Powder selection for year round consistency?

[strow]

How do the following powders stack up as far as metering consistency, temperature insensitivity, and ease of tuning a load?

For 42gr Calhoon DBL HP 223R loads
Hodgdon H322
Accuarate Arms 2015 BR
Alliant Reloader 10x
Hodgdon Benchmark
Ramshot X-Terminator

For 52gr Speer HP (non-match) or 55gr NBT
IMR 8208 XBR
Ramshot TAC
Hodgdon H4895

These loads will be used in a suppressed 16.5” 1:9 223R boltgun.
Winchester brass, Wolf 223 primers, Redding type S dies, Harrels measure.
I am not as concerned about reaching top velocities as I am with finding a load that is easy to tune and maintains that tune year round with a minimal amount of fuss.

Thanks in advance!!!

 

[FCS]

Re: Powder selection for year round consistency?

H322 or Benchmark across the board for bullets you have listed. Both flow very well from Dillon measure if you want to run on progressive.

 

[rasp65]

Re: Powder selection for year round consistency?

strow Any of the Hodgdon powders you mention should(since they advertise it that way)have good insensitivity to temp changes. Generally ball powders do not fall into that category. I have had good luck with H-332 and 52 gr bullets, in fact all of your powder choices for the 42's are probably as good or better for up to 55 gr bullets.

 

[strow]

Re: Powder selection for year round consistency?

Awesome! Thanks for the replies!

 

[strow]

Re: Powder selection for year round consistency?

Does anyone have any experience with IMR 8208 XBR?

How does it compare to H4895 or TAC? How well does it meter?

 

[LR-WSM]

Re: Powder selection for year round consistency?

I have an 8 lb jug waiting on my .308 to get back from my smith. I was curious and ran a half pond through my RCBS uniflow powder measurer to see how it would flow. The answer is "Awesome". It was either on the money (90 percent) or light .01 grain. This is GTG especially if you have a OCW.

4895 was a little long kernal wise to feed as acuratly as I would have liked.

Tac created way too much chamber and barrel heat for me and meterd about the same as 4895.

I'm looking forward to doing some load development with the 8208, I've read alot of good things about it.

 

[kyreloader]

Re: Powder selection for year round consistency?

I would only shoot the IMR8208XBR if I were you. I have loaded 24.3g as an OCW load with 52/53g bullets for great accuracy. It is a very temp insensitive powder that was formulated so that loads did not have to be adjusted due to ambient temperatures. It also flows well that any adjustment is not necessary if at an OCW load.

 

[strow]

Re: Powder selection for year round consistency?

Thanks for the replies! Looks like I will wait to let IMR8208XBR get back on the shelves.

 

[Enios]

Re: Powder selection for year round consistency?

All I can personally speak on is the AA2015 and the Benchmark. I've shot both near max winter and summer and I had to drop the charge on the Benchmark when it hit's the 90's. The 2015 also on average shoots much better groups throughout my testing but found both to produce highly accurate loads. Need to find some of this IMR magic powder and give it a try. Target at left is 40Vmax with 24.2 of 2015 in LC brass and Remington 7 1/2 primer. or 24 gr in Hornady both shoot the same. 25grs almost as good and screamer but has a tendency to sling a flier.

I have a friend that had a 223 bolt gun built that's suppressed in a 1/9 and was shooting gold match 69's in it. His best groups came from my 52 Amax with 23.8 of 2015 in Lapua Brass.

 

[ryanjay11]

Re: Powder selection for year round consistency?

It doesn't meter that well, but Varget works great in extreme temperature ranges. You can use it in about anything.

 

[strow]

Re: Powder selection for year round consistency?

Enios, are you saying that the AA2015 tends to be less temp sensitive than the Benchmark in your opinion?

Ryanjay11, are you saying that the XM8208XBR hasn't metered well for you?

Thank you both! I'm just trying to clarify.

 

[Enios]

Re: Powder selection for year round consistency?

I had an excellent load with the Benchmark which at that time was .2 below max I developed in the winter around 40* here. When summer came and it hit the 90's I had to drop the charge .5 to keep the same accuracy and lost very little speed. My load with 2015 was a grain below max charge and kept it accuracy with only a minor gain in speed. Since then I had 8lbs of Benchmark and now am down to only a pound but if I use it up the 2015 will be what I replace. I haven't loaded the Benchmark in over a year, because in my particular rifle the 2015 just outshoots it. Like anything else to do with hand loads you might not have the same results but my load with the 2015 has shot well out of 1/14's down to 1/8's. Normally a tweak of .1 or .2 grains will make it shoot tiny groups in any rifle that's capable of it.

 

[strow]

Re: Powder selection for year round consistency?

Awesome! That's what I was looking for.

 

[ryanjay11]

Re: Powder selection for year round consistency?

strow,
Sorry about the confusion. I was saying that Varget doesn't meter well. It gets cut in the measure.