Load Specifications
Load data in caliber 6.5 x 52 R K&S with .264 | 120gr | Barnes TAC-X bullet and 61 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 Norma 203B.
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% | 41,510 psi | 88% | 2480 fps | 100% |
| Accurate 2495 | <<locked>> | 88% | 40,553 psi | 86% | 2520 fps | 100% |
| Accurate 2520 | <<locked>> | 82% | 39,987 psi | 85% | 2523 fps | 99.3% |
| Accurate 4064 | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,640 psi | 86% | 2552 fps | 99.8% |
| Accurate 4350ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 41,742 psi | 89% | 2628 fps | 95.8% |
| ADI AR 2206H | <<locked>> | 84% | 40,509 psi | 86% | 2526 fps | 96.8% |
| ADI AR 2208 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,829 psi | 89% | 2533 fps | 96.4% |
| ADI Benchmark 8208 | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,306 psi | 86% | 2497 fps | 98% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,640 psi | 88% | 2546 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Power Pro 2000-MR | <<locked>> | 88% | 42,090 psi | 89% | 2651 fps | 96% |
| Alliant Reloder- TS 15.5 | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,466 psi | 86% | 2549 fps | 97.8% |
| Alliant Reloder-15 | <<locked>> | 88% | 41,118 psi | 87% | 2559 fps | 96.5% |
| Alliant Reloder-17 | <<locked>> | 94% | 40,306 psi | 86% | 2621 fps | 97.1% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 107 | <<locked>> | 86% | 42,540 psi | 90% | 2582 fps | 96.2% |
| Bofors RP3 | <<locked>> | 92% | 42,424 psi | 90% | 2598 fps | 98.3% |
| Hodgdon Benchmark | <<locked>> | 82% | 42,409 psi | 90% | 2497 fps | 98.8% |
| Hodgdon BL-C2 | <<locked>> | 84% | 40,654 psi | 86% | 2556 fps | 98.6% |
| Hodgdon CFE223 | <<locked>> | 82% | 42,003 psi | 89% | 2631 fps | 96.7% |
| Hodgdon H4895 | <<locked>> | 84% | 40,828 psi | 87% | 2539 fps | 97.5% |
| Hodgdon Hybrid 100Vᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 38,870 psi | 82% | 2530 fps | 96.7% |
| Hodgdon LEVERevolution | <<locked>> | 88% | 41,669 psi | 88% | 2608 fps | 98.1% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 34,011 psi | 72% | 1634 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon VARGET | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,974 psi | 89% | 2546 fps | 97.7% |
| IMR 3031 | <<locked>> | 86% | 42,424 psi | 90% | 2595 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4064 | <<locked>> | 88% | 40,944 psi | 87% | 2510 fps | 96.4% |
| IMR 4895 | <<locked>> | 88% | 42,090 psi | 89% | 2592 fps | 97.4% |
| IMR 8208 XBR | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,306 psi | 86% | 2497 fps | 98% |
| Lovex D073.6 | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,307 psi | 88% | 2556 fps | 99.4% |
| Lovex S060 | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,640 psi | 88% | 2480 fps | 97.1% |
| Lovex S062 | <<locked>> | 88% | 40,393 psi | 86% | 2516 fps | 98.1% |
| Norma 201 | <<locked>> | 86% | 42,308 psi | 90% | 2536 fps | 98.5% |
| Norma 202 | <<locked>> | 86% | 42,264 psi | 90% | 2549 fps | 99.8% |
| Norma 203B | <<locked>> | 88% | 40,393 psi | 86% | 2549 fps | 96.9% |
| Norma URPᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 42,511 psi | 90% | 2628 fps | 95.8% |
| Ramshot Big Game | <<locked>> | 88% | 40,103 psi | 85% | 2562 fps | 96.5% |
| Ramshot Wild Boar | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,727 psi | 89% | 2559 fps | 97.1% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 34,447 psi | 73% | 1677 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 52 | <<locked>> | 88% | 42,656 psi | 90% | 2654 fps | 96.8% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 60 | <<locked>> | 92% | 40,205 psi | 85% | 2635 fps | 99.2% |
| Rottweil R 901 | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,857 psi | 87% | 2490 fps | 99.5% |
| Rottweil R 902 | <<locked>> | 88% | 42,424 psi | 90% | 2533 fps | 98.5% |
| Rottweil R 903 | <<locked>> | 94% | 42,322 psi | 90% | 2589 fps | 98% |
| Shooters World Match Rifle | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,307 psi | 88% | 2556 fps | 99.4% |
| Shooters World Precision | <<locked>> | 88% | 40,393 psi | 86% | 2516 fps | 98.1% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 11 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,698 psi | 88% | 2598 fps | 97% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 9 | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,814 psi | 89% | 2549 fps | 97.1% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 3000 | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,597 psi | 88% | 2457 fps | 99.7% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 5000 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,089 psi | 87% | 2457 fps | 99.9% |
| Somchem S335 | <<locked>> | 84% | 40,785 psi | 87% | 2457 fps | 99.9% |
| Somchem S341 | <<locked>> | 84% | 40,466 psi | 86% | 2513 fps | 96.7% |
| Somchem S355 | <<locked>> | 92% | 40,799 psi | 87% | 2546 fps | 97.4% |
| Somchem S365ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 37,681 psi | 80% | 2575 fps | 97.9% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,655 psi | 88% | 2457 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N135 | <<locked>> | 88% | 41,321 psi | 88% | 2523 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N140 | <<locked>> | 88% | 42,656 psi | 90% | 2533 fps | 99.9% |
| Vihtavuori N150 | <<locked>> | 94% | 41,742 psi | 89% | 2536 fps | 98.8% |
| Vihtavuori N530 | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,089 psi | 85% | 2490 fps | 98% |
| Vihtavuori N540 | <<locked>> | 88% | 41,162 psi | 87% | 2523 fps | 99.6% |
| Winchester 6.5 StaBALL | <<locked>> | 96% | 40,495 psi | 86% | 2520 fps | 97.2% |
| Winchester 748 | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,814 psi | 89% | 2582 fps | 99% |
| Winchester StaBALL Match | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,002 psi | 87% | 2556 fps | 97.6% |
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% | 38,943 psi | 83% | 2434 fps | 100% |
| Accurate 2495 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,821 psi | 65% | 2326 fps | 99.7% |
| Accurate 2520 | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,144 psi | 79% | 2467 fps | 98.8% |
| Accurate 4064 | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,225 psi | 62% | 2303 fps | 97.7% |
| Accurate 4350 | <<locked>> | 98% | 38,943 psi | 83% | 2572 fps | 95% |
| ADI AR 2206H | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,549 psi | 75% | 2421 fps | 95.3% |
| ADI AR 2208 | <<locked>> | 88% | 39,030 psi | 83% | 2477 fps | 95.5% |
| ADI Benchmark 8208 | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,565 psi | 80% | 2441 fps | 97.3% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,361 psi | 77% | 2457 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Power Pro 2000-MR | <<locked>> | 86% | 39,262 psi | 83% | 2589 fps | 95% |
| Alliant Reloder- TS 15.5 | <<locked>> | 84% | 33,170 psi | 70% | 2392 fps | 95.6% |
| Alliant Reloder-15 | <<locked>> | 86% | 38,348 psi | 81% | 2503 fps | 95.6% |
| Alliant Reloder-17 | 34.9 gr | 90% | 35,389 psi | 75% | 2510 fps | 95.3% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 107 | <<locked>> | 84% | 39,697 psi | 84% | 2526 fps | 95.3% |
| Bofors RP3 | <<locked>> | 84% | 32,169 psi | 68% | 2385 fps | 95.3% |
| Hodgdon Benchmark | <<locked>> | 80% | 39,914 psi | 85% | 2448 fps | 98.4% |
| Hodgdon BL-C2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,563 psi | 75% | 2454 fps | 97.4% |
| Hodgdon CFE223 | <<locked>> | 80% | 39,160 psi | 83% | 2572 fps | 95.8% |
| Hodgdon H4895 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,737 psi | 76% | 2431 fps | 96% |
| Hodgdon Hybrid 100V | <<locked>> | 96% | 34,360 psi | 73% | 2428 fps | 95.1% |
| Hodgdon LEVERevolution | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,097 psi | 68% | 2395 fps | 95.1% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 25,425 psi | 54% | 1463 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon VARGET | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,563 psi | 73% | 2388 fps | 95.5% |
| IMR 3031 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,447 psi | 73% | 2444 fps | 99.7% |
| IMR 4064 | <<locked>> | 86% | 38,493 psi | 82% | 2461 fps | 95.7% |
| IMR 4895 | <<locked>> | 82% | 34,621 psi | 73% | 2434 fps | 95.1% |
| IMR 8208 XBR | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,565 psi | 80% | 2441 fps | 97.3% |
| Lovex D073.6 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,475 psi | 71% | 2398 fps | 97.9% |
| Lovex S060 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,608 psi | 78% | 2375 fps | 95.6% |
| Lovex S062 | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,183 psi | 66% | 2313 fps | 95.3% |
| Norma 201 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,809 psi | 74% | 2385 fps | 96.6% |
| Norma 202 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,998 psi | 74% | 2405 fps | 98.8% |
| Norma 203B | 31 gr | 84% | 35,375 psi | 75% | 2444 fps | 95.3% |
| Norma URP | <<locked>> | 98% | 39,943 psi | 85% | 2579 fps | 95% |
| Ramshot Big Game | <<locked>> | 86% | 37,449 psi | 79% | 2503 fps | 95.6% |
| Ramshot Wild Boar | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,622 psi | 78% | 2454 fps | 95.6% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 25,237 psi | 54% | 1493 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 52 | <<locked>> | 84% | 37,217 psi | 79% | 2543 fps | 95.2% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 60 | 31.8 gr | 82% | 29,051 psi | 62% | 2346 fps | 95% |
| Rottweil R 901 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,435 psi | 82% | 2444 fps | 99.2% |
| Rottweil R 902 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,141 psi | 70% | 2339 fps | 96% |
| Rottweil R 903 | <<locked>> | 86% | 32,401 psi | 69% | 2382 fps | 95% |
| Shooters World Match Rifle | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,475 psi | 71% | 2398 fps | 97.9% |
| Shooters World Precision | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,183 psi | 66% | 2313 fps | 95.3% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 11 | <<locked>> | 88% | 36,361 psi | 77% | 2487 fps | 95.3% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 9 | <<locked>> | 82% | 36,738 psi | 78% | 2448 fps | 95.7% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 3000 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,622 psi | 78% | 2362 fps | 99% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 5000 | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,805 psi | 63% | 2228 fps | 98.3% |
| Somchem S335 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,114 psi | 77% | 2369 fps | 99.4% |
| Somchem S341 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,143 psi | 75% | 2405 fps | 95% |
| Somchem S355 | <<locked>> | 86% | 33,837 psi | 72% | 2398 fps | 95.3% |
| Somchem S365 | <<locked>> | 94% | 31,053 psi | 66% | 2411 fps | 95.3% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,724 psi | 78% | 2369 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N135 | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,734 psi | 67% | 2336 fps | 99.8% |
| Vihtavuori N140 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,895 psi | 70% | 2339 fps | 98.6% |
| Vihtavuori N150 | <<locked>> | 84% | 30,081 psi | 64% | 2290 fps | 95.5% |
| Vihtavuori N530 | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,637 psi | 80% | 2441 fps | 97.4% |
| Vihtavuori N540 | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,647 psi | 67% | 2326 fps | 97.8% |
| Winchester 6.5 StaBALL | <<locked>> | 92% | 35,404 psi | 75% | 2411 fps | 95.5% |
| Winchester 748 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,230 psi | 77% | 2470 fps | 97.9% |
| Winchester StaBALL Match | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,141 psi | 70% | 2388 fps | 95.1% |
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 61 powders for 6.5 x 52 R K&S loaded with the .264 | 120gr | Barnes TAC-X. ReloadSwiss RS 52 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,654 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,634 fps to 2,654 fps. Accurate 4350 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 61 of the 61 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 1:9.5 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. Accurate 4350, Hodgdon Hybrid 100V, Hodgdon TrailBoss 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, Norma 203B rank at the top here: for 6.5 x 52 R K&S with the .264 | 120gr | Barnes TAC-X 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.