Ramshot hunter

[Dac9976]

Had some great results today using Ramshot hunter in my 6.5x55.

Can't upload the pics of groups for some reason!

Really impressed with this powder, 37gr, 3 round group on top of each other.

 

http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s450/Dac9976/imagejpg1_zpse84db3f3.jpg

 

http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s450/Dac9976/imagejpg2_zpsf4cd1166.jpg

[garyw]

trying the same in my .284 next week working up a load with info Laurie H gave me- glad it worked for you.

[Dac9976]

Manage to get some phots up:)

[Finman]

What speeds are you getting?

[Dac9976]

Didn't put them through the chrono, but will do on the weekend:)

[Finman]

Cheers, would be very much interested to see what is achieved with this load.

 

Best wishes

 

Finman

[Dac9976]

Cheers, would be very much interested to see what is achieved with this load.

Best wishes

Finman

No worries Finman, will put the results on the weekend.

[Dac9976]

What speeds are you getting?

Been to the range this morning. Was getting 2115 avg MV with 37.0 of Ramshot:( not what I was hoping for!

Will try some bigger loads in the week. Seems to be a lot of room in the case for more powder.

 

Cheers

 

Danny.

[Finman]

I thought you would be at the low end...what bullet are you using? I'm getting 2880fps with 129gn hornadys, if my memory serves me right (writing this from an airport lounge...) with 45.5gn IMR4350

 

Best wishes

 

Finman

[Dac9976]

I thought you would be at the low end...what bullet are you using? I'm getting 2880fps with 129gn hornadys, if my memory serves me right (writing this from an airport lounge...) with 45.5gn IMR4350

Best wishes

Finman

140 nosler partitions. Ramshot load data states max load of 40.5, so I'll work up to that and see what happens.

It also says I should be getting a minimum of 2351 FPS with 36.4 of powder! Any suggestion on why I'm so low mate? Before you get on the plane lol.

 

Cheers

 

Danny.

[Laurie]

140 nosler partitions. Ramshot load data states max load of 40.5, so I'll work up to that and see what happens.

It also says I should be getting a minimum of 2351 FPS with 36.4 of powder! Any suggestion on why I'm so low mate? Before you get on the plane lol.

 

Cheers

 

Danny.

 

 

Where did you get that data from? The current Ramshot loading manual from the company's website lists max loads ~43gn for this weight of bullet (Partition not one included). 40.5gn (actually, 40.8gn) Hunter is what it recommends as max for the much smaller 6.5mm Hornady Creedmoor with the 140 A-Max.

 

Remember too, that the US SAAMI maximum pressure for the 6.5 SKAN is limited to 55,000 psi due to its antiquity and the number of 100 year old early Mauser military rifles still in use, Krags and suchlike too.

 

Assuming you're using a modern rifle with a strong action and good quality brass such as Lapua, there is no reason to limit yourself to this pressure. 60,000 psi as used in .308, .260 Rem etc is perfectly safe. Start around 43gn and work your way up to 46-47gn using 0.4gn steps which will get you to around the 2,800 fps level with a 140 in a 24-inch barrel (QuickLOAD calculation) at a pressure around 58,000 psi.

[Dac9976]

Where did you get that data from? The current Ramshot loading manual from the company's website lists max loads ~43gn for this weight of bullet (Partition not one included). 40.5gn (actually, 40.8gn) Hunter is what it recommends as max for the much smaller 6.5mm Hornady Creedmoor with the 140 A-Max.

 

Remember too, that the US SAAMI maximum pressure for the 6.5 SKAN is limited to 55,000 psi due to its antiquity and the number of 100 year old early Mauser military rifles still in use, Krags and suchlike too.

 

Assuming you're using a modern rifle with a strong action and good quality brass such as Lapua, there is no reason to limit yourself to this pressure. 60,000 psi as used in .308, .260 Rem etc is perfectly safe. Start around 43gn and work your way up to 46-47gn using 0.4gn steps which will get you to around the 2,800 fps level with a 140 in a 24-inch barrel (QuickLOAD calculation) at a

pressure around 58,000 psi.

Hi laurie

 

Just checked the Ramshot data again on the website, but can't find the data your giving. Any chance you could send me the link please? As your data seems to make more sense.

 

Cheers

 

Danny.

[Dac9976]

http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s450/Dac9976/imagejpg1_zps5ef4a2ec.jpg

 

This is what I got.

[Laurie]

Same place as you got yours. Looking at the website, Western Powders has issued a new version in January with more bullets and loads for 6.5X55mm, but having downgraded maximum charges for no obvious reason. Although the listings still show 55,000 psi pressures, running these loads through QuickLOAD comes up with pressures in the low 40,000 psi bracket, suspiciously close to the 45,000 psi that US sources advise as suitable for the M1894 / 96 / 1938 series of Swedish Mauser service rifles.

 

I reckpon the compamy has got cold feet and doesn't want to go down the two tables road - 6.5X55 'Swedish Mauser' (for old rifles) and 6.5X55 'SKAN' for modern pieces.

 

My version of QuickLOAD doesn't have the 140 Partition for some strange reason (hardly a new bullet!), but taking the 140gn Berger VLD at 3.140" COAL as used in the latest Ramshot data (Version 5.0) and its maximum charge of 41.9gn Hunter, the calculated PMax is a mere 42,312 psi, spot on for M1896 owners, but useless for any modern sporting or match rifle.

 

Cartridge : 6.5 x 55 Swedish
Bullet : .264, 140, Berger VLD #26401- 504
Useable Case Capaci: 51.451 grain H2O = 3.341 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 3.140 inch = 79.76 mm
Barrel Length : 24.0 inch = 609.6 mm
Powder : Ramshot Hunter

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 1.0% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step Fill. Charge Vel. Energy Pmax Pmuz Prop.Burnt B_Time
% % Grains fps ft.lbs psi psi % ms

-10.0 77 37.71 2316 1667 31842 8930 94.4 1.601
-09.0 78 38.13 2340 1702 32761 9043 94.8 1.583
-08.0 79 38.55 2364 1738 33707 9155 95.3 1.565
-07.0 80 38.97 2389 1774 34680 9264 95.7 1.548
-06.0 80 39.39 2413 1811 35679 9371 96.1 1.531
-05.0 81 39.81 2438 1847 36709 9476 96.5 1.514
-04.0 82 40.22 2462 1884 37767 9578 96.8 1.495
-03.0 83 40.64 2486 1922 38857 9678 97.2 1.475
-02.0 84 41.06 2511 1960 39974 9775 97.5 1.456
-01.0 85 41.48 2535 1998 41129 9869 97.8 1.436
+00.0 86 41.90 2559 2036 42312 9961 98.1 1.418
+01.0 86 42.32 2583 2074 43523 10049 98.3 1.399
+02.0 87 42.74 2607 2113 44763 10135 98.6 1.381
+03.0 88 43.16 2631 2152 46032 10217 98.8 1.363
+04.0 89 43.58 2655 2192 47335 10297 99.0 1.346 ! Near Maximum !
+05.0 90 44.00 2679 2232 48673 10373 99.2 1.328 ! Near Maximum !

Results caused by ± 10% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 10% relative to nominal value:
+Ba 86 41.90 2684 2239 50603 9808 100.0 1.312 ! Near Maximum !
Data for burning rate decreased by 10% relative to nominal value:
-Ba 86 41.90 2393 1781 34438 9574 91.7 1.546

[Dac9976]

Same place as you got yours. Looking at the website, Western Powders has issued a new version in January with more bullets and loads for 6.5X55mm, but having downgraded maximum charges for no obvious reason. Although the listings still show 55,000 psi pressures, running these loads through QuickLOAD comes up with pressures in the low 40,000 psi bracket, suspiciously close to the 45,000 psi that US sources advise as suitable for the M1894 / 96 / 1938 series of Swedish Mauser service rifles.

 

I reckpon the compamy has got cold feet and doesn't want to go down the two tables road - 6.5X55 'Swedish Mauser' (for old rifles) and 6.5X55 'SKAN' for modern pieces.

 

My version of QuickLOAD doesn't have the 140 Partition for some strange reason (hardly a new bullet!), but taking the 140gn Berger VLD at 3.140" COAL as used in the latest Ramshot data (Version 5.0) and its maximum charge of 41.9gn Hunter, the calculated PMax is a mere 42,312 psi, spot on for M1896 owners, but useless for any modern sporting or match rifle.

 

Cartridge : 6.5 x 55 Swedish

Bullet : .264, 140, Berger VLD #26401- 504

Useable Case Capaci: 51.451 grain H2O = 3.341 cm³

Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 3.140 inch = 79.76 mm

Barrel Length : 24.0 inch = 609.6 mm

Powder : Ramshot Hunter

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,

incremented in steps of 1.0% of nominal charge.

CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step Fill. Charge Vel. Energy Pmax Pmuz Prop.Burnt B_Time

% % Grains fps ft.lbs psi psi % ms

-10.0 77 37.71 2316 1667 31842 8930 94.4 1.601

-09.0 78 38.13 2340 1702 32761 9043 94.8 1.583

-08.0 79 38.55 2364 1738 33707 9155 95.3 1.565

-07.0 80 38.97 2389 1774 34680 9264 95.7 1.548

-06.0 80 39.39 2413 1811 35679 9371 96.1 1.531

-05.0 81 39.81 2438 1847 36709 9476 96.5 1.514

-04.0 82 40.22 2462 1884 37767 9578 96.8 1.495

-03.0 83 40.64 2486 1922 38857 9678 97.2 1.475

-02.0 84 41.06 2511 1960 39974 9775 97.5 1.456

-01.0 85 41.48 2535 1998 41129 9869 97.8 1.436

+00.0 86 41.90 2559 2036 42312 9961 98.1 1.418

+01.0 86 42.32 2583 2074 43523 10049 98.3 1.399

+02.0 87 42.74 2607 2113 44763 10135 98.6 1.381

+03.0 88 43.16 2631 2152 46032 10217 98.8 1.363

+04.0 89 43.58 2655 2192 47335 10297 99.0 1.346 ! Near Maximum !

+05.0 90 44.00 2679 2232 48673 10373 99.2 1.328 ! Near Maximum !

Results caused by ± 10% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge

Data for burning rate increased by 10% relative to nominal value:

+Ba 86 41.90 2684 2239 50603 9808 100.0 1.312 ! Near Maximum !

Data for burning rate decreased by 10% relative to nominal value:

-Ba 86 41.90 2393 1781 34438 9574 91.7 1.546

 

Thanks for your help Laurie, very much appreciated.

Will try again and hopefully have more success.

I'm using Norma brass. Do you think these will be ok?

 

Cheers

 

Danny.

[Laurie]

Just in case there has been some massive change in Hunter's formulation between V4.5 and V5.0 data prints, I've just compared max loads for various bullets in .243 Win, 6.5mm Hornady Creedmoor, and 7mmWSM. There is no change to any of them.

 

Just to check QuickLOAD's propellant characteristics are reasonably close, I ran Western's max load of 45.3gn Ramshot Hunter with the 140gn A-Max in 6.5mm Hornady Creedmoor and the two are a reasonable match, QL actually predicting a slightly higher PMax just over the maximum allowed SAAMI figure.

[Laurie]

Norma brass is excellent. It's usually slightly 'roomier' than Lapua which reduces pressures and velocities slightly.

[Dac9976]

Ideal I'll get some loaded up this week starting at 43gn.

Will let you know how I get on:)

 

Cheers

 

Danny.

[dannywayoflife]

The way I've started to load is find the maximum charge weight in your rifle then back off slightly and looking for a good load a grain or so under max.

[Dac9976]

Where did you get that data from? The current Ramshot loading manual from the company's website lists max loads ~43gn for this weight of bullet (Partition not one included). 40.5gn (actually, 40.8gn) Hunter is what it recommends as max for the much smaller 6.5mm Hornady Creedmoor with the 140 A-Max.

 

Remember too, that the US SAAMI maximum pressure for the 6.5 SKAN is limited to 55,000 psi due to its antiquity and the number of 100 year old early Mauser military rifles still in use, Krags and suchlike too.

 

Assuming you're using a modern rifle with a strong action and good quality brass such as Lapua, there is no reason to limit yourself to this pressure. 60,000 psi as used in .308, .260 Rem etc is perfectly safe. Start around 43gn and work your way up to 46-47gn using 0.4gn steps which will get you to around the 2,800 fps level with a 140 in a 24-inch barrel (QuickLOAD calculation) at a pressure around 58,000 psi.

Laurie this is what I got this morning at the range.

 

43.0- MV 2443 fps avg

43.4-MV 2503 fps avg

43.8-MV 2530 fps avg

44.2-MV 2540 fps avg

So far......

Will do some next week:)

[Finman]

Hi,

 

Sorry I sort of forgot this topic. I got close to 3000fps with 140gn SSTs and N160 with a Sako 75 Hunter factory rifle and accuracy around .5inch. I've since changed the barrel but have not tried the same load combination as I was giving the brass a thrashing....(although I never got stiff bolt lifts).

 

Best wishes

 

Finman

[Missed]

DAC9976 as a matter of interest do you have any more results, especially how the accuracy was as velocity increased? I am about to start loading 140G Amax with Hunter for the 6.5 and am interested in how you got on.

[Dac9976]

Hi Missed

 

Yeah got some more results. I've changed rifles, so I had to do some more development.

Will dig them out today for you:)

 

Cheers

 

Danny.

[Missed]

Much appreciated D.

[Dac9976]

Hi missed

 

This is what I've got.

 

I've gone from 43.0gr to 46.6 gr in increments of .4.

46.6grs produced 2721 fps. This was out of a standard Blaser barrel.

 

Cheers

 

Danny.