The Firearms Forum banner

Reload vs Temp

769 views 12 replies 8 participants last post by  68c15 
#1 ·
What do you most notice when you load your ammo in the summer an shoot in the winter and vice versa? Reference if the loads are start, middle or max and if pistol or rifle plz.
 
#2 ·
It will all depend on the powder, some are more temp sensitive than others. I prefer to use the 8208XBR for my .223 rounds, supposedly one of the most stable as far as variations. I also load with BL-C2 which is supposedly temp sensitive, as soon as it gets cold out and I can run some of my loads over a chronograph I guess I'll see, as they were worked up in the heat of summer.
 
#3 ·
The only difference I notice is that I don't pass out from heat stroke when I shoot in Winter, but the wind is so gusty and strong that I have to allow for some windage and pray I guessed right for each shot. Loading isn't an issue, since I have both heating and cooling in my reloading room, and the temperature at loading time varies only from 80 in Summer to 75 in Winter.
 
  • Like
Reactions: gdmoody and drymag
#4 ·
Not an issue here at my place. I load em, I shoot em! I don't care what the temperature is, and none of my bullets have complained. I don't shoot over a crono, so I have no idea how fast, or slow, my bullets are at any temperature, or from any length barrel. All I care about is that they go bang.
 
#5 ·
All I care about is that they go bang.
Excellent. I'd only add that, in addition to having them go BANG, I'd like them to hit somewhere near the point I'm pointing at. By 'near' I mean 4" to 8" - that's good enough for government work and will get the job done without strays hitting innocent bystanders. Happily, that's not a problem I've ever experienced.
 
  • Like
Reactions: drymag
#6 ·
Never experienced that either, unless I was shooting 100 yards with a 4" barrel, or less.
 
#7 ·
My strongest, most sincere prayer is that I will never in my life be called upon to use my shooting skills. Like Robert McNamara's MAD policy, which assured that the USSR never felt confident to launch a first strike against our nation, it is my policy to invoke the use of overwhelming force in order to resist an outside force. That is the principle behind Tae Kwon Do, to restore peace with minimal ado, but invoking maximum destructive force when needed.

Personally, I'd prefer to be left alone to live the life I like, which endangers no-one, So long as what I do doesn't intrude upon lands that others care about, what does it matter what I do?
 
#11 ·
You're actually on spot, Joe. I woke last night, lifted my head from the desk, saw a partial post and totally forgot what thread I was in. I typed some more, posted, and hit the sack. I've got to get more sleep!!! Apologies to all for the gaff...
 
  • Like
Reactions: accident
#10 ·
Spherical powders generally give me a slightly lower velocity in winter compared to summer.
BLC-2, W748, W760, H335, H414, etc...
It's most noticeable in my smaller varmint calibers...or maybe that's just the ones that I watch the closest.

One example that I've got chrony data for:
22" Howa 1500 .204Ruger
32grVmax, 29.5gr BLC2. (a mid-range load)
3850fps avg on 6/14/2014 @ 74°F
3680fps avg on 12/14/2013 @ 12°F
Same batch of ammo used on both days.

I have had similar results with W748 in the .22-250 and W760 in the .243 and 6mmRem as well. About 100-150fps loss from a hot summer day to a cold winter day.

Extruded powder example:
My pet .25-06 load (discontinued 100gr Barnes X flat-base):
24" Ruger 77MkII .25-06
100gr Barnes XFB (not TSX!) 54.5gr H4831
3250fps avg 8/24/2005 no temp recorded but I'll guess somewhere in the 70s or 80s
3217fps avg 11/02/2012 @ 27°F
Do NOT use this load with a TSX bullet, it is way over max!

I really prefer using stick powders since they are less temp sensitive but for loading little stinkers like the .17, .20, and .22 the sphericals work so much nicer.
The temps do need to be pretty extreme before you really notice any difference in terminal velocity, but they are there.
 
#13 ·
Although my experience is small compared to others here I will back up what Bindernut said. Savage 110 .270 150gr SP on 56.2 of H4831SC gets very close to the same group at 10* as it does at 80*. I got to finish sighting in my AR then see if there's a difference in the cold with IMR 3031

Hand gun with flake powder? I can't get a decent enough group to tell. I need to put a 24" barrel on it and mount a scope
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top