Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting Ramshot X-terminator powder

Test loads for X-T powder in 223 26" bolt gun
found 23.0 gr. to produce ragged one hole group with Full sized LC brass using 55gr V-Max at 100 yards
When using Formed brass collet sized & bumped for headspace needed to increase to 23.1 gr to duplicate similar groups.

Makes sense, higher volume case after fire forming has more capacity = lower pressure for the same charge.

I've been shooting 24.0 gr X-T under the 53gr VMax in both the AR and Ruger American Predator.

It shot easy .75 moa for 5 shots in the RAP, and about 1.25 moa for 10 shots in the AR (floated 1/9 20" HBar).

I haven't bothered to try any further tuning.

A hellacious long range load!!!!

Kadrick: My Varmint and Elk Hunting partner here in SW Montana loves this powder and has used it for several years.
This winter he nearly gave up on it though due to availability!
He had run out some time ago and has been searching for it for some time.
Finally just a month ago he found two pounds of it and is happy for now - my question comment is: is this powder hard to come by?
I have been witness to some of his accuracy and sight-in testing and am impressed with his results.
Are you other Ramshot X-Terminator users happy with its shelf availability?
Keep up the good work Kadrick.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

VG,
FYI, Western Powders Ramshot X-Terminator and Accurate 2230 are the same powder. Sometimes you can find one if not the other. Might help with the search.
I have used both to great result in my .223 loads up to 60 grain bullets, where TAC starts to edge it out.

Update on load development of 223 Rem 26" heavy barrel. After having excellent results with Sierra 65 gr SBT I thought about using the 63 gr SMP. Things were showing similar results however, after my 4th reloading of the 20 matched cases (Lapua) I started to have flyers. Checked my case prepping (neck tension, annealing etc) all were good then I found the problem. I was starting to form the dreaded DONUT inside the neck! Checking brass that I had previously fired with 65 gr bullets I did find some DONUTS but the botail base avoids contact that effects bullet grip. Now I need to check each case and ream necks to remove any that I find if I continue using any 63 gr SMP bullets! I also have been trying CFE223 powder and seeing higher velocity than the X-T powder.

Interesting about the donut. I greatly prefer the 65gr Sierra anyway over the 63 SMP myself; accuracy seems just as good and the Sierra retains more velocity at distance, even at just 100 yards.

FYI with X-Terminator - it has always given me best accuracy at full maximum loads and likes to be run hot, but your loads are a little milder. You can probably find another accuracy node at higher velocity if you bump the charge weight up toward max. Check the Western Powders load guide (you can download it for free), they list loads with a lot of different bullets and have most of those you mentioned listed.

Also in comparison to CFE223 - XTerminator has always given me about equal velocity but with better accuracy. Something to be aware of with CFE223 is that it can be a fairly hot load with no pressure signs at all, until it's way too hot. XTerminator seems more linear in that regard and I've always liked it better, and it seems to be less temperature sensitive as well. It's one of my favorite 223 powders.

Hope that helps.

I started using Acc-2230 years ago. Just emptied my 2nd 8 lb jug last night.

I'm not a long range shooter, about 300 yards is it but I've had very good results with X-Terminator using 40 to 55 gr bullets and the 63 gr Sierra SMPs with max loads in several 223s.. Availability has been better lately but a couple of years back not so good. I was told by Western Powder Personnel that it's the same powder as Acc 2230 but Lyman's 49th loading manual gives completely different loading data for the two.

The only manual I trust less than Lyman's is the Lee manual. Western Powder's load data is identical for XTerminator and 2230; they are their powders so I go with that. Actual use bears that out as well.