RL 17

[dawe11]

RL17.
Am starting to reload my 20BR using RL 17 and would like to know it it is temperature sensitive? Like from 40 degrees to 90 degrees?
JDale

 

[FroggyOne2]

Yes, very much so.

 

[Dave T]

Just curious Froggy, how do you know it's temperature sensitive? Have you tested it? Is there any data I can find to support this?
Dave T

 

[FroggyOne2]

I have used it exclusively in the .284.. and yes, I did have to reduce the load.. from 70 degrees 51.6 grs of powder to 49.0 grs in 90 plus degrees, and 49 grains was givening me plenty of speed. This was with the SIE 175 SMK

 

[savageboy]

More so than one of the Hodgen Extreme lines for sure

 

[Dave T]

I love this powder, I shot Re17 this past summer in my 6MM Remington with 65 grain V-Max bullets with excellent results, speed and acuracy. I shot ground hogs in very hot humid days and I worked up loads in the much cooler less humid spring weather which is similar to your temperature swings Froggy with no problems or pressure signs, of course differenct calibers. I know this isn't an extreme range of condition changes but sorry I need more data.
Dave T

 

[WyleWD]

I shot ground hogs in very hot humid days and I worked up loads in the much cooler less humid spring weather which is similar to your temperature swings Froggy with no problems or pressure signs, of course differenct calibers. Dave T

I'm with ya Dave, I too have used quite a bit of the R-17 while 'chuckin and in a bench rifle and never had an issue. One day of competition shooting was over 95* and the rifle shot on the same settings as it did during mid spring matches and very similar scores.

Seems to me that someone won a major match using this powder in some pretty warm conditions too. So agree with the more data statement. WD

 

[watercam]

I, too, have had great luck with Re17 in all temps. I have not seen the swings reported above. I have shot from the high 30s to 90+ degrees in competition. At 1000 yds. the difference might be 1 moa on the sights but that I can attribute to air density changes.
I agree that a formal test would be a good idea. I have so little time to shoot I hate to waste range time with it though since I am not having issues.

 

[Larryh128]

Froggy, just curious as to whether the variations were from the same lot of powder? I have seen variation from lot to lot but not so much out of the same lot. Definitely varies more than extreme according to the chrono & especially if you're rocking the edge to start.

 

[expiper]

I have used Rx-17 in 243-280-30/06-7 mag-300 mag and got good velocity and accuracy and not trubl with temp swings.....(I have used a bunch of the new Extreme stuff too).....to the best of my knowledge all powders change with temp swings...if you are on the edge at 40* guess what your gonn go past the edge at 90 no matter what ur usin....many of the powder claims are just that "claims"....and most powder charges that work from zero to 100* are way below max...Roger

 

[kyreloader]

Expiper:

This powder test seems to argue with your conclusions.

http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2812538#Post2812538

 

[expiper]

it seems to agree with what I said....all powders change with temp.....some more than others....the one powder went up 10 fps and the other 30 fps....and it was Varget that changed the most!!.....Roger
PS ...i have used/shot the Alliant/Reloader series of powders since the 50's....lots of Rx-7/11/21 in the old days and now the modern stuff...its just like everthing in life your gotta tinker with it to see how good it is....and this new stuff is the bees knees.....I blend lots of the new rates and get just what it takes for density loads and like it better than the VV/N 500 series which I have used since it got stateside in 530-540-550-560....PSS,,, try mag primers...I dont rely on what the internet tells me...I do my own tests and shooting ....I must admit I dont have it all charted and graphed neatly...but know what works for me....and try to share it with others.....

 

[TonyR]

Tests without results on the target make it hard for me to draw conclusions I would find meaningful. I am interested in temperature sensitivity that takes me out of my barrel tune. Changes measured with a chronograph may or may not show changes on the target.

 

[Jay Christopherson]

In the testing I have done with RL-17, I have found it to be more stable than RL-15, but still somewhat sensitive to temps. For my load (.260AI) and setup, I have found that the best accuracy is when I am running things slightly on the hotter side. If my velocities dip down much, the vertical dispersion opens way up and I don't like to run it *too* hot, to where I start to have brass issues after a few reloads. So when I load, I do do some planning for temps and adjust my load accordingly, based on my notes, to stay in my little zone or at least, above the "dropoff" point.

 

[cummins cowboy]

It could be just me but it seems like RL 17 is an edgy powder, it seems more prone to spike in speeds especially when using my chrono on loads. I found it to be very accurate when loaded hot, but my brass is done in 3 reloads in my 243 ai and my groups at 550 yards had over 5" of verticle they were .75 at 200 yards. h4831 doesn't print as nice a group at 200 yards but my verticle was under 3.5" at that distance. so I am running h4831 sc instead.