Load Specifications
Load data in caliber 6 x 52 R BB2 with .243 | 89gr | Merlin Virtus bullet and 53 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are ReloadSwiss RS 60, Hodgdon LEVERevolution and Bofors RP3.
Important Notice: DO NOT go below Minimum Charge or above Maximum Charge. Since we have no control over the equipment and components used, any responsibility and liability for the results achieved is rejected.
Only powders/loads that match the current filter criteria are displayed: max pressure of a load ≤ 90% of max. standardized pressure, fill rate ≥ 80% and propellant combustion ≥ 95%. Use the sliders above the tables to adjust these thresholds.
Charge: Powder weight in grains. Start with the minimum load and work up carefully.
FR (Fill Rate): Case fill as a percentage. Values above 100% mean compressed loads.
MaxP / %: Maximum chamber pressure in bar and as a percentage of the standardized maximum for this caliber.
V(0): Muzzle velocity in feet per second (fps) at the standardized barrel length.
z (Powder Burn): Estimated propellant combustion percentage at bullet exit.
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Max Load - Barrel Length: 23.62"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 2015 | <<locked>> | 86% | 43,294 psi | 90% | 2667 fps | 100% |
| Accurate 2460 | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,249 psi | 86% | 2657 fps | 98.9% |
| Accurate 2495 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,742 psi | 87% | 2700 fps | 100% |
| Accurate 2520 | <<locked>> | 86% | 42,221 psi | 88% | 2713 fps | 98.8% |
| Accurate 4064 | <<locked>> | 94% | 42,134 psi | 88% | 2733 fps | 99.5% |
| ADI AR 2206H | <<locked>> | 88% | 42,467 psi | 89% | 2710 fps | 96% |
| ADI Benchmark 8208 | <<locked>> | 86% | 42,366 psi | 89% | 2684 fps | 97.3% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 88% | 43,294 psi | 90% | 2740 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Power Pro 1200-R | <<locked>> | 82% | 42,540 psi | 89% | 2766 fps | 96.8% |
| Alliant Reloder- TS 15.5 | <<locked>> | 94% | 41,872 psi | 87% | 2720 fps | 96.9% |
| Alliant Reloder-17 | <<locked>> | 98% | 42,351 psi | 88% | 2795 fps | 96.2% |
| Bofors RP3 | <<locked>> | 94% | 41,176 psi | 86% | 2720 fps | 96.9% |
| Hodgdon Benchmark | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,887 psi | 88% | 2631 fps | 97.7% |
| Hodgdon BL-C2 | <<locked>> | 88% | 42,685 psi | 89% | 2743 fps | 98% |
| Hodgdon H322 | <<locked>> | 82% | 42,496 psi | 89% | 2700 fps | 99.7% |
| Hodgdon H335 | <<locked>> | 82% | 43,105 psi | 90% | 2717 fps | 99.3% |
| Hodgdon H4895 | <<locked>> | 88% | 42,772 psi | 89% | 2723 fps | 96.7% |
| Hodgdon LEVERevolution | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,930 psi | 86% | 2733 fps | 96.7% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 33,475 psi | 70% | 1742 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon VARGET | <<locked>> | 88% | 41,437 psi | 87% | 2677 fps | 96.2% |
| IMR 3031 | <<locked>> | 88% | 41,321 psi | 86% | 2736 fps | 99.9% |
| IMR 8208 XBR | <<locked>> | 86% | 42,366 psi | 89% | 2684 fps | 97.3% |
| Lovex D073.5 | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,104 psi | 86% | 2657 fps | 97.9% |
| Lovex D073.6 | <<locked>> | 90% | 43,178 psi | 90% | 2740 fps | 99% |
| Lovex S062 | <<locked>> | 92% | 42,163 psi | 88% | 2694 fps | 97.4% |
| Norma 201 | <<locked>> | 88% | 41,379 psi | 86% | 2664 fps | 97.2% |
| Norma 202 | <<locked>> | 88% | 41,771 psi | 87% | 2690 fps | 99.2% |
| Norma 203B | <<locked>> | 92% | 42,192 psi | 88% | 2730 fps | 96% |
| Ramshot X-Terminator | <<locked>> | 84% | 43,221 psi | 90% | 2671 fps | 95.9% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 33,533 psi | 70% | 1781 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 40 | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,858 psi | 87% | 2671 fps | 98.4% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 60 | <<locked>> | 96% | 42,250 psi | 88% | 2812 fps | 98.6% |
| Rottweil R 901 | <<locked>> | 86% | 42,453 psi | 89% | 2671 fps | 99.1% |
| Rottweil R 902 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,626 psi | 87% | 2661 fps | 97.2% |
| Rottweil R 903 | <<locked>> | 96% | 41,104 psi | 86% | 2710 fps | 96.5% |
| Shooters World Match Rifle | <<locked>> | 90% | 43,178 psi | 90% | 2740 fps | 99% |
| Shooters World Precision | <<locked>> | 92% | 42,163 psi | 88% | 2694 fps | 97.4% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 3000 | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,234 psi | 86% | 2595 fps | 99% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 5000 | <<locked>> | 94% | 43,149 psi | 90% | 2641 fps | 99.8% |
| Somchem S321 | <<locked>> | 84% | 42,627 psi | 89% | 2707 fps | 97.7% |
| Somchem S335 | <<locked>> | 88% | 42,888 psi | 90% | 2641 fps | 99.7% |
| Somchem S341 | <<locked>> | 88% | 42,380 psi | 89% | 2690 fps | 95.8% |
| Somchem S355 | <<locked>> | 96% | 42,583 psi | 89% | 2723 fps | 96.6% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,379 psi | 86% | 2592 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,162 psi | 86% | 2602 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N135 | <<locked>> | 92% | 42,989 psi | 90% | 2710 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N140 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,785 psi | 87% | 2667 fps | 99.4% |
| Vihtavuori N150 | <<locked>> | 96% | 40,799 psi | 85% | 2661 fps | 97.5% |
| Vihtavuori N530 | <<locked>> | 86% | 42,424 psi | 89% | 2677 fps | 97.4% |
| Vihtavuori N540 | <<locked>> | 92% | 43,062 psi | 90% | 2703 fps | 99.2% |
| Winchester 6.5 StaBALLᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 42,830 psi | 89% | 2687 fps | 96.3% |
| Winchester 748 | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,002 psi | 86% | 2713 fps | 97.9% |
| Winchester StaBALL Match | <<locked>> | 90% | 42,989 psi | 90% | 2736 fps | 96.8% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 23.62"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 2015 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,781 psi | 75% | 2523 fps | 99.6% |
| Accurate 2460 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,319 psi | 80% | 2598 fps | 98.3% |
| Accurate 2495 | <<locked>> | 80% | 27,644 psi | 58% | 2388 fps | 98.2% |
| Accurate 2520 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,750 psi | 71% | 2536 fps | 96.8% |
| Accurate 4064 | <<locked>> | 82% | 27,978 psi | 58% | 2408 fps | 95.8% |
| ADI AR 2206H | <<locked>> | 86% | 39,987 psi | 84% | 2657 fps | 95.2% |
| ADI Benchmark 8208 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,911 psi | 73% | 2523 fps | 95% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,793 psi | 69% | 2539 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Power Pro 1200-R | <<locked>> | 80% | 39,885 psi | 83% | 2713 fps | 96% |
| Alliant Reloder- TS 15.5 | <<locked>> | 90% | 36,927 psi | 77% | 2618 fps | 95.5% |
| Alliant Reloder-17 | <<locked>> | 96% | 39,450 psi | 82% | 2730 fps | 95.1% |
| Bofors RP3 | 29 gr | 90% | 36,216 psi | 76% | 2615 fps | 95.3% |
| Hodgdon Benchmark | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,159 psi | 78% | 2533 fps | 96.5% |
| Hodgdon BL-C2 | <<locked>> | 82% | 34,679 psi | 72% | 2572 fps | 95.7% |
| Hodgdon H322 | <<locked>> | 80% | 39,421 psi | 82% | 2644 fps | 99.4% |
| Hodgdon H335 | <<locked>> | 80% | 40,118 psi | 84% | 2657 fps | 98.9% |
| Hodgdon H4895 | <<locked>> | 84% | 37,420 psi | 78% | 2612 fps | 95.1% |
| Hodgdon LEVERevolution | 29.3 gr | 88% | 38,522 psi | 80% | 2680 fps | 95.9% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 24,845 psi | 52% | 1558 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon VARGET | <<locked>> | 86% | 38,986 psi | 81% | 2625 fps | 95.5% |
| IMR 3031 | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,386 psi | 66% | 2520 fps | 98.4% |
| IMR 8208 XBR | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,911 psi | 73% | 2523 fps | 95% |
| Lovex D073.5 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,203 psi | 80% | 2598 fps | 97.2% |
| Lovex D073.6 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,269 psi | 63% | 2461 fps | 95.4% |
| Lovex S062 | <<locked>> | 86% | 34,635 psi | 72% | 2533 fps | 95.1% |
| Norma 201 | <<locked>> | 84% | 36,550 psi | 76% | 2562 fps | 95.7% |
| Norma 202 | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,749 psi | 66% | 2470 fps | 96.7% |
| Norma 203B | <<locked>> | 90% | 39,233 psi | 82% | 2667 fps | 95.1% |
| Ramshot X-Terminator | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,741 psi | 85% | 2625 fps | 95.2% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 24,627 psi | 51% | 1591 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 40 | <<locked>> | 80% | 39,320 psi | 82% | 2621 fps | 97.9% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 60 | 30 gr | 90% | 34,563 psi | 72% | 2628 fps | 95.9% |
| Rottweil R 901 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,317 psi | 74% | 2523 fps | 97.6% |
| Rottweil R 902 | <<locked>> | 84% | 34,577 psi | 72% | 2510 fps | 95% |
| Rottweil R 903 | <<locked>> | 94% | 38,508 psi | 80% | 2657 fps | 95.7% |
| Shooters World Match Rifle | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,269 psi | 63% | 2461 fps | 95.4% |
| Shooters World Precision | <<locked>> | 86% | 34,635 psi | 72% | 2533 fps | 95.1% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 3000 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,084 psi | 71% | 2448 fps | 97.4% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 5000 | <<locked>> | 80% | 27,528 psi | 58% | 2303 fps | 96.2% |
| Somchem S321 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,956 psi | 77% | 2592 fps | 96.2% |
| Somchem S335 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,272 psi | 70% | 2448 fps | 98% |
| Somchem S341 | <<locked>> | 86% | 39,900 psi | 83% | 2641 fps | 95% |
| Somchem S355 | <<locked>> | 92% | 37,202 psi | 78% | 2612 fps | 95% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,856 psi | 81% | 2546 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,040 psi | 71% | 2461 fps | 99.3% |
| Vihtavuori N135 | <<locked>> | 80% | 28,892 psi | 60% | 2411 fps | 98.5% |
| Vihtavuori N140 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,153 psi | 63% | 2415 fps | 96.6% |
| Vihtavuori N150 | <<locked>> | 90% | 33,344 psi | 70% | 2503 fps | 95.2% |
| Vihtavuori N530 | <<locked>> | 82% | 36,970 psi | 77% | 2569 fps | 95.9% |
| Vihtavuori N540 | <<locked>> | 80% | 28,863 psi | 60% | 2388 fps | 95.4% |
| Winchester 6.5 StaBALL | <<locked>> | 98% | 40,393 psi | 84% | 2638 fps | 95.5% |
| Winchester 748 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,373 psi | 70% | 2546 fps | 95.6% |
| Winchester StaBALL Match | <<locked>> | 86% | 37,637 psi | 79% | 2625 fps | 95.2% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
ᴾ possible press load - work up slowly to this load while watching for signs of excessive pressure.
This overview compares 53 powders for 6 x 52 R BB2 loaded with the .243 | 89gr | Merlin Virtus. ReloadSwiss RS 60 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,812 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,742 fps to 2,812 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 53 of the 53 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (330 MPa), the top charges use 70–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 89.0 gr projectile in 0.243" calls for a 1:8.5 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. Hodgdon TrailBoss, ReloadSwiss RS 14, Winchester 6.5 StaBALL reach 100 % fill or more at maximum charge, so these are compressed loads: they need a long drop tube to seat cleanly and react sensitively to the case capacity of your own brass lot. ReloadSwiss RS 60, Hodgdon LEVERevolution, Bofors RP3 rank at the top here: for 6 x 52 R BB2 with the .243 | 89gr | Merlin Virtus they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. Always begin at the start load and work up in small increments while checking case and primer for pressure signs.