Reloder 26

[Bowfishn]

Back in the 60's my Uncle started hunting with a Model 70 Winchester in 264 win mag, it had a 26" factory barrel. He shot well with it, took a couple Moose with it in Newfoundland, many many whitetail and a lot of varmints. Great Cartridge.
Your load is 55227 psi according to your velocity with 64.5 gr RL26 3075
Looks like QL shows with your lot of powder you may be able to go up to 65.6 gr RL26 and 3166 fps @ 61641 psi
Good luck to you

 

[santee116]

Did some testing with the RL-26 and my 6.5-284, Proof barrel, 1-8", 29". Chamber is Saami spec, does not have a super long throat.

Just a velocity and pressure test, measured with Magneto speed.
Temp was 75-80 degrees, elevation 150' asl.

127 Barnes LRX
53.0 grains = 3120 fps
thru
54.5 grains = 3192 (slight pressure signs)


140 Amax (have a bunch left over)
53.3 grains = 3078 fps
thru
54.8 grains = 3135 fps (slight pressure signs)

 

[Hard Head]

I love R26,have used it with the .300 Weatherb7,&mm R. Mag.30/06,6 and 6.5 Creedmoor, try different primers though,my creeds loved BR2's with them. 06 and Weatherby used 210's and 215 ,it kinda reminds me of the old Norma 205,Pete

 

[brentc]

I figured I ought to throw this 300 WSM testing in here for guys looking for more data. I took 10 rounds to the range to get velocity data from 68.7 grains of RL26 with the 200 ELD-X seated at .020" off. The temp outside was 17*F. For the test, I let five rounds of ammo soak in the cold for 25 minutes while traveling to the range and an additional 30 minutes to let the rifle soak alongside the first five rounds prior to firing them across the Magneto speed. The first 5 rounds soaked nearly an hour and the rifle soaked for 30 minutes at 17*F. The other five rounds were stored indoors at 70*F until they were fired through the rifle.

My 17* F speeds were:
1. 3009
2. 3010
3. 3007
4. 3013
5. 3011
AVG 3010 fps

For the warm rounds, I moved the rifle indoors to soak for 30 minutes at 70*F prior to firing the warm rounds.

The warm speeds were:
1. 3017
2. 3019
3. 3013
4. 3020
5. 3015
AVG 3017 fps

Needless to say, I'm pleased with what I'm seeing with RL26. A 7 fps swing over a 53* temp change producing 3000+ fps with a 200 grain bullet in the WSM case with RL26 exceeded all expectations.

I'll test it in the negative temps in the near future for additional data.

**Update** I've increased the powder charge to 69.3 grains to match the above velocity with a fresh 8lb jug of powder from a different lot. I see no indications of excess pressure and no change in accuracy.

 

[Hard Head]

I figured I ought to throw this in here for guys looking for more data. I took 10 rounds to the range to get velocity data from 68.7 grains of RL26 with the 200 ELD-X seated at .020" off. The temp outside was 17*F. For the test, I let five rounds of ammo soak in the cold for 25 minutes while traveling to the range and an additional 30 minutes to let the rifle soak alongside the first five rounds prior to firing them across the Magneto speed. The first 5 rounds soaked nearly an hour and the rifle soaked for 30 minutes at 17*F. The other five rounds were stored indoors at 70*F until they were fired through the rifle.

My 17* F speeds were:
1. 3009
2. 3010
3. 3007
4. 3013
5. 3011
AVG 3010 fps

For the warm rounds, I moved the rifle indoors to soak for 30 minutes at 70*F prior to firing the warm rounds.

The warm speeds were:
1. 3017
2. 3019
3. 3013
4. 3020
5. 3015
AVG 3017 fps

Needless to say, I'm pleased with what I'm seeing with RL26. A 7 fps swing over a 53* temp change producing 3000+ fps with a 200 grain bullet in the WSM case with RL26 exceeded all expectations.

I'll test it in the negative temps in the near future for additional data.

**Update** I've increased the powder charge to 69.3 grains to match the above velocity with a fresh 8lb jug of powder from a different lot. I see no indications of excess pressure and no change in accuracy.

 

[tbrice23]

I figured I ought to throw this in here for guys looking for more data. I took 10 rounds to the range to get velocity data from 68.7 grains of RL26 with the 200 ELD-X seated at .020" off. The temp outside was 17*F. For the test, I let five rounds of ammo soak in the cold for 25 minutes while traveling to the range and an additional 30 minutes to let the rifle soak alongside the first five rounds prior to firing them across the Magneto speed. The first 5 rounds soaked nearly an hour and the rifle soaked for 30 minutes at 17*F. The other five rounds were stored indoors at 70*F until they were fired through the rifle.

My 17* F speeds were:
1. 3009
2. 3010
3. 3007
4. 3013
5. 3011
AVG 3010 fps

For the warm rounds, I moved the rifle indoors to soak for 30 minutes at 70*F prior to firing the warm rounds.

The warm speeds were:
1. 3017
2. 3019
3. 3013
4. 3020
5. 3015
AVG 3017 fps

Needless to say, I'm pleased with what I'm seeing with RL26. A 7 fps swing over a 53* temp change producing 3000+ fps with a 200 grain bullet in the WSM case with RL26 exceeded all expectations.

I'll test it in the negative temps in the near future for additional data.

**Update** I've increased the powder charge to 69.3 grains to match the above velocity with a fresh 8lb jug of powder from a different lot. I see no indications of excess pressure and no change in accuracy.

Hey Brent, what cartridge was this in . 300wm?

 

[brentc]

I also tested RL26 in the new Creedmoor. I found excellent precision at 46.4 grains of RL26 in Hornady brass with a Fed 210M and a 147 ELD seated to 2.840" OAL (.020" OTL) The velocity is 2770 fps.

 

[brentc]

Hey Brent, what cartridge was this in . 300wm?

Sorry. It's 300 WSM. It's updated now.

I had it posted in a 300 WSM with a 200 grain ELD-X thread and pulled it over here for others to see.

 

[Hard Head]

Glad to see guy's are getting the same type of results that I have gotten over the past year with many great calibers,will be trying it in my 06 with a 26" med heavy barrel and the 208 ELD Match this week will be starting with somewhere around 60 grains as I found 65 gr. and 168 gave me almost 3000,very very low s.d. and it was literally a 3 shot one holer at 100yds out of a 24 " Rem. 700 last summer,so this 26,and a heavier barrel might be interesting to work with,plan to work up to 62 drains,the 168's were round primers and cases were still tight in the pockets after 12 to 15 fireings, with Remington Brass, Pete

 

[Chris Greenwood]

I've done nowhere near the testing, nor would I have much business in trying as many here have. But I openly refer to R26 as magic pixie dust for the 7 mag.

My supergrade runs them well below most speeds I researched when loading and I'm well over published max to get some speed without any pressure signs, and neck sized brass still chambers easily.

160 TMK @2925 .194 and 68 grains
162 ELD-X @ 3050 .389 and 70 grains

Gun is stock, haven't even adjusted the trigger. This thread was a gold mine of information for the powder. Up next is a 300 wm, hoping for similar results with 180 and 200's.

Cleaned up and older 700 sps that hadn't been well maintained. Less than .5, @ 3025 in a 24" barrel. Very impressed with this powder. Jumping the eld' s. 030 in both guns.

 

[Viking264]

"I've done nowhere near the testing, nor would I have much business in trying as many here have. But I openly refer to R26 as magic pixie dust for the 7 mag."

Ditto the 6.5x55 and .284 Win. I have been seeing very impressive results with RL26 and these two cartridges. My other powders are now held in reserve for the day when I run out of 26 and can't find it locally.

 

[santee116]

Viking,

Would love to hear about your 6.5x55 experience with RL-26, thinking about buying a Tikka swede and I happen to have 8 lbs of RL-26 laying around. Works great in my 6.5-284, figured it would do good in the swede.

 

[Viking264]

Until quite recently, one of my Swedes was a T3 Sporter, with the heavy 600mm barrel. I reloaded for that rifle using RL26, almost exclusively. As light as 100-grain projectiles (subsonic for rat control around our farm), as heavy as 143s in that particular rifle. I found that the MV was quite a bit higher, and the pressures lower, than when I was reloading with H4350 and H4831SC. I fill to somewhere between 101 - 102% of case capacity, and to a max pressure of ≤58K. Granted, it takes more RL26 to reach that pressure than it does the other two powders, but the difference in MV was at least 150 fps, with slightly lower pressure when compared with H4831SC, and a lot lower pressure when compared with H4350. I load to 0.010 to 0.012 off the lands, and results were very consistent. Five shot groups were consistently sub-half-MOA. The majority of what I shot were 140-grain HPBT, however I have developed a real liking for Norma's 130-grain match bullet, so am using quite a few of those now. Low recoil and plenty accurate. Brass I use is mostly Norma, with the odd Lapua here and there, and CCI BR2 primers. I liked that rifle quite a bit, but man was it heavy (due to the stock, which is really ergonomic but weighs 3.8-lbs.) to hunt with.

I have had similar results using RL26 with long action .284 Win. I'd expect RL26 to perform quite well with the 6.5-284, so I'm not surprised to hear that you're having success with it.

 

[Hard Head]

Until quite recently, one of my Swedes was a T3 Sporter, with the heavy 600mm barrel. I reloaded for that rifle using RL26, almost exclusively. As light as 100-grain projectiles (subsonic for rat control around our farm), as heavy as 143s in that particular rifle. I found that the MV was quite a bit higher, and the pressures lower, than when I was reloading with H4350 and H4831SC. I fill to somewhere between 101 - 102% of case capacity, and to a max pressure of ≤58K. Granted, it takes more RL26 to reach that pressure than it does the other two powders, but the difference in MV was at least 150 fps, with slightly lower pressure when compared with H4831SC, and a lot lower pressure when compared with H4350. I load to 0.010 to 0.012 off the lands, and results were very consistent. Five shot groups were consistently sub-half-MOA. The majority of what I shot were 140-grain HPBT, however I have developed a real liking for Norma's 130-grain match bullet, so am using quite a few of those now. Low recoil and plenty accurate. Brass I use is mostly Norma, with the odd Lapua here and there, and CCI BR2 primers. I liked that rifle quite a bit, but man was it heavy (due to the stock, which is really ergonomic but weighs 3.8-lbs.) to hunt with.

I have had similar results using RL26 with long action .284 Win. I'd expect RL26 to perform quite well with the 6.5-284, so I'm not surprised to hear that you're having success with it.