Running out of a discontinued Powder

[Todd Earhart]

I also use the Sierra 85 gr HPBT Gameking # 1530 with 46.5 gr of H-4831sc
That Sierra 85 gr is stupid accurate and on deer it ALWAYS delivers a DRT.

The only more accurate (not by much & only consistency wise) bullet I shoot in one of my 243win's is the 80 gr Berger Varming with 47 gr of H-4831sc.

The 80 gr. Berger is very good.
Todd

 

[Zero333]

The 80 gr. Berger is very good.
Todd

I don't recommend any barrel with a faster twist than 10". A 11" or 12" barrel is the proper choice for the 6mm 80 gr Berger.

I shot this 80 Berger in a 8" twist in the summer. Once the barrel got very hot, the 100 meter groups opened up, and 15 % to 20 % of them never reached the 200 meter target.

In the freezing cold winter even if I pull a shot, these 80 gr Berger's still go into the same hole !

 

[Todd Earhart]

I wanted a scoped rifle that weighed 8 pounds or less. I decided to assemble a savage 10 in .243. I started gathering parts and finally found a decent factory barrel. It shoots way above what it should. It has become my favorite deer rifle. Its so convenient and easy to load for.
Todd

 

[Dave M.]

I have been using Accurate 3100 powder in my Remington 700 Varmint Special in .243 since I bought it in the 1980's. I have about 25 loads left in the last 8 lbs. I bought at least 10-12 years ago. It has been shooting fantastic groups using the 75 grn Vmax's and the 87 grn. Vmax's. Rifle was rebuilt about 25 years ago and not shot much. I had it tuned up a couple of months ago and it has been shooting some of the best groups I have ever shot. So my dilemma is they don't make the Accurate 3100 powder anymore and I need a replacement. With the cost of powders these days I don't want to go down the rabbit hole and spend lots of $$$$ on powder that just wont work. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Additional info is : Remington 700 in .243. Rock Creek Barrel with a 8.5 Twist. Barrel is 26 inches. Heavy Barrel. Shoots the 75 grn Hornady Vmax . Thanks for any replies.

Question: you waited 30+ years to develop a backup load for a rifle that you own that shoots great? Every competition rifle I own has at least two alternate powder loads developed for it that are suitable for competition.

 

[Alguapo]

Question: you waited 30+ years to develop a backup load for a rifle that you own that shoots great? Every competition rifle I own has at least two alternate powder loads developed for it that are suitable for competition.

Long story but yes. I waited about 25 years, I started shooting the .223s and 20 Cals. 204 and 20 Practical. The .243 was built by a local smith and I just couldn't get it to perform so into the safe it went. Recently I got it back out and just couldn't make it work. Another smith looked at it and fixed it and now it performs, The smaller cals would take a lot more rounds to heat up..... So yes I waited 25 years.

 

[Alguapo]

I would like to thank everyone for the replies, I did look at the burn charts, I think the key on this is the 8.5 twist rate. I'll take some time to review and pick a powder. I'll post up a report when I get it figured out. It may be awhile. Again thanks to all.

 

[358WCF]

Accurate 4350 is also a ball powder and will work just as good as AA-3100.

I dont know when or where you got yours, but the current Accurate 4350 is most certainly NOT a ball powder.

 

[243winxb]

http://www.adiworldclass.com.au/powder-equivalents/

IMR 4350 or something in that burn rate. IMR 4831 is my powder for 90 gr Berger hpbt match.10 twist, 243 Win.

https://www.ilrc.ucf.edu/powders/sample_detail.php?powder_id=27

 

[Zero333]

I dont know when or where you got yours, but the current Accurate 4350 is most certainly NOT a ball powder.

Thanks for the correction. I was thinking 2460 but 4350 came into my mind for no reason.

 

[243winxb]

I'd call Accurate and ask them

FROM- "Hodgdon Powder Company is pleased to announce the acquisition of the Ramshot and Accurate smokeless powder brands and the Blackhorn 209 muzzleloader brand from Western Powders. This acquisition is effective October 1, 2020, with the company set to immediately begin shipping these new products to wholesale and retail customers."

Note that some accurate powders may be made by a different manufacture now. Hodgdon is only the distributor? Hard to tell when the SDS is different in 2022. Google the SDS- (Safety Data Sheet) for each powder.

 

[243winxb]

Accurate 4350 is also a ball powder

Not today, but if like No 5 powder, its possible to have had many different manufactures over the years. See photos of powder.
https://www.ilrc.ucf.edu/powders/sample_detail.php?powder_id=27

434 - Accurate - MR-3100
25 - Accurate - 3100
0691 Accurate-3100 & more.

Is "MR" the same? I would guess NO.

 

[Ned Ludd]

I would like to thank everyone for the replies, I did look at the burn charts, I think the key on this is the 8.5 twist rate. I'll take some time to review and pick a powder. I'll post up a report when I get it figured out. It may be awhile. Again thanks to all.

Use all the information you can obtain from burn rate charts and others' anecdotal experiences, certainly. However, it also wouldn't hurt to buy a small quantity (i.e. one pound) of perhaps two or three of the leading candidates, then test them all, pick the best one, and buy a larger quantity of that specific powder. I once purchased a new powder in some quantity that I was certain would work perfectly in a certain application from the available information, only to find it was terrible. I won't ever make that mistake again. Testing and comparing two or three contenders that all look good on paper may be a little painful, but only a little, and it's likely to produce better results in the long run.

 

[NorCalMikie]

I shot up maybe 8 or 10 8 pound jugs of AA 2230C @ $50 or $60 a jug till they quit making it anymore.
Moved over to AA 2230 and never looked back. You powder burn rate chart is your friend.

 

[JSH]

I went down the same path with AA3100 for my 25-06. I tried all of “the” powders with so so results. I got some 3100 and got speed and accuracy, over and above any other powder bullet combo. I found out is was discontinued before it was announced. I searched around and finally found a pound. This is a hunting load and it did me for a life time of loads.

At this point in the game with the majority of our eggs in one basket so to speak, I would suggest a VV powder myself.

Dunno about others, but I am tired of the “new best”. find out it works for me, then discontinued a short time later. Hell, even some of the old stand bys are all but a myth, H322 off the top of my head.

 

[WyleWD]

75g-Win 760 or AA2700

87g-IMR 4831 or R#19

H4350 will do both bullet weights in spades, but AA2700 is the coolest burning powder in the range that will work with both powders.

AA2700 is available now, so is Big Game and Hunter

+1^^^^^ Totally agree.WD

 

[rockhound78]

I believe the precursor to mr3100 was Accurate MRP and IIRC was surplus 4831.

 

[CJ6]

I don't recommend any barrel with a faster twist than 10". A 11" or 12" barrel is the proper choice for the 6mm 80 gr Berger.

I shot this 80 Berger in a 8" twist in the summer. Once the barrel got very hot, the 100 meter groups opened up, and 15 % to 20 % of them never reached the 200 meter target.

In the freezing cold winter even if I pull a shot, these 80 gr Berger's still go into the same hole !

I've been shooting 75 V-Maxs and Sierra 85s most of the summer with 160 in an 8 twist with no issues.

 

[Bigeyeshunter]

You have a pm

 

[Zero333]

I've been shooting 75 V-Maxs and Sierra 85s most of the summer with 160 in an 8 twist with no issues.

Yes, those have thicker jackets. It's just the Berger 6 mm Varmint pills have thinner jackets and run into this issues.
When I say "Very Hot Barrel", I mean... you can't even touch it ! And it's a barrel that's 1" at the muzzle.

Even tho I live in "Canaduh" I'm in the center of the Great Lakes Basin (between Lage Erie, Lake Huron,
and Lake Ontario right between Detoilet and Towrontonto) where it gets hot and stupid humid.
About half the summer days with humidity it reaches 100 to 113 f ( 38 c to 44 c ).

Heat doesn't stop me from shooting nor does the extreme cold we get here. I shoot outside when it's -5 f ( -20 c )... I've shot in colder condition, but if there is a strong wind when the temp is at - 15 f ( - 26 c ) with 40 mph + wind, I skip shooting on those days.


Here is a pic of one of those freezing windy days at the range...

[ it's not snowing.. that's just the wind blowing the snow all over the place. Only reason we made it to the
range that day is cause we put tons of work on Buddies Jeep Wranger (Walter on the left of the first picture, RIP Brother !. his Jeep could go anywhere in any weather. We built his Wrangler with the best components money can buy.]

On this day 90 % of the roads were closed and monitored by the OPP ( Ontario Provincial Police )

 

[Alguapo]

I wrote down each powder that was recommended and each time it was recommended I put a check mark next to it. The results of my unscientific survey is: H 4831 (SC or Reg) is 8 recommends. W 760 is 5 recommends. VV N160 is 4 recommends. So I'll keep the list and work my way down until I find one that works well. Starting with the H4831SC. It may be quite awhile before I post results but I will get to it eventually. Again , thanks to all. When I first started I was thinking Ramshot Big Game or Ramshot Hunter. Hunter had 3 Recommends and Big Game got 2.