Redmt
Well-known member
Are the powders that are commercially available that much different than the powders ammo manufacturers use? Are the manufacturers powders available to the public?
Powders question
- Thread starter Redmt
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grizzly63
Well-known member
Only the manufacture could tell you that. From what I have always read is no, they have proprietary blends not available to us reloaders. That being said, you know what you can produce with what you can get based off chronographs and the like. I do not think we are doing too badly compared to loaded components. I firmly believe you load for each individual rifles likes based on performance. Maybe someone with insider knowledge will spill the beans ?
Redmt
Well-known member
Question comes from a new 25-06. It came with some factory ammo that was as accurate as the best reloads. I pretty much duplicated it bullet for bullet fps . .75 group vs 1.25 group. The difference has to be the powders.
grizzly63
Well-known member
Did you trying to go up or down a tenth of a grain at a time to look for a sweet spot. You have to break the rifle in anyways? COAL adjustments ?
Redmt
Well-known member
Have not adjusted powder,,yet. COAL matched. Break in was done with whatever I could send down the barrel. I have a couple hundred Federal 100 gr. Trophy bullets that I'd eventually try and develop a tight load with.
Sheltowee
Well-known member
Lot of other variables could be at play. CBOL, neck tension, primers, just a bad shooting day, etc.
Did you try pulling one of the factory loads to weigh the powder charge?
Yes, factories have access to powders reloaders don't.
With the group size disparity, are you shooting enough rounds to be confident you aren't just seeing noise in the data? Different powders certainly can change precision. There should be a number of powders available that would be good choices for any given bullet & chambering combination.
With the group size disparity, are you shooting enough rounds to be confident you aren't just seeing noise in the data? Different powders certainly can change precision. There should be a number of powders available that would be good choices for any given bullet & chambering combination.
elevatorman
Active member
Oh for sure they do. It's how buffalo bore gets the crazy velocity numbers they do. At least hornady make superformance available commercially
elevatorman
Active member
Factory powders are not always better. Hornadys precision hunter ammo out of my 7mm rem mag was abysmal. Good accuracy but like 2800-2900 fps velocities with the 162 gr. I then bought a press dies etc and the same 162 gr eldx's. My precision hunter ammo I load now goes 3150 fps and shoots tighter groups than hornadys factory ammo did out of the same gun. Oh and is half the cost
I get factory velocity or better out of all of my guns by reloading with good accuracy.
I get factory velocity or better out of all of my guns by reloading with good accuracy.
Redmt
Well-known member
I'm lucky enough to have a 100 and 200 yd range at home. So if I feel a bad day, I quit and go do something else.
I have not pulled down a factory load, yet.
I'm confident that I'm shooting enough rounds over a couple sessions to be getting accurate data comparison.
I have several powders available for different calibers. I wish I could go down the list of suggested powders and get a pound of each but. That's a little too spendy on the reloading stash funds.
I'll keep at it, time is something I can afford.
I have not pulled down a factory load, yet.
I'm confident that I'm shooting enough rounds over a couple sessions to be getting accurate data comparison.
I have several powders available for different calibers. I wish I could go down the list of suggested powders and get a pound of each but. That's a little too spendy on the reloading stash funds.
I'll keep at it, time is something I can afford.
elevatorman
Active member
I generally look at load data, pick the fastest powder for my bullet. Then look and see if it's temp stable, decent price and available. If it is i buy it and have good results usually. If it doesn't meet those 3 criteria I move on to the second fastest powder or the next
Redmt
Well-known member
I have a decent variety of powders. I usually will select a powder to start with that I have had luck with in the past on other loads. If that doesn't give good results then I'll go to the powder I have the most of. I'll realign my priority choice to the fastest powder of what I have and see what happens. Thanks for the suggestions.
