Temp sensitivity question for 308 powders.

doctordoctor

El Doctor
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Minuteman
Apr 30, 2011
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I am really only familiar with Varget but have recently bought other types of powder to reload and have fun with. When will I really see effects of Temperature?

Is there a resource to indicate an optimal operating temperature for the following:
1) XBR
2) 4064
3) Reloader 15
4) BLC-2

This is for my Rem. 700 XCR LT 26" BBL. shooting 168's and 175's.

As always THANK YOU for your help!

Dr. B
 
I am really only familiar with Varget but have recently bought other types of powder to reload and have fun with. When will I really see effects of Temperature?

Is there a resource to indicate an optimal operating temperature for the following:
1) XBR
2) 4064
3) Reloader 15
4) BLC-2

This is for my Rem. 700 XCR LT 26" BBL. shooting 168's and 175's.

As always THANK YOU for your help!

Dr. B

Initially all single based extruded powders seem to be less sensitive to changes in the thermometer. However R15 being extrueded is not as consistent as Varget. R15 might be double base I think. Nice powder though.
BLC-2 does also better with heat than extreme cold. I don't know the others.
Look for what they are calling "extreme" powders at Hodgdon. It is a marketing stunt to differentiate powders by their sensitivity to weather.
 
Look for what they are calling "extreme" powders at Hodgdon. It is a marketing stunt to differentiate powders by their sensitivity to weather.

I would hardly call it a "marketing stunt". Doing so makes it sound like they don't deliver, which is not the case. The Hodgdon Extreme Powder line, which Varget is a part, are very Temp insensitive.
 
I've found alliant powders are very temp sensitive. In my 300 win, I worked up a load of 73.5 gr R22 @ 80 deg sub 1/2 moa. That same load at 40 deg is 1 moa. I've found the same with R15 in 308. Now I stick to varget and H4831sc.
 
Where people usually get into trouble is when they work up a great load at 60º at a near maximum powder charge and then shoots the same load in 100º and then starts expanding primer pockets or worse. As temperatures increase, pressures and velocity will increase, which can affect safety and accuracy. With these types of powders, some reloaders have a Summer and Winter load. I experienced this with IMR 3031powder. My 308 Win. 43.0 grain load of IMR 3031 with 155 bullets was fine at 60º, but at 95º, I loosened all of my primer pockets and had to toss the brass. No real loss because it was free Federal GMM brass, but it taught a lesson.

Nothing wrong with powders that are temperature sensitive, it just depends what your use for them is and understand what happens at either ends of temperature extremes. For my precision rifles, when I burn up all of my IMR series 3031, 4895,4064, 4320, 4350, 4831, I have started buying and using the less temperature sensitive Benchmark, H4895, Varget, IMR 8208XBR, H-4350, H-4831 and Alliant's new AR COMP.

These powders are more forgiving than other powders and they don't cost any more then their temperature sensitive counterparts. It just makes sense to me to use the less sensitive alternatives.

For the powders you listed, IMR 8208 XBR is the least temperature sensitive. 8208 XBR is actually an ADI (Australian Defense Industries) powder, not an IMR powder made in Canada as most of the other IMR rifle powders are.

Just build a load that isn't going to give you pressure issues when you start using them in high temperatures. I've shot up a lot of the powders you listed. Just be aware of this.
 
I would hardly call it a "marketing stunt". Doing so makes it sound like they don't deliver, which is not the case. The Hodgdon Extreme Powder line, which Varget is a part, are very Temp insensitive.

I get that, varget is pretty impervious to weather. I meant they started this extreme class to sell what many already know anyway. Great quality powders no doubt.
 
I run Imr4064 and VARGET, on the 308 and 22-250 the 4064 was very consistent from the 105 degree weather to the 25 degree weather. 43.5 grains of 4064 or 43 grains of VARGET with cci200 federal gmm brass 175g smk and shoots 1/2 moa. Right about 2650 for 4064 and 2625 for VARGET.

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