Load Specifications
Load data in caliber 6.5 x 57 R with .264 | 123gr | Hornady SST bullet and 29 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Alliant Reloder-26, Winchester StaBALL HD and Alliant Reloder-16.
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 3100 | <<locked>> | 96% | 40,698 psi | 85% | 2654 fps | 96.4% |
| Accurate 4350 | <<locked>> | 88% | 42,960 psi | 90% | 2720 fps | 98.5% |
| Alliant Reloder-16 | <<locked>> | 88% | 41,916 psi | 88% | 2730 fps | 98.6% |
| Alliant Reloder-17 | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,626 psi | 87% | 2746 fps | 99.6% |
| Alliant Reloder-23 | <<locked>> | 98% | 41,524 psi | 87% | 2743 fps | 99.5% |
| Alliant Reloder-25ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 38,696 psi | 81% | 2694 fps | 96.2% |
| Alliant Reloder-26 | <<locked>> | 96% | 43,294 psi | 90% | 2848 fps | 98.5% |
| Hodgdon Hybrid 100V | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,336 psi | 86% | 2667 fps | 99.4% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 35,897 psi | 75% | 1768 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4831 | <<locked>> | 88% | 41,089 psi | 86% | 2667 fps | 98.2% |
| Lovex S065 | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,031 psi | 86% | 2605 fps | 96.7% |
| Norma URP | <<locked>> | 88% | 42,583 psi | 89% | 2710 fps | 98.3% |
| Ramshot Hunter | <<locked>> | 88% | 41,466 psi | 87% | 2700 fps | 96.5% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 36,419 psi | 76% | 1811 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 60 | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,408 psi | 87% | 2749 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 62 | <<locked>> | 88% | 42,743 psi | 89% | 2740 fps | 98.2% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 70 | <<locked>> | 88% | 41,887 psi | 88% | 2746 fps | 97.6% |
| Rottweil R 903 | <<locked>> | 82% | 42,076 psi | 88% | 2654 fps | 99.5% |
| Shooters World Long Rifle | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,031 psi | 86% | 2605 fps | 96.7% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 11 | <<locked>> | 82% | 43,294 psi | 90% | 2707 fps | 99.3% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 7000 | <<locked>> | 86% | 43,178 psi | 90% | 2608 fps | 96% |
| Somchem S355 | <<locked>> | 82% | 42,714 psi | 89% | 2657 fps | 99.5% |
| Somchem S365 | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,915 psi | 85% | 2720 fps | 99.9% |
| Vihtavuori N150 | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,669 psi | 85% | 2589 fps | 99.8% |
| Vihtavuori N160 | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,611 psi | 87% | 2657 fps | 98.1% |
| Vihtavuori N550 | <<locked>> | 86% | 40,901 psi | 85% | 2657 fps | 97.7% |
| Vihtavuori N555 | <<locked>> | 96% | 43,091 psi | 90% | 2766 fps | 99% |
| Winchester 6.5 StaBALL | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,060 psi | 86% | 2631 fps | 99.5% |
| Winchester StaBALL HDᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 39,653 psi | 83% | 2822 fps | 99.9% |
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 3100 | <<locked>> | 94% | 38,261 psi | 80% | 2605 fps | 95.6% |
| Accurate 4350 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,460 psi | 68% | 2484 fps | 95.3% |
| Alliant Reloder-16 | 38.4 gr | 80% | 32,460 psi | 68% | 2500 fps | 95.4% |
| Alliant Reloder-17 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,434 psi | 76% | 2628 fps | 98.6% |
| Alliant Reloder-23 | <<locked>> | 86% | 28,514 psi | 60% | 2411 fps | 95.3% |
| Alliant Reloder-25 | <<locked>> | 98% | 36,535 psi | 76% | 2638 fps | 95.3% |
| Alliant Reloder-26 | 47.7 gr | 90% | 34,983 psi | 73% | 2648 fps | 95.7% |
| Hodgdon Hybrid 100V | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,066 psi | 63% | 2402 fps | 96.4% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 26,832 psi | 56% | 1581 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4831 | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,589 psi | 66% | 2448 fps | 95.1% |
| Lovex S065 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,303 psi | 76% | 2500 fps | 95.2% |
| Norma URP | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,706 psi | 68% | 2487 fps | 95.3% |
| Ramshot Hunter | <<locked>> | 86% | 38,885 psi | 81% | 2644 fps | 95.6% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 27,108 psi | 57% | 1617 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 60 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,769 psi | 81% | 2694 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 62 | <<locked>> | 82% | 34,664 psi | 72% | 2562 fps | 95.8% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 70 | <<locked>> | 84% | 36,550 psi | 76% | 2625 fps | 95.8% |
| Rottweil R 903 | <<locked>> | 80% | 39,349 psi | 82% | 2598 fps | 99.2% |
| Shooters World Long Rifle | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,303 psi | 76% | 2500 fps | 95.2% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 11 | <<locked>> | 80% | 40,277 psi | 84% | 2648 fps | 98.8% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 7000 | <<locked>> | 84% | 40,422 psi | 84% | 2552 fps | 95.2% |
| Somchem S355 | <<locked>> | 80% | 40,016 psi | 84% | 2602 fps | 99.1% |
| Somchem S365 | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,341 psi | 61% | 2441 fps | 97.6% |
| Vihtavuori N150 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,043 psi | 79% | 2533 fps | 99.6% |
| Vihtavuori N160 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,968 psi | 71% | 2487 fps | 95.7% |
| Vihtavuori N550 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,620 psi | 70% | 2490 fps | 95.4% |
| Vihtavuori N555 | <<locked>> | 86% | 30,980 psi | 65% | 2490 fps | 95.5% |
| Winchester 6.5 StaBALL | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,533 psi | 70% | 2464 fps | 97.9% |
| Winchester StaBALL HD | 45.8 gr | 90% | 28,558 psi | 60% | 2490 fps | 95.9% |
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 29 powders for 6.5 x 57 R loaded with the .264 | 123gr | Hornady SST. Alliant Reloder-26 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,848 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,768 fps to 2,848 fps. Alliant Reloder-25 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 29 of the 29 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (330 MPa), the top charges use 75–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 123.0 gr projectile in 0.264" calls for a 1:9.0 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. Alliant Reloder-25, 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 Reloder-26, Winchester StaBALL HD, Alliant Reloder-16 rank at the top here: for 6.5 x 57 R with the .264 | 123gr | Hornady SST 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.