Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles R17 @ 4 below

Thanks, JB.

I kept your temp comparison article. I want to make a similar comparison in several fairly new rifles. I've got plenty of data from older stuff that gives good comparisons that track your findings quite well, even though our methods and tools differed a bit.

Besides Alliant, I've been wondering whether St. Marks has been making adjustments to some of their powders also based on some testing my brother did this year. Though his testing didn't go down to sub-zero, he tested across a range of 70-80 degrees. In his 308 Win, he found 748 to vary only ~1/3 as far as Varget did behind 150s.

It's been about as cold here as there where all you Montanans are recently, but I haven't loaded any more 748 up in my .223s to test. I did test some N-133 a couple days ago, and it lost ~100 fps from 75 down to 5 degrees.

taz4570 Looking forward to your input on 30-06 & 35 Whelen
for sure. Good shooting NC Merry Christmas P.S. What elevation
will you be shooting at?

M75,

From what I have seen lately, many of the powder companies have been making improvements in temp-resistance of their powders. Since Hodgdon now owns Winchester and IMR, I am sure some of their technology is being applied to older powders.

Did you try R-17 with 338-06 ?

That is some good news!!

Indeed it is! Thank you.

A chrono isn't cold until the display quits working They get a little slow to put up the number around -20. I've had to pull the battery out between strings and keep it in my pocket before.

I'd done lots of cold weather testing a couple years ago. You get about a 28 FPS swing with Varget in a 308 over a 120 degree spread (I've chrono'd it from -30 to 90 degrees)

Of the combo's I've tested H4350 and RL19 in the 260 rarely are over 50 FPS on a 80 degree spread
Varget in a 308 with 165s and Federal 210s isn't worth worrying about
and H4350 in a 30-06 with 180s varies less than 50 FPS.
RL15 in a 308 and 338 Federal varies very little...

IMR4350, the spreads just about double in the 260 and 30-06 (AA4350 is even worse)
7828 in a 243 with 100's will drive a guy nuts...
Federal LR primers seem to help cut the spread down (compared to CCIs offerings)

I'm undecided on TAC and Xterminator in the ARs over big temp spreads. I've got lots of conflicting data over the years. I eventually settled on H4895 behind Sierra and nosler 77's for a Highpower load (even though TAC can push them a little faster) I figure testing them between -20 and 70 degrees is a bigger swing than I'll see during season. H4895 with Federal SR match primers in Lapua brass has a spread of ~55-60 FPS in a 20" tubed AR.

Use the Chemical hand warmers to put under your battery in your chrono.

Interesting. I just went out a couple of days ago with the .25-06 shooting the same batch of 100gr MK's that I loaded up in the summertime with IMR4350. The chrono read the average velocity to be the EXACT same now in 20 degrees as it did in the summer at 70 degrees- it's still 3300fps average.

It stands to reason for the temperature to affect velocity. Everything slows down in the cold weather. Animals hibernate, we move slower, the blood thickens, warm blooded critters lay in the sun every chance they get.

I am quite sure I would not be nearly as quick on the trigger pull in that kind of weather.

Bump for 7x57Steve and his 338/06.

Dober

This powder continues to be pretty amazing. Weve been running the RL17 with the 208 amax. Have tried this combo in 6 rifles and they have all shot extremely well. It has not been temperateure sensitive at all, in fact just the opposite. I keep a log of all environmental data and dope every time I shoot. My dope at 1008 yards only changed one .1mil click(roughly 1/3moa) going from 16 degrees celcius (63 farenheit) to 4 degrees celcius (39 farenheit). This is extremely good, as the general rule of thumb is 1 moa per 10 degrees at 1K. Accuracy and consistency has been excellent as well.

Bump for another cold weather thread

Dober

Thanks for bringing this one BTT Dober...

Amen on that sentiment!

Once a guy is acclimated to winter weather, zero in the sunshine with no wind ain't that big a deal. Especially with a little exercise like tossing hay bales to the cows, or walking from the bench to the target stand. A guy can actually work up a sweat.

This is one fellow that would much rather shoot in cold conditions as described above, than attempt to work up loads out in the sun when it is 105 degrees. Winter is easier on me and the rifle as well.

Thanks to Dober and Sam for sharing their findings with us.

This is great, on two accounts.

1. To find that Rel 17 is not all that sensitive to temp variations.

2. That their are many more, like me, who actually prefer testing loads in cold weather. I'm not crazy after all

Alan

If you like shooting by yourself or with a few select friends, then cold weather shooting is the way to go. Definitely no waiting around and wasted time.

Had a break in the snowy/windy weather that has plagued Utah the past few days and shot some refining groups and a couple of near 400 yd ladders. Temps were only around 30-35 but at least the new snow kept things from getting too muddy. Didn't even wear my down coat until the temps started dropping followed by snow flurries and wind. Still, the Oehler 35P worked like a charm.

Alan

Very good info here and specifically on R17. Thanks Dober and all.

To another side issue question brought up somewhere here, I've considered too and finally put a Leup VX3 3.5-10 CDS on my .284. I've got my load cooked up including mv--very good as is accuracy--but just need to shoot at the ranges to confirm data.

Stick, if you read this, I know; it's not the way you do things. That's OK; there's more than one way to make chicken too.