Temp Stable Powder Suggestions for Southwest

[Gringoloco]

[imaguy3]

well i live in southern Az... I've been using 8208... and luckily I bought enough to have some on the shelf at the moment.. just wish I did that with primers lol

[VASCAR2]

H4895
AR Comp
Benchmark

[Rosecrans1]

H4895
AR Comp
Benchmark

and Varget for lighter bullets. Even Power Pro Varmint isn't too bad at 0.89fps per degree F.

[Gringoloco]

[Klem]

Varget is slower than a wet week in Grendel. You'll reach case capacity long before you reach peak pressure - especially with light bullets. Varget is more suited to larger case capacities like Creedmore and .308.

Varget, H4895, 8208 and Benchmark are all single-based powders made in the same factory, which only makes single-based powders. Powders that are single based are more temp stable than double based. I use 8208 and H4895 for the range of Grendel bullet weights. I have used Benchmark (called BM2 here) but only because 8208 was missing in action. With Benchmark you might drop 30fps but it's a close substitute for 8208..

[StoneHendge]

I'm in Phoenix and have grappled with the same issue since relocating here a little under a year ago. Don't bother with any of the ball powders or Varget (which I'm a huge fan of elsewhere). The temp sensitivity curve steepens above 90 degrees with the balls and you simply can't fit enough Varget in a case. I started going down the road with H4895 and 123s and it showed promise, but I've been sidetracked with other projects. Just don't expect to get near any of the velocities you see others get with ball powders in cooler climates. If you do work up XBR this time of the year, be careful come spring when it heats up. It's less sensitive, but not insensitive and I've found it gets spikey really fast with 123s. That's the price we pay for a 365 day shooting season

[Pwoller]

Benchmark, Arcomp, h322, 8208.

[Grendelshooter]

[Mesa1978]

Another recommendation for ARComp, finding it is another matter.

[Rosecrans1]

I understand that Varget is not going to fly a Grendel pill as fast as the others mentioned. There are many powders better suited for it. However, it is very temp stable and if you are NOT going to hunt with it and shoot inside 300 yards at paper, it can produce very good groups. (And kill Pennsylvania Ground Hogs).
I shot the Berger 130gr Hybrid using 27.4gr of Varget with SD's under 10 and MOA under three-quarter of an inch. MV was 2274fps.
My best paper punching with Varget was with Sierra MK 100gr HPBT loaded compressed at 29.8gr. No pressure signs. SD's under 8. MV's from 2660 to 2670fps. All half-inch to three-quarter inch MOA. Three hundred yard accuracy was great. These were shot with the Ruger AP, 22" barrel.
I use Varget for my 308, 7mm-08, etc but it isn't worthless in a Grendel case.

[tdbru]

H4895 is one of the powders with one of the lowest temp sensitivities i've seen. i think it was posted here on the forum about a year ago with a bunch of other powders. It was 1/2 the sensitivity of Benchmark. I've had decent luck with H4895 with 120gr. and up bullet weights. it's not optimal for the Grendel, but it is usable, and i have it on hand. It seems to me that most of the newer powders that advertise low temp sensitivities are formulated for calibers that need a bit slower burn rate than the Grendel. AFAIK H4895, however, is one of the more temp stable powders that is usable with the mid to heavier bullets in the Grendel.

right now, i'm just happy to have some components to reload with. the shelves are bare around here.
good luck with finding the powder you need.
-tdbru

[Bobke]

[Gringoloco]

[Grendelshooter]