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Rifles, Reloading, Optics, Equipment
Rifles, Bullets, Barrels & Ballistics
APS Stalker Hunter
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<blockquote data-quote="Fiftydriver" data-source="post: 1624396" data-attributes="member: 10"><p>Was able to test another customers rifle that wanted to share with you. Have had this one done for a while now but was waiting on a new powder that I wanted to do some load development and ballistic testing with in my 7mm Allen Magnum wildcat.</p><p></p><p>The rifle is one of my APS Stalker Hunter rifles.</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]131985[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]131989[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>This Stalker has a 26" Bartlein fluted barrel. I wanted to use this specific rifle to test this new powder mainly because of its shorter barrel. The reason is because this new powder, made by Ramshot and called LRT, is a ball powder. Its supposed to have a burn rate similar to Retumbo but in talking with others have heard its actually a bit slower in burn rate then RL33.</p><p></p><p>Hearing this I instantly felt it could be IDEAL for use in my 7mm Allen Magnum and likely my 300 Allen Xpress wildcats.</p><p></p><p>With the 180 gr bullet weights in the 7mm Allen Magnum, I used to use Retumbo as my GO TO power and in this 26" barrel length, it would drive the 180 gr berger hybrid to roughly 3270 fps with around 97-98 grains of powder. Load density was in the low 90% range.</p><p></p><p>Then with RL33 was released, I found it offered a bit more velocity at same pressures and better load density. Top average loads with RL33 and a 180 gr in a 26" barrel are in the 3340 fps range with mid 90% load densities.</p><p></p><p>Hearing about this new Ramshot LRT powder, I was hoping for even a bit more velocity and bit better load densities. Got my first 8 lb keg of LRT in mid week and yesterday I was able to do a load work up.</p><p></p><p>Started with 90.0 gr just to see what would happen. What happened was a hangfire and velocity in the 2850 fps range..... Instantly added another 5 grains to get up into working pressures and at 95.0 gr tripped the chrono at around 3050 fps, good ignition.</p><p></p><p>From this point up I increased a grain at a time and chronoed the results.</p><p></p><p>LRT topped out at 110.0 gr. I say topped out at because load density was around 99% and this was the first load where there was a very slight increase in effort to lift the bolt on a fired case. There was also a slight ejector ring on the case head. Seeing this I dropped back to 109.0 gr and considered that the max working load for this rifle. </p><p></p><p>In evaluating the cases for each load, all primer pockets felt even a bit tighter then virgin primer pockets. This is something I have always found to happen with Lapua brand cases as well as these new Peterson cases. From what I have been told is the case heads are formed in a way that when they are fired at high pressure levels, the case heads compress in a way that will actually cause the primer pockets to tighten slightly. I can say in this case it certainly does this.</p><p></p><p>Even at 110 gr load, there was absolutely no hint of any primer pocket loosening. </p><p></p><p>So, how did the powder do for velocity? Well, again, in a 26" barrel with 180 gr. bullet weight, Retumbo will average around 3270 fps, RL33 will do 3340 fps comfortably. This new LRT hit 3435 fps at 109.0 gr and 3465 fps at 110.0 gr...... Most impressive!!!</p><p></p><p>Its not every day that you find a new powder that will add 100 fps with comfortable pressures to a standard load. </p><p></p><p>Today I was able to test at 865 and 1080 yards. Shot around 15 rounds and all shot extremely well. I was mainly looking to see if there was any vertical stringing showing a velocity spread issue, there was none of that. Other then one shot that landed around 1 moa low of the rest, all others easily held to my accuracy standards.</p><p></p><p>The one that dropped out, I have no idea, likely just me pulling it so was not worried at all when I saw that only one shot fell out of where it should have impacted.</p><p></p><p>Now, I know some will say ball powders are not nearly as stable over wide temp changes then the best stick powders and I can not and will not argue that point. However, I have found the Ramshot powders to be the best ball powders on the market for stability over temp changes. Need to do more testing on this powder but so far, I am EXTREMELY happy with how it has performance.</p><p></p><p>Also seems to have a flame temp that is quite low compared to most of the stick powders I have tested in the 7mm Allen Magnum. Another benefit I have seen using ball powders. When I released this wildcat, I was using and recommending WC860 and WC872 surplus powders which were GREAT for velocity performance and extremely consistent and accurate but they were very sensitive to temp changes.</p><p></p><p>Since then I have switched to the stick powders and have had great results but this new ball powder takes it to another level and interested to see how it performs in more testing. Also expect to work extremely well in several of my other wildcats such as the 300 AX, 338 Raptor and 375 Allen Magnum.</p><p></p><p>More to come.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Fiftydriver, post: 1624396, member: 10"] Was able to test another customers rifle that wanted to share with you. Have had this one done for a while now but was waiting on a new powder that I wanted to do some load development and ballistic testing with in my 7mm Allen Magnum wildcat. The rifle is one of my APS Stalker Hunter rifles. [ATTACH=full]131985[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]131989[/ATTACH] This Stalker has a 26" Bartlein fluted barrel. I wanted to use this specific rifle to test this new powder mainly because of its shorter barrel. The reason is because this new powder, made by Ramshot and called LRT, is a ball powder. Its supposed to have a burn rate similar to Retumbo but in talking with others have heard its actually a bit slower in burn rate then RL33. Hearing this I instantly felt it could be IDEAL for use in my 7mm Allen Magnum and likely my 300 Allen Xpress wildcats. With the 180 gr bullet weights in the 7mm Allen Magnum, I used to use Retumbo as my GO TO power and in this 26" barrel length, it would drive the 180 gr berger hybrid to roughly 3270 fps with around 97-98 grains of powder. Load density was in the low 90% range. Then with RL33 was released, I found it offered a bit more velocity at same pressures and better load density. Top average loads with RL33 and a 180 gr in a 26" barrel are in the 3340 fps range with mid 90% load densities. Hearing about this new Ramshot LRT powder, I was hoping for even a bit more velocity and bit better load densities. Got my first 8 lb keg of LRT in mid week and yesterday I was able to do a load work up. Started with 90.0 gr just to see what would happen. What happened was a hangfire and velocity in the 2850 fps range..... Instantly added another 5 grains to get up into working pressures and at 95.0 gr tripped the chrono at around 3050 fps, good ignition. From this point up I increased a grain at a time and chronoed the results. LRT topped out at 110.0 gr. I say topped out at because load density was around 99% and this was the first load where there was a very slight increase in effort to lift the bolt on a fired case. There was also a slight ejector ring on the case head. Seeing this I dropped back to 109.0 gr and considered that the max working load for this rifle. In evaluating the cases for each load, all primer pockets felt even a bit tighter then virgin primer pockets. This is something I have always found to happen with Lapua brand cases as well as these new Peterson cases. From what I have been told is the case heads are formed in a way that when they are fired at high pressure levels, the case heads compress in a way that will actually cause the primer pockets to tighten slightly. I can say in this case it certainly does this. Even at 110 gr load, there was absolutely no hint of any primer pocket loosening. So, how did the powder do for velocity? Well, again, in a 26" barrel with 180 gr. bullet weight, Retumbo will average around 3270 fps, RL33 will do 3340 fps comfortably. This new LRT hit 3435 fps at 109.0 gr and 3465 fps at 110.0 gr...... Most impressive!!! Its not every day that you find a new powder that will add 100 fps with comfortable pressures to a standard load. Today I was able to test at 865 and 1080 yards. Shot around 15 rounds and all shot extremely well. I was mainly looking to see if there was any vertical stringing showing a velocity spread issue, there was none of that. Other then one shot that landed around 1 moa low of the rest, all others easily held to my accuracy standards. The one that dropped out, I have no idea, likely just me pulling it so was not worried at all when I saw that only one shot fell out of where it should have impacted. Now, I know some will say ball powders are not nearly as stable over wide temp changes then the best stick powders and I can not and will not argue that point. However, I have found the Ramshot powders to be the best ball powders on the market for stability over temp changes. Need to do more testing on this powder but so far, I am EXTREMELY happy with how it has performance. Also seems to have a flame temp that is quite low compared to most of the stick powders I have tested in the 7mm Allen Magnum. Another benefit I have seen using ball powders. When I released this wildcat, I was using and recommending WC860 and WC872 surplus powders which were GREAT for velocity performance and extremely consistent and accurate but they were very sensitive to temp changes. Since then I have switched to the stick powders and have had great results but this new ball powder takes it to another level and interested to see how it performs in more testing. Also expect to work extremely well in several of my other wildcats such as the 300 AX, 338 Raptor and 375 Allen Magnum. More to come. [/QUOTE]
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