x-terminator powder

G

Gil Klemann

Guest
I see Midway has X-terminator powder on sale for $10.99 per pound. I am running out of 8208, and wondered if anyone has used this powder in Benchrest? I will need to switch powder in a month or so, and thought I might try it, since it is reasonably priced. I do not want to re-invent the wheel, so if someone has used it without much success, I can save my money and go to N133. Thanks in advance for your advice.
 
Gil,
Don't forget that Lou Murdica is in the process of having some of the original formula of T-32 powder made. Can't say when it will be available but if you have enough 8208 to last awhile you may want to contact Lou. Just a thought.
 
Straight from RamShot Load Manual..

Xterminator

Starting Load: 24.8 grs (2700fps w/ 75gr. bullet)
Max Load: 27.5 grs (3000fps w/ 75gr. bullet)

This should give you somewhere to start. If you try it out, let me know about it as I also am curious.

Matthew S Keller
 
I have a can of X-Term. Don't think I have tried it yet in the 6ppc, but I have shot it in my 223's. It shot so-so, but then these are so-so rifles. It is a ball powder. I have tried W748 in the ppc, it also shot so-so.....Donald
 
X-Terminator

The really interesting thing about this powder-made by PBC in Belguim, is that this is or at least was the powder used by the Swiss in their GP 90(5.6 mm)military ammunition.Will
 
I used a lot of it...

about ten years ago. I was shooting a .22 SBR. (.200" short) It shot great up here in the cool Northwoods. However, I took it to the NBRSA Nationals at Fairchance where it was HOT and very humid.... made a complete arse of myself. There was no way I could get it to shoot groups under 4/10" in good conditions. Additionally some lots of that stuff vary greatly from others.

I wouldn't shoot it again if you gave it to me.

Dick Wright
 
Thanks for the information. I think I will hold out until the lot of new T powder is ready!
 
A couple of data points

Allan Hall won the light 200 at a past Super Shoot using X-Terminator in a .22 something. As the Ramshot powders were kinda making a debut at that event, I shot the same agg Allan won using TAC (6PPC) and did quite well - won some money. I think it was 1999.

I kept on shooting the TAC and at the 2000 nationals (St. Louis if I have the year wrong) it worked OK. Something like 3rd, 4th, and 6th in the two, three and four guns respectively. Somewhere in the time line I placed 4th at the Super Shoot with the same stuff. Lot #50 it was called based on a little sticker pasted to the bottom of the jug. Couldn't agg with anything other than #50.

Suddenly, my success ended as it always does and did not swing upward until I set my beloved TAC aside. Anecdotal as it sounds, others that were shooting TAC experienced the same - both of them.

Two trusted competitors with extreme longevity in benchrest competition stated without collusion that ball powders would raise you to an admirable height and then throw you to the ground resoundly. Those are my words...I think they said something like "Don't shoot that stuff. It works good and then NOT!"

"Thrown to the ground resoundly" is what actually happened to me.
 
At that same time I also was shooting TAC powder. At that time I had an experimental barrel from Hart, 14.5 twist. The barrel only shot when it was at full speed... over 3450fps with 65 grain fb bullets. The only way to get the speed was with TAC powder. I shot well that year when it was hot and dry, add humidity or cold or both and the powder wouldn't perform... no matter what I did with the load. After that barrel wore out I never went back to TAC... figured Michigan has enough cold and humidity to not base my future shooting on the use of powder that only worked in dry and hot. Maybe it works at Ben Avery, or Midland, or Wittington.

Paul
 
pbike - Sounds like a good match up

I couldn't get it to shoot well with much less than a heaping case full. My seater was continuously plagued with those bitty balls of powder.
 
So I guess we are saying that no ball powders will shoot in hot humid conditions?
 
Plugger,

I just said that TAC didn't work in Cold, or Humid for me. I didn't say anything about all Sperical or Ball powder.

Paul
 
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