8208 XBR in the .30X47 HBR?

N

Niccolo M.

Member
Greetings,
Anyone have any experience with IMR 8208 XBR in any of the 30X47 HBR variants that they would like to talk about? Research shows that the initial “trial and test” lots were faster than the “production” lots resulting in a powder that is a bit slow for the PPC and .30 BR. I have thought that I like might give it a try in my 30X47 Lapua HBR rig but find myself desirous of additional input. Any thoughts or data either empirical or anecdotal are greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Nic.
 
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The burn rate will work in the 30X47 just fine. I found it to be just barely fast enough in the 30-30 case to push a 118 gr. bullet at 3100 fps, so the added capacity of the 30X47 will make it even better. I remember running between 41 and 42 gr. to make that velocity. Limited group testing proved to be positive. Benchmark proved to be a little better at my capacity, giving velocities of 3170 fps at 42.5 gr. with the same 118 gr. bullet.

Michael
 
This is just my opinion, for what its worth. I think Hodgden put out a test batch of powder that performed pretty good. Then when they went to full production, they dropped the ball. I don't know what the difference is. I never had any of the original "test" batch, but ordered a lot for me of the IMR 8208 XBR, I think batch 4773 if memory serves me right. Its not that it is a bad powder but it is not any differerent than some of the other Hodgden powders. It apperars to me to be a slightly slower Benchmark. I have had some pretty good results with Benchmark. So.....where is the need for this new XBR stuff. Maybe if the PPC case had a tad more volume, XBR would be just the right powder. As it is, I will shoot 133 and Benchmark. In my opinion they are very close with BM being about 0.5 to 1.0 grain slower than 133. I do think that BMark is a bit easier to tune than 133. But then what do I know? Just my opinion and worth what it costs you.

Donald
 
Fwiw

I got some lot #4798 and tried it with 70 gr bullets in my 6mm BR and 50 gr bullets in a .223 and was disappointed. Yesterday I tried it with 87 gr V-Max in the 6mm BR (Rem 7-1/2 primers) and had two 3/4" nodes at 200m. I wasn't chronographing so I don't know what kind of velocity I was getting, but the results were encouraging. I had about an inch of variable wind to play with and was just using the mirage, but I may need to vary the seating depth too. I think it's slower than reported. The load I was comparing it to was W748 that I'd been using. nhk
 
8208XBR, lot 4736 and lot 4798 work great in 6PPC.
Hodgdon please do not change the formula, make more of the same in that burn rate!

George
 
I have been shooting lot 4736 for a short while now but i do have some soil info i can share. I find it extremely accurate in both a 22 and 6ppc but i have experienced tossed shots. Mostly after waiting for a condition to return. keep the barrel shooting on the sighter target and return to the record when the condition returns and finish that small group. Only problem other than this, is that i am using a ghost powder. I have two pounds left and once its gone i dont know what i will do, so i sometimes ask myself, ( why are you even shooting this stuff!!) I guess because it does shoot pretty darn well!!!
 
Since no one answered your question directly, using 8208 in the 30X47, I will try and get closer than the other posts. 8208XBR "works" in the 30BR, but you need 38 grains of the stuff. it DOES shoot. Fill it up. It is probably slow enough for the 30X47. Put it over the chronograph and dial it in.
 
Thanks for the input all,
I've been using V135, when the weather straightens up I'll give XBR a try and report the findings. Where I live, this time of year it's either raining like a cow whizzing on a flat rock or the wind is blowing like a politician trying to get re-elected. When the planets line up I'll give it a go.

Nic.
 
Greetings, sorry for the delay in reporting back on IMR 8208 XBR powder in the 30X47 HBR chambering. I had a bit of an accident at work and crushed my left hand, almost completely severed my left index finger. A few surgeries, a ton of PT and a little better than a year later you can hardly tell… well pretty much anyway. I built a new HBR rig as “therapy” so this post relates to that rig and not the 30X47 Lapua rig I inquired about.

The rig - Reworked Remington 700 action; McMillan Edge stock; Shilen SM 15 Twist barrel with my take on the 30X47 HBR chamber, .330 neck and a finished length of 23 inches. I put on a 36X scope in place of a 6X for testing

The cartridge – Parent brass, Winchester .308; .328 loaded neck dimension; resized after turning with a .325 bushing; empty case weight 150 grains plus or minus .5 grains; bullet 125 TNT (don’t want to waste the good stuff fire forming and checking for pressure signs) seated .015 jam.

The weather – 35 Deg. F. with four inches of snow on the range, the wind was calm and the light was very flat with a high overcast.

Results – Five shot groups shot at 100 yards. I did not chronograph. I broke in the barrel and sighted in with 40 grain loads and I fired two 40 grain loads as fouling shots after cleaning between strings four and five. These shots at 40 grains were not included in the data.

40 - grains just barely came up to the base of the neck, filled out the brass nicely on firing but the shoulder was not quite sharp. The carbon swirl was about half way down the neck. The group was nice and round just at a ¼ inch.
40.3 - grains was about the same, group was round just a little bigger,
40.6 - grains again about the same group had a little vertical and was a touch bigger.
40.9 - grains again, about the same as 40.6 grains but a little more vertical.
41.2 - grains starts to fill up the neck, shoulders starting to sharpen up, group was starting to get round but larger than 40 grains
41.5 - grains shoulder nice and sharp, neck clean and the group was a little rounder but still a touch bigger than 40 grains.
41.8 - grains shoulders look great, neck clean, group round and smaller than 40 grains.
42.1 - grains the case looked great, easy bolt lift, primer was slightly flat with round edges, group was round and well under ¼ inch. Things started to come alive at this charge weight but I was out of loaded ammo, the light was going away and the wind was coming up. I think that somewhere around 42 grains and 42.5 grains I find a good load. I don’t think that you can get much more than 43 grains of this stuff in the case even after it is fire formed, I’ll let you know. I’m sure that when I go back to the range with fire formed cases the 42.1 grain load will have a different pressure curve because the case is stretched out already. I think I’ll start at 41.8 and shoot two or three five shot groups for each load as I work my way up.

Individual results may vary,
Nic.
 
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