Load Specifications
Load data in caliber 6.5 x 52 R with .257 | 90gr | Winchester Soft-Point bullet and 8 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Alliant AR-Comp, ReloadSwiss RS 14 and Hodgdon TrailBoss.
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 2495 | <<locked>> | 96% | 31,343 psi | 88% | 2520 fps | 96.6% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 88% | 30,168 psi | 85% | 2484 fps | 98.1% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 82% | 31,560 psi | 89% | 2457 fps | 97.3% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 31,778 psi | 89% | 1683 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 31,676 psi | 89% | 1726 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 82% | 30,385 psi | 86% | 2369 fps | 96.6% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 88% | 31,778 psi | 89% | 2411 fps | 95.8% |
| Vihtavuori N135 | <<locked>> | 94% | 31,473 psi | 89% | 2493 fps | 96.2% |
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 2495 | <<locked>> | 94% | 29,124 psi | 82% | 2464 fps | 95.7% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | 21.8 gr | 82% | 25,077 psi | 71% | 2326 fps | 95.6% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,704 psi | 84% | 2408 fps | 96.6% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | 7.4 gr | 80% | 23,192 psi | 65% | 1499 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | 7.6 gr | 80% | 23,264 psi | 65% | 1542 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 80% | 28,631 psi | 81% | 2323 fps | 95.9% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 86% | 30,023 psi | 84% | 2365 fps | 95.1% |
| Vihtavuori N135 | <<locked>> | 92% | 29,675 psi | 84% | 2444 fps | 95.4% |
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 8 powders for 6.5 x 52 R loaded with the .257 | 90gr | Winchester Soft-Point. Accurate 2495 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,520 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,683 fps to 2,520 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 8 of the 8 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (245 MPa), the top charges use 85–89 %, leaving at least 11 % headroom. The 90.0 gr projectile in 0.257" calls for a 1:11.0 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. 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. Alliant AR-Comp, ReloadSwiss RS 14, Hodgdon TrailBoss rank at the top here: for 6.5 x 52 R with the .257 | 90gr | Winchester Soft-Point 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.