RL 17 vs H4350 in the 6XC

[GermanS1]

Bob, that's about right. The 108's BC is a bit lower than the 105, but not enough to matter much. They shoot very well, I've had a couple of 600 scores with them at 500 yards and they always give a good X count (36 to 45 or so for 60 shots).

 

[spclark]

Yep, Berger's 108 was designed to be easier to develop loads for where the VLD 105 might be finicky. In that way they're Berger's answer to Sierra's 107SMK.

I never got around to trying 'em in 6XC - at least not yet - but I shot some in my 6HAGAR space gun. Wasn't as pleased with my 600 scores as with those from the 105VLD but admittedly I didn't spend much time trying to get them to shoot because the 105's work so darned well so maybe there's more potential there....

I have a 6RAT upper now & may try them in that, just for curiosity's sake. Maybe in my 6XC long range gun too since I've abandoned the DTAC115 in favor of the 105VLD.

 

[Mudcat]

The 108s are very good, actually. I use them for the 300 and 600 yard stages XTC and for midrange matches where I just shoot my XTC rifle. Scores? Very good with them....last time out, 500 yard weekend at Butner, out of my boogered up 26 inch Wilson bbl'd T2k, I shot a 997-66 for the weekend. To put that in perspective, I think Kent had a 999-76....I was happy. Best string was a 200-16, worst 199-11. The 3 pts I lost were all me, unfortunately. And as German stated, at 600, they work dang well....if I do my part, cleans with X counts in the teens.

And if the NRA ever updates the national records, I should now have the civie 800agg on the 300 yard course and the open on the 500agg on the 300 yard course, both of which using Berger 80s for the 200 yard events, and the 108s for the 300 yarders. The final stages were pretty good, 200-13 and 200-16, if I remember correctly. Good bullets? Uh, yeah! And why I dont mess with the 115s, in any flavor. And why I just dont mess with any other powder, etc.

John

 

[hoverp]

I see the 108 HPBT(not VLD) but not the 80 FB in the Berger website under target bullets...are you using 80 Varmit Bergers?

 

[Mudcat]

Yes, the 80FB Varmit....trust me, its a "target" bullet! ;D

 

[hoverp]

copy that!

 

[basshusker]

I have tested RL17, H4350, and the first lot of XBR in my wife's 6XC. RL17 is too finicky for my liking. Seems like with the RL powders you have to be pushing that top node always to get much luck for me. I also found it to be temp sensative. The 8208XBR was very close because of the lowest ESs I got but pressure was up there and the primer pockets start going too soon for my liking. In my 26" barrel 3035ish has been the sweet spot for low spreads with H4350 and pretty close to that in the XBR also. I got all the way up just below 3200 with the RL17 but one day it would shoot lights out, next day 20 degrees difference it was junk. That small a window at the top of the pressure limits for me to do anything with it. Next node down was twice as big as mr consistency H4350. I vowed to quit using RL powders, especially now I am in South Dakota. I am far from as experienced as Mudcat and RCW3, but I could have saved a lot of money if I had just listened to them in the first place.
Expensive lesson. As always work up, triple important especially if you are running a longer barrel with generally higher pressures, but in my short 26" savage 6br barrel that was reamed out, 40.4 RL17 at 80 degrees(couldn't shoot it warmer), 36.0-36.8 XB depending on 115 VLD or 105 VLD, and 39.5 for both with the H4350. Sticking with the Hodgdon Extreme powders to minimize temp deviations has probably been my single largest lesson in powder. I don't know how guys do it with VV or RL, etc. unless they are shooting real similar conditions all the time.
BTW, I am generally shooting UKD type tactical stuff, with a focus of 500 out and have settled on the 105VLDs for everything.
Justin
jjkuchar@gmail.com

 

[basshusker]

Oh, my velocities listed were all for the 105 Berger VLDs. I can't get the 115s to break mid 28s in my barrel if I remember correctly. Enough of a dif that the 105s got the edge for me.
Justin

 

[basshusker]

Also CCI BR or Wolf primers with the wolf getting slight edge and fireformed win brass.
I was up late working on a college paper and brain is dead from lack of sleep. No worries. I won't be loading ammo or on the firing range today. It is -4 our and a balmy 24 in my garage. Nappy time ;D

 

[normmatzen]

I have been using RL-17 in my 243 WIN bench rest gun. I am nowhere near expert, but I found this powder to be very consistent when not loaded for really high pressures. I use 107 SMK and load for 2900 fps. I did find that though most folks think it is very temp. insensitive, once I got below 47-48 deg F, the velocity drops off a bit. I have been trying this powder as I have other caliber guns from deer rifles in 30-06 to 7X57 mm and Swiss K31 that all like RL-17.
We will see in the months to come. I switched from H1000. If the RL17 doesn't prove better, I may go back to H4350 again.

 

[hoverp]

Well some time has passed from this post, but it is still relevant, and would like to see what guys have settled in on since the original post.

H4350? XBR, or 4831sc?


Im shooting the 115 DTAC with H4350 and keeping the speeds down to about 2860. brass life seems to be good with the Norma 6XC and fairly consistant performance overall, out of my schneider 26 inch T2K gun. this is my first year out shooting it and only have a few matches under my belt, but ay LR 800,900,1000 it seems to do well, and Im using the same load for XTC and LR, keeps it simple for me..

for the 6XC shooters out there how are your results working out?


Info is good, thanks

 

[GermanS1]

I use H4831sc as my top choice after a lot of back and forth between it and H4350 - they were very close. I haven't used RL17 since the initial tests a couple of years ago, it just shoots too fast and I worry about bullet integrity. My MV is 2950 to 2980 with 105gr. to 108gr. bullets.

 

[shooter65]

My load is 38.5 gr. of 4350 and a Berger 105 Hybrid.
22 moa to 1k.

 

[hoverp]

I use H4831sc as my top choice after a lot of back and forth between it and H4350 - they were very close. I haven't used RL17 since the initial tests a couple of years ago, it just shoots too fast and I worry about bullet integrity. My MV is 2950 to 2980 with 105gr. to 108gr. bullets.

Do you think 4831sc is too fast for the 115 DTAC?

 

[GermanS1]

Not at all, it's what I used with the 115 Berger when I shot it for a couple of seasons.