle, with every cartridge, with every barrel... literally everything I've tested... Hodgdon and Vihtavuori produce the best accuracy and precision. (and most often velocity too) Not once have I had an Alliant powder beat them in testing on the target.
So Kyle will be happy that I am not eating up his RL powder supply.
It's not worth it, and it can't be done safely. Look at the AB mobile example I showed at the tail end of the video. 100fps extra velocity equals about 75ft lbs of energy on the 1000yd firing solution I was using as an example. Barely a tenth of a mil of wind difference from 2.0 mils of wind at the "slow" velocity. Is that really worth being on the ragged edge of pressure, then having some rain or melted snow get into your chamber and grenade your gun? Lock your bolt shut on the first round fired? Cause you to miss as a result of wild POI shift due to massive overpressure? Pierce a primer, welding your firing pin to your bolt body? Pierce a primer and put a jet of hot gas and metal into your eye that's conveniently sitting behind your bolt shroud/cocking piece pathway? THAT is why it can't be done safely, because all that's required for a severely negative result is for mother nature or other variables to intercede at an inopportune time. Then, kaboom.
Kyle isn't responsible. Kyle lives on the edge. Kyle doesn't care about anything.
The way I do things and recommend others do things was born from over 30 years of handloading experience and over 15 years of advising shooters professionally. What I recommend is designed to set a shooter up for the best chance of things going right all the time, every time, with as much room for error as possible. It takes a tremendous amount of time, effort, and money to get the kind of experience required to make those recommendations possible.
This next bit isn't pointed directly at you @cajun
I certainly do not have any obligation to defend against or debate with idiotic anonymous internet personalities with comparatively zero experience.
Kyle doesn't need any experience. All he has to do is read the internet.
-----------
Follow on Instagram
Subscribe on YouTube
Amazon Affiliate
So when I saw the internet chatter on R26 I was very skeptical. There was no published data. Then Berger put out 135 data which showed 2977 from a 24" barrel. I emailed. Yes it's quick load data but we have shot it and found it safe or we wouldn't publish the data. So I had a buddy run QL at 63091 max with a 143 hornady. 48.5 grains was 3017. I ran a one shot ladder working up looking for pressure signs. At 48.5 the chrono read 3011. Now even though this load is predicted to be under max it is a warm load. I would never run this hot for the reasons you mentioned. However if you drop down 100 fps I feel this would be a safe load. Wether it's worth doing is a personal thing. If 150 fps was not worth it why shoot a prc or a 6.5 284.
Now you claim R 26 was no faster than other powders tested. That is your experience. However in mine it is not. Also in any reloading data I look at R26 is faster than H4831 in 6.5 PRC(Hornady) or 280 AI (Nosler). In fact where it is listed it is usually 50-100 fps faster than most of the powders listed. Again look at Hornady's Prc and Bergers 135 data. So I do not think it is out of the realm of possibility that R 26 could be 100 fps faster than any listed powder in the creed. Is it worth it. Maybe maybe not. I agree the 260 dude with a 22" in your video is out his mind lol. Now as for me I'm still shooting 42 grains H 4350 at 2750 ish because it's stupid accurate. I'm hoping my buddy will run some pressure tests with R26 and his bullets in the near future.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
