Are there any opinions on using AA2520 over Ramshot TAC, in the .223 Rem with a 50 gr Vmax bullet? I have a quantity of AA2520 on hand, but will pickup some TAC if it offers an appreciable benefit.

Tom

What kind of results are you getting with AA2520? If anything decent (say less than 3/4" 5-shot groups) and velocities in the 3400 fps range, I'd use up the 2520.

I'm using TAC in my 26-inch barreled 700 .223 as my standard powder with either the 50-grain V-Max or Ballistic Tip. With 26 grains velocity runs right around 3450 and accuracy around .5 inch, though once ran some BT's through the Juenke machine, loaded them oh-so-carefully, then shot them on a very calm morning with a 6-24x B&L scope. Those groups averaged around .23, if I recall correctly, just little bugholes. Can't really say if another powder would do better or not, but it impressed me!

JB

MD I'm noticing that you seem to like the ramshot products pretty well. i have been using Varget in my 308 and just started using RL in a 45-70 GG. I have been thinking about trying Tac in both as recommended by their staff. What advantages does ramshot have over Hodgdon and Reliant? the more I get to know Weastern Powders the more I like them. Thoughts please.

I like the Ramshot line of rifle powders for various reasons.
They are all Ball powders, which of course are very easy to precisely dispense from a powder measure, but are different from most Ball powders in that they're very temperature insensitive. In this they're much like the Hodgdon Extremes, but easier to use in a powder measure.

Most previous Ball powders were also pretty dirty-burning. Ramshot's powder burn as cleanly as most extruded powders, and cleaner than some.They also reportedly contain a chemical compound that reduces jacket fouling. I've heard this is true of newer military powders designed for automatic weapons (the Ramshot rifle powders are all variations of a military powder made in Belgium) and my experience backs it up.

I once shot about 450 rounds of Ramshot-loaded ammo through my Remington 700 .223. At the end the rifle was grouping just like it had in the beginning--and only took a few patches of Hoppe's and CR-10 to clean down to bare metal again. I would rather shoot prairie dogs than clean barrels!

Ramshot powders are tend to be very dense, so you can get a lot into a case, which is sometimes helpful. For instance, I've found Big Game extremely useful with heavier bullets in the 9.3x62, where powders in the IMR4895 range are often used. Big Game is both slightly slower and a LOT denser than 4895, so really works well with 286's.

JB

Thanks for the information. I will look into this powder on my next go around. I like shooting more than cleaning too <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Here in CA where I shoot and hunt there isn't much of a need to be temperature insensitive, but it is a feature I look for just in case I get to hunt outside of balmy California. I too was impressed with the density factor and the appearent ease of metering.