N133 in .222 and temp

[22BRGUY]

Hi guys...Wondering if any of you have used N133 in a .222. I have or should say had a really sweet load going of 22.9gr N133, 50gr Berger, Norma brass, Fed GM 205M primers.....until the outside temp got up into the upper 80's. I know I have to reduce the load and just wondering if any of you have had any experiences with this; how much to reduce and or a better powder, less temp sensitive...heard about H4895 Extreme...any comments welcome and Thanks

 

[BoydAllen]

Take your reloading stuff to the range, and do some testing, that is the only way to get a accurate answer to your question. The reason that short range benchrest shooters load at the range is precisely because they need to make adjustments as ambient conditions change, and 133 has been the powder of choice for that game for a long time, although there have been others that have done quite well.

 

[MrMajestic]

Are you experiencing pressure problems or tune problems?

 

[22BRGUY]

Thanks Boyd....good idea. Also Majestic, I had really nice groups at 200 yards with that load until it got hotter....then a little harder bolt lift and the groups fell apart quite a bit.

 

[CatShooter]

Give H-322 and BenchMark a try - they are both "Extreme" powders and very stable. Also, very fine grained and flow like water through a measure.

 

[Greyfox]

Fortunately a .222 is very easy to load for. I've won quite a few matches with I-4895 although it was a compressed load and I began to get concerns about rounds loaded for a long time pushing bullets out. I changed to 21.0gr of RL 7 and had a little better shooting without a compressed load. I've shot this load from 40º to 90º. I do have a tuner on this rifle and adjust it slightly from time to time, but I've never had pressure issues.

Rick

 

[MrMajestic]

I had really nice groups at 200 yards with that load until it got hotter....then a little harder bolt lift and the groups fell apart quite a bit.

The reason I ask is that I run a bit more with 52's and haven't experienced any issues. I know, they are all different....

 

[22BRGUY]

Thanks MrM....The pressures weren't that bad as I watch closely...this is an Anschutz....but the primers were just starting to flatten a little more than before and I've had others say N133 can be temp sensitive for sure. I'm going to try Boyds idea I think...prep my brass, and take it all to the range. I seat with an arbor press/Wilson seater anyway so shouldn't be that big a deal.

 

[MildBill]

maybe give benchmark or imr8208xbr a try

 

[LHSmith]

I shoot a .222 HV for IBS score on occasion and my best powder is N133.
I shot N-133 for years in 6 PPC's for matches, and it's not so much the temperature....it's humidity dependent.....when the humidity drops below 30 % RH , this powder (in the words of a notable Texan BR shooter) "acts goofy"....which is why a cheap Radio Shack temp/humidity readout instrument is a prerequisite for keeping "the tune." Powders are heavier in the AM, then swells, and gets lighter.....but N133 has a learning curve that is 2nd to none.....more than any other powder that I have ever tried. Those that master it seem to do quite well.

 

[22BRGUY]

Thanks all so much for ideas...Best Wishes

 

[MildBill]

hope you can get a fix quickly