Non-Hodgdon Hot Weather Powders

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Varminthound

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While Hodgdon manufactures their Extreme powders to avoid pressure spikes due to high temperatures are there any other manufacturers powders that do not show excessive pressure signs when the temperatures get high. I am thinking in particular of powders for .220 Swifts and .223?

Are there any specific powders to avoid for shooting in high temperatures?
 
Hodgdon Extreme powders are actually manufactured by ADI in Australia. Hodgdon distributes them under their own label. It's not the high temperatures that cause the problems, rather it's temperature extremes that are the issues.

Say you develop a good shooting load in the cooler temps of fall, around 50 degrees for example. Some powders will develop much higher pressures when exposed to 100 degree temps with that same load, causing possible dangerous pressure if worked up near Max in cooler weather. Direct exposure to the sun will really mess with cartridges. IMR powders often exhibit that trait. And the reverse is true also, a load worked up in the heat will lose velocity and POI sometimes in cold weather.

Hodgdon Extreme powders seem to be affected less by temp extremes but are not totally immune to temp extremes.

Bottom line is you do not need to avoid specific powders in high temps. Work up the loads in the temperature range that you wish to use them. That's why it's important to date your ammo's work up label or log book entry.

NCsmitty
 
NC Smitty, even I can understand your explanation. Seems very obvious the way you explained it and I should have known better. I always date my loading and results data but will now add temp. to the later.

Bushmaster, thanks to you also.
 
Say you develop a good shooting load in the cooler temps of fall, around 50 degrees for example. Some powders will develop much higher pressures when exposed to 100 degree temps with that same load, causing possible dangerous pressure if worked up near Max in cooler weather. Direct exposure to the sun will really mess with cartridges. IMR powders often exhibit that trait. And the reverse is true also, a load worked up in the heat will lose velocity and POI sometimes in cold weather.
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LOL!!! He mentioned "50 degrees" and "cooler temps of fall" in one sentence! Sorry, NCSmitty, had to do it, been too cold lately. (Actually, today was nice, about 35-38-degrees. Glad I don't live someplace worse.) :neener:

But yes, it seems to be at the extremes where the Hodgdon powders have their advantages. Varget shoots to zero for me in .223 whether at 20-degrees in the winter or 100+ at Camp Perry.

Now, powders to avoid in temperature swinging, I will put Winchester's 748 at the top of that list. I've had the stuff give me popped primers with a mild 69gr load in .223, at 75-degrees. This same load was safe at 50-60 degrees, but was always underperforming over the chrony, as in about the 2600-fps range when I was looking for 2800+.

Winchester 296 seems to get tempermental in the heat, but not so bad it goes overpressure. Also, W-231 seems to be cold sensitive IMO; a load that worked well in 9mm at summer temperatures proved to be inadequately potent when the temperature was in the teens.
 
LOL!!! He mentioned "50 degrees" and "cooler temps of fall" in one sentence! Sorry, NCSmitty, had to do it, been too cold lately. (Actually, today was nice, about 35-38-degrees. Glad I don't live someplace worse.)
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I hear ya wanderinwalker, I lived 58 years in upstate NY so I know cold and snow. I finally got sick of it, retired, and sold my NY house and moved to NC. Now I have two extra months of garden growing and a much more gun friendly state. I live 30 minutes away from Blue Ridge mountains and love it here.
Regards,

NCsmitty
 
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