RL26 & 6x47L

[kombayotch]

3200 fps. with a 105 Hybrid out of a 26" x47L is pretty magical velocity wise... and that was when breaking in the barrel. H4350 load was more than 100 fps slower, and it picked up 60 fps. after there was a couple hundred rounds on the barrel. Imagine the RL-26 load would have picked up velocity as well. Didn't pursue the RL-26 load because it was already over the velocity limit of many PRS matches. Never tested it for temperature stability, but I suspect it's like RL-17.

Will give RL-16 a try when I find a pound locally. Not expecting a velocity gain over H4350, but if the temperature stability really is like AR-Comp and the SDs are low, it will be a winner.

 

[ASbobcat]

Haha, I bought 30lbs of it when it first came out, it was so magical that when exposed to air a few times my 7 saum gained 100fps from when new, I hope they got that ironed out.
After conferring with someone from Aliiant, I came to the conclusion getting a honest answer on a powder complaint would be the equivalent of getting a honest response from Hillary.

You won't get a straight answer from Alliant.
Like a good lawyer, I don't ask the question unless I already know the answer. I grabbed a jug of RL17 and called them. I asked if it and RL26 were made in Switzerland (Nitrochemie). He said NO, made in Sweden (Bofors) like all the rest of our RL powders. Right in front of me, as a listened to him, I read "Made In Switzerland" printed on the label.

 

[B_Thomas]

You won't get a straight answer from Alliant.
Like a good lawyer, I don't ask the question unless I already know the answer. I grabbed a jug of RL17 and called them. I asked if it and RL26 were made in Switzerland (Nitrochemie). He said NO, made in Sweden (Bofors) like all the rest of our RL powders. Right in front of me, as a listened to him, I read "Made In Switzerland" printed on the label.

http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2015/01/new-advanced-alliant-powders-reloder-23-and-reloder-26/

 

[Milo 2.0]

You won't get a straight answer from Alliant.
Like a good lawyer, I don't ask the question unless I already know the answer. I grabbed a jug of RL17 and called them. I asked if it and RL26 were made in Switzerland (Nitrochemie). He said NO, made in Sweden (Bofors) like all the rest of our RL powders. Right in front of me, as a listened to him, I read "Made In Switzerland" printed on the label.

There's a guy on here who got a lb of H4831 replaced from Hodgdon and awaiting the results of the findings. I hope he packed a big lunch for the wait.

 

[ASbobcat]

http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2015/01/new-advanced-alliant-powders-reloder-23-and-reloder-26/

Yes, this is an excellent report and my real world experience confirms that RL17 is indeed "magical".

 

[dlwheel]

3200 fps. with a 105 Hybrid out of a 26" x47L is pretty magical velocity wise... and that was when breaking in the barrel. H4350 load was more than 100 fps slower, and it picked up 60 fps. after there was a couple hundred rounds on the barrel. Imagine the RL-26 load would have picked up velocity as well. Didn't pursue the RL-26 load because it was already over the velocity limit of many PRS matches. Never tested it for temperature stability, but I suspect it's like RL-17.

Will give RL-16 a try when I find a pound locally. Not expecting a velocity gain over H4350, but if the temperature stability really is like AR-Comp and the SDs are low, it will be a winner.

Breaking in my barrel this afternoon with JLK105's and H4350 with .020 jump. Got about 75 down it. Shooting a ladder test at 600. Low node was easy to see at 39.5-40.1g at 3040 to 3070fps. Looks like there is a higher node above 40.1, but I'm not sure I want to chase it.

Given what you discovered with RL26, I may work with it to find a node closer to 3140, which is where I thought I'd be. Also shot 5 shoot groups at 600 with 39.6 of H4350. Easily shoots sub-moa.

 

[dlwheel]

we got out today to see if an OCW test at 100yd of H4350 and RL26 would confirm the results of our ladder test at 600yd. We shot 3 shot groups incremented .2g of H4350 from 39.6 to 41.4. The ladder test had shown us nodes at 39.6g and 41g.

The RL26 ladder had clearly shown a node at 43.5-44.5g.

1. H4350 probably had a node just below where we started the test at 39.6 (3025fps).
2. H4350 shot single digit SD's through the whole range!
3. At the very high end 41, 41.2, 41.4 (3171fps) (that's where we stopped) SD's shrunk hugely. 3.0, 2.2, & 1.7 (ES's were 6, 4, & 3)! However, we started to see signs of pressure.

Then to RL26.

1. We had SD's in the teens until we got to 43.8g. Then it was single digits till we stopped. From 43.8 to 44.4 SD's were 6.1, 5.0, 5.1, 5.7, 6.0.
2. I feel sure we could had continued to 45.0 but that's 3200+.
3. The POI from 42.9 to 44.4 hardly moved! I'll post the first target of three loads and the last target of 3 loads.

More than anything I was pleased that the OCW confirmed the ladder results.

Here is the first three of the RL26 groups and the last three groups.

 

[Frankr]

wow that is moving out of that little 6 bore.. how you getting all that powder in there?

 

[dlwheel]

wow that is moving out of that little 6 bore.. how you getting all that powder in there?

45g is absolute max. It has to be vibrated a bit to fully load. Evidently RL26 is really dense compared to H4350. No way can you get that much H4350 in there. But then we get pressure signs at 41.0.

 

[Frankr]

You using the Baker Shaker? I use a 4" drop tube funnel and a slow fill technique to get that much in a 6XC case.
45.5 grs will be right at the base of the bullet so I am not compressing it but the bullet is touching the powder column.
Interesting you can get that much in the 47L though...Thanks for the info.

 

[kombayotch]

we got out today to see if an OCW test at 100yd of H4350 and RL26 would confirm the results of our ladder test at 600yd. We shot 3 shot groups incremented .2g of H4350 from 39.6 to 41.4. The ladder test had shown us nodes at 39.6g and 41g.

The RL26 ladder had clearly shown a node at 43.5-44.5g.

1. H4350 probably had a node just below where we started the test at 39.6 (3025fps).
2. H4350 shot single digit SD's through the whole range!
3. At the very high end 41, 41.2, 41.4 (3171fps) (that's where we stopped) SD's shrunk hugely. 3.0, 2.2, & 1.7 (ES's were 6, 4, & 3)! However, we started to see signs of pressure.

Then to RL26.

1. We had SD's in the teens until we got to 43.8g. Then it was single digits till we stopped. From 43.8 to 44.4 SD's were 6.1, 5.0, 5.1, 5.7, 6.0.
2. I feel sure we could had continued to 45.0 but that's 3200+.
3. The POI from 42.9 to 44.4 hardly moved! I'll post the first target of three loads and the last target of 3 loads.

More than anything I was pleased that the OCW confirmed the ladder results.

Here is the first three of the RL26 groups and the last three groups.View attachment 1005903View attachment 1005904

Looks like you got similar results to what I got with the 105 Hybrid.

I used a pretty long drop tube to get 45 gr. into the case...