cold weather powder?

J

jbahr01

Guest
Im pretty new to reloading, i shoot .223 and .308 alot. In my ar-10 i have been ushing varget and benchmark with great results. hunting this year i took a head shoot on a doe a little over 100 yards and missed, i couldnt believe it. I have made that shot from that stand many times in the past with factory ammo, but i think the varget just didnt like the 17 degrees that morning. people have led me in the direction of reloader-15 and h4895. could someone with the knowledge and experience loading for cold temps help me out?
 
You missed.

The VARget was fine at 17degrees. VARget is designed to be less sensitive than others to pressure variation due to temp. Not "designed to keep you from missing", just built to minimize pressure variation.

You might get someone on a hunting forum to get with you on your rationalization but this is a SHOOTING forum.

Now if your load goes 'clik-Pughhhhh' or hangs fire, then you've got a case ....... but this is extremely rare and due to some sort of mismatch, it's not because of "warm weather powder" VS "cold weather powder".

BTW, how does the AR-10 shoot? Can you keep up with the factory bolt guns? So far the ones over here are hard-pressed to hold 1.5 moa although some like the Stoner will get down to 1 moa w/Match ammo or reloads.


al
 
Very Easy

HODGDON powders hot or cold......................................

Varget for sure in the .308.

I would also try Varget in the .223.
 
Rl15 is actually a tad more sensitive in weather swings than Varget but either will change in pressure when it's 17 degrees compared to whatever it was in summer. But not nearly as bad as the ball powders used in factory ammo!

I once missed a coyote in 10 degree weather at just under 75 yards and it was standing broadside and not moving. I was rock steady on my stix and the 'yote was standing in fresh untouched powder and there was no bullet hole in the snow anywhere to be found.
I noticed later in the day that ice crystals were forming in the muzzle from the fog or the rooster tail coming off the snowmobile I suppose and then it hit me. The bullet (a 40 grain VMAX) blew up before it got to the coyote!
 
The Reloader line of powders are EXTREMELY sensitive to temp variation. I was using a Reloader powder in my 22-250 IMP and was seeing a point of impact shift of as much as 4 in @300meters, when the temp went from 55 to 90 degrees,

I TRY to shoot mostly Hodgden extreme powders now except for TAC in my 223
 
Varget is the best I've used for vary little temp effect in .223 Remington. From 70+ to -20 below.
 
Just Shot

A Highpower match (F-TR) yesterday. When I used Varget my normal come-up for 600 yards was 15 1/4" (.308Win pushing 175gr SMK's). I've been shooting RL-15 recently, had to use 17 1/2". Never had to dial in that much extra in with Varget, even when temps got below freezing like yestarday.
 
varget.

took a head shot on a doe at ~110 yards last week under a feeder. she dropped down twitching her back legs. one minute later she stopped twitching. eyeballs were expanded from sockets. 43.0 varget, sierra flat base pro hunter, 150 grain. 2.800" oal. best ever 5 shot group with this load is .235moa. almost always below .5 moa if i can do my part. plain vanilla load - but accurate. i'll use varget in all the temperatures. it was 38F in kerr county, TX that morning.
 
thanks

thanks for the info guys, no thanks to al for trying to antoginise! i thought it might be the varget, but it was the bullet ( combined tech ) i loaded up some a max's and game kings with a number of powder and went to the range today 25 and snowing like crazy. and the recipe will be the a-max with 45.5 grains varget. just some doubt and i hade to work it out....thanks again

btw: i dont like to climb a tree with a target rifle, or hike through the woods, use one built for the woods, and i did shoot 3 nice doe opening morning before 8 am at once, pretty hard pressed to do that with a bolt gun deep in the woods! and i think shooting bowling pins @ 600 yards is pretty good for an off the shelf ar-10.
 
huhh? :confused:

Because I told you it wasn't your powder you think I'm ANTAGONIZING you???

Good Grief Charley Brown!

You MISSED!

duhhhh

This is Centerfire Friggin' BENCHREST for cryin' out loud and you wanna' brag about hosing 3 does in the woods??? Don't get me started :D


al
 
If the subject is hunting, why would any hunter not re-sight-in for cold weather before his or hers hunt. I expect any one that shoots in 70 degree weather to know enough to re-sight-in for 30 degree weather.

Temperature means pressure. What would you expect to happen with a 40 degree or more change in temperature?

Why do you think guides want you to check your zero when you get to where you are going to hunt? Remember that altitude makes a difference also.
 
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