I am going to start some load testing with RL 17 and Nosler 85-grain Partitions and Hornady 100 grain SP in my 6mm Remington. Has anybody used this powder in the 6mm and what was your result? The velocities look to be pretty amazing just looking at Alliant data.

SB I have been loading RL 19 in my 6mm Rem with 85 gr bullets. My rifle will accept a MAX load of 49 grs of RL 19 and it shoots under an inch at 200 yds. This is not a compressed load. RL17 will be slightly faster burning speed than RL19. Hope this helps

I would guess RL-17 to be too fast for optimum velocities in the 6mm Rem with all but the lighter bullets -- those of 80 grains and under. It will almost certainly be too fast to yield optimum velocities with a 100 grainer. But, if you have a supply of it and and want to use it, you can probably still get within 100 fps of optimum. However, I usually find that the lower loading densities of faster-than-optimum powders tend to make for wider variations in shot-to-shot velocities and thus don't contribute to the best accuracy.

If you do use RL-17 be sure to let us know how it does. I have been known to be wrong .

I loaded the 100-grain at .5 grain under max and got 3110 fps with good accuracy. I loaded some 85 Partitions .5 grain under max and got 3280 which is as good as a max load of RL 22 with a 24-inch barrel (mine is 22 inches). I am going to play some more, but the accuracy and velocity were both more than acceptable and the 85-grain was sub-minute easily. I currently have been loading 47.3 grains of RL22 for 3000 fps with a 100-grain Hornady. The RL 17 gets 100 fps faster without being at max. So far, so good.

sbhooper--If you are using them for deer hunting those 100's should work great and a deer will never know about the 100fps differences. It's really no big deal.

I have killed LOTS of deer with the 100 grain Hornadys, as well as several antelope. They work fine and I have not had any walk away from one yet. The 85 partition should be a winner also. I tried the Noslers because I have had them laying around for a long time. There is really no ballistic advantage to using them. It is nice to have a couple options for loads, though, and I think the RL 17 is a good option from what I have seen. I am going to back the velocity down to equal the RL 22 and see how it shoots. It is always good when you can get a lighter load with the same velocity for the integrity of the gun. The 100 grain Hornadys and I suspect Noslers or any others, seem to perform real well at 3000 fps and shoot real flat.

sbhooper--For years I have used Winchester bulk packed 100 grainers. Besides for myself, I have loaded for a son in law and my grandson. Bunch of deer. Over 25 years ago--with a factory round, my son in law shot a deer--probably a bad hit, we found blood spots for a long distance, but no deer. Only one we lost with .243 except one that I tried using a cast bullet. Bad idea. I don't recall that we ever had to track any others.

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I would guess RL-17 to be too fast for optimum velocities in the 6mm Rem with all but the lighter bullets

I liked H414 and RL19 with my 85 & 100gr in a 6mm. RL17 would work just a touch faster than I would like

out a a fast twist 24 inch barrel, RL 17 data from Alliants web site... using an 87 grain HP bullet gave me an MV in excess of 3400 fps...

I believe that the Alliant data is right on the money. If I had a 24-inch barrel and had used a max load, the velocity would have been pretty close.

If you can get the same velocity with less powder and not put as much stress on the gun, why do you think it is too fast, Ramrod?

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why do you think it is too fast, Ramrod

Well I called it too fast in a senior moment. My only idea is I must have been thinking of RL15 since RL17 falls right in with H414 & RL19

Been there, done that