Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters What's the scoop with Norma.......powder?

There are a few cartridges that in my experience work exceptionally well with Norma MRP. I am running low and am in a panic as it seems impossible to find. What's going on with this most excellent product??

Norma's always had problems with distribution in America.

Reloder 22 is very similar, if not exactly the same powder. Take a look at the loading data from various sources and it's similar (given the variation in components and barrels). Then buy a pound of RL-22 and compare both powders through a magnifying glass.

I've heard that about RL22. I'm a big believer in Quick Load but it however indicates that they aren't really the same at all. I have a pile of RL22 so I may give it a try even though I have come up with something that looks like near perfection with MRP. If that doesn't work out, IMR7828SSC seems to have very similar characteristics to MRP. I guess I shouldn't worry too much as the gun is good to go. It certainly should work well enough with more than just one powder.

According to Quick Load there is one powder identical to Norma MRP and that is Vihtavuori 560.

According to this chart Vihtavouri 560 comes in at 145 but MRP and RL22 are 153 and 154 respectively.

I'm using Norma data with RL22 substituted for MRP in my 7x64 and it's working just fine.

I have had to hunt for MRP over the years since it replaced N205, but generally I can find some when I look. My big score was at a gun store going out of business sale, and I bought all they had -- and at a good price too.

As JB says, Norma has distribution problems. I have also heard from a Swedish source that some RL22 is MRP that didn't pass their quality checks. I have used RL22 in some hand loads to good effect.

Something to do when it isn't hunting season.

jim

Now fellas I'm NOT BASHING you. When M D and Norma tells us that MRP & Rl22 are the same or NEARLY the same...


It seems INVERTED to me that we would believe some computer ballistic program over a 'closer' source of info...

As you know YOU CAN MAKE A PROGRAM TELL YOU WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR.

As for myself, I'll believe what the range targets tell me instead of a ballistic program.

To each his own, I'll not bother you anymore.

Expensive and hard to find, but I like them.

Interesting discussion actually. The chart johnfox refers to says H414 and WW760 are different but Quick Load shows the same specs indicating they are the same - the people at Hodgdon confirm it is in fact the exact same powder packaged differently. Maybe I can get the same confirmation/refutation from Norma or Alliant. We'll see. Thanks to all for the input.

With my .300 Win out of a Ruger 77, shooting 180 gr NP's, the velocity difference between identical weights of an old lot of MRP and a much newer lot of RL-22 is running usually 25fps or less. This is about what I would expect from normal lot-to-lot variations with any powder.

I don't remember the exact charge weight, but it's around 74.0gr, well below the max shown by Alliant for a 180gr Speer Spitzer and what Norma shows for a 180gr NP or Oryx. The load reliably chronos a little above 3000fps out of my rifle. Also, both max loads shown on both Alliant for RL-22 and Norma for MRP are almost identical for similar bullets.

Like HunterJim, N205 used to be my powder of choice for that rifle.

I use Norma n320 for reloading my 40 s&w. Super clean and "cold" burn (brass isn't hot). Great stuff.

Western Powders is the new Norma distributor in the US. According to Norma and Western it should be on the selves soon.