Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles So what happened to RL19?

Don't hear much about it these days. No love? RL26 taking the spotlight? I like RL19 in the 25/06 and 280AI with lighter bullets. Maybe RL19 is yesterday's news?

my favorite powder in 243, 25-06, 260, 7-08, 300 win, 300 why, and 30 hart, I keep alot on hand

Reloder 19 is the only imported powder I use. Everything else is the locally made ADI powders. It has a good burning rate slightly slower than the 4350 powders. It goes very well in my .280 and 7x64. It seems to give a bit more velocity than the single base powders.

It's one of the powders I use in my 280 Rem that does well, but I do have better results with R26 and the 160s. In my 270s, I get better results with R22.

The most temperature sensitive powder I've ever seen is why I have no use for it. There are just better more temperature tolerant powders available that do the same thing IME....

It proved the best in my 7x57Ackley Improved. We don't have to worry about temps in Texas unless you hunt deep in the panhandle. powdr

I didn't know that. Thanks for the heads up.

v
either have I and I been useing it since it came out in 100 degree to freezing, never had a problem

Gemby have you actually chronographed and shot groups at "100 degree to freezing"?

Reloder 19 has worked very well for me in the 7x57 and 6.5x55.

RL19 had been a favorite of mine until I tried Ramshot Hunter now it’s my #1 favorite in 6-250, 257 Rob, 257 AI, & 30-06.

Prolly will be in 6.5x55 & 6.5-06 too...

It does everything 19 will do but better...

not chronographed, but point of impact dosent change, worked up load at around 35 to 40 degrees and use it in the summer for long range hog hunting with no difference in grouping

WOW that's a bit over the top IMO, I have used it for years without any problems, have seen many more temp sensitive powders than RL19.
Is more uniform from lot to lot than its big brothers RL22 & RL25

It's just experience over multiple cartridges. Use whatever you want, won't bother me...

For example, just in the 7-08, I've had two loads multiple years apart with different lots lose over 150 fps from 100 or so degrees down to 20's. A 139 Interlock load went from 2800+ to 2640 and impact was way off at 200 yards. Bringing out the Chrono with my camp in the truck to check speed was fun. When your crap is jacked the day before a big hunt, it's not cool. Just simply not worth taking the chance in this day in age...

H414, H335 and RL-15 are also not very good in the hot to cold department but 95% of folks will never know anyway. .

This is 100% correct

And the 7-08ai and 140’s did the same thing in similar conditions.

I’m used all I had for fire forms and. Ever looked back the temp resistance powders are just to good to fight the non.

Ran it in my 25-06's with loads developed in January/February. Along came summer and the actions locked up. Ran some over the chrony (magnetospeed) in January/February and they ran at 2950-2975. Ran ONE over it in June and it was a 3180. The roses sure enjoyed it though.

I must be lucky...

I never experience all sorts of stuff other campfire members seem to experience...

Then I don't zero a rifle in a low temp and then use it in a much higher temp or vice versa...

I zero it right around the time of year I will be carrying it afield...

And for someone who thinks RL 19 is the most insensitive temp powder they've used,
they evidently have never tried H 335 in anything...

If you don't shoot throughout the year and only hunt in your locale in similar conditions or don't shoot at long distances, you'll never notice, which is why I said 95% of folks never will, which you are a part of obviously...

Your H335 comment, which seems to be in response to my post - why don't you try reading my entire post again, which references H335 amongst others?

I myself shot long range and do it every day of the year and I use RL19 in both spring,summer fall and winter here in PA. I sure don't see problems like you have, must be where I live or where you live.

and for shizt and giggles i ras a 243 with 95gr sierra match kings that I worked up a load in 30 degree weather, and just shot it through crony today and the temp is 79 degree and it clocked 42fps faster, that's not very temp sensitive to me

I think, muledeer can likely speak to this, they changed the formula due to the temperature issues over time. I'm sure it is better these days but Alliant doesn't tout it as temperature insensitive to this day. I'm really gun shy. IMO, in today's world of powders, there is no reason at all to even mess with powders that are not temperature tolerant....

Not much of a range there. Not sure 79 will tell you much on the top end regardless. That's nowhere near "hot"....

well warmer days are coming here in PA, will retest when it gets hot, I been useing RL19 for over 20 years without a problem, I agree 46 degrees is not a big change I could lay them on the dashboard of the truck in the sun and retest, that will heat it up

Be curious what you find....

I use in my 6mm rem , it's my go to powder.

just put two rounds in the truck will let them there for about 30 minutes in the sun, I'll hit them with surface temp reader and shoot them when they cool off to 100

The temp of the rifle plays a big part too.

Watching with interest.

I know that's why I placed the rifle in the truck too, after about a hour I took both out and waited to the ammo cooled to 105 degrees, fired over the crony and average fps with 2 rounds were only 69fps over the worked up load in 30 degree weather, and I'm already running hot on this load of 46.5grs of RL19 and sierra 95gr matchking, remington 9 1/2 primer, winchester case and bullet seated with bolt closing, no flat or crater primers, no heavy bolt lift, no ejector marks and the two rounds I fired touched at 100 yards.

Not horrible....

next sunny day we have, raining today I'm going to try this with Varget and see what happens

do t get the 200fps difference that you experience in your 7mm08

Temp sensitivity varies with cartridge. I *think* Varget was tuned around 308 use, so the farther away you get from that the less ideal it may be.

Not in my powder stash.

That's what I was thinking.

did a test using Varget yesterday, since mathman said that Varget was tuned around the 308, I used a 308 for this test, fortunately I don't have cold weather chronograph reading from any of my 308's so I had to place it in the freezer for cold weather and place it in the hot truck to raise it to 100 degrees, the results were more different than RL 19 , between cold and hot there was only 31fps difference, 1/2 of what RL19 was.

Well how about that. Thanks for running those numbers. Pretty interesting stuff. Could be a lot of truth to the consensus. Even at that,I expected more variation within the RL19 test. I don't think I would loose much sleep worrying about it. The Varget performed true to its reputation .

The temp of the barrel plays a huge part.

Testing with early production RL25, 264 Win Mag, and 140 gr parttions, attempting to reach that mythical 3200 fps (about the worst combination imaginable). I saw velocities jump from 3050 fps to near 3300 with blown primers and expanded case heads in a 3 shot string.

No such problems with H 1000.

sure won't miss a deer at 100 or 200 yards between hot and cold weather

This is good info.

I have been purchasing RE19 and using it the last 25 years in 30-06, 25-06, 243, 270, 300wsm, 270 wsm and some others with all positive results.

A few comments:

Most modern powders don't vary much from about 30-80 degrees.

Temperature sensitivity, as some mentioned, can vary with the particular cartridge and bullet weight.

It also varies somewhat with loading density. A full case of powder, slightly compressed, is usually less senistive.

The primer can make a measurable difference as well.

Heavier barrels usually result in minimal point-of-impact or accuracy change, even when velocity changes considerably. Lighter barrels can show considerable variation in both, but you won't know how much until you try 'em.

Chilling or heating only the cartridges usually won't show the same results as shooting in colder or warmer temperatures, but occasionally does. If you're really interested in hunting-condition results, test at the actual temperatures you may be hunting in.

I chilled both ammo and rifle and heated both ammo and rifle and tried to keep both at the dame temp

Bass Pro had some yesterday -- 44 bucks for one pound!!!

That's nuts.

Bass Pro is high on all of their powder. That’s why I’m glad there’s a Cabelas 30 minutes closer than Bass Pro.