Lee Breech Lock Reloader Single Stage; picked it up on sale for 25.00 dollars.
Dies are Redding and Forester.
Yes, I should upgrade the press
Dies are Redding and Forester.
Yes, I should upgrade the press
Has anyone tried Hodgdon US869? SInce you cannot get Retumbo, H1000, RL26, RL33, IMR8133, VV N570 etc I just tried a pound of US869. All I can say it that it shoots. Dirty as hell and bullets all over the target. Any replacement recommendations for which is available?
About the only suggestion that I have is to check online powder suppliers regularly. It seems to me that powder, just like bullets and primers now, it’s produced in batches and when it starts getting released, most of the regular suppliers will have it. For a period of time.
Buy while available and buy plenty.
Buy while available and buy plenty.
Good deal! I kinda figured that if the rest of the thread knew his bullet weight (s) then it would matter. Also knowing that lighter bullets can often use a faster burn.
I use Retumbo and N570 with 300 Hy's I just got 8 pound of N568 to try in my .338LM or my 300NM when the barrel gets to my in the next 2 weeks.
But you can't find any Retumbo or N570 available. If Retumbo was available I would buy at least 5 8# jugs of it. Let me know how N568 works out. I have seen that available on occasion.
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Brunos shooting supply also has N165 and N170 in stock. VV Load data shows loads with 285 and 300 gr pills.
Great powders, especially for semi-autos because they don't generate as much heat as their 500-series counter parts and therefore the barrel doesn't heat up as quickly with fast shot strings. But there aren't a lot of .338LM semis out there, so you're better off with N565 & N570 as you'll get a decent improvement in velocity.
H-4831sc has been my go-to powder for 250s in my 1:12” TRG-42 for 16 years. VV-165 is another.
Chris
Chris
Interesting, what velocities were you getting and what length barrel?
Thanks, Chris
Typically 2950-3000 FPS out of a 27”+ stock barrel.
88.5grs-89grs is my pet load, with either.
Remember, most of this development was done from 2006-2007, when there wasn’t a lot of published data for 338LM shooters.
Chris
Thanks for the info, I will pick some up and see how it does in my 28" 1:9.4 barrel.
According to Hodgdons website you can use 85gn H4831SC with a 250 gn bullet and have a muzzle velocity 2740 and pressure of only 52000. With a 300 and 79.0 gn H4831SC powder you get 2511 at 53000 psi. Not as good as Retumbo but very doable. You seem to be only using software to make your determination on it. When the powder you want is not available you HAVE to find some kind of substitute. Hodgdon US869 is also doable but is not temp insensitive and is very dirty and does not produce very accurate groupings.
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Well yes, that's the predictive power of the software, but it's no replacement for the ground truth (ie published load data). So when in absence of data, software can give you a good ballpark view of what you should expect.
Hey guys, I got a box of 30 spent Sellier & Bellot casings I’m trying to get rid off. Is there anyone who needs it? $1/brass + shipping...
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Here’s a specific section you should read:
Had a chance to run a test batch today. 28" 1:9.4 twist Rock Creek barrel, 250gr Berger Hybrid OTM, 4831SC, Lapua brass, FGMM 215M primers, 2.980 CBTO = .015 jump.
Grains /FPS
85.0/2909
85.5/2931
86.0/2932
86.5/2964
87.0/2973
87.5/2988
88.0/3011
88.5/3013
89.0/3005
89.5/3048
No signs of high pressure or heavy bolt lift on any of the loads. I think I'll load a batch at 88.0gr and see how they group.
I use IMR 4831 and 250 grain Lapua Scenars in my .338 Lapua . but not the H 4831 . I have had extremely good luck with this .
My guess is Alamo Precision rifles just like the printing says.
Merchandise
Alamo Precision Rifles is a full service firearms retailer and custom-gun maker located in Hurst, TX.
aprifles.com
Have you had a chance to use any of the N568? I'm specifically looking for 338 LM data using the 250 Scenar OTM.
Sorry I ended up using the N568 in my 300m. I works great in that. Looking at Hodgdon's newest burn rate chart is only slightly faster than N570.
It’s right between N170 and N570 (very close to H1000)
No, it's definitely faster than 24N41. From my testing it appears just a tad slower than RL33. It's really close in the way that H1000 & Retumbo are really close. Sure, it works in .338LM but it's almost anemic (same with RL33) so it's kind of a waste. It's better suited to .338LM Improved and 33XC (or .375CT), in my opinion. At this point, I only use LRT for fireforming .338LM Improved brass.
In a vanilla .338LM:
For 250s I prefer N560 or RL26 (hard to find)
For 300s I prefer N570 or H1000 (both hard to find)
The sad truth is that the popular powders are just hard to get. I originally got Ramshot LRT in 2020 because I just couldn’t get any of the other powders and it was readily available but still too slow to be competitive in the mile+ range but fine if you’re just putting high energy on a target at closer distances.
You’re probably just better off keeping an eye on the Powder In-Stock thread or your favorite supplier for any of the popular ones above.
For 250s I prefer N560 or RL26 (hard to find)
For 300s I prefer N570 or H1000 (both hard to find)
The sad truth is that the popular powders are just hard to get. I originally got Ramshot LRT in 2020 because I just couldn’t get any of the other powders and it was readily available but still too slow to be competitive in the mile+ range but fine if you’re just putting high energy on a target at closer distances.
You’re probably just better off keeping an eye on the Powder In-Stock thread or your favorite supplier for any of the popular ones above.
@gorillamotors if you're shooting 300s and don't mind being 100fps slower than N570, you can use N170
It doesn't generate as much heat as double-base slow powders like N570, so it won't be able to get ideal velocities, but it's better than going with a powder that is too slow AND less heat means longer throat life.
Check out the load data https://www.vihtavuori.com/reloading-data/rifle-reloading/?cartridge=33
It doesn't generate as much heat as double-base slow powders like N570, so it won't be able to get ideal velocities, but it's better than going with a powder that is too slow AND less heat means longer throat life.
Check out the load data https://www.vihtavuori.com/reloading-data/rifle-reloading/?cartridge=33
