Frozen powder?

[Mike Matteson]

Up here -40 F ambient, we don't count windchill, is pretty common. It was -48 F a week ago, only -30F this morning. It doesn't hurt powder at all. We do however always use magnum primers in all hunting loads cause going bang is quite a bit less certain colder than -30. Interestingly, speeds do not slow down near as much as one would think at -40. I have loads that shoot within 50 fps of what they do at 70 F. Very good way to check how temp stable your powder is, and how good your primer choice works. A lot of loads that show large FPS drops are the result of the primer not being hot enough.

What type of powders are you using? I generally use H type powders and don't seem to have a problem either. I have hunting in -20 Temp. I don't use Mag primers, and never had a problem. They are Fed 210 primers, which are hot to start with. Back in the late 1999 early 2000 I did with IMR powders. Gave the powder away and never looked back.

 

[belldar]

I try and only use H powders here(h4350, h1000, Varget)Haven't loaded with IMR or reloader powder in a long time. I try and stick with temp stabile powders And mag primers.

 

[GLTaylor]

That trouble with Auto loaders. I would think it would be good time to chronographs your loads to see how they perform.

Actually, it was factory loads. It was 35+ yrs ago. Guns were recoil operated. Any oil on magazine tube or action turned to gel in that temp. My friend cured the problem. Washed all moving parts in lighter fluid. Shot gun completely dry. Worked fine thereafter. Just didn't make me happy. Now we have modern lubricants that are not grossly affected by cold.

 

[Dean2]

What type of powders are you using? I generally use H type powders and don't seem to have a problem either. I have hunting in -20 Temp. I don't use Mag primers, and never had a problem. They are Fed 210 primers, which are hot to start with. Back in the late 1999 early 2000 I did with IMR powders. Gave the powder away and never looked back.

We use all H and a little IMR powder (mostly gopher loads) as Reloader, VNT supplies are too sporadic, even when there aren't powder shortages. The boys have been out wolf hunting the last week or so. Really cold weather makes the wolves move around a lot as they basically have to hunt full time to get enough food. We use primarily CCI 250 for 60 grains and less, and Fed 215 above that. We have seen quite a few click bangs or failure to fire where the powder is partly burnt but the round didn't do off, with even CCI 250s when trying to use them in 80 grain loads in cool to very cold weather. Have never had problems developing loads with the mag primers or get them accurate so cheap insurance for those -45 days or big powder charges.

 

[Mike Matteson]

We use all H and a little IMR powder (mostly gopher loads) as Reloader, VNT supplies are too sporadic, even when there aren't powder shortages. The boys have been out wolf hunting the last week or so. Really cold weather makes the wolves move around a lot as they basically have to hunt full time to get enough food. We use primarily CCI 250 for 60 grains and less, and Fed 215 above that. We have seen quite a few click bangs or failure to fire where the powder is partly burnt but the round didn't do off, with even CCI 250s when trying to use them in 80 grain loads in cool to very cold weather. Have never had problems developing loads with the mag primers or get them accurate so cheap insurance for those -45 days or big powder charges.

I will keep that in mind. Thanks.

 

[Frank in the Laurels]

Just think how many times you shells in your gun and coat are out in temps well below freezing in the northern half of the US, sometimes for weeks...never noticed much difference and no animals vitals ever noticed..

 

[Calvin45]

I've never had an issue even with multiple freeze/thaw cycles in loaded ammo over the years and I live in a place that's always below freezing during hunting season, so many years my ammo has probably been in and out of the cold a couple dozen times...no problems.

I know others have suggested mag primers but I've never needed them either. I do often choose to load with them now but have never had an issue with normal ones.

it's nasty cold here these days, the lamenting over how cold it is in this thread has me entertained in a good natured way...but I realize the big thing is how out of the ordinary it is for many of you further south, especially Texas and such. Here's a screenshot of the weather here this morning, in Celsius and Fahrenheit for good clarity.

let the record reflect I'd still rather be outside in this than +30c any day. I overheat super fast, can't stand being hot, don't mind being cold.

 

[GrayCreed]

you northern boys need to quit letting this cold come to Texas. Their saying it's suppose to be -2 in here Tuesday morning. What in the world doe's a guy do all day when it's that freaking cold????? I know .....Reload

I went and shot 150g smk 6.5cm over RE23 today drove an hour and a half in a truck that had no heat to get to the range..... It was -2°

 

[GLTaylor]

I cleaned all my rifles in the shop today. Looked out at the cold rain a couple of times
Does that count for anything?

 

[Calvin45]

I actually had the thought that it's too bad I lacked time and masochistic motivation today to get chrono readings to test some enduron powders and rl23 for temp sensitivity. Would have been a great day to test the bottom end.

for those who didn't click the attachments in my previous post, this morning here was -43c with a windchill of -54c or, for Fahrenheit folks, -45 feels like -65. But I can't imagine actually ever hunting in that. Just for "science" and I wasn't feeling THAT scientific haha.

 

[GrayCreed]

I cleaned all my rifles in the shop today. Looked out at the cold rain a couple of times
Does that count for anything?

When I lived in GA it almost never got cold but sometimes it rained so hard you couldnt see far enough to shoot a bow and arrow!!

 

[GrayCreed]

I actually had the thought that it's too bad I lacked time and masochistic motivation today to get chrono readings to test some enduron powders and rl23 for temp sensitivity. Would have been a great day to test the bottom end.

for those who didn't click the attachments in my previous post, this morning here was -43c with a windchill of -54c or, for Fahrenheit folks, -45 feels like -65. But I can't imagine actually ever hunting in that. Just for "science" and I wasn't feeling THAT scientific haha.

"Science" is why we have this primers/powder/ammunition shortage in the first place... Wish the gub'ment used common sense instead of science....

 

[Mike Matteson]

I went and shot 150g smk 6.5cm over RE23 today drove an hour and a half in a truck that had no heat to get to the range..... It was -2°

AND?

 

[Calvin45]

"Science" is why we have this primers/powder/ammunition shortage in the first place... Wish the gub'ment used common sense instead of science....

Not gonna get too far down this rabbit hole but science is what got us primers, powders, and ammunition at all. Not to mention being one of the pillars of western civilization. Now if your talking "science" being abused, manipulated, and selectively understood for political reasons then I think I get what you're saying.