Ramshot TAC Hornady or Ramshot Data

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DMW1116

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I found a pound of TAC the other day at Sportsman’s Warehouse. It was the first time I’m seen powder there in a while. I plan to try it with Hornady 55 grain FMJ bullets. My Hornady app has a slightly different data set (lower) than Ramshots website. I don’t want to push things so I don’t want to try the 5.55 data yet. Any opinions on which is better?

They overlap, but the Ramshot max is a full grain higher. I plan to start at the TAC minimum and end just slightly above the Hornady maximum. 0.3 grains higher to be exact. This will give 7 test loads.
 
I would use the hornady data to start. The western data load book is packed with extremely hot load data. Generally I like powder manufacturer data the best but when it comes to western I think their data is hotter than the dickens. I prefer larger caliber versus pushing what I have too hard chasing performance.
 
Save yourself some time and start halfway and go to the top. Every time I have tested it my best accuracy came at the absolute top of the charge range. Last time I tested it I backed off max by .3 and moved down .3 two more times. All three loads were moa.

A local store has 8 pound jugs of it. It has become my favorite ball rifle powder. I see it as powdered 4895.
 
I have found Hornadys pistol data to be pretty hot. Not so much with the rifle data. The Ramshot rifle data is a little hot for my taste. I don’t have the available resources to try the lower range of Hornadys data but I’m willling to venture just a bit above their max and into the Ramshot data. The total planned range is from 23.2 (Ramshot Minimum) to 25.0 (0.3 grains above Hornady Maximum). If I don’t find a good one I may venture lower and higher, but not much higher. I also got my shipment of CFE 223 today so that might be the alternative.
 
I’m hoping TAC or CFE 223 will work as well as H335. Those test loads gave 1.5” groups at 100 yards with both my 223 rifles. The TAC data for this bullet and 5.56 loads is downright scary. Does Ruger make a #1 in 223/5.56?
 
I realize 1.5” is nothing to write home about, but it was the best of the groups out of my iron sighted rifle and shoots just a little better out of my scoped one.

While I’m at it, I plan to try some TAC and 77 grain SMKs too. Anyone use that combo?
 
DMW1116 said:
I’m hoping TAC... ...will work as well as H335.
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I'm hoping I can substitute TAC for H335 in 5.56mm, IMR3031 in 7.62mm (150grn blasting ammos,) and possibly IMR4895 for the M1 Garand (150grn blasting ammos.) I know it's a pretty tall order... but at least 2 out of 3 wouldn't be bad...
 
Have used TAC with two Hornady 55gr bullets, 62gr FMJBT, 68gr Match HP and a 75gr ELD Match and RMR 69gr HPBT. Powder found at least 2 solid nodes with all but the 75gr and I think that was more the gun than the loads.

I have used Western load data and Hornady #10 manual I don't think it makes much difference which you choose to use or a combination of both.

After loading my first pound of TAC I was able to locate an 8lb jug and am glad I did.
 
Charlie98 said:
I'm hoping I can substitute TAC for H335 in 5.56mm, IMR3031 in 7.62mm (150grn blasting ammos,) and possibly IMR4895 for the M1 Garand (150grn blasting ammos.) I know it's a pretty tall order... but at least 2 out of 3 wouldn't be bad...
Click to expand...

I have found that Tac is more accurate and faster than 3031. Not as accurate as 4895 but about 100-150 FPS faster in 308 from 155-180 grain bullets.
 
This is IMHO one reason 223 is so popular. It has the velocity to reach out to respectable ranges and is very economical to reload. For the casual to enthusiastic target shooter it works great. For the obsessed it can’t quite satisfy, but close.
 
bluejay75 said:
I have found that Tac is more accurate and faster than 3031. Not as accurate as 4895 but about 100-150 FPS faster in 308 from 155-180 grain bullets.
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Well... TAC is slower than IMR3031... so the faster makes sense. Oddly enough, I never really had that good of accuracy from IMR4895 in .308, between 2 very different rifles, although it works exceeding well in the M1
 
There was a jug of 3031 on the shelf too, but was about 20% more $$. That’s why TAC got the pick. If TAC and/or CFE 223 work out well, an 8 lb jug of any of the three would last me for years. This is for target ammo in my iron sighted rifle. Working well is anything less than 1.5” at 100 yards or 4” at 200.
 
DMW,

I will probably only stock two powders from now on for all of my rifle work. TAC and Varget. I would not have believed this if I wasn’t behind the gun. 46.6 is max for TAC and a 155. 46 still gave over 2900 in a 18.5 inch 308 as consistently as Varget, 4064 or 4895.
72134EB5-5764-4C82-BE9F-8D05898D129F.jpeg
 
I’d like to get to the point I can just keep about 2 powders for pistol and rifle. Right now though I think I have to take what’s available and make the best of it. That reminds me, I need to get on the 308 a little more. I have some more test loads to try to find one to start replicating.
 
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I kind of hope one of these powders can replicate my beginners luck with IMR 4064 and 75 grain Hornady bullets. If I could find powder and some BR4 primers that would likely be the only load my scoped rifle would ever shoot again.
 
55 -65 grain bullets and TAC go together like PB&J. That said, your typical 55 grain FMJ are not awe inspiring accurate projectiles to begin with. Spending more per projectile will provide a better result on target in most instances. The lowest quality projectile I expect any reasonable accuracy with are JSP type.
 
DMW1116 said:
I realize 1.5” is nothing to write home about, but it was the best of the groups out of my iron sighted rifle and shoots just a little better out of my scoped one.

While I’m at it, I plan to try some TAC and 77 grain SMKs too. Anyone use that combo?
Click to expand...

1.5" with FMJ's is doing really well! I need to do a little playing with TAC and 62fmj's. As for TAC with 77's.... It's a good combo! The same load right at the top of Western's .223 Data shoots great out of 3 different 1/7" twist AR's. Good velocity as well, but as always, start low and work up! I've been using Western's data, and it is a bit on the "hot" side compared to most other load manuals.
 
FROGO207 said:
55 -65 grain bullets and TAC go together like PB&J. That said, your typical 55 grain FMJ are not awe inspiring accurate projectiles to begin with. Spending more per projectile will provide a better result on target in most instances. The lowest quality projectile I expect any reasonable accuracy with are JSP type.
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Interesting. I had a friend who found a 1000 bag of 55grn SP bullets in his stash, we made a deal to split them if I loaded them up. During load development, I found them to be surprisingly accurate... like... more accurate than any other 55grn bullet I've ever used prior. I don't think it had anything to do with the 55grn part, more likely better quality construction.

IALoder said:
1.5" with FMJ's is doing really well!
Click to expand...

I thought so, too.
 
DMW1116 said:
Any opinions on which is better?
Click to expand...
Neither. It's data.

It's not doctrine, it's not true; it is at best correct. The data reflects measurements made in a lab (not yours), with a batch of powder (not yours), in a barrel/chamber (not yours). All of those differences are small enough that the data should provide you with reasonably close starting and maximum points, but there is no reason to imagine that they're exact.

I own rifles that show very high pressure signs at halfway from Start to Max load, and others that happily shoot 5-10% over max.
 
edwardware said:
Neither. It's data.

It's not doctrine, it's not true; it is at best correct. The data reflects measurements made in a lab (not yours), with a batch of powder (not yours), in a barrel/chamber (not yours). All of those differences are small enough that the data should provide you with reasonably close starting and maximum points, but there is no reason to imagine that they're exact.

I own rifles that show very high pressure signs at halfway from Start to Max load, and others that happily shoot 5-10% over max.
Click to expand...

+1

A lot of people criticize Hornady data for being weak or 'written by lawyers.' Not true at all. Their data was developed to be safe using those specific components, by their ballistic guys... that's all. And same same with Speer, Western, Hodgdon, etc, etc.

Reloading manuals are a guide, not an absolute. That is not to say get stupid about it... it is likely the best information available.
 
Charlie98 said:
Interesting. I had a friend who found a 1000 bag of 55grn SP bullets in his stash, we made a deal to split them if I loaded them up. During load development, I found them to be surprisingly accurate... like... more accurate than any other 55grn bullet I've ever used prior. I don't think it had anything to do with the 55grn part, more likely better quality construction.



I thought so, too.
Click to expand...
Do you know what the brand was? I have tried about every brand of 55 grain FMJ out there and none were to brag about. The Hornady were the most accurate in my handful of 223's but all the soft points or HP bullets were better still. Thats with my rifles so you may have a different result though.

Come to think about it I had one small lot of PMC bullets that were OK but only had 100 and never found any more.
 
IALoder said:
1.5" with FMJ's is doing really well! I need to do a little playing with TAC and 62fmj's..
Click to expand...

I found that load you have seen me mention before, 62gr Hornady FMJBT with TAC @ 23.6/23.7/23.8 and loaded anywhere from 2.40" to 2.50" and at 100 yds are shoot 1" from my Savage Model 10 with 1:9 twist. It has been so consistent that it has become my go-to load so far. Next I will be working with the 69gr RMR HPBT.
 
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