8208-XBR Powder

[jefats]

Anyone on this forum using this powder? Data/comments/experiences are greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Joe O]

I'm using it in my 204rugers w/32 and 39 SBKs (3 guns). 28 and 27.3gr work up.All guns shoot in the 2s and 3s.Loads well, and is touted to be the least heat sensative powder on the planet.

 

[Heavies]

I am using this powder in my 6mmbr (95, 105, 107) and have worked up loads for 155's in .308. Clean, consistent, and accurate, I like this powder. ;D

What cartridge are you thinking about using it in?

 

[jefats]

Heavies,

I'm going to use it in the 6MM BR so if you have any recipees I'd appreciate
the info.

Thanks

 

[lpreddick]

using it exclusively in my 14 twist 223 ackley,,28 gr with a 52 gr fowler...one hole, 26 gr in a 12 twist 223 lbc ar and it is also a one holer. 26 gr in a 1in 9 twist savage 223 52 fowler and a small hole also. it seems to like small cases, so i may try some in my 22 br. it does seem to burn cleanly. the above loads ar full cases and that alone helps burn cleanly. had no luck in a 6br with heavy bullet.[/quote] if i can see you, i can touch you.BANG!

 

[Heavies]

Heavies,

I'm going to use it in the 6MM BR so if you have any recipees I'd appreciate
the info.

Thanks

I am running an 8 twist, 24" Mcgowen barrel, Savage Target Action. All bullets are coated with HBN as an anti fouling/friction additive. Please work up to these loads as they may be too hot for your rifle.

95 grain Sierra MK, 29.4 grains IMR 8208 XBR, CCI450 primer
105 grain Berger VLD hunting, 29.5 grains IMR 8208 XBR, Wolf small rifle magnum primer. (hot work up!) 2844 fps
Also, 28.8 grains is a very consistent milder load.
107 Sierra MK, 29.7 grains IMR 8208 XBR, Wolf small rifle magnum primer. (hot work up!)

These are all HBN coated so you may see pressure sooner. Work up slowly.
Hope this helps.

 

[1000yardstare]

Great powder in a .35 Whelen if you happen to own a rifle in that cartridge.
Bill

 

[spclark]

So far (and I'm still trying new ones) I've found great loads in .308 (for Palma with Sierra's 2156 155 and their 190BT), 6RAT (Berger 70 FB, 90BT & 105VLD), 6XC (the 105VLD again) and .223 (80 SMK for service rifle).

Haven't tried it in 6BR or 6HAGAR yet. Everything but the .308's are with home-coated hBN bullets.

This appears to be one new powder that's living up to the hype. I just got 16# of a new batch last week. Gone thru 13# of two batches so far, didn't see significant change between those first two.

 

[antitactical]

I tried it in my 6mmbr 14 twist and couldn't get repeatable groups one would be .250 then jump to.750 velocity would vary a lot too. I went to aa2015 and never looked back also h322. All in the 2s now

 

[UltraBR30]

It acts similar to Varget for me and like it much better for metering. I get low ES and good accuracy. Around 29gr works for me.

 

[Frankr]

I have tryed it in the 6BR 14 twist, 65 to 70 Gr bullets worked up to 34.0grs . 34.0 grs started to show pressure in my rifle, tryed several different bullets, primers. ect and over temp ranges from 70-95deg F. was very disapointed. huge velocity spread over 30deg temp change and groups fluctuated between .250 to .550's never would stay consistant. Had a BIG ES that i could not get rid of... but im still shooting it..
has not been in my opinion what it was cracked up to be..but i will keep shooting it.
decent varmit load with a 70gr sbk. at 3,550 FPS MV.

RL10x is the real 8208..lol
very temp stable over a huge change and very consistant groups and ES of 15 FPS. with good velocity..
hey im just say n..

 

[hogpatrol]

When operator isn't cranial-rectal, shoots great, consistent less than 1/4 inch 5 shot groups in my 6br 1-14 w/ 30.6 gr 8028, Fed205m, lapua brass, 60 gr Berger, seated .005 long. Hog

 

[jhord]

I've been playing with it in 6BR, but no great results yet. I'm using it mainly for my "short range" load based around the Berger 80 match varmint. I found a good spot at 30.5 and 31.1 grns via ladder testing. The 31.1 was just a tad hot so I dropped down to the 30.5 load for my last match. It shot great at my home range, but at the 100/200yd match, where the temps were higher, it didn't shoot well at all. I went to a backup load I had taken along for the 400 yard portion of the match and that went well, so I don't think the problem was me so much. There's something fickle about 8208 that I haven't figured out yet. I have shot 8208 with the heavier 95 and 105 bullets, and while I got more speed I didn't see anything as far as accuracy to sway me away from my normal Varget/RL15 recipes. I'll see if it works in my .223 and .308 but I think I'm done with it in 6BR for a while.

 

[Frankr]

I tried it in my 6mmbr 14 twist and couldn't get repeatable groups one would be .250 then jump to.750 velocity would vary a lot too. I went to aa2015 and never looked back also h322. All in the 2s now

antitactial sounds like you got the same lot as me.
seems there is some different lots, i was talking with some guys who have been haveing good luck with it in the ppc and in the 6BR but the lot they have seems to be a bit faster than my lot and the lot they had has different lot #'s on the can ..only #'s i can find on my can is 1081710 and under that is 4853or 4858 had to tell because its smuged.but anyway the #'s on their can was not even close to mine.
i only bought 1 pound of it to try.. I would judge it load density and pressure wise in my rifle as slower than N135 but a bit faster that varget.
But i plan to try it in a different barrel,bullet,primer combo and if i still have a big ES and eratic groups and huge veloicity swing with 30 deg temp difference, i will be done with it.

 

[wleoff]

I'm trying it in .223, .204 and 6BR. My biggest problem so far is that there doesn't seem to be a best load. I can vary the amount of powder, within a reasonable range, while keeping everything else the same, and the accuracy doesn't change. My son's into .223 and we've shot rounds from 52 grains to 75 grains in the same Remington 700 with good results. Since I've got 8 lbs of this powder left, I would like to get to tuned loads. Temperature also doesn't seem to matter much.

 

[Heavies]

Right now I am running lot 4855, I had started with the older lot numbers. The older lot seemed to burn a tad faster, and more accurate in my BR, than the newer lot. However, a slight tweek of the load brought it back to very acceptable numbers.

The newer lot shoots lights out with 155's in .308. I am in the opine that they slowed the mix a bit to sell better with the larger variety of cartridges, which is fine by me. Keeps things simple, one powder for everything. ;D

 

[VooDooMagic]

In my 6XC nothing else has even come close to it....not 4350, RL17, etc. Delivers both velocity and accuracy with the 105 grain Scenars I push through my .236" kreiger.

 

[sdeal5]

Same here, VooDoo-----6mmbrx, 105 scenar L, 2 different barrels---Bartlein & Krieger--- great #"s, low teen ES, single digit SD, and considerably better acc. than all the RL15 and Varget loads loads I"ve used, though they aren"t bad at all. Am a little concerned with the temp. sensitivity of 8208 here in TX., --haven"t had the time to check it closely, but I will.

 

[queen_stick]

Something to watch out for....

Don't assume that a hot load in cooler weather with 8208 will be safe in higher temps.... treat it like any other powder.

http://forum.accurateshooter.com/index.php/topic,3766178.msg35958319.html#msg35958319
page two of that thread, part of the way down, check out the post by "21shooter." He had pressure signs in warmer weather, and backed off the charge accordingly.

 

[spclark]

Something to watch out for.... Don't assume that a hot load in cooler weather with 8208 will be safe in higher temps.... treat it like any other powder.

Agreed. All my testing (and much of my shooting) this year has been at 45 - 55° F where my 8208XBR loads have been not only accurate but safe. At 75° the same load popped a couple of primers, though the accuracy was exceptional - that day at 1,200 yards.

Admittedly some of my brass (Norma 6XC) may be getting a little tired but I'll be backing off half a grain or more if I expect temps of 80° or higher. IMR says this stuff is consistent across a wide temp range but if on the edge at 50° another 30° may be over the line.