I never see much discussion about using these powders in the Creed, .260, or much of anything else. Does anybody work with these much?

Pharmseller got me hooked on Big Game like a bad habit. Many powders are easily digestible and shoot well in the 7mm-08, but when it comes time to approach the ballistic 'speed of light' for a 7mm-08, B.G. and a 120 nbt shall come close.

Lemme see. I've used Ramshot powders for primary hunting handloads in the following cartridges:

.204 Ruger--TAC
.223 Remington--TAC
.22-250 Rem.--Big Game
.220 Swift--Big Game and Hunter
.257 Roberts--Hunter
.257 Wby. Magnum--Magnum
6.5 Creedmoor--Hunter
6.5x55--Magnum
.264 Win. Magnum--Magnum
26 Nosler--Magnum
.270 Win.--Hunter and Magnum
.270 Wby. Magnum--Magnum
7mm-08--Big Game
7x57 Mauser--Big Game
.280 Rem. Ackley Improved--Hunter
7mm SAUM--Magnum
.308 Win.--TAC
.30-06--Hunter
.300 H&H--Hunter
.300 Win. Magnum--Magnum
.300 Wby. Magnum--Magnum
.303 British--Big Game
8x57 Mauser--Big Game
.338 Federal--TAC
.338 Lapua--Magnum
.358 Win.--TAC
.35 Whelen--TAC
.358 Norma Magnum--Big Game
9.3 Barsness-Sisk--TAC
9.3x62--Big Game
.416 Rigby--Magnum

Have used Accurate powders (the ones from Western, not the old Accurate Arms) in:
.17 Hornady Hornet--1680
.222 Remington--LT-30
6mm PPC--LT-32
.243 Win.--4064
.250-3000 Savage--2495
.300 Wby. Magnum--Magpro
.38-55--5744
.40-65 WCF--5744
.45-70--5744

There are also some probably forgotten....

I have burned lots of Hodgdon, IMR and Alliant powders over the years, but have never tried the Ramshot, or Accurate in anything. I am considering playing with some Big Game, Hunter, or maybe one of the Accurate powders in the 6.5 Creed.

Hey JB - what's the 9.3 B-S?

I try to minimize the amount of powder I keep on hand.....as well as the number of brands and powder descriptions.

Hodgdon gets almost all my business because of the large amount of loading data they publish.....and free at that too.

Western powders are largely ball powders and I like that a lot......but can't find the loading data I like. So I leave them in the store.

If they had a lot of loading data, I'd be very tempted to change as time required a new purchase…..but that's not to be.

FWIW

I load for the following cartridges
.223
.22-250
220 S
218 Bee
.243
6mm Rem
.25-06
.264 Mag
.270
7mm-08
.280 Rem
.308 Winj
.30-06
.300 H&H
.35 Whelen
9.3 X 62
.375 H^H
.410 shotgun
20 Ga shotgun
12 Ga shotgun
.357 Magnum revolver

Hodgdon fills the bill almost always for me.

Very interesting as I have found Western/Accurate load data to be more extensive than Hodgdons.
Might be you should check out their 114 page data book.

https://www.accuratepowder.com/load-data/

I don't know! You have not used it in 256 Magnum??? That stuff must be no good.

Since reading your stuff, I have switched over to Ramshot on more than a few cartridges. 17 Hornet, 204, 223, 280 AI, 358, 300 Win Mag, 300 Bee, 338, and more than a several others.

MuskegMan,

The 9.3 B-S is the .350 Remington Magnum necked up to .366. It's yet another redundant wildcat: All it does is duplicate 9.3x62 ballistics in a short action. But apparently that's enough for some people!

The last time I asked Charlie Sisk, he'd made maybe 3 dozen rifles in 9.3 B-S. Since we developed the round in 2004, that amounts to over two rifles a year! Obviously it's a runaway success....

vapodog,

I have handloaded ALL the rounds you listed, except the .218 Bee, using the data readily available on the Western Powders website.

Would you mind listing the powder with the cartridges? I am thinking about getting a jug of Magnum, it does good things in the 6.5x55 and a number of others I load for. I like the way ball powders meter and believe that they are easier on the barrel than other double based powders. Is this a myth? The only tests I have seen were for machine guns.

I use Hunter for my 30-06: 58 grains under a 180 grain partition. I tried that load after Mule Deer suggested it in an article on loading for the 30-06 and so far it has worked very well for me. Accuracy is good and velocity is right at 2750. It meters well from my RCBS manual powder measure, but doesn't do as well from the electronic RCBS Chargemaster Light. It appears that it is too fine grained and I get lots of over charges. Does anyone else have this issue with Hunter or Big Game in an electronic powder measure?

I have heard that Hunter is not particularly temperature insensitive, but I have not had an issue with it primarily because I have yet to shoot anything when it is cold. I have had several rounds loaded up for some cold weather testing, along with 300 grain Sierras over H4350 in my 375 and 210 TTSX over RL17 in my 338. It has been pretty mild temperature wise this year in SW Montana so I haven't been out yet. Hopefully, later this month we'll get a cold snap and I'll get out.

If I told every one how well my .338 Winny and Hunter shoots 225 TTSX bullets you would raise an eye brow. If I told you how well my buddies .338 Winny shoots Hunter and 225 grain Accubond's you would have two raised eye brows.

I am going to try some Big Game in some thing this spring and I know I could probably get a bit more velocity from Big Game and Hunter in my two 30-06 rifles and the 175 grain LRX and 168 grain TTSX. But, for this old guy H4350 seems to work well with the Barnes bullets and I have probably got a life long supply for the 30-06.

Right now we are locked in a good old fashioned Alaskan winter. Global warming my butt!

Swifty,
Thanks for that link and the info you supplied.....I did check out what seems to be a lot of data I had not seen before. Not sure how I missed it.

Tejano,

I just revised the list of cartridges I've loaded with Ramshot and Accurate powders, adding which powders have been used for the cartridges, and correcting a couple of memory mistakes.

As a more general note, I've tested the original four Ramshot powders (TAC, Big Game, Hunter and Magnum) at 0 Fahrenheit. In those tests Hunter was the most cold-sensitive, losing about 100 fps from 70-degree velocities in both a .257 Roberts and .30-06 load--but that is still better performance than many "traditional" powders, many of which lose 150-200 fps at zero compared to 70 degrees.

TAC has proven very temp-resistant in the .223 Remington and .308 Winchester, not surprising since those are the rounds it was originally designed for as a military powder. It can vary more in cold when used in other rounds.

Big Game has proven very cold-resistant no matter the cartridge, which is why it's my favorite Ramshot powder for, uh, big game cartridges. In fact, it may be one of those powders (such as Reloder 26) that's very temp-resistant even though not specifically developed to be.

Magnum has also been pretty temp-resistant in several cartridges.

Have not done much cold-testing with Accurate Powders, mostly because I primarily use 1680 in the .17 Hornady Hornet for prairie dog shooting, where heat is the most common problem. (Have also mentioned before that I have yet to find a temp-resistant powder that isn't affected by heat over about 80 F., though temp-resistant powders are affected less.) Tested my 1680 .17 load at 115 degrees, and it gained around 100 fps, though accuracy and point of impact remained unchanged--and there were none of the usual high-pressure signs.

I also use 5744 quite a bit as a smokeless equivalent in black powder cartridge rifles, where temperature isn't usually a problem.

And yet, I’ve never seen a dime...

After testing lots of powders, MagPro became my first choice for the heavy high bc bullets in 7 WSM, and also works well with 250’s in the 338 Lapua.

I use TAC in the 5.6 AR, lots of Big Game in 22-250, 250-3000, and 7-08. Used to use Hunter in the 257 Roberts but after stocking up on H4350 it kind of went by the wayside.

lol!

Mule Deer

Ramshot only list Accurate 4350 for the 300 H&H, but I see you are using Hunter in it. Since the 300 H&H and the 300 WSM have very similar capacities can the WSM data be used in the H&H? Is the Hunter data your own or do other manuals have it for the H&H?

Can't remember if other manuals list Hunter for the .300 H&H, but they might. I probably used .300 WSM data, and watched the chronograph while working up. (It's been a while since I owned that .300 H&H....)

I use quite a bit of the Accurate and Ramshot powders with great results in these cartridges:
308 Win - TAC,A4064
30-06 - A4064,Big Game,A4350,Hunter
300WSM - Big Game,A4350,Hunter
300Win Mag - A4350,Magnum
338-06 - TAC,A4064,Big Game,A4350
7mag - A4350

I was recently very pleasantly surprised at the amount of data available on the Western Powder website.

I’m using Big game in
06 and 168 ttsx. 2900 FPS.
6.5 CM 130 Game changers 2900
Hunter in 270 with 140 SST at 3050 and 130 ttsx I think at 3100 that shoots almost identical trajectory.
Makes target practice affordable
I have tac for 223 that I haven’t made a load for.

Tried the big game in 9.3 with 250 accubonds and not getting Any where near Published data. But no complaints.

Dre, Big Game is THE powder for 286s in the 9.3. Varget is made for 250s

Thanks.

I have pretty much changed to Big Game in my 30-06 with 165s. Excellent accuracy and velocity.

Good!

For those hunters who still use 150-grain bullets in the .30-06, Big Game is also one of the very best performers, both in accuracy and velocity.

That's what I found too.I was getting 3100fps and 1/2" groups out of a 26" barreled 30-06 with 58.0grs of Big Game where most of my other loads ran around 3000fps with 150's.

If Hunter was a better performer in cold & hot weather extremes I would be a happy man... Hunter is a top performer for me in several cartridges but I am not going to chance it when going on guided hunts on the other side of the country. I know we have sooo many powder options today but there does seem to be a void in the burn rate chart between H-4350 & H-4831 for something that is temp extreme resistant. The new Winchester Staball 6.5 may fill that nich

Hunter for me in 22-250/75 A-Max, 243/85 TSX and 270Win/140TSX. I run them all on a Dillon 550.

Magnum in 243AI/105’s and 257Wby/100TSX.

In all cases I get excellent accuracy, reasonable velocity, and very low ES/SD.

Dad was a ball-powder guy and I grew up loading tons of WW760. Hunter is just a better version IMO/IME.

I tried it in the Creed and .260. It was pretty good. Not a game changer, but certainly a pretty good option. I did shoot a 1/4-inch three-shot group at 200 yards with it under the 147, in one of my Creeds. It shot right with my Reloder 19 load for 140 Speer Gold Dots at around 2740 fps.

Ramshot Magnum was my go-to for the 7WSM.

Lots of good info about a few powders I have little experience with.

I use TAC,LT30,LT32 but one powder that is frustrating is 2015. It has been made in Israel, the Czech Republic and now Canada. All three are a slightly different burn rate that you wont see a reloading guide account for

People are afraid to explore and try different powders I guess.But in an accurate rifle with the right combination, these powders are as good or better than the more common powders.Just a few examples