Just a note. The only way to find Clays powder is an old stash in someone's loading room. All three of the Clay's powders have ben out of production for several years now. However, a NOS jug does appear every now and again.
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300 blackout oddities at the range
- Thread starter CorvZ061
- Start date
I have the factory crimp die purely to flatten the brass to the bullet. I expanded the mouth slightly so as to not damage the thin plating. I’m going to swap to a different powder. This particular lb of powder I’ve had for years, it’s been stored in a closet the entire time so shouldn’t be a storage problem, but nonetheless I’m going to swap to 1680 since I have it and it’s a new unopened lb of powder.
This thread makes it clear as mud. I will say the first intruption was due to a fire at the australian plant where Clays powders were first produced. I do belive that to be true. The biggest problem we have as reloaders is the conglooration of almost every US powder being bought by Hodgdon. I talked to high up at Hodgdon at teh Atlanta NRA show a few years ago. I walked away knowing the company doesn't give a crap about what any of us need for reloading. That is a very big threat to our hobby and needs.
https://www.shotgunworld.com/threads/hodgdon-rumor-or-truth.554408/
Globally (forget just the US), if a military somewhere doesn't have a need for a given type of smokeless powder, it's not going to be made. Period. Civilian markets as a percentage of a powder maker's gross are tiny, and so unless some government somewhere absolutely has to use a propellant that behaves like Trail Boss, the manufacture of that powder is not going to bother making any, even if Hodgdon ask nicely and we all write letters to our congressmen.
While they won't rule it out, but like Clays' line, nobody is going to set their production like up for a run. The economics don't work for them. Bear in mind that while just about any powder you buy retail today has a Hodgdon brand stamp on it, they only own IMR, Accurate and Ramshot. All their other branded products are relabeled version of product they have bought in from General Dynamics, ADI/Thales and a subset of other global manufacturers which they slap their label on. They can only sell those powders that are being made.
The consolidation in smokeless powder manufacturers was both an inevitable outcome of modern economics and the predictable outcome of an increasingly regulated industry. Hodgdon's near monopoly as a distributor is largely because of the limited competition possible in what is, sadly, a dying hobby.
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While they won't rule it out, but like Clays' line, nobody is going to set their production like up for a run. The economics don't work for them. Bear in mind that while just about any powder you buy retail today has a Hodgdon brand stamp on it, they only own IMR, Accurate and Ramshot. All their other branded products are relabeled version of product they have bought in from General Dynamics, ADI/Thales and a subset of other global manufacturers which they slap their label on. They can only sell those powders that are being made.
The consolidation in smokeless powder manufacturers was both an inevitable outcome of modern economics and the predictable outcome of an increasingly regulated industry. Hodgdon's near monopoly as a distributor is largely because of the limited competition possible in what is, sadly, a dying hobby.
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Got back to the range today, tried out a few different loads with a few different bullets. I put it in a Aero Solus chassis also to take the stock variable out of it. When I took it out of the original hogue overmolded stock I noticed a lot of flex in that stock. Like I’m wondering if it’s broken somewhere.
Anyway, I started with another box of Winchester Suppressed 200gr loads and got a group size of just over an inch at 50yds. Swapped to some factory Hornady Black 208gr A Max and was getting .75” group. Now this thing is shooting how I expected.
On to the reloads, first up was some 178gr A-Max’s over 10.8gr of A1680. Average FPS was 1012fps not sure on ES yet. Grouped about 1.5”
Had 3 loads of 190gr Sub-X’s first 11gr of A1680. Averaged 963fps and grouped .75” I’ll be working on this one a bit more.
Next was 9.6gr of H110 and averaged 1083fps. Group went up to 3” I was expecting better, my rifle clearly doesn’t like this particular load.
Next was 12.5gr of CFE BLK and averaged 1156fps. This was also a .75” group.
Next was a 212gr ELD-X over 11gr of A1680 that averaged 1059fps. The first shot went 1.5” left the other 4 were within .5”. Not sure if I pulled the first shot or what that was about. Going to try this one again at a later date.
Finally was the Everglades 220gr plated over 12.2gr of A1680 that averaged 988fps. This one I have the ES on and it was 179. That first shot was low. I seated these to 2.2” OAL instead of 2.23” like last time. I’m going to seat a little deeper next time, they look like a similar profile to Sub-X’s now that I’ve seen them side by side. Accuracy was OK, first shot went far left and the rest were within 1” I’m hoping seating deeper and a little more pressure from seating will fix that issue.
Regardless, today was a successful range session and I didn’t leave disappointed in the performance of this rifle this time.
Anyway, I started with another box of Winchester Suppressed 200gr loads and got a group size of just over an inch at 50yds. Swapped to some factory Hornady Black 208gr A Max and was getting .75” group. Now this thing is shooting how I expected.
On to the reloads, first up was some 178gr A-Max’s over 10.8gr of A1680. Average FPS was 1012fps not sure on ES yet. Grouped about 1.5”
Had 3 loads of 190gr Sub-X’s first 11gr of A1680. Averaged 963fps and grouped .75” I’ll be working on this one a bit more.
Next was 9.6gr of H110 and averaged 1083fps. Group went up to 3” I was expecting better, my rifle clearly doesn’t like this particular load.
Next was 12.5gr of CFE BLK and averaged 1156fps. This was also a .75” group.
Next was a 212gr ELD-X over 11gr of A1680 that averaged 1059fps. The first shot went 1.5” left the other 4 were within .5”. Not sure if I pulled the first shot or what that was about. Going to try this one again at a later date.
Finally was the Everglades 220gr plated over 12.2gr of A1680 that averaged 988fps. This one I have the ES on and it was 179. That first shot was low. I seated these to 2.2” OAL instead of 2.23” like last time. I’m going to seat a little deeper next time, they look like a similar profile to Sub-X’s now that I’ve seen them side by side. Accuracy was OK, first shot went far left and the rest were within 1” I’m hoping seating deeper and a little more pressure from seating will fix that issue.
Regardless, today was a successful range session and I didn’t leave disappointed in the performance of this rifle this time.
Still getting a 100fps drop on the first rounds of 212ELD-X and the 220 everglades bullets.
Could the 5R rifling have something to do with that?
Could the 5R rifling have something to do with that?
I think that big long bullet traveling down a tight barrel at a subsonic-slow-speed is very affected by friction. The slightest change in barrel temp will change the amount of friction and then the bullet speed.
