Ramshot XTerminator and 30BR

[Linefinder]

I've been shooting RL7 under 110 grains Bergers for a couple years with good results.
Due to a misorder, I wound up with a couple hundred Berger 125's, and according to QL, it looks like XTerm might actually be a better powder for this weight than the RL7.

Has anyone tried XTerm in the 30BR with decent results?

Mike

 

[jo191145]

Yes and No.....

I tried it. Its my favorite powder for the PPC and light 6BR. Had to give it a whirl.
I tried it with 135gn SMK's.
Its just too slow a burn rate.

You can try it if you like. Low charges will leave unburnt powder in the bore.
To get decent pressure means highly compressed loads.
X-Term does not compress easily.

 

[skeetlee]

Jo
tell us more about your 6ppc and xterminator. I want to know all about it. I have played with it in the 6ppc but just started to scratch the surface. What little i have tried looked pretty darn good! Fill me in sir! Lee

 

[jo191145]

Lee

My use of X-Term in the 6PPC came about out of necessity more than anything else.
The only shooting comp in my area was an egg shoot. That old unknown (high) rd count PPC could be asked to shoot 100 preloaded rds in a day without cleaning.
Not the PPC's forte.
Obviously I started with N-133. Investigated all the nodes and found the top uberhigh node required less day to day tweaking to keep it in tune.
Also found that after 40rds without a patch accuracy disappeared entirely ;D
Copper streaks near the muzzle and loss of accuracy means a touch more carbon is required.
Tried H-322 next. Very accurate but constant day to day tweaking with tiny nodes.
Not good for a preloader.

At this point a bag of HBN showed up in the mail. Coated some pills and decided to try a 1lb jug of X-Term I had kicking around. For me and my uses the two are a perfect match. I've shot that PPC and 6BR for two seasons now without a rod in the barrel. They just don't quit. They get cleaned every winter. X-Term is not building up in the throat. Possible the HBN helps stop that.
Never jumped back to N-133 and HBN. Possible it might work but being lazy I like the idea of not trickling powder from the roof top. X-Term runs at 3450 with 68gn pills and the BR runs at 3550. No need to dance chanting and naked around the reloading table at midnight with a bottle of rum and dead chicken in an attempt to squeeze a little more powder in the case. ;D

If the temp drops much below freezing X-Term just stops shooting. Thats my finding anyway. Beyond that I preload my chosen load and plug away all season.
You ever shoot it in subfreezing temps? I'd be interested in your findings.

 

[skeetlee]

I havent shot any x-terminator in sub freezing weather but i will. Maybe this weekend ill give that a try. We tried it a bit at the end of last year in a barrel i had that had several hundred rounds on it. It actually looked pretty good. My shooting Pard also was shooting it and he was getting some pretty good accuracy but he felt it was to sow velocity wise. We never did shoot it over a chrony. I saw enough to know that this powder had some real potential so like i say, as soon as i can i will be shooting it some more. I have been getting ready for our first short range ppc match this coming weekend down in st Louis and i have been shooting my little 22ppc .100 short. I cant help but wonder how x-terminator would work in the little 22ppc .100 short? Only one way to tell!! Thanks Lee

 

[jo191145]

Geez test it some more but just not in St Louis at a match ;D ;D
Don't be too discouraged if you shoot it subfreezing and it bites. Seems to be a warm weather powder. After I shot it one season I did a complete load rework in 20-25 degree weather and found nothing. Next spring at 40 degrees it came right back exactly where I had it in the fall :-\

Your right, theres only one way to tell if it will work. Pour it in and shoot it
I'm building a 20 Beggs this winter and theres a good chance it will be the first powder I try.
Good Luck in St Louis

 

[skeetlee]

I didnt mean that i would test it during the match. i was planning on going down friday, early so i could shoot all day, the day before the match. now they are calling for snow so i might be stuck in a snow plow making money instead of spending it! Lee

 

[skeetlee]

well work kept me from going down on Friday so i didnt get to do any testing. I will though and i will report back here. I have high hopes for this stuff. I would do just about anything to get away from N133. Lee