He Guys,

I managed to stumble into this unused can of powder.

Apparently similar to Norma MRP or RL-22 according to what I can glean from the net.

Anyone got the ultimate low-down?

Suitable for 300 Wea, 300 Win, 25-06?

GERRY
hi how are you doing
MRP is very similar to MRP/R22 great in the 06 and up, does really well in the 30 cal magnums
BOB HAGEL spoke very highly of N205
Daniel

N205 was one of the first powders I used when I started loading about 40yrs ago. Norma replaced it with MRP. If I remember they stated they were having trouble with lot to lot variations with 205. (Hmmm sounds like rl22) My loads didn't translate exactly from 205 to MRP but for sure close enough I would have no issue using MRP data as load info.

It should work great in the rounds you listed.

Daniel,



Everytime I drive down to Prechtl's I wonder how it's going with you - hopefully all's well.

Thx for the response.

Paul,

Thank You for taking the time. I'll check out some of the reco'd loads for these cartridges with MRP.

Then ..... I remembered ..... DUH!!! Took a look thru Ken Water's Pet Loads and found some of his dated references which included Norma 205!

Gerry,
Excellent powder, I bought up all I could find and when I ran out I switched to MRP and never looked back.
I use it in my .257 Ackleys(both) and an old 6.5 Swede. Excellent accuracy and velocity.

Stepchild

Gerry:

Every once in a while, I know why I have kept all these load guides over the years, and you are in luck, as I have one for Norma 205. I also have a few cans of various Norma Powders, including 205,204, and 203.

Here is some data right out of their, 60-s or 70's powder guide

300 Win Mag 150 grain bullet/82N205/3400fps
180 " " /78N205/3135fps according to Norma, pressures are 52990 and 53250psi respectivly. There is no data for the 25-06, no surprise, as I doubt it was a factory cartridge at the time this data was published, also nothing for the 300 Weatherby. Here's a couple 270 Win loads,130 grain Bullet/ 60.3N205/3251fps/50700psi:150 grain Bullet/58.5N205/3028fps/52520psi.

I can scan and send you copies of the data guide if you like, or let me know if there is another cartridge, you are looking for data, and I'll send/post it as well. Of course these are Norma's loads and I am just relaying them to you out of the book. I'd drop a grain or 2 and work up, just to watch for pressure signs.

Have fun

Jerry

Norma 205, Norma MRP, RL-22 -- it's all the same, and at the same time not. This is the same fundamental powder, it's just that for the last half-century or so the burning rate has been highly variable from lot to lot.

I'll bet your can of N205 is packaged in a 400 gram red and black container, no?

Many, many years ago when N205 was very new and receiving rave reviews as having unearthly qualities in terms of high velocities at low pressures, I gritted my teeth and bought a cannister of it, at which time it sold for about four times the price of surplus H-4831 with its very similar buring rate.

I was hugely gratified using it in a .264 Win to find that it generated both higher velocities and less apparent pressure, and provided outstanding accuracy. Once I used that can up (didn't take long in a .264, especially with the can being 54 grams short of a pound!) I went and plunked down my scarce dollars for another cannister.

Whoa! With the same load pressures obviously shot up, while velocities did not. I couldn't even get the same accuracy out of the new lot of powder. Eventually, I loaded that cannister of powder in a friend's .30-06 and went back to stuffing logs of H-570 in my .264.

Bottom line: Use either MRP or RL-22 loading data as a guide for using your cannister of N205, just take the usual precautions of starting amply low and working up.

As an epilogue to my story, I came across another cannister of N205 fairly recently and tried it in a .244 with varmint weight bullets. I'm not sure where it might have stacked up compared to either of the other two lots I had experience with many years ago, but its performance was splendid in the .244 and I was sad to see the shiney bottom of that (little) cannister appear. Despite being 40+ years old, the powder obviously exhibited no signs of degradation.

NOTE: Due to the great press that N205 received for a time, Hodgdon introduced its own version called -- you'll never guess -- H205. That Hodgdon powder was MUCH faster than any lot of N205 and if anyone should come across some of it be sure to use only original Hodgdon data.

quote:

I'll bet your can of N205 is packaged in a 400 gram red and black container, no?

Stonie,

Of course it is!

I'd like to thank everyone for their advice on this topic - useful and I also received several PM's w/load data.

Gives me a good idea where I want to go with this can which for my purposes will initially be for a 300 Weatherby w/150 gr. Swift Scirocco II's ..... results to follow.