accurate LT 32 powder

[lpreddick]

just got 3 # and planning to use in a 14 tw 6mm br with some of berger's benchrest style bullets...62 euwin, 64 column, and 65 webs. anybody tried these combos? is LT 32 a little faster than n133? read somewhere LT 32 will work in a .223 with light bullets. any tried in a .22 BR. a "been there, done that" is always more helpful than a chart, even quickload. thanks.

 

[GSPV]

You might check on benchrest central for what people have done in the 6 PPC. Those loads would be valuable even in the larger case.

It might be interesting to, in a full benchrest 6 BR, use 6 PPC-ish bullets, but use a 15 twist and jump up to the next window.

FWIW,

Errata: I originally said "smaller case", but meant "larger case". We all know the BR case is larger than the PPC. The PPC loads are still great data.

 

[Tim Singleton]

I have been using it in 6ppc its actually a little faster than N133
Load data from Accurate site with 6br info

http://www.accuratepowder.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/LT-32-Data.pdf

Quote from

Gene Beggs
The new LT-32 has performed well for me in both the 6PPC and my proprietary cartridges, the 220 and 6mm Beggs. Nearly all of my shooting is done in the tunnel and velocity is checked with an Oehler 35 chronograph.

Burn rate is faster than N133 but slightly slower than H4198 Extreme. It's never a problem getting the charge in the case to obtain 3400 fps in the 6's and 3500 in the 220 Beggs. One thing that stands out about LT-32 is how well it meters through my Jones measure. Extreme spreads are noticeably reduced. With thrown charges of H4198 I usually see 35 to 40 fps extreme spreads which shoot very well by the way, but with LT-32 my extreme spreads are typically 20 to 24 fps. I can see no difference in accuracy with either powder but in my opinion accuracy depends more on the barrel, bullets and shooter. LT-32 is good stuff! Better than anything else? Probably not but time will tell. It's nice to have another good option. You did good Lou!

Gene Beggs

 

[Ackman]

In the 80's there was (Thunderbird) T-32 powder, a fast lot of H322. The benchresters loved it in a PPC. I shot that powder in 2 different 223's with 50gr bullets, the load in both guns was 24.5gr and a 50blitz = 3450. Some groups were holes-touching accurate. This new LT32 is supposed to be the same stuff. The load/velocity in that AA data posted is almost identical to mine with T-32. It was good powder then and probably is now. In the early 90's I started using AA2015 in the 223 and found it to be a lot better.....same or better accuracy and 150-175fps higher velocity. So the the 32 stuff is good, but other powders are at least as good or better for a 223.

But you're talking about a 6BR. Mine is also 14twist. The best stuff for me - no contest - has been AA2230, nothing else comes close. Accurate loads with a 55 at from 3850 to 3970.....best working load is at 3919. Heaviest bullets I've shot in that gun are 65's.....accuracy is from 3636 to 3710 depending on bullet. With Keith Candler's beautiful custom 65HP the load is either 3675 or 3696. With a 65VMax it's anywhere from 3610 to 3710. Keith tried 2230 in his 6BR's with bullets to up to 75gr. and swears by it....terrific accuracy and speed.

Haven't tried any VV powder in the 6BR. In that cartridge AA2230 has been so good I wouldn't even mess with LT32 or anything else.

 

[AckleymanII]

Of course you know that the LT 32 is a copy of the old prized T32 that won so many matches in the 80's. I shot the T32 in the 6 BR with my own 55g-65g bullets, then I met Gene Harwood that had been the NBRSA director for some years. He sat a World Record with his 60g Bullets with H335 in Heavy Varmint class with a speed of 3700 fps. I though he was blowing smoke up my rear end joking, another friend assured me that he was telling the truth. So, in a 20 1/2", 1-14 twist, I worked up an unreal accurate load at 3550, shooting groups good enough to place in benchrest matches.


I shot H335 for years in the 6 br and 6 Dasher with 60's, clean burning and super accurate...dog towns. Later on, I discovered AA2230 and same accuracy with more speed, a tad bit faster burning.

Currently, in a Lilja 1-12 twist, 28", 6 BR with zero freebore with 1 1/2* leade angle, I am shooting the Nosler 55's at 3900+ with simply amazing accuracy. When/if you buy 2230 buy all the same lot# and reverify different lot# as you should with all powders for the very best accuracy.

The T32 of years ago would leave a powder ring in the barrel after 250 shots fired on p. dog towns, that has never been true of H335 or AA2230 until you hit the 600 round mark without cleanging, a little JB on a brush removed the powder ring. Dog towns at that point were rarely shot, and towns that were 1-1/2 to 3 miles wide and 11-13 miles long were not uncommon at all...thus the target rich environment.

JFYI, I found R#15 with the 50-55g bullets in a 1-14 twist to be the mack daddy for the 22 br...very intense cartridge for a red hot shooting environment.

In your 6 BR if you start out with a new barrel with zero freebore, you should expect at least 8000 rounds of extremely accurate barrel life with the 60g Bullets, and do not over look the Sierra 60g HP for super accuracy also.

Good luck

 

[lpreddick]

as suggested, i went to benchrest central and, indeed, there is a lot of info re LT32 and the 6 PPC. i expect with a little tweeking my 6 BR will shoot. got the last # from wideners yesterday.

 

[WayneShaw]

In a full 6BR and light bullets, try XBR8208. It's a little slower than N133 and I'm sure slower than LT32.

Word of caution about 2230, it's kinda dirty. If you don't clean well, and I mean with JB or IOSSO, accuracy will fall off. Several times at matches I have found my gun all of a sudden start to open up groups, after 3 or 4 relays. I cleaning with IOSSO and accuracy comes right back. And I clean with solvent and bronze brushes, so that doesn't quite do it for 2230. My hard head just wouldn't let that sink in till I got burned a few times. It does group well though, shame it takes extra cleaning.

 

[GSPV]

In my 10 twist 6BR, I shoot the Berger 87 grain VLD hunting with 8208 XBR. I started with 30.5 grains. It's pretty mild. Smokin' velocity, burns clean.

 

[LCazador]

I've been using LT-32 for my 6PPC , my Fireballs , and my 20 VarTarg . I love the way it meters thru my Harrels , and like mentioned before it has reduced my extreme spreads in my 6PPC . I drop all my charges for all the above calibers .While I don't get the velocity in the Fireballs and VarTarg that I normally get with 2200 , LT-32 shoots tiny groups . Brunos and Powder Valley has a few 8lb containers in stock BTW .

 

[WayneShaw]

In my 10 twist 6BR, I shoot the Berger 87 grain VLD hunting with 8208 XBR. I started with 30.5 grains. It's pretty mild. Smokin' velocity, burns clean.

Thanks for this, I have a 10 twist coming and lots of Berger 88FB to shoot. Was thinking Varget, but sure will try the 8208!

 

[GSPV]

The Varget is good too. I like the way the XBR meters in my ChargeMaster. You can also find it cheap, sometimes, from PPC users that are disappointed in it.

Be aware that the XBR comes in two flavors: The first lot and subsequent lots. The first lot is faster than the subsequent. The subsequent lots are a tad faster than 4895.

Whenever I'm talking about XBR, I'm talking about the subsequent lots.

 

[JDMock]

Ackman, T-32 is NOT a fast lot of H322. It was a fast lot of IMR 8208. This is from Walt Berger, the man who gave it the name. At first he called it T-322, but Hodgdon objected to that name since they had H-322. Walt dropped the second "2" and T-32 was born.Thunderbird Cartridge Company bought three huge lots of IMR 8208 from military surplus powder. In the 60's (prior to Dean Rusk), 8208 was used by the military to load 5.56 M-16 ammo. Walt and Don Geraci tested the three lots and found the best of the three for Benchrest cartridges and named it T-32. The other two lots were sold as Thunderbird 8208. Good shooting....James

 

[Ackman]

JD...you're right. I googled T32 and read the exact same thing. Back in the 80's we'd been told it was fast 322, that was the word around and that's what we all thought. Good to know but makes no difference to me......I don't shoot a PPC. Don't know how it is in the BR but other stuff is about magic in my rifle and I've no need to mess with anything else. And the other guns are working good enough to where I'm real satisfied.