Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Retumbo

Haven't seen this powder talked about much. I take it the powder was developed expressly, explicitly for magnum cartridges. I know some people use it for standard cartridges. Thoughts ?

I've used it quite a bit over the years. Started using it in the 300 Rem Ultra Mag where it was superb with the 200 grain Nosler Accubond. Great velocity and accuracy.

Since then I've happily used it in the 25-06 with 110 and 115 grain bullets, again with excellent accuracy and velocity.

And the 7mm Remington magnum responds quite well to it too.

It seems best in the overbore type cartridges, whether they're referred to as a magnum or not.

Regards, Guy

From what I read, being single based, it's not hard on barrels but loose performance, energy wise.

What do you say about this ?

Double-base powders have a flatter pressure curve: the nitroglycerin burns quicker, and the nitrocellulose slower. This can be used in two different ways. Loaded to the same muzzle velocity, peak pressure is reduced and with it peak temperature. Loaded to the same peak pressure, muzzle velocity is increased due to the extended burn. If you go for the velocity increase you pay a price in throat erosion since the peak pressure is maintained longer; however, if you load for the same velocity erosion is generally reduced since peak pressure and temperature are lower. There's no free lunch - you can't have it both ways.

Retumbo, Is My go to powder for my 6mm CM and .243 A.I. using 107-108 gr. Bullets people are amazed how well it works and the FPS and how Accurate it is. Rio7

Yup! Retumbo drives a 110 gr Nosler Accubond at just over 3200 fps, with single digit SD figures and tight groups, from my 25-06. Heck of a combo!

Since you mentioned using it with your 6mm CM... I might just give that a try! Hadn't used Retumbo in the 6 CM yet.

Guy

Well, this is what Hodgdon has to say about their Retumbo powder:

"This magnum, extruded powder was designed expressly for the really large overbored cartridges such as the 7mm Remington Ultra Magnum, 300 Remington Ultra Magnum, 30-378 Weatherby Magnum, etc. Retumbo adds 40-100 fps more velocity to these cartridges when compared to other normal magnum powders.

In addition, it is an Extreme Powder, making it perfect for big game hunting under all types of conditions."

I can't disagree with them.

Guy

My tang safety 7 mag loved the stuff 160 and 175 gainers. Good groups, high speed.

So does the 25-06 for 120 gr.

I was thinking retumbo went extinct, but I did see a one pound bottle at cabelas just as someone was grabbing it....

I’ve had really good results in a couple of 7 Rem Mags with 168 grain bullets, either the Nosler 168 LR A/bond for a hunting load or the 168 Matchking for target. One 26” barrel likes 68 grains for 2925 or so and the other 70 grains for 3000 +/- from a 27” 40-XB.

I was gonna quote that, but didn't want to sound like the 25-06 was included, but it works well for yours so hey ! Wildcats are overbore. I disagree with them.. Put it to you this way I heard Hornady say "we just haven't tested it in that Caliber"

It’s a ripper in my 7 Mashburn Super, 264, and 300 RUM.

I have used it in a few 243s with 105 grain bullets and it worked well.

I'm still using it in a 6.5 prc

I get that. However Hodgdon has published Retumbo loads for the 25-06 for quite some time. I first bought Retumbo for the 300 Rem Ultra Mag, and it worked great, but I sold that rifle and was sitting on several pounds of Retumbo... What to do with it? So I leafed through my Hodgdon manual and my goodness... There it was, for the 25-06! Nosler also lists it for use with the 25-06 with their bullets. I'm quite pleased with it for the 25-06, and the 7mm Rem Mag. Am thinking that it might work well for my 257 Weatherby as well, but... I've seen no published data for that.

Hope this helps with your initial inquiry. Retumbo has been great for me, and others. I'm hoping to find more of it for sale sometime soon. That would be quite nice as I'm running low.

Regards, Guy

 

Hmmm... I've loaded my .257 Roberts +P and 110 gr. bullets with H4350 since, well, forever. Averaging 2,984 fps to be exact.

You think that Roberts case is too small for Retumbo?

I'd think that Retumbo might be a little slow burning for the 257 Roberts, but I just don't know.

It might work out. BTW, I use H4350 in the 25-06 with 100 gr bullets. Zippy!

Hmm, it's listed by Hodgdon for the 6mm Rem and heavy bullets... I load the 6mm Rem, but haven't tried Retumbo in it...

Regards, Guy

The efficiency of a cartridge is best realized with a high load density without compressing the load. We don't have burn rate charts just for chits & giggles. Retumbo is routinely in the top 10 of slowest powders on the charts, and has it's appropriate applications. I never felt the need for it myself in anything but a 300 RUM and even that was set to the side eventually for a better option.

That's true about any powder.


Load Manuals already list from fast to slow with appropriate powder and bullet weights, so I believe that burn rate charts aren't as critical as they may appear, To The.... Hand Loader not the Ballisticians. Some powders shine better than others depending on the application, which I do my own research and really don't rely on burn rate charts because it was already done for me.


Whatever your expectations are, do what you have to do to meet them.

I would say you don't see data, is because to them it's not a largely overbored cartridge. Or they just didn't test that cartridge with Retumbo. I don't believe, based on what a overbored cartridge is defined as, isn't in the catagory.

Well I guess the ballisticians doing the testing and writing the load manuals to keep everyone's fingers and faces intact just pull powders out of their ass then without any regard to a powder's burn rate.

Cut to the chase and tell us what your interest in Retumbo is actually for, specifically, and maybe someone can help.

But I suspect, just like any of your other posts; you throw something (inanely stupid) out there, ask thoughts, then want to argue with the response you get.

[bleep] troll.

This is all I wanted to hear from ya guy, thanks. From now it would probably be a good idea to keep it that way instead on being hell bent on teaching somebody something.

Since you won't state the specific interest you have in this powder, and with the "context" of what you've stated here so far, my guess is you're fixing to cowboy something that has no published data and are whoring around here looking for validation to try it.

That is if you're not a troll trolling, which you are.