AA8700 Good Or Bad?

[hank shaper]

Everyone is always looking for a very slow powder for our big magnums. I never hear any mention of AA8700. Why? Inconsistent, temp sensitive or what? Burn rate charts put it slower than Retumbo and RL 25. I also never about H5010. Thanks for your coments on these two powders.

Hank

 

[Fiftydriver]

I have used alot of it in my Allen Magnums and it works very well. I have found that its burn rate can very quite a bit and that may be why its not more popular. Also, for most conventional rounds, it to slow burning to get up to good working pressures and if that is the case it burns very dirty like most ball powders.

Yes, like most ball powders it is sensitive to temp changes, no way around that. Again, my biggest problem is with the variation in burn rates. Some lots will be no slower burning then retumbo while others have been significantly slower then the old H870.

Other then that it works very well in the proper situation, just not many of those out there to make this powder work as it should and burn cleanly.

Kirby Allen(50)

 

[brianwinzor]

Hank, I have never used AA8700 or 5010, as unfortunately to my knowledge they have never been imported to Oz.

However, there may be another powder to throw in the mix. Evidently Vihtavouri N570 is now in the market place, as Lapua Australia told me that next Tuesday my order of N570 (and 20N29) is due to arrive.

I am assuming that N570 is available in the US, as historically powders are available in the US well before we see them in Oz.

I read one report on a gun forum, that in a 300 RUM with 200 grain bullet, N570 was about 5 grains slower burning than Re 25, and a similar amount faster burning than his H870. I was hoping that it would be slower burning than that.

I will initially try N570 in my .224 Clark with the 85 and 100 grain bullets, and in my 257W with bullets in the 100 - 130 grain range. I will post a report on my initial test results. Hope that the above is of interest. Brian.