Load Specifications
Load data in caliber 6.5 x 70 R with .257 | 115gr | Federal Trophy Bonded bullet and 26 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are IMR 3031, Accurate 4064 and Vihtavuori N135.
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: 25.6"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 2015 | <<locked>> | 86% | 34,838 psi | 86% | 2280 fps | 99% |
| Accurate 2460 | <<locked>> | 84% | 35,114 psi | 86% | 2306 fps | 96.5% |
| Accurate 2495 | <<locked>> | 96% | 36,666 psi | 90% | 2392 fps | 99.6% |
| Accurate 2520 | <<locked>> | 88% | 34,708 psi | 85% | 2336 fps | 96% |
| Accurate 4064 | <<locked>> | 98% | 36,448 psi | 90% | 2402 fps | 97.8% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 90% | 36,260 psi | 89% | 2388 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 82% | 35,621 psi | 88% | 2303 fps | 99.7% |
| Hodgdon H322 | <<locked>> | 84% | 36,666 psi | 90% | 2352 fps | 98.1% |
| Hodgdon H335 | <<locked>> | 84% | 36,709 psi | 90% | 2359 fps | 97.2% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 32,561 psi | 80% | 1509 fps | 100% |
| IMR 3031 | <<locked>> | 90% | 34,693 psi | 85% | 2369 fps | 98.5% |
| Lovex D073.6 | <<locked>> | 92% | 35,549 psi | 88% | 2369 fps | 96.2% |
| Norma 202 | <<locked>> | 90% | 35,172 psi | 87% | 2329 fps | 96.9% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 32,605 psi | 80% | 1549 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 40 | <<locked>> | 84% | 36,245 psi | 89% | 2320 fps | 95.9% |
| Rottweil R 901 | <<locked>> | 86% | 35,056 psi | 86% | 2283 fps | 96.5% |
| Shooters World Match Rifle | <<locked>> | 92% | 35,549 psi | 88% | 2369 fps | 96.2% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3 | <<locked>> | 82% | 35,984 psi | 89% | 2300 fps | 98.7% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 3000 | <<locked>> | 88% | 36,172 psi | 89% | 2257 fps | 96.9% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 5000 | <<locked>> | 94% | 34,737 psi | 86% | 2251 fps | 97.6% |
| Somchem S335 | <<locked>> | 88% | 34,780 psi | 86% | 2254 fps | 97.5% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 84% | 36,071 psi | 89% | 2260 fps | 99.6% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 88% | 35,694 psi | 88% | 2267 fps | 99% |
| Vihtavuori N135 | <<locked>> | 94% | 35,665 psi | 88% | 2352 fps | 99.3% |
| Vihtavuori N140 | <<locked>> | 92% | 35,679 psi | 88% | 2316 fps | 97.3% |
| Vihtavuori N540 | <<locked>> | 94% | 36,216 psi | 89% | 2343 fps | 96.9% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 25.6"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 2015 | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,066 psi | 72% | 2152 fps | 97.6% |
| Accurate 2460 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,850 psi | 76% | 2211 fps | 95% |
| Accurate 2495 | <<locked>> | 82% | 23,119 psi | 57% | 2077 fps | 95.7% |
| Accurate 2520 | <<locked>> | 86% | 32,648 psi | 80% | 2293 fps | 95.2% |
| Accurate 4064 | 23.8 gr | 90% | 28,311 psi | 70% | 2224 fps | 95.1% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 80% | 26,571 psi | 65% | 2162 fps | 99% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,504 psi | 83% | 2260 fps | 99.4% |
| Hodgdon H322 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,198 psi | 79% | 2254 fps | 96.8% |
| Hodgdon H335 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,343 psi | 80% | 2264 fps | 95.8% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 24,105 psi | 59% | 1348 fps | 100% |
| IMR 3031 | 21.4 gr | 82% | 27,079 psi | 67% | 2182 fps | 95.7% |
| Lovex D073.6 | <<locked>> | 90% | 33,054 psi | 81% | 2316 fps | 95.4% |
| Norma 202 | <<locked>> | 86% | 30,893 psi | 76% | 2234 fps | 95.3% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 23,859 psi | 59% | 1378 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 40 | <<locked>> | 82% | 34,185 psi | 84% | 2277 fps | 95.2% |
| Rottweil R 901 | <<locked>> | 82% | 30,893 psi | 76% | 2192 fps | 95% |
| Shooters World Match Rifle | <<locked>> | 90% | 33,054 psi | 81% | 2316 fps | 95.4% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,823 psi | 83% | 2257 fps | 98.2% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 3000 | <<locked>> | 84% | 31,705 psi | 78% | 2165 fps | 95.4% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 5000 | <<locked>> | 88% | 29,138 psi | 72% | 2126 fps | 95.6% |
| Somchem S335 | <<locked>> | 82% | 29,312 psi | 72% | 2133 fps | 95.6% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,024 psi | 79% | 2178 fps | 99% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 80% | 27,847 psi | 69% | 2093 fps | 96.9% |
| Vihtavuori N135 | 20.4 gr | 80% | 23,134 psi | 57% | 2044 fps | 95% |
| Vihtavuori N140 | <<locked>> | 86% | 29,675 psi | 73% | 2182 fps | 95.1% |
| Vihtavuori N540 | <<locked>> | 90% | 31,981 psi | 79% | 2254 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 26 powders for 6.5 x 70 R loaded with the .257 | 115gr | Federal Trophy Bonded. Accurate 4064 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,402 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,509 fps to 2,402 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 26 of the 26 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (280 MPa), the top charges use 80–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 115.0 gr projectile in 0.264" calls for a 1:7.5 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. IMR 3031, Accurate 4064, Vihtavuori N135 rank at the top here: for 6.5 x 70 R with the .257 | 115gr | Federal Trophy Bonded 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.