Alliant RL powders compared to Hodgdon Exteme

[Mild Bill]

I am new to metallic reloading, been doing shotshell for quite a while, and I realize they are not the same thing.

I am curious as to if the Alliant reloader series of powders is as temperature insensitive as the Hodgdon Extreme series of powders is.


I am in Wisconsin and at least at this time would like to work up a load that a rifle likes and just go with it rather than a summer load and and winter load.... so the idea of the stability of the Extreme series is appealing to me.

So what have your experiences been.

Right now I am loading for my 223 Rem, 223 Ackley Improved, 243 Win and 280 Rem, and have not gotten too far into the process.

Thanks in advance for your replies.

 

[Casing]

I have reloaded rifle ammo for about 10 years now and I have some very accurate loads with the Alliant powders mainly in RL22 and RL25. The bad thing is they are so temp sensitive I do not use them anymore. With my 280AI and my Weatherby calibers I switched to Hodgdon H4831sc for that reason........................ I would develop a great load in the summer with Alliant, when late fall came around and the temps changed so would my point of impact! Sometimes as much as 3 inches! I kept trying to make it work and after talking to other shooters with the same problem I just abandoned the Alliant powder. It's velocities are excellent also but if I can't put the bullets where I want to I don't want to use it................... I am also new to shotshell reloading and am afraid to use Alliant for shotshell reloading because of my experience with rifle loads.

 

[CogburnR]

http://www.hodgdon.com/smokeless/extreme/page2.php#top

http://www.hodgdon.com/smokeless/extreme/page3.php#top

 

[J E Custom]

http://www.hodgdon.com/smokeless/extreme/page2.php#top

http://www.hodgdon.com/smokeless/extreme/page3.php#top

My results were very close to the same in extreme temperature spreads but most powders
are effected more by temperatures in excess of 100o. and some were dangerous.

For the most part the extreme powders are the most unaffected by temp. changes.

Unfortunately some rifles like other powders better and for those cases I have two different
loads That produce the same results.one for winter and one for summer.

J E CUSTOM

 

[elkaholic]

My results were very close to the same in extreme temperature spreads but most powders
are effected more by temperatures in excess of 100o. and some were dangerous.

For the most part the extreme powders are the most unaffected by temp. changes.

Unfortunately some rifles like other powders better and for those cases I have two different
loads That produce the same results.one for winter and one for summer.

J E CUSTOM

+1 I quit using Alliant powders for the same reason....Rich
p.s. I also heard they are Norma seconds so vary considerably from lot to lot...Rich

 

[Mild Bill]

........... I am also new to shotshell reloading and am afraid to use Alliant for shotshell reloading because of my experience with rifle loads.

I shoot a bunch of clay target sports stuff, and find some of the alliant powders to be excellent. Claydot and 20/28 are good stuff.

Since I have a good idea how many rounds I will shoot over the winter what I do in that situation is select a published recipe using a hotter primer like the Fed 209A or the CCI 209 magnum for my 12 gauge winter shooting. Warmer primer makes for more consistent ignition in the winter. And those same loads are safe for the summer too. And with shotgun any difference will be very negligible and we won't notice a difference for breaking clay targets anyway as long as we get good ignition.

For my rifle loading I am not a high volume shooter at this time, so I want to be able to put together one consistant load for a rifle and be able to use it whenever.

 

[rinodods]

Gotta say I'll be switching to H-extreme powders for my 300wm as well. Was using reloader 22. Had a great load that was doing a little less than .5 MOA at around 60F. Using the same batch on a hunting trip when the temps went below freezing and suddenly I was lucky to stay inside 5MOA. Lucky for me I had a couple other loads with me and I found one that would at least group in the colder weather and had to do some quick range work to get data again during the season. Didn't have a chrony or anything to get any hard data but something was really going wrong. Might try cooling some the same loads and trying it again to see if I can reproduce the effect. Never had that issue with any of the H-extreme powder I have used. Now I gotta get rid of a couple extra pounds of RL-22 I have stocked or just enjoy shooting it over the summer and work up another load before season hits again with H-1000 or H4831SC.

 

[johnnyk]

There is a difference in temperature sensitivity but to me it's negligable - now. I do load development and shoot almost year round and use all brands of powder.
This year I killed three bucks with three different rifles. .25-06/115gn BT/RL22, 6.5-284/120gn BT/RL25 and .300WinMag/178gn A-Max/IMR4831. I knew to the half inch where each of those bullets were going to impact the animal.
I put at least 1-2 rounds down range weekly to verify my zero for whatever rifle I happen to be using. It's insurance and makes good sense to me.
I started this habit after missing one of the biggest bucks of my life several years ago. 300yds, solid rest, 7mmRemMag Sendero, 150gn BT and RL22.
I assumed the rifle was dead on at that range and held for the heart. After the fact I discovered my zero was printing 3" low at 300yds. That's enough to miss a deers heart at that range. The bullet apparently went under him. I looked for 3-4 days and never found a spec of blood or hair. Had I been holding for a high shoulder hit he would have been mine.
Now I don't blame this whole incident on RL22. The Sendero had over a 1000rds down the tube and although I can't prove anything I feel as though the bore was loosing pressure due to it's condition. It was heat cracked bad for about the first 10-12 inches and was royal pain to clean. I had started to get random, unexplained misses and shortly after the above incident got rid of it.
Take it for what it's worth. JohnnyK.

 

[Harvey/ Ga]

I am new to metallic reloading, been doing shotshell for quite a while, and I realize they are not the same thing.

I am curious as to if the Alliant reloader series of powders is as temperature insensitive as the Hodgdon Extreme series of powders is.


I am in Wisconsin and at least at this time would like to work up a load that a rifle likes and just go with it rather than a summer load and and winter load.... so the idea of the stability of the Extreme series is appealing to me.

So what have your experiences been.

Right now I am loading for my 223 Rem, 223 Ackley Improved, 243 Win and 280 Rem, and have not gotten too far into the process.

Thanks in advance for your replies.

Haven't had any problems with the Reloader series, but mainly use hodgdon Varget and H-322 in 223 and 308. Also have had excellent results with the VihtaVouri series.

The most temp. sensitive powders that I've used were WW-748 and 760.

 

[lever-hed]

I am new to metallic reloading, been doing shotshell for quite a while, and I realize they are not the same thing.

I am curious as to if the Alliant reloader series of powders is as temperature insensitive as the Hodgdon Extreme series of powders is.


I am in Wisconsin and at least at this time would like to work up a load that a rifle likes and just go with it rather than a summer load and and winter load.... so the idea of the stability of the Extreme series is appealing to me.

So what have your experiences been.

Right now I am loading for my 223 Rem, 223 Ackley Improved, 243 Win and 280 Rem, and have not gotten too far into the process.

Thanks in advance for your replies.

I have found there is some sensitivity, but if you use only one rifle you learn how to shoot it (one load) in ALL conditions.. To me, that is the best alternative, the cheaper one .. someone's makin' aaa LLLLOOTTTT of MONEY !!

 

[Mild Bill]

thanks for the replies everyone!!