New Powders - I'm Outa Date

[Kruel J]

It's never the shooter - always something wrong with the gun or the ammo!

Oh yeah, that's right.

 

[tac]

Dont worty, no one can even spell Vihahatori.
I'd just spell it $$ if I ever used it.

I take it that you mean Vihtavuori?

 

[bsa1917hunter]

I've been using 700x in my trap loads since the late 70's. There are no doubt better powders but my recipe does not seem to be broken. What you use was modern at some point in time. Go with that and keep it up!

I started out with 700x, when I first starting shooting trap. It is mighty fine,but not perfect, as is "old school" 800x in the heavier "run what you brung" loads... However, when money is at stake and you like winning and bringing home cash, turkeys, hams, etc, you step up to newer faster loads requiring better cleaner burning powders. When you are running a 4 gun annie and you are the last man standing, generally you aren't using 700x powder...... The same goes for the long game. In hoodriver, we have what we call the long bomb shoot. There is a cement pad 80 yards from the trap house. During our icicle shoot, we always shoot a long bomb comp. 5 shots at 5 birds and whoever hits the most wins. I managed to hit 4 out of 5 one year and was the high score winner. Guys run heavy loads 1 1/4 or 1 3/8 oz. loads pushed fast and hard with longshot. No 700x users there in that game... I guess what I'm trying to get at is there is nothing wrong with being old school and using old products, but if you want to be competitive, you almost have to step up and join the in crowd. If you are just leisurely shooting for enjoyment, use what you are comfortable with. No harm in that....

 

[WillametteWill]

Completely agree BSA. My 700x is reserved for my practice loads and occasional 16yd comps. Haven't gotten into the games (yet) and would definitely need to change my loads. Those 80 yard shots must be a blast!

 

[Capn Jack]

I cast mine to keep the cost down, but the paper doesn't care.

 

[Member 34319]

I am not unaware enough to think that plastic/stainless does not have merit. The last couple rifles I bought (Both for wife. ) were a heavy barrel Tikka in 223 (Replete with NF scope....dials and all), and a Tikka in 270 (Leupold with dials).

The 270 shoots half minute with X bullets (See what I did there? I didn't call the "TTSX BT"...I called em "X", because when I first started using them in the early 90s, that's what they called them). The 223 shoots in the twos for the most part with Hornady match slugs.

It's kinda funny that I pay close attention to the bullet, either for terminal performance on the animal reasons. Or for accuracy without effort and trajectory. I choose bullets that penetrate well, because the first 25 years of my elk career were on the coast where ranges were short and angles were bad. Had I spent the same time hunting open country where animals would stand broadside at 250+ yards, my thoughts on bullets may well be different.

I pay close attention to cases. Because you can have everything correct, and have the wrong cases and spin your wheels for a long time without ever seeing the true return of your efforts. All because your cases vary way too much out of the box. Laupa is always good IMO. Nosler has been damn spiffy lately too.

Mostly working on the boxes of primers I hoarded during Great Primer Scare back in the 90s. Maybe the 223 would shoot in the ones if I bought a new rack of 205M's? I dunno if it matters for what our goals with it are.

So I do not shun technology entirely. I also have followed the history of arms development in the last 150 years to understand that the rifle, high BC ammo and accuracy are nothing new. I giggle at the folks today who think an Ultra Mag and high BC slugs are some sort of new discovery.

The new tech (Rangefinders that actually work at longer range and scope dials that are repeatable) interests me greatly. I will likely shoot at 1000 yards this summer with the 223.

I'll see about doing the same. Maybe together!

If your having inconsistent FPS using a certain primer, try opening up the primer pockets a few thousands at a time. Sometimes the pocket is the culprit over the primer.

 

[41mag]

What you use was modern at some point in time.

I <like> that comment a LOT!!!

 

[tac]

I giggle at the folks today who think an Ultra Mag and high BC slugs are some sort of new discovery.

The 174gr bullet in Swiss GP11 ammunition looks uncannily akin to the very latest similar bullet from Walt Berger and JLK....it dates from 1910, and went into service in 1911.

 

[joken]

Rem 700 KS 270 130gr TSX and IMR 4350. I'm too lazy to go out to the shop and check the powder charge and too old to remember. I can't remember how many rounds that was either, but I like to quit when I'm ahead. I had just refinished that stock. Now if I ever get the Antelope tag! I have another one of these rifles in 7mm that is every bit as accurate.

 

[MountainBear]

Well, there are only four rifles in my crowded safe made after the 70's, near as I can figure. They aren't as old as @AndyinEverson's fine collection, but they have some age.
As for reloading, I still stick with IMR 4064 for almost all of my .30-06 reloading. It works, I can almost always find it, and it works safely in the Garand (and the twelve other old .30-06's). Not sure if it's old school or not but it's what I've got...

 

[tac]

As for reloading, I still stick with IMR 4064 for almost all of my .30-06 reloading. It works, I can almost always find it, and it works safely in the Garand (and the twelve other old .30-06's). Not sure if it's old school or not but it's what I've got...

No more IMR 4064 here in Yoorup The EU chemists and scientists decided to take a leaf out of the 'Book of Banned Substances' belonging to the Surgeon General of the State of California, and decided that if you sprinkled an even pound of IMR 4064 on your breakfast corn-flakes every morning for 300 years there is a 0.000000001 chance of you developing some kind of unpleasant side effect.

So, no more IMR 4064, and 75% of ALL other US-made propellants, too.

 

[MountainBear]

^Ugh.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I take it that you mean Vihtavuori?

You can take it that I didn't mean Red Dot.

 

[DizzyJ]

You can take it that I didn't mean Red Dot.

 

[Vettewine]

Been reloading since around 1976 and still use a lot of the powders that I used back then... I know, I know... some of them aren't even available anymore but I still like 'em until I run out...!

 

[DizzyJ]

Been reloading since around 1976 and still use a lot of the powders that I used back then... I know, I know... some of them aren't even available anymore but I still like 'em until I run out...!

View attachment 586908

And because of this, I'll probably never run out of powder myself!

 

[Pepe-lepew]

New powders are a lot of marketing with little benefit. I rarely load for hunting rifles. The next time I do, I want to be able to get the same components. I know many of the old school powders and Partitions will be avaiable in 10 or 20 years. The fancy new powders and bullets may not.

 

[Steel Head]

For pistol I absolutely love WST and WSF.
Not all that new or high tech but that stuff works.

For my bolt actions and AR's I like some newish powders.

Xterminator
8208XBR
IMR 4451
h4050
H1000

My favorite general purpose AR powder is W748 though.

 

[bsa1917hunter]

I used to be out of date:




Not anymore buddy:

 

[Hemlock]

SR7625 Used it for years for heavy duck loads. (when you could still shoot lead) Found out it worked great for light target/practice loads in the 44 mag. Works good in the 357 too. -DISCONTINUED- I've secured 4 new bottles at different gun shows. I'm happy again.