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.