Excellent! As Bryan Litz noted, if you use a double-based powder like the RL-17, it is essential to make sure the environment you are going to use it in is equal to or colder than when the load was developed.
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Staball 6.5 and staball H.D.
- Thread starter tribb
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Temperature stability is only important to those who want to squeeze the last foot out of a second they can. For the average hunter 100 fps is not going to make a hill of beans difference. The average hunter mostly shoots factory ammo, not reloads. The average hunter probably won't be shooting over 200 yards anyway, probably 100 yards or less. The average hunter is not going to worry if his bullet hits the exact hair that they were aiming at. Target shooters get sighting shots and can adjust their scope to compensate for the difference in the zero anyway. So all facts considered temperature variation is not a big thing with the exception of those who want to see the max velocity for whatever reason, and yes there are some reasons. It's really a moot point from the average shooters point of view. I reload and I am a target shooter as well as hunter. The key is consistency. The velocity will vary consistently between rounds which again makes it a moot point. I have seldom ever found that a round that is loaded to max pressure and velocity to be the most accurate. I like my ammo to be accurate whether target shooting or hunting. Keep in mind, "Only hits count."
Great campfire starter
Mike Matteson
Well-Known Member
Reloader 17 shows 1.47 fps change per degree. Even is you take a means of of 60 temp and divided it by 2 still works out to be 30 x 1.47 = 44.10 fps possible change. That slower or faster. Makes a lot difference in POL especially at longer ranges.
Double-based powders exist that are very stable and predictable. In this day and time they get a reputation in a hurry for good or bad.
Thankfully! R23, N565-568-570 are some good ones that cover a big swipe for the short, medium and long action selections I use. There are faster burn rate options as well.
In this humidity pit we shoot from 20* to 90*F Some target, some hunting.
The humidity can be 10 to100% in addition.
If money is going to be spent on powder, spend it on powder likely to help with precision and repeatability. There are plenty of other surprises that can cause head-scratching and confusion.
Thankfully! R23, N565-568-570 are some good ones that cover a big swipe for the short, medium and long action selections I use. There are faster burn rate options as well.
In this humidity pit we shoot from 20* to 90*F Some target, some hunting.
The humidity can be 10 to100% in addition.
If money is going to be spent on powder, spend it on powder likely to help with precision and repeatability. There are plenty of other surprises that can cause head-scratching and confusion.
The bottom line is to know your powders and load them with your environment per Litz's advice. Litz, the subject matter expert, did not recommend which is better, but rather to be cognizant of them.
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SSgt G Cody
Well-Known Member
I understand that single-based powders are less heat sensitive, and double-based powders more heat sensitive. It would be very helpful to us re-loaders if someone knowledgeable would list the few powders in each group which are Least Heat Sensitive. This type of info helps us much more than random opinion.
There are charts available SSgt.
Some are older but most will get you some good information. I can publish what I have saved, just have to find it first.
Some are older but most will get you some good information. I can publish what I have saved, just have to find it first.
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Good time to ask, does anyone have more current data to share ?
Longshotjames
Well-Known Member
I use Staball in a 300wsm pushing 208gr bullets. With a load that is not loaded to max (stressed powder) then I can shoot all day in Texas heat 90-105°f with no problem.
Buy the Stabal powder and work up a load at your high temperature and you will be fine. James
Buy the Stabal powder and work up a load at your high temperature and you will be fine. James
I created an Excel spreadsheet with all the data I loaded, pertinent information, and notes, including the powder attributes I used/tried for each chambering. I did all of my research and tests to establish baselines.
Powders are grouped by burn rates, but I have yet to see them with temperature sensitivity. I used the Hodgdon (current is July 2024) burn chart and bumped them against the powder website for the sensitivity information.
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SSgt G Cody
Well-Known Member
Thanks Phil and Feenix. Most charts I've seen show power per grain, brissance, etc. in both single and double based powders, but most valuable to me would be to know which powders changed LEAST in produced fps at a wide range of temperatures, ... say at 100, 60, and 20 degrees. These are the powders I seek.
I know of an independent test, I think it's in Handloaders "Magazine". Not Digest.?
As previously noted, I used to be Hodgdon extreme powder (https://hodgdonpowderco.com/wp-cont...est-results-for-temperature-sensitivity-1.pdf) user only. What you seek has been their selling point for many years, and it still does. They supposedly tested them for the 0-125 degree temperature range. Good luck!
This is the beauty of it all, you can have plenty of personal choices to choose from.
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