Anyone use Ramshot powder?

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ARGarrison

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Hello all,

Title is the question, Does anyone here us or has used Ramshot powder? What do you think about it?

Seen some at our new Sportsman's Warehouse and thought about giving it a go. Noticed it was two dollars cheaper by pound than other powder I was looking at. I'm looking at their Big Game powder if that helps.
 
I have used True Blue and X-Terminator. I like them. True Blue can be loaded with very good results in any handgun caliber. It's a ball powder. Some consider it a bit dirty, but most of them haven't noticed how dirty their W-231 is! With a 230 gr. Golden Saber in .45 ACP, accuracy has been outstanding in my Ruger P-345. I use X-Terminator in the .30-30 and loads are a bit more accurate than W-748. Most of Ramshots powders are imported from Belgium. Competition and Silhouette come from Primex. Silhouette is the same powder formerly sold as WAP from Winchester.

Not many reloaders have discovered it yet, but their newest rifle powder, Hunter, is at the slow end of the 4350 range and just ahead of R-19 in burn rate. It is a very dense ball powder that meters exceptionally, but maybe more importantly, it is not temperature sensitive like most ball powders are and Ramshot claims it will rival extruded powders in that regard. I'm considering it as a high performance powder for short action cartridges, particularly 7mm-08, but it is very suitable for .243 and .260 as well as the majority of standard cartridges. According to Ramshot, Big Game is very similar in performance to H-380.;)
 
I've used X-Terminator in .223 AI with great results. Cheesy product names, but great powder. I wish it was more widely available.

Ed
 
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I use Ramshot powders a lot. I like em. I use Hunter in my 300WSM, 7mm-08 and 30-06. In the 300WSM Hunter gives me superb accuracy combined with top velocities. In the 7MM-08 I get just under 2750fps with one hole groups using 160gr Partitions and Hunter.

BigGame is outstanding in my 7MM-08 (140's) and 9.3x62. BigGame is very close to R-15 in burn rate. As with all Ramshot Powders BigGame is "Ball" powder.

I use X-Terminator in my 7.62x39. Work great for the heavier bullets in this small round.

The only Ramshot powder that I have not had excellent results with is "Magnum". I purchased a couple of pounds to use in my 6.5x55. Didn't work to my expectations.

http://www.ramshot.com/powders/
 
I have shot a few jugs of Tac and ZIP, I love ZIP in lite target loads in .40 and .45 with some experimentation going on in 20 gauge. TAC works good in .300 savage, 7-08, 6.5 swede and .223 and freaking amazing in .308.
 
MO: Interesting point. I find that True Blue burns cleaner in higher pressure loads. In Ramshot's first load guide there were +P loads for 9mm and the ones I developed were clean enough and flash was low. Accuracy was excellent.

steve4102: I want to do the same thing with the 7.62 X 39mm. Do you have data for X-Terminator and 150 gr. bullets? I plan to start with the 150 gr. Core-Lokt designed for the .30-30 for use in an SKS.;)
 
I want to do the same thing with the 7.62 X 39mm. Do you have data for X-Terminator and 150 gr. bullets? I plan to start with the 150 gr. Core-Lokt designed for the .30-30 for use in an SKS.
Click to expand...

X-T is on the slow end of the powder burn rate for the 7.62x39. To reach acceptable velocities with 150gr bullets the loads must be compressed. I happen to like full cases and compressed loads. If you are uncomfortable with compressed loads then I would suggest going with a faster powder like H4198 or AA1680 with the 150's.

My 150gr load with X-T:

Lapua Brass
Fed 210M Primers
29.7gr X-T
150gr Speer RN

As always "Start Low and Work Up"!!

The Rem Core-LoKt 150gr 30-30 bullet is .308 dia. The SKS (7.62X39) is .310/.311 dia. Loading the .308 for the SKS is perfectly safe, however your rifle may prefer the larger .310/.311 dia bullets in the accuracy department. Then again maybe not. The velocities of the 7.62x39 and the 30-30 Core-Lokt bullet are a good match. If X-t doesn't do it for you, give some of the faster powders for the 7.62 a try.
 
Thank you, Sir! I figured it would require a compressed charge, but if it isn't excessively compressed . . . may be the ticket. Yeah, performance with the .308 .30-30 Core-Lokt seems like a good match if the SKS likes .308 bullets. Some do, some don't, we'll see. I can always use a .311" 150 grainer, but velocity would be lacking. I recall an article by Layne Simpson anumber of years back and he said he planned to use the Hornady 130 gr. SSP bullet in his SKS. It was .308, can't find it in the current catalogue. I figured if I used an undersized diameter bullet, the addition length of the 150 gr. C-L might work better. Have plenty on hand as well.;)
 
I find that TAC is 'freakin' amazing in both 223 and .308. I load it to 5.56 velocities, 26 grains of TAC in Lapua brass driving the Hornady 75 grain bthp is a load that is as good as it can get. :)
 
TAC is great from mid wt 223 to heavy wt bullets! It meters like a dream! Just in the metro there is only two sources, either of the Sportsmans Warehouses!
 
I haven't use TAC, but I am aware of it's potential for heavier bullets in .22 caliber. Except for ZIP, Silhouette and probably Competition which doesn't list a volumetric density, all other Ramshot Powders are above .9 grams/cc or 900 grams/liter. X-Terminator, Tac and Magnum are 985 grams/liter. I don't know of any powder that's denser than that. Combined with a small grain size, that's about as good as it gets for metering!;)
 
In 223, I've recently started working with Hornady 75's (21.5 to 23.5 gr/Win/Fed 205) 21.5 gave less than 3/4" at 100.
Ran 77 Noslers with 21.5 to 23 gr
23grains Ave vel 2655.77 Extreme spread 18.05 fps SD 7.41 5 shots Accuracy 0.73"
Granted, that was only five shots, but it sure is interesting .
 
I recall an article by Layne Simpson anumber of years back and he said he planned to use the Hornady 130 gr. SSP bullet in his SKS. It was .308, can't find it in the current catalogue.
Click to expand...

The 130 Hornady SSP has followed the Sierra 135 SSP into the long list of "Discontinued" bullets. Both were excellent in the 7.62x39. Too bad they are gone.
 
Steve4102: Drag that they are gone, but the 150 gr. C-L is designed for similar velocity and is the most pointed of the .30-30 bullets I've ran across. It will be interesting to see what velocity can be achieved with X-T, and of course, if they're accurate enough to make it worthwile!;)
 
I tried a 1lb of True Blue for 38 Special and .357 Mag. It is a ball powder so it meters well in my powder measure. It did produce accurate loads. Though I found it dirty and too smoky for use inside. I have not used any other Ramshot powders. I could not find a stocking dealer in this area or one that could order it so I had to travel to NY state to buy it.
 
I have tried out Ramshot Silhouette for some 357 Mag and some "experimental" 38+P loads in my TC and found them to be quite good. Little residue in my 10" bbl and good accuracy to 75 yards. Found out later that its the same powder as Winchester Action Pistol.

Haven't tried their other powders however.


D
 
I just fired 50 rounds of 150gr 270 bullets using 54 gr of Ramshot Hunter. I'm very pleased with the results. More than accurate enough for deer, and cleanup was surprisingly easy. All in all - I like what I'm seeing so far from Ramshot. Time to get a pound of TAC for my .223 loads and see how that measures up.
 
Ramshot Powder

I have begun sing this powder and found it the easiest ever to maintain identical loads with. It has proven to be very consistent on paper targets as well. We will see haow it performs this big game season.:)
 
Wow, what a Zombie thread! But since it is resurrected I will say Ramshot Tac is great powder for 55 grain 223 for the ol AR and I use Shillouette for my 9mm and 45 ACP defense loads.
 
I use X-Term. in my Savage M-110V in 223 Rem. with great results. I have shot sub .250" groups @100 with the following:
Case: R-P
Bullet:55 grain Hornady V-Max
Primer: CCI 400
X-Term: 23.2 gns.
Chronographed velocity: 2980 f.p.s.
I am now trying to get an accuracy load for my AR-15 using XTerm and TAC.
 
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