Breaking into Alliant Powder / 270 thru 300WSM

[Toolhand]

Always used 17 before 16 came out in my wsm but 16 is more temp stable.

 

[vancewalker007]

In 3 300 WSMs I've loaded for RL17 has give very good velocity and accuracy performance. But, it's temp sensitive. There are some new RL choices coming out but some of them are hard to find. I used RL26 in my 6.5 PRC but it's very hard to find right now. It should work good in a WSM. I have also used the IMR powders 4350 and 4451 in my WSMs with great results. The IMR Enduron powders are very temp resistant and very clean shooting.

 

[dougduey]

RL16 & 23 are the most stable of the Alliant powders. RL26 is good but not as stable as those two. Many of us using it have seen it get a little squirrelly over 85 degrees. I use RL17 almost exclusively in my 300 WSM. It gives great velocity. I haven't seen really any temp sensitivity issues with it, but I've done all my load development when it was about 40-55 degrees and hunt in similar temps. RL17 was designed with the WSM cartridges in mind. When I rebarrel my 300 WSM, I'll switch over to RL16 for all of its load development.
RL26 is very versatile and I load it in many cartridges. From a 243 up to a 338 Lapua. My 7 STW loves that powder.
RL23 is my go to powder in my 6.5-284 Norma

 

[.300 Dakota]

4000MR

 

[nicholasjohn]

Did not have any luck with Alliant in my 300 WSM. Hodgdon H4350 worked best so far.

H-4350 has worked better for me, too, in ever application I've tried it in. I used to like the velocity I got from RL-22, but it misbehaved on hot days. Hodgdon powders typically don't do that.

I'm kinda interested in the newer Alliant powders, which are said to be more temperature stable. I haven't seen any reason to try them, though, since I've been so happy with H-4350. Ditto for H-4831.

 

[Havard]

I use Reloder 16 for 6.5 Creedmoor, 7mm-08 Rem, 308 Win and with up to 180gr bullets in 30-06. Reloder 23 is great for 243 Win, 270 Win, 280 AI, 7mm Rem Mag, with 200+gr bullets in 30-06 and for 338 Win Mag. Both powders produce excellent accuracy, temperature stability and velocity across the board on all the above listed cartridges, with the appropriate bullets. Reloder 23 will work in 300 Win Mag and it produces great accuracy with 212gr to 215gr bullets but, velocity is pretty anemic.

Care to share your findings with the 308? Thanks...

 

[SMK1000plus]

Care to share your findings with the 308? Thanks...

Hi Harvard. I'll have to get out my load development books but, my final OCW load that works great in several of my 308 Win rifles is 42.6gr RL-16 with Hornady 178gr ELD-X in Lapua 308 Win brass and Federal 210 primers. I use the same recipe for 175gr SMK bullets as well. I saw no excess pressure signs all the way up to 44.0gr charge. With my OCW load of 42.6gr RL-16 velocities for temps @ 65°F to 92°F at sea level, 22" to 24" barrels, runs between 2,675 fps to 2,760 fps. Accuracy is excellent! Most of my 308 Wins put 5 rounds of this load under 3/4 MOA with a couple of my Remington 700 5R Mil-Spec rifles shooting this load well under 1/2 MOA with 5 round groups.

Start 10% reduced and work your load up carefully. I stared off with 39.0gr.

 

[Havard]

Hi Harvard. I'll have to get out my load development books but, my final OCW load that works great in several of my 308 Win rifles is 42.6gr RL-16 with Hornady 178gr ELD-X in Lapua 308 Win brass and Federal 210 primers. I use the same recipe for 175gr SMK bullets as well. I saw no excess pressure signs all the way up to 44.0gr charge. With my OCW load of 42.6gr RL-16 velocities for temps @ 65°F to 92°F at sea level, 22" to 24" barrels, runs between 2,675 fps to 2,760 fps. Accuracy is excellent! Most of my 308 Wins put 5 rounds of this load under 3/4 MOA with a couple of my Remington 700 5R Mil-Spec rifles shooting this load well under 1/2 MOA with 5 round groups.

Start 10% reduced and work your load up carefully. I stared off with 39.0gr.

Many thanks for that!