Load Specifications
Load data in caliber 6.5 x 52 R K&S with .264 | 120gr | Barnes TAC-TX BT bullet and 58 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are ReloadSwiss RS 60, Alliant Reloder-17 and Hodgdon LEVERevolution.
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>> | 82% | 40,524 psi | 86% | 2457 fps | 100% |
| Accurate 2495 | <<locked>> | 90% | 42,322 psi | 90% | 2546 fps | 100% |
| Accurate 2520 | <<locked>> | 84% | 42,047 psi | 89% | 2552 fps | 99.4% |
| Accurate 4064 | <<locked>> | 92% | 42,366 psi | 90% | 2579 fps | 99.9% |
| ADI AR 2206H | <<locked>> | 86% | 42,627 psi | 90% | 2559 fps | 97.2% |
| ADI AR 2208 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,060 psi | 87% | 2510 fps | 96% |
| ADI Benchmark 8208 | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,974 psi | 89% | 2523 fps | 98.2% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 84% | 40,524 psi | 86% | 2523 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Reloder- TS 15.5 | <<locked>> | 92% | 42,250 psi | 90% | 2575 fps | 98.1% |
| Alliant Reloder-15 | <<locked>> | 88% | 40,321 psi | 86% | 2536 fps | 96.1% |
| Alliant Reloder-17 | <<locked>> | 96% | 42,293 psi | 90% | 2654 fps | 97.5% |
| Bofors RP3 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,582 psi | 88% | 2575 fps | 98% |
| Hodgdon Benchmark | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,930 psi | 89% | 2477 fps | 98.6% |
| Hodgdon BL-C2 | <<locked>> | 84% | 39,842 psi | 85% | 2533 fps | 98.3% |
| Hodgdon CFE223 | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,191 psi | 87% | 2608 fps | 96.3% |
| Hodgdon H4895 | <<locked>> | 84% | 39,943 psi | 85% | 2516 fps | 97.2% |
| Hodgdon Hybrid 100Vᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 37,971 psi | 81% | 2503 fps | 96.2% |
| Hodgdon LEVERevolution | <<locked>> | 88% | 40,915 psi | 87% | 2585 fps | 97.8% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 34,026 psi | 72% | 1627 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon VARGET | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,524 psi | 88% | 2526 fps | 97.4% |
| IMR 3031 | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,394 psi | 88% | 2572 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4064 | <<locked>> | 88% | 40,132 psi | 85% | 2487 fps | 96% |
| IMR 4895 | <<locked>> | 88% | 41,263 psi | 88% | 2569 fps | 97% |
| IMR 8208 XBR | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,974 psi | 89% | 2523 fps | 98.2% |
| Lovex D073.6 | <<locked>> | 86% | 40,437 psi | 86% | 2536 fps | 99.2% |
| Lovex S060 | <<locked>> | 84% | 40,843 psi | 87% | 2457 fps | 96.8% |
| Lovex S062 | <<locked>> | 90% | 42,105 psi | 89% | 2539 fps | 98.4% |
| Norma 201 | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,423 psi | 88% | 2513 fps | 98.2% |
| Norma 202 | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,742 psi | 89% | 2533 fps | 99.7% |
| Norma 203B | <<locked>> | 90% | 42,119 psi | 89% | 2575 fps | 97.2% |
| Ramshot Big Game | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,930 psi | 89% | 2589 fps | 96.8% |
| Ramshot Wild Boar | <<locked>> | 84% | 40,988 psi | 87% | 2536 fps | 96.8% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 34,069 psi | 72% | 1663 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 52 | <<locked>> | 88% | 41,814 psi | 89% | 2631 fps | 96.5% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 60 | <<locked>> | 94% | 42,148 psi | 89% | 2664 fps | 99.4% |
| Rottweil R 901 | <<locked>> | 84% | 42,467 psi | 90% | 2513 fps | 99.6% |
| Rottweil R 902 | <<locked>> | 88% | 41,582 psi | 88% | 2510 fps | 98.2% |
| Rottweil R 903 | <<locked>> | 94% | 41,481 psi | 88% | 2566 fps | 97.7% |
| Shooters World Match Rifle | <<locked>> | 86% | 40,437 psi | 86% | 2536 fps | 99.2% |
| Shooters World Precision | <<locked>> | 90% | 42,105 psi | 89% | 2539 fps | 98.4% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 11 | <<locked>> | 92% | 40,683 psi | 86% | 2572 fps | 96.6% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 9 | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,060 psi | 87% | 2530 fps | 96.8% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 3000 | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,060 psi | 87% | 2441 fps | 99.6% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 5000 | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,263 psi | 85% | 2438 fps | 99.9% |
| Somchem S321 | <<locked>> | 82% | 42,322 psi | 90% | 2549 fps | 98.6% |
| Somchem S335 | <<locked>> | 84% | 40,277 psi | 85% | 2441 fps | 99.8% |
| Somchem S341 | <<locked>> | 86% | 42,264 psi | 90% | 2539 fps | 97% |
| Somchem S355 | <<locked>> | 94% | 42,627 psi | 90% | 2572 fps | 97.7% |
| Somchem S365ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 36,767 psi | 78% | 2546 fps | 97.5% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,075 psi | 87% | 2441 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N135 | <<locked>> | 88% | 40,741 psi | 86% | 2507 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N140 | <<locked>> | 88% | 41,800 psi | 89% | 2513 fps | 99.8% |
| Vihtavuori N150 | <<locked>> | 94% | 41,002 psi | 87% | 2516 fps | 98.5% |
| Vihtavuori N530 | <<locked>> | 84% | 42,192 psi | 90% | 2523 fps | 98.3% |
| Vihtavuori N540 | <<locked>> | 88% | 40,408 psi | 86% | 2503 fps | 99.5% |
| Winchester 6.5 StaBALL | <<locked>> | 98% | 42,583 psi | 90% | 2549 fps | 97.6% |
| Winchester 748 | <<locked>> | 84% | 40,959 psi | 87% | 2559 fps | 98.8% |
| Winchester StaBALL Match | <<locked>> | 86% | 40,248 psi | 85% | 2533 fps | 97.3% |
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% | 37,956 psi | 81% | 2411 fps | 100% |
| Accurate 2495 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,197 psi | 64% | 2310 fps | 99.6% |
| Accurate 2520 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,608 psi | 78% | 2451 fps | 98.6% |
| Accurate 4064 | <<locked>> | 80% | 28,631 psi | 61% | 2283 fps | 97.3% |
| ADI AR 2206H | <<locked>> | 82% | 37,289 psi | 79% | 2454 fps | 95.7% |
| ADI AR 2208 | <<locked>> | 88% | 38,247 psi | 81% | 2454 fps | 95.1% |
| ADI Benchmark 8208 | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,043 psi | 79% | 2425 fps | 97% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,317 psi | 75% | 2431 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Reloder- TS 15.5 | <<locked>> | 84% | 32,372 psi | 69% | 2369 fps | 95.1% |
| Alliant Reloder-15 | <<locked>> | 86% | 37,869 psi | 80% | 2487 fps | 95.3% |
| Alliant Reloder-17 | 35 gr | 92% | 37,072 psi | 79% | 2539 fps | 95.8% |
| Bofors RP3 | <<locked>> | 84% | 31,691 psi | 67% | 2365 fps | 95% |
| Hodgdon Benchmark | <<locked>> | 80% | 39,059 psi | 83% | 2421 fps | 98.1% |
| Hodgdon BL-C2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,766 psi | 74% | 2428 fps | 97.1% |
| Hodgdon CFE223 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,363 psi | 81% | 2546 fps | 95.4% |
| Hodgdon H4895 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,230 psi | 75% | 2415 fps | 95.7% |
| Hodgdon Hybrid 100V | <<locked>> | 98% | 35,650 psi | 76% | 2451 fps | 95.4% |
| Hodgdon LEVERevolution | 31 gr | 82% | 33,388 psi | 71% | 2421 fps | 95.5% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 25,295 psi | 54% | 1453 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon VARGET | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,069 psi | 72% | 2372 fps | 95.2% |
| IMR 3031 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,779 psi | 72% | 2425 fps | 99.6% |
| IMR 4064 | <<locked>> | 86% | 37,666 psi | 80% | 2438 fps | 95.3% |
| IMR 4895 | <<locked>> | 84% | 36,042 psi | 76% | 2461 fps | 95.4% |
| IMR 8208 XBR | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,043 psi | 79% | 2425 fps | 97% |
| Lovex D073.6 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,909 psi | 70% | 2382 fps | 97.6% |
| Lovex S060 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,129 psi | 77% | 2359 fps | 95.3% |
| Lovex S062 | <<locked>> | 82% | 32,692 psi | 69% | 2343 fps | 95.7% |
| Norma 201 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,287 psi | 73% | 2365 fps | 96.3% |
| Norma 202 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,127 psi | 72% | 2379 fps | 98.5% |
| Norma 203B | <<locked>> | 86% | 37,144 psi | 79% | 2477 fps | 95.8% |
| Ramshot Big Game | <<locked>> | 86% | 36,753 psi | 78% | 2484 fps | 95.2% |
| Ramshot Wild Boar | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,897 psi | 76% | 2431 fps | 95.2% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 25,425 psi | 54% | 1490 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 52 | <<locked>> | 86% | 39,218 psi | 83% | 2579 fps | 95.7% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 60 | 31.9 gr | 84% | 30,255 psi | 64% | 2375 fps | 95.5% |
| Rottweil R 901 | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,449 psi | 79% | 2415 fps | 99% |
| Rottweil R 902 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,314 psi | 69% | 2313 fps | 95.5% |
| Rottweil R 903 | <<locked>> | 88% | 33,765 psi | 72% | 2408 fps | 95.4% |
| Shooters World Match Rifle | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,909 psi | 70% | 2382 fps | 97.6% |
| Shooters World Precision | <<locked>> | 82% | 32,692 psi | 69% | 2343 fps | 95.7% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 11 | <<locked>> | 90% | 38,261 psi | 81% | 2520 fps | 95.8% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 9 | <<locked>> | 82% | 35,955 psi | 76% | 2425 fps | 95.2% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 3000 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,042 psi | 76% | 2343 fps | 98.8% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 5000 | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,312 psi | 62% | 2211 fps | 98.1% |
| Somchem S321 | <<locked>> | 80% | 39,450 psi | 84% | 2493 fps | 98% |
| Somchem S335 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,592 psi | 76% | 2349 fps | 99.3% |
| Somchem S341 | <<locked>> | 82% | 36,985 psi | 78% | 2438 fps | 95.5% |
| Somchem S355 | <<locked>> | 88% | 35,259 psi | 75% | 2425 fps | 95.7% |
| Somchem S365 | <<locked>> | 96% | 32,474 psi | 69% | 2441 fps | 95.8% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,114 psi | 77% | 2352 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N135 | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,096 psi | 66% | 2316 fps | 99.6% |
| Vihtavuori N140 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,372 psi | 69% | 2323 fps | 98.4% |
| Vihtavuori N150 | <<locked>> | 84% | 29,385 psi | 62% | 2267 fps | 95% |
| Vihtavuori N530 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,796 psi | 78% | 2415 fps | 97.1% |
| Vihtavuori N540 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,893 psi | 66% | 2303 fps | 97.4% |
| Winchester 6.5 StaBALL | <<locked>> | 92% | 34,969 psi | 74% | 2392 fps | 95.1% |
| Winchester 748 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,418 psi | 75% | 2448 fps | 97.5% |
| Winchester StaBALL Match | <<locked>> | 82% | 34,838 psi | 74% | 2418 fps | 95.6% |
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 58 powders for 6.5 x 52 R K&S loaded with the .264 | 120gr | Barnes TAC-TX BT. ReloadSwiss RS 60 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,664 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,627 fps to 2,664 fps. Hodgdon Hybrid 100V gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 58 of the 58 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (325 MPa), the top charges use 72–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 120.0 gr projectile in 0.264" calls for a 1:9.0 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. Hodgdon Hybrid 100V, Hodgdon TrailBoss, ReloadSwiss RS 14 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, Alliant Reloder-17, Hodgdon LEVERevolution rank at the top here: for 6.5 x 52 R K&S with the .264 | 120gr | Barnes TAC-TX BT 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.