COLD temp. powders?
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- ducksmuggler
- coyotehunter
- Posts: 76
- Joined: Fri Jan 01, 2010 8:24 am
- Location: Southeast MN
COLD temp. powders?
Being new to reloading I need a little help... Just a pre. thanks guys
First off one of my friend helped show me parts of reloading and I used his stuff. So when I went to the range sat. my gun shot low and to the left. Now today 40 deg. warmer my gun it dead on. I know that the temp. drop does affect muzzle velosity and so on. My question is does anyone know of a powder that likes
-0 temps for a 22-250 or a 204.
Thanks
Matt.
First off one of my friend helped show me parts of reloading and I used his stuff. So when I went to the range sat. my gun shot low and to the left. Now today 40 deg. warmer my gun it dead on. I know that the temp. drop does affect muzzle velosity and so on. My question is does anyone know of a powder that likes
-0 temps for a 22-250 or a 204.
Thanks
Matt.
- LeviM
- coyotehunter
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- Joined: Sun Dec 03, 2006 8:26 am
- Location: ND
Re: COLD temp. powders?
Look at hodgdon extreme powders, I shoot H4350, its been dead on at 40 degrees - to this past weekend at -35 degrees. Chris shoot varget with the same results. I couldnt believe it either till I saw both those powders produce from one extreme to the other.
Levi McNally
"Coyote Fever"
'Whack em' and Stack em' ND Style"
"Speak the Language"
"Coyote Fever"
'Whack em' and Stack em' ND Style"
"Speak the Language"
- 204sniper
- coyotehunter
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Re: COLD temp. powders?
Varget works well in temperature extremes, but it doesn't produce as much velocity in a .204 as other powders do. Varget should produce better velocities in a 22-250 as it seems to like cartridges with a higher powder capacity.
- Jeffrey Emerson
Close only counts in horseshoes and handgrenades....
Only YOU can prevent wildfires, which is good, because I've got things to do.
"That'll learn ya."
Close only counts in horseshoes and handgrenades....
Only YOU can prevent wildfires, which is good, because I've got things to do.
"That'll learn ya."
- lyonch
- coyotehunter
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Re: COLD temp. powders?
i have chronographed my loads at 73 degrees and at -18 degrees. At 73 degrees my average velocity was 3,766 fps. at -18 my velocity average was 3,758 fps. So i have a 8 fps drop approximately at a 91 degree temperature differential. I am shooting 37.5 grains of varget. do not load at this right away. it is above recommended maxes!!! any powder that is an extrudued powder (looks like little pellets) is usually considered a extreme powder. if you want details on my load they are this: 37.5 grains of varget, 55 grain sierra spitzer boat tail, case length 1.915, cartridge length 2.5, velocity average 3,766 fps.
Chris Lyon
My mind belongs to my work,
My heart belongs to my family,
BUT MY SOUL BELONGS TO THE COYOTES!!!
My mind belongs to my work,
My heart belongs to my family,
BUT MY SOUL BELONGS TO THE COYOTES!!!
- xdeano
- coyotehunter
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Re: COLD temp. powders?
Lyonch
I'm having similar shifts with my varget over a similar temperature spread, in my 308.
Varget is the powder to buy for temperature swings.
xdeano
I'm having similar shifts with my varget over a similar temperature spread, in my 308.
Varget is the powder to buy for temperature swings.
xdeano
“It’s better to live one day as a lion, than a thousand years as a lamb.” -Mussolini
- lyonch
- coyotehunter
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Re: COLD temp. powders?
with only a 8 fps difference for me, i have not even changed my drop chart. 99% of my coytotes are shot within 300 yards so that 8 fps doesn't make a difference when shooting at a 7 inch kill circle. i have on the other hand noticed elevation change in the my load. i shoot at approximately 700 to 1,000 feet in central minnesota, and this past weekend levi and i were in that 2,000 - 3,000 foot elevation range and noticed a slight difference when shooting at a long distance. I noticed this when i bumped one walking into a stand and hit it when it was trying to leave (guts hanging out to boot) and that bastard never did get recovered. I dont think i hit anything solid but just burned the belly region. when he stopped and stood at around 500 yards i noticed i hit a little high above him. Of course it was a rushed shot though 

Chris Lyon
My mind belongs to my work,
My heart belongs to my family,
BUT MY SOUL BELONGS TO THE COYOTES!!!
My mind belongs to my work,
My heart belongs to my family,
BUT MY SOUL BELONGS TO THE COYOTES!!!
- LeviM
- coyotehunter
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- Joined: Sun Dec 03, 2006 8:26 am
- Location: ND
Re: COLD temp. powders?
heres a link to Hodgons Extreme Powders.
http://www.hodgdon.com/extreme.html
I am shooting a .243 win. I am shooting H4350, like I stated above, I noticed no difference from shooting all summer to this past weekend which was -35 degrees on my first stand, which I shot 2 coyotes. One was a gimmie, and the other was a 225 yards. I also shot another coyote at 290 yards, I havent touched my scope since this summer. I tried to get Varget to group for me all summer but I couldnt get any consistant grouping.
Hope this helps
http://www.hodgdon.com/extreme.html
I am shooting a .243 win. I am shooting H4350, like I stated above, I noticed no difference from shooting all summer to this past weekend which was -35 degrees on my first stand, which I shot 2 coyotes. One was a gimmie, and the other was a 225 yards. I also shot another coyote at 290 yards, I havent touched my scope since this summer. I tried to get Varget to group for me all summer but I couldnt get any consistant grouping.
Hope this helps
Levi McNally
"Coyote Fever"
'Whack em' and Stack em' ND Style"
"Speak the Language"
"Coyote Fever"
'Whack em' and Stack em' ND Style"
"Speak the Language"
- 22-250AI
- coyotehunter
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- 204sniper
- coyotehunter
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- Location: Central Minn
Re: COLD temp. powders?
lyonch wrote: i have on the other hand noticed elevation change in the my load. i shoot at approximately 700 to 1,000 feet in central minnesota, and this past weekend levi and i were in that 2,000 - 3,000 foot elevation range and noticed a slight difference when shooting at a long distance. I noticed this when i bumped one walking into a stand and hit it when it was trying to leave (guts hanging out to boot) and that bastard never did get recovered. I dont think i hit anything solid but just burned the belly region. when he stopped and stood at around 500 yards i noticed i hit a little high above him. Of course it was a rushed shot though
You'll get that with increased elevation with any rifle round. I'm sure if it has to do with the decrease in air density, or the decrease in barometric pressure (which would relate directly to air density

- Jeffrey Emerson
Close only counts in horseshoes and handgrenades....
Only YOU can prevent wildfires, which is good, because I've got things to do.
"That'll learn ya."
Close only counts in horseshoes and handgrenades....
Only YOU can prevent wildfires, which is good, because I've got things to do.
"That'll learn ya."
- ducksmuggler
- coyotehunter
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- Joined: Fri Jan 01, 2010 8:24 am
- Location: Southeast MN
Re: COLD temp. powders?
THANKS guys
now I have some shopping to do... what do you use/ like to use for primers
now I have some shopping to do... what do you use/ like to use for primers
- 204sniper
- coyotehunter
- Posts: 68
- Joined: Sun Dec 06, 2009 6:00 pm
- Location: Central Minn
Re: COLD temp. powders?
ducksmuggler wrote:what do you use/ like to use for primers
My personal preference is CCI primers.
- Jeffrey Emerson
Close only counts in horseshoes and handgrenades....
Only YOU can prevent wildfires, which is good, because I've got things to do.
"That'll learn ya."
Close only counts in horseshoes and handgrenades....
Only YOU can prevent wildfires, which is good, because I've got things to do.
"That'll learn ya."
- LeviM
- coyotehunter
- Posts: 2375
- Joined: Sun Dec 03, 2006 8:26 am
- Location: ND
Re: COLD temp. powders?
my gun and load like federals
Levi McNally
"Coyote Fever"
'Whack em' and Stack em' ND Style"
"Speak the Language"
"Coyote Fever"
'Whack em' and Stack em' ND Style"
"Speak the Language"
- lyonch
- coyotehunter
- Posts: 2795
- Joined: Sun Dec 10, 2006 7:52 pm
- Location: Not where i want to be
Re: COLD temp. powders?
i use CCI 200 large rifle primers. they are the only ones that i have used thus far. This coming summer i will play with some other brands to see what they do for my load.
Chris Lyon
My mind belongs to my work,
My heart belongs to my family,
BUT MY SOUL BELONGS TO THE COYOTES!!!
My mind belongs to my work,
My heart belongs to my family,
BUT MY SOUL BELONGS TO THE COYOTES!!!
- 22-250AI
- coyotehunter
- Posts: 90
- Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2009 11:30 pm
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- 204sniper
- coyotehunter
- Posts: 68
- Joined: Sun Dec 06, 2009 6:00 pm
- Location: Central Minn
Re: COLD temp. powders?
22-250AI wrote:CCI 200's rock my jock strap !!!


- Jeffrey Emerson
Close only counts in horseshoes and handgrenades....
Only YOU can prevent wildfires, which is good, because I've got things to do.
"That'll learn ya."
Close only counts in horseshoes and handgrenades....
Only YOU can prevent wildfires, which is good, because I've got things to do.
"That'll learn ya."