Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles RL 22 and temps

I was able to get out and fire some rounds over the chrony and compare to some shot in warmer temps. The rounds I shot in the cold were loaded the previous night and left outside where temps went down to about 13, the temp when I shot was 29. I used same everything except the brass, PMC instead of Fed I used when warmer, bullet used was the 130 Sierra Pro Hunter with my M700 270 Win:

59.0 grns RL22

75 degrees - average 2973, low 2949, high 2989
29 degrees - average 2894, low 2886, high 2911

60.0 grns RL22

75 degrees - average 3065, low 3051, high 3079
29 degrees - average 2951, low 2930, high 2969

Thanks M1 - was waiting for someone to do that. It doesn't get cold enough in TN to do any meaningful Re 22 shooting. I developed the loads last year with temps in the 40's low 50's, its been 30 - 35 for weeks. That ain't much of a test............

BTW: What cartridge is the chrono data from?

I edited it in.

Thanks.

M1Garand,

Great info. Thanks.

What was the date of manufacture of the powder you used?

Been trying to see if the formulation of REL22 has changed.

fish head

Thanks M1.

I was hoping you would get back to us with your results. I switched to RL 22 for my .270 last year, but did not do any chrono testing in below freezing weather.

FH,the date on the can was hard to read but looks like 2008. This would be a different lot than I fired in the 75 degree weather. I will load up some from this lot in the same brass and if we get about 10-15 degree less temps I'll fire again, along with again when temps hit 70s/80s and see how they compare.

I made it to the range today to chrony RL 22 in some warmer temps using the same lot bullets, primers and powder along with the exact brass I used when I shot at 29 degrees. I was about 15 feet off the chrony and these showed slower speeds when I originally fired at 75 degrees a while back and had used a different make of brass and different lots of components.

My truck said the temp was 87 when I left the range and I had set the rounds outside on the porch in the shade for about 3 hours before I went and fired them. My 29 degree results along with the 87 degree results:

59.0 grns RL22

87 degrees - average 2940, low 2930, high 2956
29 degrees - average 2894, low 2886, high 2911

60.0 grns RL22

87 degrees - average 2978, low 2969, high 2996
29 degrees - average 2951, low 2930, high 2969

Frankly that isn't bad. I've heard Re 22 is really temp sensitive. Your data doesn't really indicate that - nor does the Hodgdon Extreme data for Re 22 and 19.

Thanks for posting.

I posted on this back when this thread 1st started here My velocity finding although similar, wasn`t quite what M1Garand has found in his test but then he used 2 powder lots, mine was with the exact same components. Some times I think lor to lot variation in powder accounts for more difference then the temps, JMO.
I didn`t find much difference in velocity but there was ~5K psi (uncalibrated pressure trace) difference in pressures.
There is some temperature induced change but not enough for me to worry about. Then too I don`t load to the ragged edge. The load I tested was in a 6.5x55 and your 270 or 7mm Mag might show a completely different result.

Those numbers fall in line with what I have seen using RL22 for the temps you show. However as I mentioned earlier in this thread, RL22 only loses around 50fps when going from temps of 75* down to 32*. The velocities drop off much faster once the temp falls below freezing for example you will see a 50fps drop from 75 to 32, but from 32 down to 10 you may see an additional 100fps.

Joe, when I shot the rounds last winter (29 degrees), I compared them to velocities I previously had on record, the 75 degree velocities. Those velocities were from a different lot of powder, primers, bullets and different brand of brass. These I just fired at 87 degrees were the same lot of primer, powder, bullet and same brass I used at 29 degrees and they did not show as much variation. I have enough of those lots to do it again when temps hit single digits here and see how they compare.

Much to do over almost nothing IMO...I shoot RL-22 in Idaho winters and Africas summers, I shoot it in my .270, 338 Win., 300 H&H, 300 Win. and others.... No "noticeable" problems. Sometime we create these problems while practicing the art of conversation.

Good call Ray!! I have experienced no noticable speed or pressure swings with 22 or 19 in the last 10-12 years. As someone mentioned I believe the formulas are now very stable at all but the MOST extreme temps (i.e. over 100 degrees or under 0)

But what else would we talk about? I've never had any issues either so after seeing claims of it being temperature sensitive, I figured on some of my shooting outings, I'd find out myself and pass the info along.

I've got it! Eureka! I solved part of the problem with using temp. sensitive powders in cold weather, just put a hand warmer underneath the slip-on ammo band many of us already have on our rifle stocks. I'm half joking, half serious, I'm definitely gonna try it out, it would be a simple solution if it works for longer range hunting anyway. Although, it still doesn't help the round in the chamber and the rounds in the magazine, let me think on that a bit.