Powder Choice

M

mothball10x

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I would like to see what response I get from all the experienced Benchrest shooters on this forum about this question.
If you had no powder and you had a chance to buy one eight pound jug of the following powders, which one would you buy ? IMR 8208XBR LT32 N133
Tom
 
If you look at the equipment lists for the top 20 finishers at this year's Super Shoot, I think that you will see a lot of 133, and I think that this is strongly related to the climate, and shooters having long histories tuning with it, but that is just one opinion. If I were planning to shoot in the desert, I might be looking more strongly at LT32. It is my understanding that the current lots of XBR8208 are a bit slow for the 6PPC although I have seen reports of success. Unless I was interested in experimenting for its own sake, the first place that I would look would be the equipment lists of matches that I planned on attending, or near where I shot.
 
If I could only buy one LT32. Why, it can be shot in a variety of temps and humidities, you just have to become knowledgeable about how it reacts.

Bascically,

- When it's hot and dry, shoot low charges (27.5-28.5)

- Cooler and humid, higher charges (29.0-30.5)


These are just ranges, my point is, don't be afraid to change that dial.......

Hovis
 
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99.0 grains of LT-32? That's a stiff load! :D Pretty sure that it's 29.0 grains, but I'm 3 hours from the first whole week of vacation that I've taken in 27 years of work life, so I'm getting a little silly.
 
Buy all three

mothball10x said:
I would like to see what response I get from all the experienced Benchrest shooters on this forum about this question.
If you had no powder and you had a chance to buy one eight pound jug of the following powders, which one would you buy ? IMR 8208XBR LT32 N133
Tom
Click to expand...




If it was me and I was trying to choose one of the powders listed,instead of buying an eight(8) lb jug of one,I would buy one pound jugs of each. Try all three in your set up and choose the one that pleases you.

What works for somebody else,in their set up,may not work for you.

Just the facts.


Glenn
 
N133 is the choice of champions!! LOL!!! Ive tried it all and I keep coming back!! Lee " Of course im no champion!!"
 
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Since I seem to be one of the lucky few in the world who can actually get XBR to shoot equally well or better than N133, I would have to pick between those two. Since N133 is now so pricey, I'd probably get the XBR, unless the N133 was a known "good" lot.

Haven't burned a kernel of LT32 yet so can't comment there. But a lot of the competitors around here (4500' and single digit humidity) seem to be struggling to make LT work. Sorta like lots of folks back east can't get XBR to shoot worth a darn.
 
Right now, I'd get whichever of the powders you can get. I'm not finding any of them in stock at any of the normal suppliers. I've shot 133 so long that it's been pretty difficult to go the LT32 route, but the more I shoot it, the more I like it. Whichever powder you can get, do ladder tests with it with both changes in powder weights and changes in seating depth to find where what your rifle likes the best. I start with the bullet into the lands and go up and down with powder charges in .3 gr increments until I find a powder charge that seems to work best. Then go down in seating depth in .005" steps to determine where the rifle likes the seating depth. Then you can vary the powder again up and down to find where it works the best with that seating depth. I'm not sure whether finer changes in seating depth will help, but with the conditions I normally gave in Texas it's hard to tell much with very fine changes in seating depth or powder.
 
So, where is this mythical retailer who has all (or any) of those powders in stock? Certainly not where I have been looking......................................:mad:
 
amamnn said:
So, where is this mythical retailer who has all (or any) of those powders in stock? Certainly not where I have been looking......................................:mad:
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IMR 8208XBR is available at three of our local dealers here in the NE,but the other two powders are no where to be found.
Tom
 
I have shot all three quite a bit and if I had to chose one it would be LT-32. Of course I don't have to limit it to one, and I have a HV barrel that shoots better with N133 and I will continue to use it in that barrel. Also, don't discount LT-32 for the .30 BR. Jerry Kloeppel has been whipping a lot of competitors with it in his .30 BR. Lou Murdica has also had success with LT-32 in the .30 BR. The very first lot of XBR was faster than subsequent lots and it worked fine in a PPC, but later lots were too slow for my use. Good shooting....James
 
Wondering,

James M. said:
I have shot all three quite a bit and if I had to chose one it would be LT-32. Of course I don't have to limit it to one, and I have a HV barrel that shoots better with N133 and I will continue to use it in that barrel. Also, don't discount LT-32 for the .30 BR. Jerry Kloeppel has been whipping a lot of competitors with it in his .30 BR. Lou Murdica has also had success with LT-32 in the .30 BR. The very first lot of XBR was faster than subsequent lots and it worked fine in a PPC, but later lots were too slow for my use. Good shooting....James
Click to expand...

What charge weights are they using in the 30's?:confused:
 
Jerry is using 35.0 gr. with a 115gr. 10X bullet and Lou uses more than that with a Berger bullet of unknown (to me) weight. Good shooting....James
 
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