I secured three pounds of R905 which I want to use for some handloads. Data is rather scarce, however. Do any of you have data from older reloading manuals listing R905, especially for calibers such as 7mm RM or 280? I have found some data for the 7X64, which at least suggests some starting loads for the 280, but any direction you could provide would be greatly appreciated. I would wish to try 140, 150 and 160 grain bullets.

DrMike,

Norma's burning rate table shows R905 as just slower than Reloader 19.

jim

R905 has the same source as Norma MRP and Reloder 22. There are only some differences because each brand uses it's blending recipe to match their published loading data. Btw. RWS lists for a 160 grs KS bullet a max load of 58 grs in a 7x64 at 2790 fps and 55,5 grs for the same bullet in 280 Rem at 2740 fps.

That would be Nexplo/Bofors in Karlskoga, Sweden according to Norma.

jim

Yes, but more exact all three are derivates of same propellant type.

The copy of a 1988 letter from Hercules to the Old Westerner Scrounger indicates, in the 3rd paragraph, R205 is the same as N205, not MRP.



BTW, you would probably have to go back to Speer #8 to find loading data for N205 and recommended loads may have changed since then.

Norma has had small lots of propellant in 1980+ from Nobel Industries Scotland resulting in problems with N205 and MRP. Nobel Industries Sweden is a business unit and is (now Eurenco) Bofors. Beside this there is also Bofors Defence, they make no small arms powders. All actual powders are made by Eurenco Bofors Karlskoga. Rottweil Series have always been from Bofors. Actual Reloder series are also made by Nexplo Bofors Karlskoga. In medieval times R905 was N205. This was 20 years ago when MRP was not born.

I think you'll find MRP listed at the beginning of the 3rd paragraph of the posted letter. Reloder 22 is an "improved version" of MRP.

MRP is listed in the data of Speer #10, published in 1979, but N205 was discontinued before that printing. That indicates N205 was still available in the non-American market at least 9 years later, when the letter was written.

I should better make no more posts in this matter. Rel 22 and MRP are derivates of Bofors RP5NP. Norma makes it's own selection procedure, for Rel22 it is done by Alliant or Bofors, whatever you want. Meanwhile all these propellants are silently migrating to new Bofors NT-technology powders, keeping the old burning rates for the handloader. Thats all I can tell you because I don't want to be excluded from actual information from propellant manufacturers.

We better don`t argue with h broemel.

He is THE Euro authority in reloading powders.

h broemel,

Welcome to the Campfire...jim

It's quite obvious MRP was around almost 30 years ago, which is all I was addressing. Of course, we also don't have a lot number or an age for the R205 in question, so we don't really know if it's newer manufacture or not.

This quote suggests it isn't newly made powder, for which the old N205 would be appropriate.

This appears to be powder of newer manufacture. The cans were unopened and had a date of Jan 92 stamped on them. They came from an estate sale at which I picked up quite a bit of reloading components (mostly a variety of 8 mm bullets. If the data I have been able to find is accurate, the burn rate is close to MRP or N560. It appears that MRP is essentially identical. I have been able to find limited data for R905 powder for loading 7 X 64 with 162 grain bullets and for loading 7 mm RM with 150 grain bullets. I really appreciate all the information you have provided so far. Does QuickLoad have any data for this particular powder?

It would then appear that h broemel is correct in his assessment and he may be able to provide further information.

h_bromel,

Thank you for the information you provided for loading the 7 mm RM and the 280 with R905. The information, together with the information I have been able to gather through extensive Internet searches will permit me to begin some mild loads in these two cartridges. It would apprear that you have information available from RWS for loading. Do you have access to information for any of the newer WSM cartridges, in particular the 300 WSM, the 7 mm WSM, the 270 WSM and the 325 WSM? Any information you are able to provide will be greatly appreciated. I tried to PM, but my efforts failed.

Michael Stark