Powder Temp. Sensitivity ?

K-Hill

FNG
Joined
Dec 23, 2019
Messages
84
Newbe question . It's my understanding that say with RL17 that if you want to find a load that works, you need to do that at
similar temps that you will be using at . Say a load for deer hunting when the temps are below 40 degrees .
Is that correct ? Thanks
 
Joined
Apr 1, 2016
Messages
733
Location
Eastern Washington
Depends on the powder and your expectations of accuracy from your hand loads. From safety standpoint, know that if you make up some max loads during the winter and take them out during the summer to practice, that you can be generating significantly more pressure than you did during the winter.
 
Joined
Feb 13, 2017
Messages
777
Location
Tulsa, ok
I found RL-17 to be very temp sensitive in my .300wsm, as the temps climbed so did the pressure. I could not shoot it much above 70 degrees, but it was damn accurate! I eventually switched powders due to the sensitivity.
 

rootacres

WKR
Joined
Jan 5, 2018
Messages
1,026
I found RL-17 to be very temp sensitive in my .300wsm, as the temps climbed so did the pressure. I could not shoot it much above 70 degrees, but it was damn accurate! I eventually switched powders due to the sensitivity.

What powder did you end up switching to for your 300 WSM? I too have switched from RL-17 because of what I have read. But now I'm hearing that H100V can also be temp sensitive.
 

JDixon

FNG
Joined
Apr 8, 2020
Messages
29
Hogdons Extreme Powder series is designed to be consistent over a wide temperature range. Should be worth checking out.
 

FLS

WKR
Joined
May 11, 2019
Messages
734
You need to test your loads in the heat and in the cold reguardless of powder used. Very few powders are completely temperature insensitive. Some are better than others. Most ballistic calculators have the ability to track and compensate for temperature sensitivity. Nothing wrong with RL 17 if you factor it’s temp characteristics into your old development.
 
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