Powders-good and bad

freebird63

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Dec 20, 2009
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726
Location
Boise, Idaho
We have hodgdon extreme line of powders that claim little or no change from 0 degree's to 125 degree's.
When I had my 7mm rem mag a friends dad loaded IMR 4831 for me and it worked awesome, but our deer season did not fall during winter like conditions like it does here in Idaho.
I know last spring I tried some hodgdon US869 in my 300RUM and was very disapointed in its performance, when I tried it the temps were about 36 degree's and my bullet was dropping enough at 100 yards to where I couldn't even hit the target. But then I switched over to some retumbo loads and bullseye every time.
So which powders are less effected by temps. I have heard RE22 is very temp sensetive. But a friend ran some of my loads with his quickload program and both RE22 & RE25 showed not to be a good choice.
Currently I shoot a 300RUM and my wife shoots a 300SAUM.
We have a several powders to choose from, retumbo, H1000, US869, MagPro, IMR4350, IMR7828SSC, H414, Varget, RE17, RE22, RE25.
So which powders work good through out all the seasons, if there is such a powder????
Thanks for any info.
 
"We have hodgdon extreme line of powders that claim little or no change from 0 degree's to 125 degree's. ...So which powders work good through out all the seasons, if there is such a powder????"

Seems Hodgdon's extreme powders are very good from 0 to 125 degrees. Do you need a wider range than that?
 
If your after a powder for all seasons with very little temperature variation your probably better of looking at single base powders ie: H4350, H4831,H1000,H50BMG. Double base powders quite often give more velocity than single base powders but the double base powder tends to very more in different temperatures. Ball powder can very even more than double base powder some times.
 
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I mainly use retumbo or H1000 in my 300RUM, have thought about trying H50 powder, but all the info I have seen about it is it does not provide the velocity that retumbo does or H1000.
I have yet to find a good powder for the wifes 300SAUM, was using varget for a while and then tried H414. But have been thinking about either H4350 or H4831SC.
I bought a jug of the RE17 because they claim its suppose to be real good in the short mags, was not impressed. As I was not impressed with MagPro either.
Some day would like to get a 6.5 X 284 and have been keeping a look out for load data for that caliber.
 
H414 has long been my powder of choice for .308 case size varmint cartridges (.22, 6mm). It's slow burning, gives top velocities and great accuracy in those cases, and goes through powder measures like water for ease of loading large batches of cartridges. :)

But, from my less that happy experience, if you load it to max levels at a moderate temperature loading site, it can result in way over max signs in a hot prairie dog shoot environment.

H4831SC is probably better temperaturewise, but the kernels require throwing short charges on a scale and dribbling up to get an accurate desired load, and I don't wanna bother with that.
 
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Yes i knew us869 was not an extreme powder, but they say its real good in the big overbore calibers. Then you have that unicorn powder H870 powder, I think people have rat holed this powder, probably have 50 gallon barrels of it burried in their back yards. I am curious because its a military powder and so is us869 if they are the same as being temp sensetive???
I have never seen any for sale and if I did I don't think I would buy any unless it was a lot that way I had plenty to last me for a few years. As it would be my luck to get the perfect load developed and then run out. I notice alliant claims their new powder is suppose to be less temp sensetive?????
I wonder how that new hodgdon super performance powder is???
That H50 seems that its slower in velocity but has lower pressure then the other powders.
Thanks for all the input as it gives me more to think about.
 
I use Varget in my 30-30 and old surplus rifles, (30-06,) with great results. I can't get the velocities I was previously with IMR 4064 but I have had no problems with velocity changes from 10ºF to 70ºF. I had just changed-over to it during the winter so I haven't shot in high temperatures yet.

In my hunting 30-06 I use H4831, also with great results in the same temperature ranges. As with the other rifles, the H4831 doesn't get the velocity as IMR 4831 but I don't see the velocity changes.

I have used H414. I got high velocities but also wild velocity changes due to temperature changes especially in warmer temperatures. In the winter I experienced hang-fires maybe 20% of the time.
 
We have hodgdon extreme line of powders that claim little or no change from 0 degree's to 125 degree's.
When I had my 7mm rem mag a friends dad loaded IMR 4831 for me and it worked awesome, but our deer season did not fall during winter like conditions like it does here in Idaho.
I know last spring I tried some hodgdon US869 in my 300RUM and was very disapointed in its performance, when I tried it the temps were about 36 degree's and my bullet was dropping enough at 100 yards to where I couldn't even hit the target. But then I switched over to some retumbo loads and bullseye every time.
So which powders are less effected by temps. I have heard RE22 is very temp sensetive. But a friend ran some of my loads with his quickload program and both RE22 & RE25 showed not to be a good choice.
Currently I shoot a 300RUM and my wife shoots a 300SAUM.
We have a several powders to choose from, retumbo, H1000, US869, MagPro, IMR4350, IMR7828SSC, H414, Varget, RE17, RE22, RE25.
So which powders work good through out all the seasons, if there is such a powder????
Thanks for any info.

It's pretty hard to beat Retumbo in the RUM and I think it should work well in the saum with the 140's......Rich
 
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