Reloader 22

Oh boy. Here we go again. I suggest you do a search. It's been beat to death here. Most will tell you that it's very temp sensitive. I have used it in my 300 WM and never bothered to shoot over a chrono in different temps but it hit where it was supposed to at 625 yds when it was well below zero with a load that was developed around 65 degrees. I think if there will be a problem it will be from developing a load when it's cold and then shot in the middle of summer.
Now, I'm going to cook some popcorn and watch what happens.
 
Ditto on the " here we go again". My experience has been that is the load is developed in cool temps with anticipation of being used for hunting season, I can do some post season practice and when the temps are even colder, I have no problem. I have about six rifles that inhale this potion, and I have to be careful if I take them on a crop damage hunt in the summer. I have personally had difficult extraction on my 7stw, and my 300rum. SO, it seems that it does not like warmer temps after the load is set, but it shoots ok when it gets colder. My loads border max but are not at max. So when the temp increases, so does the pressure. Not so evident the other way. Hope this helps without confusion!!!! AIM SMALL, MISS SMALL ! gun)lightbulb 7STW
 
TnKnightSticks is asking an honest, & valid question, & hasn't posted on this site as often as some of us. This leads me to belive he may not frequent here as often. He has however been a member longer than a lot of folks, & deserves respect. Obviously we've all seen this question with this powder or that many times. But some folks may never have hered an answer, & what better place to ask than here?
I'm glad the members who posted are so polite. (so many newer members arent) Imo, both posts were right on the money too. (& somewhat comical haha) That says a lot a out the good people here on LRH.
Now, for a partial answer to your question O.P.....
Any load at or near max, with ANY powder, developed in cold temps (ie: winter) should not just be automatically trusted as safe in summer heat untill proven safe.
Work up to that winter load in the summer to be safe. Then there is no question. Use a chrono to tell you the difference in speed if there is one.
I have some RL-19 loads, right at max, developed in single digit temps that work just fine in Hells Canyon in August at 115*+.
My experience may differ from others. But in the end I really like Alliant powders, & would use them anyway even if they were temp sensitive. Id just keep better records so I could keep my drops simmilar with given loads. I also use Hodgden, & IMR, but they are a bit coarse. I typically use Alliant, RL-... vs Hodgden, or IMR, if my rifle likes RL. Personal preferance I guess.
 
An addition to my original quote, I absolutely love this powder. It has done things for me in the past 10 or 12 years that NO other powder has done for me. I could almost throw away all of the other slow burners that I have and use only RL22. it is predictable, and I have found lot to lot consistency to be excellent. It is magic in the big boomers and some of the smaller ones too. Now it is my turn to go make popcorn and see what happens. AIM SMALL, MISS SMALLlightbulb:)gun) 7STW
 
RL 22 is a great powder and accurate, but: I had a bad experience with it a few years ago in my 300WBY. As others have mentioned above, the problem was me working up a load in 55 degree temps and then trying to use it in the hot summer. The load produced quite a bit less than .5MOA accuracy at cooler temps. One summer day I took it up in the mountains on a 95 degree day to do some across canyon shooting. When I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn at 1K I brought it in and shot at 375 yards. To my surprise I was lucky to keep all shots within 4 MOA! That's when I learned about temperature sensitivity and how bad RL22 was in this regard. Switched to Hodgdon H1000 and have never looked back, better ES too.
 
So, if you did your load development in late spring, early summer ( hi 80's lo 90's) and then shot when it was in the fall (30's to 40's) what would happen. I too am a reloading noob, so I under stand if i get hammered. But im asking anyway.
 
big mike 2121 said:
So, if you did your load development in late spring, early summer ( hi 80's lo 90's) and then shot when it was in the fall (30's to 40's) what would happen. I too am a reloading noob, so I under stand if i get hammered. But im asking anyway.
Click to expand...

You might lose some FPS, you might gain some FPS or maybe nothing will happen. It's a crapshoot until you try it. Every rifle will be different. I guess if I was hell bent on using RL22 and was worried about it, I would shoot over a chrono in different temps and then create different drop charts. Personally, I haven't had a problem, but I'm going to look at developing some loads with H4831 and H1000 and see how it goes. However, it will be tough to go away from the low ES, accuracy and velocity I get with RL22.
 
I guess I have an advantage over a lot of you I live in the country and my loading room on the back of the house where the temp is always around 70 or 75 degrees so when I load it is like spring or summer in the room. I shoot out the window for 150 yards. so I don't have to worry about temptures cold or hot. RL22 RL19 & VV160 & VV165 is favorite powders. my most accurate 7 mag load is 140 Btips & RL22.
 
We dont hunt out of our reloading rooms!! I may re load inside at 70 deg or so, but it could be 100+ or as low as 20 deg when im shooting. Ill stick to H1000 I suppose.
 
winmag said:
TnKnightSticks is asking an honest, & valid question, & hasn't posted on this site as often as some of us. This leads me to belive he may not frequent here as often. He has however been a member longer than a lot of folks, & deserves respect. Obviously we've all seen this question with this powder or that many times. But some folks may never have hered an answer, & what better place to ask than here?
I'm glad the members who posted are so polite. (so many newer members arent) Imo, both posts were right on the money too. (& somewhat comical haha) That says a lot a out the good people here on LRH.
Now, for a partial answer to your question O.P.....
Any load at or near max, with ANY powder, developed in cold temps (ie: winter) should not just be automatically trusted as safe in summer heat untill proven safe.
Work up to that winter load in the summer to be safe. Then there is no question. Use a chrono to tell you the difference in speed if there is one.
I have some RL-19 loads, right at max, developed in single digit temps that work just fine in Hells Canyon in August at 115*+.
My experience may differ from others. But in the end I really like Alliant powders, & would use them anyway even if they were temp sensitive. Id just keep better records so I could keep my drops simmilar with given loads. I also use Hodgden, & IMR, but they are a bit coarse. I typically use Alliant, RL-... vs Hodgden, or IMR, if my rifle likes RL. Personal preferance I guess.
Click to expand...


jkamcgehee: I have used RL-22 for over ten years in my 300Win. and I have had great results. I have however gone out to the the range the last two weekends and I have had some really odd results using the same loads and same rifle as always. Usually at 200yds I have a 1.5 MOA. Now in a 3 shot group I will have 2 almost touching and one will be off either high left by 3-4 inches or low right by the same. I am near Lewistion Idaho and it is late July, both days it was 101 to 102 degrees. ONe day we were under a shaded shooting bench area the other out in the sun. I have shot when it is nearly this hot before and never had this problem. I used the last half of a container of powder that I had labled as opened in Oct. of 2006. The powder has remained tightly closed and stored in a cool room of our house. Can powder go bad or do you think I have a temperature sensitive problem as documented in some of the other postings?
 
jkamcgehee said:
jkamcgehee: I have used RL-22 for over ten years in my 300Win. and I have had great results. I have however gone out to the the range the last two weekends and I have had some really odd results using the same loads and same rifle as always. Usually at 200yds I have a 1.5 MOA. Now in a 3 shot group I will have 2 almost touching and one will be off either high left by 3-4 inches or low right by the same. I am near Lewistion Idaho and it is late July, both days it was 101 to 102 degrees. ONe day we were under a shaded shooting bench area the other out in the sun. I have shot when it is nearly this hot before and never had this problem. I used the last half of a container of powder that I had labled as opened in Oct. of 2006. The powder has remained tightly closed and stored in a cool room of our house. Can powder go bad or do you think I have a temperature sensitive problem as documented in some of the other postings?
Click to expand...


Kinda sounds like something else to me. I fought with a similar problem with unexplained inaccuracy ( 1.5 moa out of a 1/2 moa rifle at 200 yds) earlier this year and it turned out to be mirage as the accuracy came back when the wind came up. Not handling the rifle perfectly can cause an occasional flier as can loose screws on your rifle. Bad scope?
I burn more rl22 than any other powder. I also burn rl50, rl33, rl25, rl19, rl17, rl15, and rl7. They all have their place and are very good powders when applied correctly. I have never run into any issues with temp. stability being an issue with rl powders, but I don't run my rifles to the ragged edge either. I try to use a big enough caliber that I can leave a bit of velocity on the table by using milder loads.
 
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