Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Hodgdon Superformance?

During the current powder shortage, price increases and discontinued manufacture of various smokeless powders. I have be able to get Superformance. It's not one I have used, but I bought 3 pounds, just because it could be used in something.
It's not very flexible according to data I can find. But there must be a niche? But what is it? I find some data for 30-06 and 6mm Rem, but not 308.

The slow burn rate of Superformance does not make it a good fit for .308 Win.

I'll use it with 375 H&H, or 180 grain loads in 30-06. The stuff just doesn't seem very useful. So what is the niche?

Well I’m pushing 69 smk out of a 22-250 at 3500 fps. Accuracy ok. I’m going to try and fine tune. It’s shooting this about .75 inch at 100. Edk

We gotta use what we can get in this market for sure. But when Superformance had been on the market for awhile, I cruised all the new load manuals I could access, and of the manuals that make accuracy load suggestions, I can't recall ever seeing one cartridge listed as , most accurate load. Hmm.

Power valley recently had 8lb'rs on sale for $239. So I got 16lbs I need to find a use for.

There really isn't a whole lot of data on it. Barnes seems to be the most excited about it and posts some good data.


In burn rate, looks a tad faster than RL19. I'd be curious how it matches up to RL19 data.

Good in 243 .

Yeah that data looks good. Barnes also has good data for the 6.5 creed, 270win, 30-06 and some others. Data looks good for the 6.5 Creed.

They also have a load for the 175tsx and 7 RM. Doesn't look too good though.

Per the 2023 Hodgdon Annual Manual, Superformance is listed in the following places:

22 GT: 75gr and up
22-250: 60gr and up
220 Swift: 63gr and up
22 Creedmoor: 62gr and up
6 GT: 95gr and up
6mm Creed: 95gr and up
243 Win: 65gr and up
6mm Rem: 65gr and up
6.5 Creed: 140gr and up
260 Rem: 143gr and up
6.8 Western: 110gr and up
30-06: 150gr and up
300 WSM: 150gr and up
300 PRC: 175 and 230gr

I may have missed a couple, and there were a few surprises, like there were no listings for Superformance in 25-06 or 270 Win. Other manuals probably have other cartridges listed. And there are also a lot of cartridge gaps in their "Annual Manual", which is in magazine format. No 280 Rem, no 35 cal data except for 350 Legend, for instance.

Also, per the Annual Manual, it implied that the Hornady Superformance ammo is/was loaded with Superformance powder, so you could do a little research and see what Hornady ammo is/was sold under the Superformance banner.

Super in Hornady factory loads is not the same as bulk,
burn rate between 760 and 780--

works great in my heavy 22-250., 243, 6.5 Creed, 300 Win Mag

Powder initially designed for 300 WSM, which is outstanding in my FN SPR

Etoh,
What bullet and charge wt. are you loading for 22-250 heavies?

I've used it some in 22-250 also, and have gotten terrific velocity and sub-MOA accuracy out of it, but not as accurate as other powders. BUT, like you, I haven't fine tuned it yet. Also, I carefully worked up a good .270 Win load with 150gr Interbonds using data I interpolated from a couple different sources, but now the Interbonds have been discontinued, and I don't like the SSTs (too soft) as well as the Interbonds (just right).

75 gr ELD-- 38-40gr. around 3200 fps. 5000 ft elevation
80 Eld. 36-38 gr. " 3000

Tikka 1/8- KRG

300 WSM 175. around 68 gas. FNSPR
300 Win Mag. 175. 69 gr. TRG 42
" 208. 62 gr
6.5 creed. 140 43 gr----- 147 gr. 44gr. Tikka KRG

In a Win 70 Coyote with 26" stainless barrel and 1-14" or 1-12" twist (can't remember which) and 63gr Sierra, I'm getting a fuzz over 3500 fps avg with 41.5 gr of Super and that's over a grain below the listed max charge of 42.7gr. Accuracy is averaging about .8 inch, but getting better as I've increased charge wt. And I haven't played with seating depth at all.

I tried only three rounds of the 70 gr Speer Spitzer flat base with 38.0 gr of Super and got around 3300 fps, but accuracy was about 1.25 inches for those three shots. Haven't had a chance to play any further with it.

It works fine in the 270, 280, 30-06, but truly, no better than several other powders.

And it's touchy because, for me, it works best at top loads, but is not forgiving once you get to the top.

I haven't tried it in the 25-06 but it should be fine there.

Not a favorite by any means & too many other better choices with more flexibility so unless I am desperate, I won't buy any more.

YMMV

MM

Skeezix ... PSA

FYI Bruno Shooter's Supply has some Interbonds in stock in .277 caliber.

https://www.brunoshooters.com/product/hornady-bullets-270-caliber-150-grain-interbond-100/

I'd have to look in my notes but as I recall I found a good load in the 30-06 with 180g bullets. It didn't come around as easy as some other powders though.

i had Superformance powder in my 6.5 Creedmoor in the 120gr SST & BT or 140gr SST or BT. it was really good powder for the 6.5CM. the most accurate load was 140gr BT with Superformance that goes .3 - .4" at 100 yards (5 shots/bench). i think the worst group was 1 1/2+/- at 100 yards. usually the 6.5CM would be 1/2 - 3/4" 5 shot groups at 100 yards. i think i got about a pound of Superformance just sitting there, after i sold the CM.

good--- Ill take your quota