Interesting 30BR info

[dbridges]

I remember someone saying a couple of years back that in Australia there are two Benchmark powders available, BM1 and BM2. I brought this up before on here and was BLASTED for it but one has to wonder if the Super DUPA stuff selling over here is one or the other of those? It dosesn't make a whole lot of sense to me for company that allready has a good powder at a slightly different burning rate would make yet a third combination.

Our Benchmark2 (BM2) is your Benchmark and our Benchmark 1 (BM1) is a much faster powder that has no US market equivalent.

The figures for your XBR 8208 have it looking more like our old 2206 which was dropped when 2206H (your H4895) was introduced. 2206 is sorely missed by a lot of Australians and we cannot get the XBR

 

[mturner]

dbridges,

I have alway wanted some BM1 to try. I believe it could be a dream for 30 caliber shooters. How does it compare in burn rate to H322EX or some other powders? What would it take to import a decent size lot of BM1?

Michael

 

[dbridges]

I don't know how well BM1 works as I've never used it. I shoot 223/308 so have no need for a powder that fast.

As for importing it with hazmat and the associated costs I think you have as much chance as we do in importing XBR8208.

If you really want to do it though, talk to Hogden. They've got the clout to do it.

 

[Pete Wass]

Pete

Will Re-7 do as well as 4198?

In every one of the rifles I have shot Re-7 in, I couldn't tell the difference between it and H-4198. It has become a bit more expensive so I will probably return to H-4198. We "fixed Income" folks have to watch our pennies ya know!

Perhaps there will be a .2 g difference between Re-7 and H-4198 in some bullet-powder combinations. Yes, I weigh every one of them. I don't trust fate. Costs too much now-a-day to travel to matches. Gotta eliminate all potential errors.

 

[Pete Wass]

Thanks mturner

I have done a little testing with Benchmark in the .150" short 30-30 (exactly 30BR capacity) and Benchmark and XBR8208 in the full length 30-30. All testing was done with 118gr 9 ogive bullets. Keep in mind that this bullet allows more powder in the case than a 7 ogive since I'm only holding onto about .125" of bullet. Benchmark is definetly a little hotter, so using XBR in the 30BR is definetly slow. Results below.

.150" short 30-30 (30BR)

36.0gr Benchmark 118gr - 2721 fps
38.5gr Benchmark 118gr - 2932 fps

full length 30-30

41.0gr Benchmark 118gr - 3075 fps
42.5gr Benchmark 118gr - 3173 fps

42.5gr 8208XBR 118gr - 3105 fps

Other powders tested in .150" short 30-30 that should show promise in the 30BR

34.5gr RE7 115gr Berger - 2958 fps
34.5gr H4198EX 115gr Berger - 2970 fps
36.5gr RE10X 118gr - 3008 fps
38.0gr H322EX 118gr - 2999 fps
36.5gr AA2015 Israeli 118gr - 2967 fps

I used the 36.5gr load of RE10X with a 115gr Berger to take the win in Colorado. I used the AA2015 load in Raton to shoot a .082" group in the last 100 yrd. match.

Michael

I like to see stats like this. What they show is a lot of different powders will work, in the 30's at least. I have a friend who has used EXterminator In his 30 br. It shoots tiny dots.

Years ago, a friend and I shot H-322 over a crono with our 30 BR's. We found that speed will go down as one adds powder beyond a certain point. Apparently the powder isn't being burned beyond a certain volume. There is also a big difference between H- 322's. The older stuff was faster than the new stuff is. This seems to be the same with the XMR 2015.

 

[quandary]

A little off topic, but how does IMR 8208 do in a .223?

I tried it in an AR-15 shooting 52 grain bullets, 14 twist, 28" Hart barrel and I ran out of room in the case. Too slow. With a heavier bullet it might work though.

 

[Donald]

Years ago, a friend and I shot H-322 over a crono with our 30 BR's. We found that speed will go down as one adds powder beyond a certain point. Apparently the powder isn't being burned beyond a certain volume. There is also a big difference between H- 322's. The older stuff was faster than the new stuff is. This seems to be the same with the XMR 2015.



Pete,
I ran into this same thing with my 30BR. At 34.3/H4198 I was getting 2996, 2995, 3002. Jumped the load to 34.5 and the velocity did not increase but the ES was not as good. Jumped the load to 34.8 and velocity went down a bit, maybe 20-30 fps. I stopped there as that was about all I could get in the case.

Something interesting to try. If you have a 17 twist 30BR barrel try 32.4/H4198 behind a 135 grain Sierra MK. I have seen some unbelieveable groups shot with this combo. And they do stablilize just fine. As usual, your rifle/loads may vary, so work up. JCMB.

Donald

 

[Pete Wass]

Years ago, a friend and I shot H-322 over a crono with our 30 BR's. We found that speed will go down as one adds powder beyond a certain point. Apparently the powder isn't being burned beyond a certain volume. There is also a big difference between H- 322's. The older stuff was faster than the new stuff is. This seems to be the same with the XMR 2015.



Pete,
I ran into this same thing with my 30BR. At 34.3/H4198 I was getting 2996, 2995, 3002. Jumped the load to 34.5 and the velocity did not increase but the ES was not as good. Jumped the load to 34.8 and velocity went down a bit, maybe 20-30 fps. I stopped there as that was about all I could get in the case.

Something interesting to try. If you have a 17 twist 30BR barrel try 32.4/H4198 behind a 135 grain Sierra MK. I have seen some unbelieveable groups shot with this combo. And they do stablilize just fine. As usual, your rifle/loads may vary, so work up. JCMB.

Donald

Sometimes less is more, eh! I have been using around .33g of either H-4198 or Re-7 for a couple of years. If I can't get a tight small round hole with going in no more than.009" I then add powder. I use .003" increments with seating depth and .02g of powder, for no particular reason than that is the way I have always done it and it has worked for me.

 

[skeetlee]

I also agree. I shoot 33.3gr of H4198 in both of my 30BR's and i see no need to increase the powder charge. I always start at full jam and work back while looking for my seating depth's and if memory serves me correctly i think i am around .014 back from full jam in both barrels. Within a .001 or so of each other. They are both pretty close. Actually i think one is .017 back and the other .014 back with Brady knight 118gr bullets. I have also been playing with some George Ulrich 116gr FB bullets and boy do they shoot!!!
Anyway, thanks for all the replies. The reason i asked about the 8208 to begin with was that a good friend of mine was getting velocity reading close to 3000fps while shooting the new 8208 in his 30BR but i was only able to obtain 2650 or so with mine. I was just curious if anyone else had ever ran the new 8208 over the chrony with the 30BR. Thanks fellas! Lee

 

[Al Nyhus]

Lee, H4198 is borderline too slow for the 30BR.

In the past, I've worked with H4227 and what I call H4212.5 (blended 4198/4227).

There are ways around this. Some ways are obvious. Some, not so much....

Good shootin'. -Al

 

[Bob Kingsbury]

Years ago, a friend and I shot H-322 over a crono with our 30 BR's. We found that speed will go down as one adds powder beyond a certain point. Apparently the powder isn't being burned beyond a certain volume. There is also a big difference between H- 322's. The older stuff was faster than the new stuff is. This seems to be the same with the XMR 2015. [/I

Pete,
I ran into this same thing with my 30BR. At 34.3/H4198 I was getting 2996, 2995, 3002. Jumped the load to 34.5 and the velocity did not increase but the ES was not as good. Jumped the load to 34.8 and velocity went down a bit, maybe 20-30 fps. I stopped there as that was about all I could get in the case.

Something interesting to try. If you have a 17 twist 30BR barrel try 32.4/H4198 behind a 135 grain Sierra MK. I have seen some unbelieveable groups shot with this combo. And they do stablilize just fine. As usual, your rifle/loads may vary, so work up. JCMB.

Donald

I had the same thing, Velocity fell down at 34.8---H4198