Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Extreme Temperature Powder Testing By John Barsness

Casey,

Hodgdon, for whatever reason, doesn't list any 4451 data for 110's--or 100's, or 120's--in the .270 Winchester. Dunno why.

I'd use H4350 data, cautiously.

Not yet, partly because I'd yet to find a load with one of their powders that was #1 in any of my rifles. But the folks that are handling VV powders in the U.S. now noticed the article, and suggested I try some of the recent versions of some of their rifle powders, which are supposedly very temp-resistant. Evidently VV's been working on that, and a sample of five powders, all the latest temp-resistant versions, showed up last week.

Thanks again for your books, articles and posting here. I've enjoyed your writing for a long time and recently have begun reading some of it to my 8yr old as part of his hunter education. Even the more complex topics are presented in a way he can grasp the main points. I even had him watch the DVD of your advanced reloading techniques. I think by the time he's 12 he'll know more than I knew by the time I was 40.

I've been thinking about temp sensitivity a lot over the last few months as I'm having to move everything to non-lead. I have read many of the comments that you've posted here on the fire and in some of your books but this pulls it nicely together for me.

I'm trying to choose a powder for the .243/80g/TTSX and the .270/110g/TTSX. Seems like it's between:

IMR4451 (Barnes data for H4350 .270 - would need to substitute 4451; Hodgdon data for 4451 .243 for 85g TSX)
or
Hunter (Barnes data)

I hunt mostly in California but sometimes out of state. Temps for hunting would range from 100+ down to mid-20s, rarely lower though I have gotten into single digits in Montana.

Hunter makes this a simpler job and I might get a few more fps, but from what I've read seems I'd be more likely to end up with a temp resistant load if I go the IMR route. I understand that I need to work up the loads and then test them, but what's your educated guess based on my scenario?

Not yet, partly because I'd yet to find a load with one of their powders that was #1 in any of my rifles. But the folks that are handling VV powders in the U.S. now noticed the article, and suggested I try some of the recent versions of some of their rifle powders, which are supposedly very temp-resistant. Evidently VV's been working on that, and a sample of five powders, all the latest temp-resistant versions, showed up last week.