I got a half jug of that pull down St Louis/Bruno millitary RE15 replacement powder. Same stuff that was going around when the last pull down 8208 was around. Anyway i finally got a chance to play with it today in a 22-250 and i noticed what looks like some ball powder mixed in. Is this how it is supposed to be or did my buddy dump some ball powder in my jug by mistake? Im afraid to shoot this stuff!! Thanks Lee
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
St Louis Re15 replacement powder
- Thread starter skeetlee
- Start date
Jay Cutright
New member
It's WC846 ball powder used for .556 & 7.62x51 as issued to military. They were pulling it down before they started pulling down the Army Marksmanship ammo that was turned in and pulled down to give you the Long Range Match Powder that you call Re15 replacement powder.
It's good powder but a lot of people got scared of the lots that had ball powder in it. It was an accident but the burn rates aren't off enough to cause catastrophic failures in the small quantities your dealing with. Let me know if ya wanna sell it.
It's good powder but a lot of people got scared of the lots that had ball powder in it. It was an accident but the burn rates aren't off enough to cause catastrophic failures in the small quantities your dealing with. Let me know if ya wanna sell it.
Last edited:
Jay Cutright
New member
Most just shook the can up real good and loaded it per there developed loads, read not published Re15 loads.
I know a couple fellars gave up on it when they saw so much ball powder they got scared of it. At least one of them kept dumping there powder thrower back into the can after the finer ball powder settled to the bottom. He quit loading it after shooting 3 pounds and is using the rest for fire forming.
Keep in mind both powders will work in the 308 and the 223. I'm not saying it'll be safe for anyone to shoot it but I know there's been a bunch of em shoot the very same powder yer talking about.
I know a couple fellars gave up on it when they saw so much ball powder they got scared of it. At least one of them kept dumping there powder thrower back into the can after the finer ball powder settled to the bottom. He quit loading it after shooting 3 pounds and is using the rest for fire forming.
Keep in mind both powders will work in the 308 and the 223. I'm not saying it'll be safe for anyone to shoot it but I know there's been a bunch of em shoot the very same powder yer talking about.
All right...there is a lot of "magic" when it comes to powders, so here's what I know, based a lot on what some experts know. I'll try to keep clear on what's just one man's opinion.
From very reliable, published sources: All the double-base Reloader-line powders, except Rel-17, are made by Bofors. What Bofor's makes & sells would be considered "bulk" powder, and has to be within 20% of the established burn rate to be called a certain powder. The repackagers, Norma and Rottweil in Europe, and Alliant in the States, are selling what is termed "cannister" powders, and they must be within a 10% variation in burn rate to get the designation of, say, Reloader-15. (See page 574 of Ken Howells book, Designing and Forming Custom Cartirdges. Also German Salazar.
Now, Alliant -- Reloader -- has historically used all the 10% allowed variation. Back around 2000, there was a lot of Rel-22 that got out which was more than 10% faster (acknowledged by Alliant), and Bobby Hart (they sell a lot of the stuff) reported that most of the line seemed to be about one grade faster that year.
In short, it happens.
Here's point 2: While the basic powder is double-based, the size of the granule is still of some importance for burn rate. Historically, Alliant has mixed granule sizes to achieve the needed "10% only variation" for cannister grade powders. I get a laugh when some long-range shooter says they weight to the nearest granule -- but which one? Withe the Reloader line, sometimes, the smallest granules are half the size & weight of the largest.
So be careful with that sifting, if you filter out the smaller granules of "Reloader 15," along with the ball powder, you may wind up with Reloader 16 -- or slower.
Also be aware the military pull-down powder was "bulk," not "cannister." Though for military sale, it would have been loaded to a mil-spec burn rate, we just don't know what the appropriate charge weight for that powder was.
So I don't see any real need to sift out the ball powder. It's just one more variable. I do see a need to start 20% low for one round, working up and watching for signs of pressure. After resolving any pressure issues, it may turn out to be the most accurate powder you've ever had, and you'll go crazy trying to get more. Or not, who can say?
Finally, both double-base and ball powders have the reputation of being temperature sensitive. Well, all powders are, but enough people have remarked on this to keep it in mind. In my experience (and Jeff Summers), the original Rel-10 worked great if it was significantly above 80 degrees. Poorly below that, though. And dirty in either. So in your testing, watch the outside temperature. Don't relay on pressure observations if there is a 20-degree difference. And if it shoots crappy when it's cold, try a few rounds in the summer's heat...
From very reliable, published sources: All the double-base Reloader-line powders, except Rel-17, are made by Bofors. What Bofor's makes & sells would be considered "bulk" powder, and has to be within 20% of the established burn rate to be called a certain powder. The repackagers, Norma and Rottweil in Europe, and Alliant in the States, are selling what is termed "cannister" powders, and they must be within a 10% variation in burn rate to get the designation of, say, Reloader-15. (See page 574 of Ken Howells book, Designing and Forming Custom Cartirdges. Also German Salazar.
Now, Alliant -- Reloader -- has historically used all the 10% allowed variation. Back around 2000, there was a lot of Rel-22 that got out which was more than 10% faster (acknowledged by Alliant), and Bobby Hart (they sell a lot of the stuff) reported that most of the line seemed to be about one grade faster that year.
In short, it happens.
Here's point 2: While the basic powder is double-based, the size of the granule is still of some importance for burn rate. Historically, Alliant has mixed granule sizes to achieve the needed "10% only variation" for cannister grade powders. I get a laugh when some long-range shooter says they weight to the nearest granule -- but which one? Withe the Reloader line, sometimes, the smallest granules are half the size & weight of the largest.
So be careful with that sifting, if you filter out the smaller granules of "Reloader 15," along with the ball powder, you may wind up with Reloader 16 -- or slower.
Also be aware the military pull-down powder was "bulk," not "cannister." Though for military sale, it would have been loaded to a mil-spec burn rate, we just don't know what the appropriate charge weight for that powder was.
So I don't see any real need to sift out the ball powder. It's just one more variable. I do see a need to start 20% low for one round, working up and watching for signs of pressure. After resolving any pressure issues, it may turn out to be the most accurate powder you've ever had, and you'll go crazy trying to get more. Or not, who can say?
Finally, both double-base and ball powders have the reputation of being temperature sensitive. Well, all powders are, but enough people have remarked on this to keep it in mind. In my experience (and Jeff Summers), the original Rel-10 worked great if it was significantly above 80 degrees. Poorly below that, though. And dirty in either. So in your testing, watch the outside temperature. Don't relay on pressure observations if there is a 20-degree difference. And if it shoots crappy when it's cold, try a few rounds in the summer's heat...
Charles, First we had to screen out the chunks and dirt out of the 8208 or Tbird that was sold as fertilizer years ago. and it is the same deal here, this ball powder is the finest i have ever seen. an if you ran it across a fine mesh screen the RL-15 could not drop through and you pick the dirt out at the same time. I saw chunks that may block a powder measure....... jim