Factory ammunition powders?

[Snowbird]

I'm starting to load for a new to me caliber (7mm mag) and would like to do some load development that will duplicate some available ammunition, similar to the how hornady 6.5cm ammo was loaded with h4350. The thought being is that if I'm short on time or if I travel I can always find something off the shelf that will be close. I'm leaning toward a 140 or 150 barnes ttsx for my deer and elk load (if the gun likes the load). I'm open to other ammo but would like to stick to solid copper projectiles. so, are any manufacturers using non blended powders that are available to the public?

 

[L.Sherm]

I doudt any manufacturer is gonna tell you what powder they use in there factory ammo.

 

[ar10ar15man]

manufactures use custom bulk powders, as a rule they do not use retail canister powder sold to the public.
some times there is a match, most times not
you can get close, but a match...not really

 

[243winxb]

IMR DuPont powder history lists some powders that were used in factory shells and available to the reloader. Google is not finding it.
DuPont made IMR powder and Remington ammo in the USA.

With a copper bullet, useless info.

Hodgdon lists OEM powders, no data available. There (SDS) safety data sheet lists them.

are any manufacturers using non blended powders that are available to the public?

Most all powders we buy are blended to better control burn rate.

 

[243winxb]

Found one of my old post. Link broken. But i quoted it.

"IMR7828, was made available to reloaders in 1985. Prior this powder was only sold to commercial ammunition companies."

DuPont made IMR powder and Remington ammo in the USA.

 

[aushunter1]

Easy enough to duplicate the components but not the powder.

Choose a powder.

I did the same thing with my .270 after I started reloading using the Hornady factory brass & the same 130gr SST projectile.

Just work up a load & find a node.

Job done.

 

[tr175]

I would recommend the Barnes 139 LRX with RL26. That is what the factory VOR-TX LR load is. Great bullet performance with stable powder.

 

[Rudolph Ferdinand]

I'm starting to load for a new to me caliber (7mm mag) and would like to do some load development that will duplicate some available ammunition, similar to the how hornady 6.5cm ammo was loaded with h4350. The thought being is that if I'm short on time or if I travel I can always find something off the shelf that will be close. I'm leaning toward a 140 or 150 barnes ttsx for my deer and elk load (if the gun likes the load). I'm open to other ammo but would like to stick to solid copper projectiles. so, are any manufacturers using non blended powders that are available to the public?

An out of state hunt, the best would be, always use factory ammunition paying or not. The ammunition companies do all the testing and have all the data. We as reloaders can't come close to what these companies produce. They use the best of powders, we get like second if that. It like store-bought coffee, seconds. In my thirty years of reloading not even close to the factory stuff. Good luck.

 

[L.Sherm]

We as reloaders can't come close to what these companies produce

I respectfully disagree.

 

[Oi.223]

The most important thing about canister powders is the consistency. Consistency from lot to lot, and consistency from year to year. Since military contract and commercial ammo manufacturers can test each lot, they aren't afraid to encounter some variation from lot to lot. But you and I expect the powder we bought in 10 years ago to perform much the same as today's powder. Some reloaders unwisely pay no attention to lot number and just keep loading. So Canister powders are much more consistent lot after lot, year after year.

 

[crkckr]

An out of state hunt, the best would be, always use factory ammunition paying or not. The ammunition companies do all the testing and have all the data. We as reloaders can't come close to what these companies produce. (Snip)

I too will have to disagree. I have yet to find find a factory ammo (which truthfully I very seldom buy except for comparison purposes) that I could not beat both velocity and, more importantly, accuracy with my handloads. Factory ammo has to work in all the guns out there, mine is tailored to my rifle. My tolerances are much tighter, my ammo is more reliable (for instance, I know for a fact that every case has a primer flash hole that's actually open... you can't be sure with factory ammo. Unfortunately, the one example I saw - WW - the owner claimed it after i took it apart, so I never saw it again... rats!). All of your store-bought ammo should at the very least be cycled thru your firearm before anything important, the big hunt, SD ammo, etc. Just be really, really careful doing it!
Cheers,
crkckr

 

[Laelkhunter]

I seem to remember that the Weatherby Reloading book (actually a catalogue) some years ago listed Norma Magnum Rifle Powder (MRP) as the powder they used in their factory loads and they actually listed the powder charge used for their ammo (loaded by Norma). Using their Weatherby (Norma) brass, MRP powder, Fed 215 primers, and the same bullet you could get similar results as using their factory ammo. No other ammunition company has done that to my knowledge. This was a Weatherby catalogue that was printed around 1990. I lost it in Katrina, and have not been able to locate another one.

 

[Deleted member 107796]

Hornady Superformance is a factory powder now available for sale. Of course, published loads are minimal as they have Superformance factory ammo which loads would have to compete with. Excellent powder if you can find what works with it.

 

[KyCarl]

From your post I think I would find the best factory load your rifle likes
and use that while I played with reloading a copy?