I have been reviewing the Hodgdons online reloading manual and this new powder. I see it has a genuine appeal to me on 223, 243, 204, 22-250 and 257. It sure appears to me that this power pretty much follows or equals 4895 in just these 5 cartridges.

I do have a personal experience with a 223 w/50 SP with velocity of 3450. I shot it at 100 and 200 yards with very tiny groups.

The 243 with 70 Sierra and 38 grains of 8208 shot 2 three shot groups under a quarter inch.

I would like to hear of others experiences with the powder. I am betting it will become a favorite since it can be shot in so many different cartridges.

Fred,

I've gotten very good results in several cartridges with 8208. Mostly I've used it in small caliber rounds from the .17 Fireball to the 6mm PPC, but it's also the powder used for the most accurate load in my .338 Federal.

I really like it in my 35 Whelen with 200's, 57 gr of IMR 8208 with both the Accubond and TTSX give 2850 fps with excellent accuracy. With 225's it gives almost 2700 fps can't remember the exact charge at the moment.

Like you noticed in Hodgdon's data it covers a lot of different rounds from big to small. I would bet it would work very well in rounds like the 270 and 30-06 where it would give 260 Rem like ballistics and recoil. It will be the first powder I try when I get a 222 or 223........

Fred,

I have several loads rifle bullet combinations that really like IMR4895. Unfortunately my rifles like it better them my powder measure so I've been experimenting with the new super powders in that burn range to find the best replacement. Last weekend in my wife 5.56 I had a good group with 8208. It was a max charge, with cci 400 primers.

I'll need to reverify, to insure the results are repeatable, this might be something it likes.

The other two powder in this burn range where I'm have good luck are LT-32 and TAC.

It is my favorite powder for the 17 Rem. using 25gr. bullets and the only powder I use in the 204.

I have a feeling that when the real gun nuts experience very good results with 8208, that it will become a favorite. Especially if it is readily available.

I does well with some of the 6.5 Grendel loads as well.

Have used IMR 8208 for a couple of years now. Prefer it in my .223 and 6x45 reloads. Good accuracy with it. Works OK in my .308, but don't use it much in this cartridge.

I use a 32 piece set of altered Lee dippers for my reloading. The 8208, being a small stick powder, works quite well in my dippers....can throw a very consistent grain charge with it.

Have had good results with 8208 in 17 Rem, 204, 223, 22-250, 243, 6.5 Grendel, 6.8 SPC and 308 Win.(up to 168gr bullets).

Have a benchrest shooting friend that's doing good things with it in the PPC cartridges.

I'd say it's pretty versatile...............................

A.S the AR shooters around here love the 8208 popping 55's and heavier. BR guys have shied away from it, they are still shooting N133 in the 6 ppc for best results, although have seen a few going to LT32/ LT30 out to the 300. 30 BR guys absolutely love the 32/30 powders.
While I did get good groups and matched book velocity for a max charge of 8208 for 52 - 55 gr. my ES and SD's were double what I got with the same charge of benchmark plus a 100 fps slower.
I shied away from 8208 after getting a fail to extract, stiff bolt lift and backed out primers while shooting a 25 round match with 30 min time limit on a 90 + degree day.
LT32/30 is still tops in the 223 for groups/ ES/SD although lacking in velocity. Benchmark is a happy medium in between 8208 and LT series. IMO

I liked it in 204 but noticed accuracy fell off very quick when compared to 4895. Groups opened up faster due to fouling from the 8208. I went back to H4895 for that reason. YMMV.

Swifty, thanks for the tip.

Last weekend I turned a good group with Benchmark and 40gr Nosler varmagedon HP's. I'll give the 8208 a try with the 64gr BSB's as well.

thanks again.

I used up 8# feeding a 6mmBR with 80gr bullets and a 35Whelen.
It was predictable and accurate in both and I got higher velocity in the Whelan than with other powders.
I've since sold the Whelen and set the 6mmBR aside to focus on the 30BR (LT30)

I have tried 8208 in my 223 and my 223 ackley

I was never able to get it to out do Benchmark.

I saw that it needed to be near max in order to group well and get the sd's down on the speed.

I been thinking of trying it again with cci magnum primers to see if a little more heat with help it settle down.

although I don't know for sure how much hotter they are than Rem 7 1/2's or winchester small rifles

I have tried it in my .308 as well as a couple of .308 based cartridges and wasn't able to get accuracy which was satisfactory for me. I ended up going back to Varget. I have excellant loads worked up for my .204 and .223s, also with Varget, so I don't want to even mess with them. I do hope that this powder will work in my ARs. It should meter very well out of my Dillon and all the threads I have read seem very positve.

It is supposed to be the most temp insensitive powder out there, which is important to me here in NY. I have a large quantity of it, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that my ARs like it.

QM

I don't think it fouls badly. On a prairie dog hunt in SD a couple years ago, I fired over 400 rounds through a .223 without cleaning. Took it to the range before cleaning after I got home...groups still very good. Powder fouling was minimal, even after than much shooting.

Rem 7-1/2 is about as hot as it gets in a SR primer.