Where does Reloder #12 fit in when used in the 308 Winchester....?

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rojogrande

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Got my hands on a good amount of the now-discontinued powder from Alliant.........Just wondering what results some of the old timers here at CGN managed to get using this powder in their 308 Win....? Were best results achieved in the 125 grain to 150 grain range, or did it shine with the heavier bullets....?

I have yet to start load development with the 130 grain Barnes TTSX bullet....but that is where I'm headed....as deer season opens in two months....

Thanks for your input....
 
rojo; This powder is just a bit "quick" in the 308 except with the lightest bullets. 110-125 grains.
RL 15 is a much better choice in 308.
Regards, Dave.
 
Eagleye said:
rojo; This powder is just a bit "quick" in the 308 except with the lightest bullets. 110-125 grains.
RL 15 is a much better choice in 308.
Regards, Dave.
Click to expand...

Really? It is not very often I have to dispute you, Eagle Eye, but this time, I gotta.
The following powders are included in almost all of the books for .308 all the way up to 200gn (I chose these ones since I have actually used them).
BCL-2, H335, H4895, IMR3031.
Each of these are rated as faster powders than the RL-12, yet you say they would be too quick for the larger bullets and I have used them from 110gn up to 220gn. I'm gonna need you to cite your source on this one. ;)

Ted
 
Even Bullseye can be used with the heaviest bullets. RL-12 can too, but you will not achieve optimum results velocity-wise with any but the lightest bullets.
 
rel 12 will work well in a wide range of bullet weights. rel 15 is a little better and will give better velocity than rel 12. if i had any rel12 left i would happily use it up in the 308.
 
Andy, you are right. If you want to wring out EVERY POSSIBLE FOOT PER SECOND. However, RL 12 drops off the charts after 165gn bullets. At that point it is only 100fps slower than the most accurate powder in the list. Extrapolating (something you should NEVER do) powder charges for other bullet weights is not that difficult. Noting that H335 and BCL-2 remain on the lists and simply move down the chart a bit, not being the optimum powder for those bullets, still produce velocities within 200fps of the optimum powders.
Would this affect the OP? Who knows? Not enough info. Is he trying to perfect rounds for 1000yd competitions? 1000yd hunting shots? Or is he just trying to get the best round he can for 200yd hunting and found a deal on powder?
After years spent chasing the "optimum round" that would provide the best velocity and accuracy from each and every rifle I owned, trying powder, primer, case combos; I finally gave up, knowing that I am not shooting over 400yds ever again, why fruitlessly chase 50fps?
i now use one rifle powder, one primer, and whatever cases I can find at the time I load them. Accuracy remains the most important thing and my freezer is always full. Not having the "best" powder has not reduced the number of tags I fill each year and it may work best for the OP if that is his goal as well.
 
Thanks for the responses.......Just to clarify, I have a 24" barrel on my bolt action 308......I want to get to as close to 3,000 fps at the muzzle as possible using the Barnes 130 grain TTSX bullet.....I want the trajectory to match the mildots on my Leupold VX-II LR reticle scope.......As in, 200 yard zero, first mildot 300 yard zero, and second mildot 400 yard zero...(give or take a few yards).....

I have used 47.5 grains of RL-15 to reach 2,950 fps, but primers are just starting to flatten with this load......So yes, I was hoping to achieve that "extra 50 fps" with RL-12......I tried IMR4064 and it lagged just behind RL-15 before pressure signs showed up....

I hunt deer in western Manitoba, and a 400 yard shot is not out of the question....but only from a stand with a solid rest at a known distance (laser rangefinder)......If RL-12 doesn't get me there, I'll stick with RL-15........But when Nosler starts shipping their 125 grain Accubond to stores, I may give it a try with RL-12 as well....

Thanks
 
rookie wildcat said:
Really? It is not very often I have to dispute you, Eagle Eye, but this time, I gotta.
The following powders are included in almost all of the books for .308 all the way up to 200gn (I chose these ones since I have actually used them).
BCL-2, H335, H4895, IMR3031.
Each of these are rated as faster powders than the RL-12, yet you say they would be too quick for the larger bullets and I have used them from 110gn up to 220gn. I'm gonna need you to cite your source on this one. ;)

Ted
Click to expand...

Ted; sorry, no sources to quote for you. :)
Only going on raw experience with RL 12.

Burned up about 12 lbs of it in various chamberings, and found it just a bit quick for heavier bullets.
Ran into pressure issues time and again before optimum velocities were reached with "most"
bullets from 150 grains and up.

The powder charts are a guide, but do not always slot the powders as well as they should.

I'm not saying RL 12 cannot be used in the 308 with heavier bullets, but like Andy, I know there
are better choices once one passes the 150 grain threshold.

FWIW, Rl 12 is my favorite 222 Remington powder with 50 grain bullets.

Appreciate your input, of course. You may have had slightly different results than I.

Regards, Dave
 
Range Report: Started with 45.0 grains of RL-12 under the 130 TTSX bullet....chronographed 2,815 fps at the muzzle....no pressure signs at all........46.0 grains produced 2,894 fps with no flattening of primers......46.5 grains of RL-12 gave a muzzle speed of 2,944, with a slight flattening of primers......I load 47.5 grains of RL-15 for 2,950 with the same bullet.....so I would say the two powders are about equal using 130 grain bullets.....RL-15 is still my go-to powder for 150 to 180 bullets......
 
After another session at the range, I have to agree with Ganderite.....I loaded the 125 grain Nosler Accubond bullet atop 47.0 grains of RL-12 to achieve a muzzle velocity of 2,975 fps.....This load is maximum in my rifle, as primers are flattening a bit......Very accurate load combo.....I managed a 3 shot group of just under MOA......I would not hesitate to use this load for deer and coyotes...
 
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