Does anyone know when they changed the formulation of this powder? Some of my reloading books say that it has red or yellow grains mixed in to identify it and the can I have doesn't. I remember reading somewhere that there are two types (i think) but I don't know when it changed. By the way i have seen loads in different places for different calibers using RL7 that are quite different, as much as 15-20% grain charge difference for the same cartridge. Could this be because of the powder change? Why don't they say anything on the bottle???? Any help on this?

The reloader 7 I have is marked "made In USA" on the container. It is the old style. The new style is marked "made in xxxx", forget where, but not in USA. I was lucky enough to find several 5 pound cotainers of the same lot. I am hopefully set for life with this powder.

I shoot a lot of REloader 7, although it is not on the trendy powder list...

A lot of data for RELoader 7 was evidently kept down to lower pressures.. ( who knows why... I am sure some muckymuck made the decision... is why)...

Lyman's number 47 manual lists the pressures with REloader 7, and I find it pretty spot on...IN my Hodgdon Number 26 manual, they post lower charges....

Alliants load data also seems conservative....

Guess they want to keep suehappy lawyers out of their hair....

If you use IMR 4198 or H 4198 load data, since REloader 7 is a hair slower, you should be okay...I use 4198 data, if available as a benchmark if ReLoader 7 data isn't available....

Reloader 7 can actually do some wonders in the 8x57 Mauser case with 170 and 150 grain bullets...

It is also my alternative powder after IMR 3031 in the 7 x 57 Mauser case....

It is my 22.250 powder of choice... with lighter bullets.. and also one of the top ones in 223 with 40 grain bullets....IN the 223, I run it up to 28 grains with 40 grain Ballistic tips...in a bolt action... may be a hot load.. but the rifle or the brass doesn't seem to mind.... very reliable case life ( 8 to 10 firings)....

If it isn't USA made, it is made by Balfor in Sweden....which makes Norma's Powder also....

cheers
seafire

quote:

Originally posted by seafire/B17G:
I shoot a lot of REloader 7, although it is not on the trendy powder list...

A lot of data for RELoader 7 was evidently kept down to lower pressures.. ( who knows why... I am sure some muckymuck made the decision... is why)...

I think the reason why is that the old formulation was quite a bit faster than the new one. I read somewhere that the old reloader 7 and the new reloader 7 are NOT the same powder, and the load data should not be mixed between the two powders. Yet they say nothing on the bottles about this, or on the web-site.

The original "RxelOdeRx" 7 (when Hercules used the "Rx" symbol for prescription as their advertising logo for the line of powders) was made in the U.S. by Hercules.

Alliant Powders, their successor, contracts with Bofors of Sweden (the same company that makes the "Norma" line of powders) for their production. Today's Alliant Re-7 is similar in burning rate to the orginal Hercules Rx-7, but is a somewhat different powder. If changing from one to another, treat them as very different lots as you would treat an unknown lot of any powder. By the way, the Bofors-Norma powders are known for their wider than average lot-to-lot variation.

quote:

Originally posted by Stonecreek:
By the way, the Bofors-Norma powders are known for their wider than average lot-to-lot variation.

Retail Norma powders (2xx series and xRP) are widely known here in Scandinavia for their LOWER than average lot variaton, it's in fact their main selling point - it is extremely expensive compared to other powders (VV N140-160 for example)