How do you duplicate comm'l ammo...?

[Plank Road Farm]

If you've found a commerical ammo that you'd like to duplicate, how do you find out what powder to use?

My guns likes Federal Power-shok ammo in .308 & 30-06 Spring.

Anybody know what to use?

TIA

 

[oneounceload]

You don't - they use proprietary blends to keep it consistent for each batch

 

[Hondo 60]

+1 to what oneounceload said

 

[cfullgraf]

As others have said, you can't match the powder used in commercial ammo except 6.5 Creedmoore.

Frequently, you can obtain the same bullet as a component. I shoot the commercial ammo over a chronograph. Then, I work up a load to match that velocity just as long the load is within published load ranges and do not show pressure signs.

It is not always possible to duplicate the performance of commercial ammunition.

 

[USSR]

PRF,

Federal is owned by ATK. ATK also owns Alliant Powder. Federal is going to use a noncannister grade of one of Alliant's powders. If I were a betting man, I bet that powder would be RL15 for the .308 and .30-06. The thing to do would be to run your commercial ammo over a chronograph, and try to duplicate that velocity with your RL15 handload. That is about as close as you can come to duplicating that ammo.

Don

 

[243winxb]

IMR Powders -

you can't match the powder used in commercial ammo

Not always trueTake apart a factory Remington round. Weigh the powder. Most i have looked at are IMR type powders. Remiington/Dupont were one in the same years ago.

The slowest burn rate IMR powder, IMR7828, was made available to reloaders in 1985. Prior this powder was only sold to commercial ammunition companies. The demand from reloaders for powders up to the task of modern cartridge and bullet designs brought about the availability of IMR7828. Today, IMR 7828 continues to be the standard for use in large-caliber and magnum performance rifle cartridges.

http://www.imrpowder.com/history.html Only the factory knows for sure. All Batches of powder are factory blended to make a finished lot. This is how they get each 1 lb. can to be the same burning rate.

 

[243winxb]

SUPERPERFORMANCE® Powder from Hodgdon & Hornady

SUPERPERFORMANCE® (available mid January - 2011) Loading data availible here. > http://www.hodgdon.com/PDF/SuperLever.pdf

This is another of the spherical powders Hodgdon® Powder Company and Hornady® Manufacturing introduced to answer the frequently asked reloading question: "Can I buy the powder used in the Hornady Superformance factory ammunition?" Superformance delivers striking velocities in cartridges like the 22-250 Remington, 243 Windchester and 300 Winchester Short Magnum. Velocities well in excess of 100 fps over the best published handloads and even larger gains over factory ammunition! Because this propellant is tailored for specific applications, the number of cartridges and bullets is limited, but where it works, it really works!

http://www.hodgdon.com/new_prod.html < Also LEVERevolution® (available mid January - 2011)

 

[EMC45]

I called Hornady and they gave me the TAP data for their .308 and .223 right over the phone! It was what I was using so it didn't matter anyway. They said the only difference in there powder and mine was that their's had a flash reducer in the powder for low light shooting and the powder I was using (Varget) did not. Now I don't know about the data you are looking for, but this worked out for me.

 

[Tim the student]

I don't try to - my handloads are better, and cheaper, for what I use them for.

If I were to try, I'd use the same bullet at similar velocities. It may take a couple different tries with different powders and seating depths to get precise rounds that will have a similar POI and similar velocities and group as well (if not better).

 

[wambo300]

factory loads

you cant find what powders they because of legal matters but you can duplicate them with pachmayr factory loadings book it tells factory bullet weight and velocities and bullet drop and velocity at muzzle and with it you should be very very close

 

[THe Dove]

I don't "duplicate" factory rounds, that's why I re-load/hand-load!!!

The Dove

 

[Cosmoline]

You can duplicate the specs, but the powder for commercial outfits is sold and handled differently than for hobby reloaders. They test the batch and do their calculations for the batch to produce the desired results using equipment and facilities most of us do not have. The stuff we use is actually better standardized so we're not getting short changed.