Other powders...

[WildRose]

Most of us here seem to be stuck on just a handful of powders from Allian, Hodgdon, IMR and maybe one or two others.

The last year or so when shopping for powders frequently (like most of us) being frustrated day after day after day when searching kept coming up with "unavailable" or "out of stock" on the powders I use and I started paying close attention what powders they seemed to have in stock that I wasn't using.

VV N, Ramshot, and Norma all produce good powders and are well regarded for their consistency and quality and it seems that they can almost always be had when we'e struggling tot find H1000, RL33, 26,26, etc.

Any of you guys using Ramshot Magnum, Norma MRP or any of the 500 Series powders from Vihtvouri?

Are there problems with any of those that you guys have found or is it just that we tend to get stuck on what we are using and do go looking for other good alternatives?

 

[HARPERC]

I pondered this question up and down the powder aisle last time I was shopping.

Plenty of powder-just not what I wanted. I just couldn't make myself break away from what I've always done. So count me as stuck.

 

[AZShooter]

While I haven't gone to Ramshot Magnum, Norma MRP or any of the 500 Series powders from Vihtvouri as you asked, I did switch to a powder that seems to be on the shelf often. It is IMR 8208 XBR. I used to use Varget and rarely got to find it on the shelves. I read an article on Accurate shooter and gave it a try. I get good results with the 6 BR and 30 BR as well as the 308 win.
Quite frankly there is no reason to ever go back to varget as it may be superior.

Here is the description from IMR:

"There is virtually no change in velocity with modest or extreme change in temperatures. The ballistics group at IMR has tested this powder from -40 to +165 degrees Fahrenheit with virtually no performance variation."

That is a pretty bold statement. I use it year round in temps from 95 to 35 and my accuracy has never suffered.

 

[just country]

morning, when powders in general were scarce. I went to by burn chart and the

internet. I started looking to business that carried powders. I found Norma, Ramshot,

and other powders according to the burn rates of my favorite powders. I was

very successful. I used the different powders with very good success and accuracy.

I do now and will continue to buying these powders!! Thank Ulightbulbgun)

 

[WildRose]

Now that I have gotted real serious about buying enough bulk reloading supplies to have all I need for several years I've started looking hard.

My preferences for as long as they made it was H870 and ran out of the last of that stash about the same time H1000 came out. I wasn't loading a lot for rifles at that time though so I only bought it sparingly and I wish I'd done more.

The Alliand powders particularly RL 25 and 33 have worked well for me but RL17 and 19 seem to be the go to powders for a couple of my smaller cased loads.

I'm kind of hell bent about stocking up at least 10lbs for each rifle in the next month so Norma MRP and VV N550 and 560 show to do well in large cased magnums so I may be putting up a stock of them as well.

Things could get just plain nutty by the end of this year's elections and I'll not be on the wrong side of the panic if it does.

 

[CogburnR]

Norma MRP is very,very similar to RL22(Bofors produces both).

Vihtavuori also has N570 which may be interesting.

 

[just country]

H4831sc I have some the old H870lightbulbgun)

saddle up fellows if the witch wins, we could b facing a revolt, it has happened before!!

 

[Trnelson]

I got pinched out of H4350 and R-17 and went to Norma URP in desperation. It has proven to be superior to both in my rifles it returns better velocity and lower SD. I promptly bought enough URP to shoot the life out of those rigs. In the last year I also started using Norma 217 in my magnums. I had the same realization you are having.
When I buy powder now I get a pound to test with at my local retailer and once I find what works I order enough online to shoot the rifle out and mix it all together. Same with bullets, primers and cases. I stick them in the fire proofs and don't worry about supply issues or changing politics or profiteering retailers. I focus resources on supplying one rig at a time.
I don't have a lot of experience with Ramshot Magnum, it does seem to be available every place I stop at. Neither have I played a lot with the double base VV powders. If your rigs run well with them I'd stock up and quit worrying.

 

[newmexkid]

Just recently decided to try some Ramshot Mag and I can't find any locally. Guess I'll wait until one of the "big" suppliers has a special on the hazmat fee.

 

[Shortmagman]

I have loaded more than one VV powders with good success. My go to load for my Rem 700 in 308 is N550. I have also used N165 in 270 Win and N135 in 223 Rem.
The only down side to VV powders is the price.

 

[SansSouci]

Good Morning, WildRose,

It's difficult to entertain the notion of fixing what ain't broken.

Yesterday I fired a 5-shot one ragged hole group with a 43+ year-old Model 700 .270 Win using 60 grains of H-4831SC, 130 grain Accubonds, W-W cases, & Fed 210M primers. That ain't too bad for a hunting rifle.

My Sako .270 seems to like 59 grains of RL-19 with 130 grain Sierra GameKings with the rest being identical. BTW, RL-19 = Norma's 204. RL-22 = Norma's MRP.

Now were I queried about temperature stability I'd go with it being marketing strategy. I've fired my .270 Win at hot So Cal temperatures and freeze Rockies temperature. It was all good.

The most insurmountable obstacle I see with intro of a passel of new powders is time constraints. Who the heck has time to try various loads of a dozen new powders when he already has a fantastic load with, say, IMR-4350? Why would such a hunter become inclined to conduct such experiments?

How the heck can any powder company coax a .270 Win hunter away from H-4831?

 

[Trnelson]

Good Morning, WildRose,
. Who the heck has time to try various loads of a dozen new powders when he already has a fantastic load with, say, IMR-4350? Why would such a hunter become inclined to conduct such experiments?

How the heck can any powder company coax a .270 Win hunter away from H-4831?

Yep. I thought the same thing... Why would I ever change from H4350 in my .30/06, it shoots great. Why would I think of 'experiments' with alternative powders, bullets, primers? I didn't, until I ran out and couldn't find any.
I still have the data in my logbook in case I need to go back, it's about having options.

 

[coyotezapper]

Most of us here seem to be stuck on just a handful of powders from Allian, Hodgdon, IMR and maybe one or two others.

The last year or so when shopping for powders frequently (like most of us) being frustrated day after day after day when searching kept coming up with "unavailable" or "out of stock" on the powders I use and I started paying close attention what powders they seemed to have in stock that I wasn't using.

VV N, Ramshot, and Norma all produce good powders and are well regarded for their consistency and quality and it seems that they can almost always be had when we'e struggling tot find H1000, RL33, 26,26, etc.

Any of you guys using Ramshot Magnum, Norma MRP or any of the 500 Series powders from Vihtvouri?

Are there problems with any of those that you guys have found or is it just that we tend to get stuck on what we are using and do go looking for other good alternatives?

N550 in a 1-11" twist 7RM 25" Rock BBL 120 TTSX 3600 fps 61K sub half moa. Its like shooting a varmint rifle.

 

[WildRose]

Good Morning, WildRose,

It's difficult to entertain the notion of fixing what ain't broken.

Yesterday I fired a 5-shot one ragged hole group with a 43+ year-old Model 700 .270 Win using 60 grains of H-4831SC, 130 grain Accubonds, W-W cases, & Fed 210M primers. That ain't too bad for a hunting rifle.

My Sako .270 seems to like 59 grains of RL-19 with 130 grain Sierra GameKings with the rest being identical. BTW, RL-19 = Norma's 204. RL-22 = Norma's MRP.

Now were I queried about temperature stability I'd go with it being marketing strategy. I've fired my .270 Win at hot So Cal temperatures and freeze Rockies temperature. It was all good.

The most insurmountable obstacle I see with intro of a passel of new powders is time constraints. Who the heck has time to try various loads of a dozen new powders when he already has a fantastic load with, say, IMR-4350? Why would such a hunter become inclined to conduct such experiments?

How the heck can any powder company coax a .270 Win hunter away from H-4831?

By simply having their product sitting on the shelves when there's no H-4831.

Popular powders tend to get snatched up as fast as they hit the shelves even with the biggest of the online retailers. Over the last few years some of us have sat around for six months or more waiting for a given powder to once again hit the shelves and that in and of itself tends to put a squeeze on the available supply because folks who wouldn't do so otherwise start buying it up in bulk when it is available knowing full well it could be a long wait for the next batch to come out.