Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles IMR 8208 XBR

Is this gone forever? I can only assume that it’s going to military contracts. I’ve been working on a single 8# jug for 3 years, and I’ve all but given up on ever seeing it again in the wild.

I know that I can get a jug for $600 on GB, but I don’t want it that bad. I have watched the major retailers pretty consistently since the pandemic started.

I’d like some more of it myself! Awesome in a Whelen and the 22-250.

Great powder. My 308w Tikka T3 loves it. I've seen it locally, didn't realize it was unobtanium. I guess I better buy more, the next time I see it.. That reminds me, I need to go and load some 168's up for my new 308..

burn a bunch of it currently about 8 lb on hand and I buy pretty much all I can all the time. I use it in lots of different things

My Tikka loves it:


Was playing around with my new 308 and I don't know if it likes it as much as the Tikka does:



Further tests show that the Winchester prefers CFE223 for both 168's and 175's:


The op may want to give CFE a try, if he can't find IMR8208XBR... Just a suggestion..

A few months ago I found some locally at $73./lb. First that I've seen on a shelf for about three years. Bought it without hesitation. How sad.

They had suspended production of it, I had read, in favor of more popular powders. Several powders were discontinued, but they never stated 8208XBR was one of them. I have a load with 77 gr Sierra's that screams through my AR--fast and accurate. I'm also getting pretty low and have been burning Varget lately. I have seen it on shelves just once since this whole mess started.

Been several years since I have seen any, but supplies in general have been slim to nil on shelves around here. There is exactly ONE store within about 40 miles of my house that has consistently had any powder on a regular basis the past couple years, and that has mostly been pistol powders 🤷‍♂️

I haven't seen it at any of my usual online reloading supply retailers in quite some time, either.

8208 and H322 are impossible to find, I have been looking for over 2 years…

I was lucky enough to score some H322 from Midsouth Shooters Supply back in October of last year. It is out there, but it goes super fast.

Damn!!! I guess, like they say, if you really need it...... That's spendy though. I have a buddy that paid $65/pound for H4350 last year when it was hard to find. I told him to hold off for a couple months and it would be down in price. He did not listen because he just had to have it because it had been "unobtanium". He bought 6 pounds and patted himself on the back. 3 months later I bought some for $50/pound. I was running low, or I would not have paid that price, but if you are low or don't have it, you pay the piper. As much as we don't like it.. However, this brings up a valid point of trying different powders. Ramshot has been a life saver for a lot of us, I think. Great powder that is very affordable. And most times it is available, which really helps in these times.

Drop point, I'd suggest Ramshot X-terminator powder. I'm running 2,750 fps avg with 77's in my 20" ar's. Shoots great too.

How is temp sensitivity? I've not tried any Ramshot besides TAC.

I haven't noticed anything weird with X-terminator. I don't carry a chrono in my back pocket like some of you guys do around here though. I'll use one on occasion, when checking loads, but that's about it.

8208 is great. Not temp sensitive, clean burning, and flows well through my Redding #3. But, as the OP noted, about impossible to find. Benchmark seems a touch faster, but works well in the same applications.

I bought several pounds of 8208 in Feb 2022. I saw it avaiable for a couple of weeks. H322 about the same time. Snagged some of it too.

Now H4895, it's been prob 3 years since I've seen any.