Which powder

[mitch4570]

Going to africa April 2027. I have worked up loads with R-15 for an average of 2068 fps. They regulate well and shoot well. I am using open cell backer rod for filler. I have loaded imr 3031 also with foam filler. Also imr 4831. These all regulate 2 inche or less and shoot nearly to the same poi.
My question is who has reloaded with these powders and have shot them harvesting game in Africa. How was the performance did you experience any heat sensitivity?
Thanks

 

[Russ16]

Where in Africa are you going and where do you live?

Thai may be controversial but I think the worry about heat sensitivity is overblown for a lot of us. It was a huge deal for loads developed in cool rainy England and then used in hot British east Africa near the equator. The worry has persisted.

Take me for instance. The last few weekends I’ve been practicing with my 375 and 450/400 loads in humid 95+ degree heat here in the mid-Atlantic. I’m leaving for the Zambezi valley in a week where temperatures are forecasted to stay in the 80s.

April might be a little warmer but looking at averages it seems about the same.

Not saying don’t worry about it but just pay attention to the actual differences between where you are and where you’ll be.

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

I use the Hodgeon H- powders which are less temperature sensitive than the older IMR powders.

Here is a temperature sensitivity chart.

Here's a bonus powder burn rate chart,

 

[Rare Breed]

Going to africa April 2027. I have worked up loads with R-15 for an average of 2068 fps. They regulate well and shoot well. I am using open cell backer rod for filler. I have loaded imr 3031 also with foam filler. Also imr 4831. These all regulate 2 inche or less and shoot nearly to the same poi.
My question is who has reloaded with these powders and have shot them harvesting game in Africa. How was the performance did you experience any heat sensitivity?
Thanks

Magnificent performance!!! I have taken Buff with IMR3031 in over 100F with no problem and the same with RL15.5 not 15. Great results and no problems. The recoil reduction is substantial with these two powders

 

[mitch4570]

Thanks for all your input very helpfull. Mark I had the burn rate chart down loaded on my phone but this is the first time I have seen the sensitivity chart. Very interesting. Thanks again.

 

[Wildwillalaska]

RL16 is supposed to prove very temp stable—-not affected by temp fluctuations like RL15 and other RL powders. RL15.5 and RL16 are their modern iterations with more temp stability and anti-CU agents.

I took RL15 a couple times now, from cold Alaska to hot Zimbabwe in October and April/May. Granted I try to keep ammo warm to hot when shooting here in the winter, well, even in the summer since we don’t often see 100+ temps in my neck of the woods. My loads proved very effective and performed fine in Zimbabwe.

 

[Ray B]

@Mark A Ouellette - I'm not familiar with the temperature sensitivity chart- What do the factors represent?

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

@Mark A Ouellette - I'm not familiar with the temperature sensitivity chart- What do the factors represent?

The gunpowder temperature sensitivity chart shows two columns.
Left column lists powder by least temperature sensitive going down to the most sensitive.
Right column shows sensitivity of powders listed alphabetically.

The verbiage above both columns although not proper English, states,
powder_degrees_per_fps

This means for each 1 degree Fahrenheit increase in temperature will cause a x.x increase in muzzle velocity. The velocity increase is to the right of the listed powder.

A simple Google search reveals much, much more detail of how this problem can affect shooters.

 

[deewayne2003]

.470ne 500gr Woodleigh Hydro, 78.0gr IMR3031, Kynoch wad, Winchester LRM primer & Jamison brass.

Range 12 paces - two to the heart and broke her shoulder in the process (followed PH’s instructions) and she never took a step, reload and one to the brain dropped her.

 

[Ray B]

So in simple terms, the bigger the number for each powder, the more sensitive it is to high temperatures- and conversely the smaller the number the more stable the powder is. Thanks!!

 

[Rare Breed]

Going to africa April 2027. I have worked up loads with R-15 for an average of 2068 fps. They regulate well and shoot well. I am using open cell backer rod for filler. I have loaded imr 3031 also with foam filler. Also imr 4831. These all regulate 2 inche or less and shoot nearly to the same poi.
My question is who has reloaded with these powders and have shot them harvesting game in Africa. How was the performance did you experience any heat sensitivity?
Thanks

I have used all your powders except 15.5 versus 15 with great success at high temperature on my African safaries

 

[Wildwillalaska]

The gunpowder temperature sensitivity chart shows two columns.
Left column lists powder by least temperature sensitive going down to the most sensitive.
Right column shows sensitivity of powders listed alphabetically.

The verbiage above both columns although not proper English, states,
powder_degrees_per_fps

This means for each 1 degree Fahrenheit increase in temperature will cause a x.x increase in muzzle velocity. The velocity increase is to the right of the listed powder.

A simple Google search reveals much, much more detail of how this problem can affect shooters.

View attachment 778296

Mark, thank you for posting this. I didn’t just learn something, but reaffirmed why it’s such poor practice to assume. Cannot remember why I thought IMR 3031 was temperature sensitive. I believe I heard it somewhere and assumed it true…that it was in the same general ballpark as RL15 for temperature sensitivity…and appears totally incorrect.

I’ma going to burn more 3031 in the future. For sure.

I really go through all kinds or headache trying to keep ammo hot when developing loads for Africa. Mainly because I will likely hunt October with regularity…which is not a chilly time of year. We had 108 degrees in the shade last October. And headed back to the sweat box yet again this October. So I expect loads I shoot im Alaska in January/February at -24 to perform differently in 100+ weather. Winter time I am working from a shooting house with wood stove, but you open a shooting bay, -24 creeps in quickly. Keeping ammo close to a roaring wood fire is a must…but not too close. It’s honestly a PIA…enough so, that I’d love a more temp insensitive powder that also has the lower felt recoil properties of RL15, but RL16 hasn’t proven magical for me, and I don’t have RL15.5 anywhere around.

I was simply shocked to see it existed, and in my own darn powder room.

Literally exclaimed “idiot boy” out loud as I made a double take on that chart…which I apparently only half-ass read yesterday as I didn’t even look where 3031 fell. Sadly, that’s also the 2nd time I’ve exclaimed idiot boy out loud since Friday…that was when I went from super excited to mount up my new Z8i 1.7-13x42 SR on my 375 Flange. Replacing the Z6i 1-6. Even after measuring everything…so I thought…to ensure fitment, no dice. I failed to note the additional clearance required for the tip-off claw mounts. Would mount up amazingly if I didn’t have to tip it in and out to get it on and off. While sometimes I might think I’m kinda smart…life has a way of reminding me maybe not all that smart. lol.

 

[deewayne2003]

Mark, thank you for posting this. I didn’t just learn something, but reaffirmed why it’s such poor practice to assume. Cannot remember why I thought IMR 3031 was temperature sensitive. I believe I heard it somewhere and assumed it true…that it was in the same general ballpark as RL15 for temperature sensitivity…and appears totally incorrect.

I’ma going to burn more 3031 in the future. For sure.

I really go through all kinds or headache trying to keep ammo hot when developing loads for Africa. Mainly because I will likely hunt October with regularity…which is not a chilly time of year. We had 108 degrees in the shade last October. And headed back to the sweat box yet again this October. So I expect loads I shoot im Alaska in January/February at -24 to perform differently in 100+ weather. Winter time I am working from a shooting house with wood stove, but you open a shooting bay, -24 creeps in quickly. Keeping ammo close to a roaring wood fire is a must…but not too close. It’s honestly a PIA…enough so, that I’d love a more temp insensitive powder that also has the lower felt recoil properties of RL15, but RL16 hasn’t proven magical for me, and I don’t have RL15.5 anywhere around.

I was simply shocked to see it existed, and in my own darn powder room.

Literally exclaimed “idiot boy” out loud as I made a double take on that chart…which I apparently only half-ass read yesterday as I didn’t even look where 3031 fell. Sadly, that’s also the 2nd time I’ve exclaimed idiot boy out loud since Friday…that was when I went from super excited to mount up my new Z8i 1.7-13x42 SR on my 375 Flange. Replacing the Z6i 1-6. Even after measuring everything…so I thought…to ensure fitment, no dice. I failed to note the additional clearance required for the tip-off claw mounts. Would mount up amazingly if I didn’t have to tip it in and out to get it on and off. While sometimes I might think I’m kinda smart…life has a way of reminding me maybe not all that smart. lol.

I did the same thing when Mark posted that chart on another thread; I’ve been using RL22 for .270win - .300Wby for well over a decade as my main powder hunting and shooting in temps from a rare -2F for Texas to common 110F in summer with no issues and great performance.

I had a long talk with Ken Owen one day about powder and loading and asked him about people saying 3031 was temp sensitive and too fast, to which he replied…

“3031 is a whole hell of a lot more stable than cordite these cartridges were developed with and it’s one of the most consistent powders we have.”

like you I needed a reminder that 3031 was more stable than I thought & it also made me rethink using RL22 for my 200gr LRX-BT load work up for my .300win “Travel Ammo”.

@Wildwillalaska with your true weather extreme exposure, any advice on powder for .300win 200gr LRX?

 

[Wildwillalaska]

I did the same thing when Mark posted that chart on another thread; I’ve been using RL22 for .270win - .300Wby for well over a decade as my main powder hunting and shooting in temps from a rare -2F for Texas to common 110F in summer with no issues and great performance.

I had a long talk with Ken Owen one day about powder and loading and asked him about people saying 3031 was temp sensitive and too fast, to which he replied…

“3031 is a whole hell of a lot more stable than cordite these cartridges were developed with and it’s one of the most consistent powders we have.”

like you I needed a reminder that 3031 was more stable than I thought & it also made me rethink using RL22 for my 200gr LRX-BT load work up for my .300win “Travel Ammo”.

@Wildwillalaska with your true weather extreme exposure, any advice on powder for .300win 200gr LRX?

What’s really hilarious…pretty sure Ken Owen says that same thing a lot. He’s said it to me, when we discussed him inspecting and shooting a mid-90’s pre-owned Heym 470 I was buying and make sure things were solid on the gun and regulation. It ended up having needed work since it crossed at like 12-14yards, but he fixed up nicely for the seller.

Anyway, our first day of chatting we was talking about IMR 3031 like is was magical fairy dust. I’d never really used the stuff and had shot quite a few different big bore rifles over the many years, which I typically leaned into slower powders for. He quickly went over how Nitro Express cartridges are a totally different animal.

And then he said it, “you got to understand these cartridges were designed around the use of cordite, which is a hellova lot faster burning than 3031 and (even) more temperature sensitive.” I may be misremembering the “even” part, but it was one of the places I think I first glommed 3031 and RL15 into the same box. He said the always starts with 3031 and if that is way off, he’ll try some RL15, but often times he can dial it in with 3031 by changing things like his primer and gr of Dacron.

Now I have to go see how 3031 is for the 500NE and any starting data.

 

[Wildwillalaska]

@Wildwillalaska with your true weather extreme exposure, any advice on powder for .300win 200gr LRX?

I haven’t used the LRX, but I shoot 200gr Accubonds from one of my 300wm, and burn exclusively H1000 in it.

Great velocities, super consistent between our July days of rainy 50’s to sunny 70’s to September in the Arctic where it sees a lot of consecutive days/nights dipping into freezing temps, typically not into the teens much except maybe for a couple few hours in the early pre-dawn.

Before doubles, I was trimmed way down on what I used for powders and most were Hodgdon Extreme line for the temperature stability. I have one 338wm that loves RL19 (can’t even recall why I tried it in the gun) and so that’s what I feed it. Everything else gets Varget, H4350, H4831sc, or H1000. I’ve used the H1000 in several 6.5 SAUMs, 7 SAUM, 300wm, and more than a few 338 Norma mags and Lapuas. I used to burn a ton of that stuff every year, still do a fair amount, just nothing like before.

That’s the powder that will go with me into the sheep mountains next month in my 6.5 SAUM and either it in 300WM or H4831 in a 338wm for moose in the Arctic in September…unless I get a really wild hair and decide to bring the 505 Gibbs. We see a lot of grizzly and usually have issues once we get meet back in camp. Kind of want to see what a 600gr Woodleigh does on a brownie.