Reloder 33

royinidaho

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Anyone using Reloder 33 for anything besides what it was designed for? Which is the 338 LM I believe.

Also, is it a small grained powder like the PP 4000 stuff?
 
I might try it in my 300 wby. quickload seems to be ok 100% fill cap & 2800 fps give or take a little:)
 
Have used it in quite a few cartridges since I received my first 8 lbs over a year ago. It is slower than Retumbo. With no load data listed I started just under Retumbo's max load data and worked up from there.

The cartridges listed below worked excellently with RL-33. The ones that formerly used either RL-25 or Retumbo had higher velocities with RL-33

257 weatherby and 110 gr accubonds
6mm-284 and 105 gr Berger match target hybrids
two 7mm/375 Rugers with 180 gr Berger match target hybrids
300 Rum and 230 gr Berger match target hybrids


Also tried a moly coated 162 A-max with a 24" 7 Rem mag. Ran out of powder space using a 6" drop tube and barely duplicated the original Retumbo load. Didn't try a 180 which might have shown improvements in velocity.

My opinion is that RL-33 works best with heaviest for caliber bullets.
 
I got some to play with, it makes Retumbo look like fine metering powder! Going to be playing with it in some stuff, it seems interesting so far, we haven't loaded into a case that would not really see a large benefit but it has matched other loads in speed but with better ES and looks like very good accuracy.
 
I got some to play with, it makes Retumbo look like fine metering powder! Going to be playing with it in some stuff, it seems interesting so far, we haven't loaded into a case that would not really see a large benefit but it has matched other loads in speed but with better ES and looks like very good accuracy.

If it is matching your other loads velocity, it is probably doing so with less pressure. I'm guessing it might work well in the 270 WSM shooting something like the Matrix 175's
 
I got some to play with, it makes Retumbo look like fine metering powder! Going to be playing with it in some stuff, it seems interesting so far, we haven't loaded into a case that would not really see a large benefit but it has matched other loads in speed but with better ES and looks like very good accuracy.

I'd like to hear results if you try it in your 338RUM.
 
I don't know Roy, I kinda wondered about the possibility of bridging in my little 6.5 SS but from what I've read on it you run into issues if your not close to filling the case and the powder slams into the neck and stops, R33 fills the case so I just rocked on!

I figured if I can run the same velocities with a gentler launch that would be good enough for me, in my little 6.5 SS I think R33 would shine under those 160 Matrix!
Same for the 270 WSM and the 165 and 175 Matrix, after this hunting season I'll pull the 6.5 SS barrel and try it in my 270 WSM and 7 RUM.
 
Shot it in a 7 Mag with good performance out of a 180 gr bullet until it got hot out this summer and the load started blowing primers out so Im not so sure about the temperature sensitivity.
 
I'll snag me a bottle and give it a go.

However, it's difficult to NOT have a large void in the 270 AM case with any of the powders. If 33 even approaches 7828ssc and PP 4000 MR it will most probably work.

If I haven't ruined the barrel shooting those Nosler ABLRs or LRABs or whatever they're called. See that problem thread.:rolleyes:
 
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