Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Temp Stable Powders – “Stop the Insanity"

If waiting for hunting season to open wasn’t stressful enough, my “looniness” is driving me insane about temp stable powders. In my 7mm SAUM shooting the 120 BT, the most accurate & highest velocity load is with Ramshot Hunter avg. 3381 fps. The second best accuracy is with H-4350 a temp stable powder but lags along at the avg fps of 3200. I have a November muley hunt in Colorado where the temps could be cold you just never know. Our typical shots are normally less than 200 yds but you may need to stretch out some… I would say no longer than 400 yds. At those distances is this even a discussion? I would prefer to take the most accurate & highest velocity load but what if the temps plummet? Which load should I bring?

All my hunting buddies do not load and they use nothing but factory ammo. They all do think I am truly “loony” for even thinking about this. My closest partner over the years has been to Northern BC & Alaska chasing caribou, Mtn goat , etc…with his A-bolt & Federal Premium ammo and he says “ my factory ammo killed ‘em just fine” what’s all this powder temp BS you are talking about? It really makes you wonder…..

I would use the Hunter and fogetaboutit.At 400 yards it will mean squato.

What sometimes seems to be missed in these conversations is the difference in point of impact isn't necessarily going to be only a little more drop because of velocity loss.

So does 180 fps at those ranges matter? Are you using an elevation turret?

I'd run what you have the most confidence in. If you developed the load in the 40-50's, I can't help but think you'll be just fine. Before the internet, I just shot whatever I was shooting at or near the temps I was hunting at, and haven't had any issues. Not saying it doesn't matter, but it doesn't matter to me that much!

No dials. I'm still old school "set it & forget it" guy. At either velocity, I am for the most part good out to 300 yds with a center of kill zone hold. Just answered my own question.

Sounds like a smart answer

+1

However, I still don't think it'll matter all that much out to 300-400 yards unless he's getting some anomalous POI shift.

I'd run the Hunter load myself. It isn't going to be a problem for you. I don't know that Hunter is widely known as being temperature unstable anyway.

Test it. Freeze the ammo and gun..easy to do, and run over the chrony. You can check for accuracy then too.

C Roy,
I have experienced same as you with RL 22. During load development it turned in the best accuracy & velocity. Always hunted in the cold, so I cranked up the velocity to max. During my first summer Axis hunt my winter time loads locked the bolt on first firing. When I changed to summer time load work the winter time velocities dropped below my level of acceptance. I subsequently ceased use of temp sensitive powders. Was a lot of work but worth it in the end.

I've gone almost entirely with "Extreme" powders (H4895, H4350, and H4831) for all jacketed bullet loads in rifle cartridges. At least one of these powders works very well with everything from .222 to .300 Winchester Magnum, but I have no "Ultra Mag"-type large capacity cartridges.

I run Hunter in 22-250/75 A-max, 243Win/85TSX, and 270/140TSX. I've taken deer and coyotes out to just over 500yds with these combos. I live and hunt in ND, we get plenty cold, POI shift hasn't been an issue.

What's wrong with 3200 fps?


I once hunted with a box-stock Ruger 77 MK II All Weather in 280 Remington. It was the only rifle I ever fired commercial ammo in & did so exclusively, intentionally. It was so accurate with commercial ammo it surprised me. I swore never to clock the rounds. Doing so would immediately result in load work as I knew they would not be fast enough to suit me. When I quit shooting that gun I did clock the commercial ammo. Remington 150 CoreLokt averaged 2820 fps in the 22" barrel. By that time I had amassed well over 35 dead animals in a 3 year span. Several of those were big bodied Axis bucks. Never required a follow up shot.

The velocity measurement taught me several things. Most important, 2820 fps was fast enough. Anything more is personal preference. And, there are those who are plenty satisfied with even slower.

You are more than entitled to appreciate faster & flatter. But, there is a place for slower & methodical.

If I use a known, somewhat "temp sensitive" powder like RL22, which I love in my 7mags, I develop loads in higher temps around 85 degrees or so. I've hunted the TX panhandle in 0* wind chills, and African temps of 80* with zero issues. Hunting around here this temp sensitivity stuff never enters my feeble mind.

And if it get your drawers in a wad, you could sub RL-23.

DF

At 3200-3300 fps with a 120 grain BT, I think I would be more worried about bullet performance at short distances than whether or not the powder I was using was temp stable. As has been said, 180 fps isn't going to be that big of a difference at your stated distances.

If Hunter gives you the best accuracy, then use it.

I have the 7MM RSAUM in a 700 Ti and ran the 120 TTSX for one year only. I killed big west Texas muley with it at about 200 yards, but it took 3 hits to knock him down. Upon inspection, all 3 shots were kill shots, he just didn't know it. I used IMR 4350 for that load. I went back to the 140 TTSX and haven't had a problem.

My load is the 140 TTSX over 59.0 grains of IMR 4350 and a Fed 215GM and runs at 3070 FPS. I've killed a bunch of stuff with it and several, including the above mentioned deer at temps well below freezing without any issues.

I don't think the 120 TTSX was the issue. I don't think I have ever missed a shot due to temperature, but I don't shoot at long ranges. Inside 300 - 400 yards it would take a major shift in point of impact to make a difference. I can't verify it but the most I have seen is a couple inches more drop. I think good barrels and bedding contribute to not getting left and right flyers but again impossible to prove. I do have to be concerned with hot weather where even the most stable powder will show an increase in pressure. Either working up to max loads in hot weather or stopping a grain or so under max is usually all that is needed. In real cold weather I keep my spare ammo in a pocket with a chemical hand warmer and rotate it into the rifle every half hour or so if possible. Or if in a stand I just load one when deer are in sight.

I guess I'm lucky, because living here in the far north......................... of Louisiana, it doesn't get cold enough to have to worry about temp sensitive powders. I use RL-22 for my 270. It pokes along at about 2800 fps, it's accurate, and it kills stuff.