For a number of years, I have been using a 200-grain bullet loaded with Hodgdon H205 powder in an 8X60RS double rifle because of the extremely favorable velocity/pressure relationship provided by this no longer available propellant. Is anyone aware of an available propellant in the same burning-rate category that has a similar velocity/pressure relationship that could be used instead?

That's what I was afraid of!

Do you happen to know what the relative quickness of H205 was? That would make it a cinch.

I have access to some old manuals, so I'll see if there are any burn-rate charts in them. I'll try to find out sometime this afternoon.

Also, have you contacted Hodgdon with this question?

RSY

Well, belay my last. I found the below charts via a dogpile.com search:

http://www.steyrscout.org/burnrate.htm H205 is #127 on this chart.

http://www.gswagner.com/bigreloading/components/powderburnrate.html H205 is #166 on this chart.

This may get you in the neighborhood. But, a cursory examination will show you that the charts themselves differ substantially in certain areas. Caveat emptor.

RSY

Thanks, RSY. I tried H205 also in some .30/'06 and .30/40 Krag ammo with 200 grain Sierra bullets, and it chronographed EXACTLY the same as IMR 4350 with identical charges and the same batch of bullets! But, according to several sources of pressure data back when H205 was available, including Hodgdon, in the .30-.32 caliber cartridges, H205 gave similar velocity performance to IMR 4350 at much lower pressures, and that is what I need for the 8X60 double-lower pressures than IMR 4350 wouild produce with loads giving the same MV as H205 does.

My experience with H205 indicates it is closer to the position of 166 on the latter of your two charts, a lot faster than N205! Thanks again.

[ 08-08-2003, 15:07: Message edited by: eldeguello ]

H205 was an odd duck. I'm not sure that its burning rate can be easily categorized, because it seemed to vary in behavior in cartridges of different case capacities and with heavier/lighter bullets. It was certainly somewhat faster than the popular (at the time) N205, but it is hard to say how much faster. One of the 4350's would probably be a pretty good substitute, but not necessarily at the same weight in every load.

Eldeguello,

And all this time I thought I was the last person to run out of H205! I bought 17 lbs of it (for $50) in 1981 in Amarillo and used it in everything from my 30 Gibbs up to a 416 Rem. I really like that powder--too bad it's gone. I wish you well in your quest for a replacement!

Good Hunting,

ACRecurve, I don't know whether Hodgdon dropped H205 because they couldn't get any more, or if it was because it wasn't selling well enough to justify keeping it in the lineup. I'm sorry I discovered it just about the time it was discontinued. I found three pounds of it at the Gibson's Discount store in Copperas Cove TX when I was stationed at Ft. Hood. It is, (alas!!) now all gone!!

As I recall H205 had some pretty wide lot-to-lot variations and it wasn't on the market all that long. It worked really well for me, though, in several medium capacity cartridges like the 6,5x54 and 7x57. I've still got most of a pound of it; too bad we're several states apart 'cause I'd be happy to give it to you.

I forget the year, but it was either 1981 or 1982 when the NRA had their convention in Phoenix Arizona. H-205 had just recently been discontinued. I'd bought a couple of cans to try in an 06 and it worked real good. Anyway, I ran into the Hodgden rep at the convention and flat out asked him why the powder had been dropped. He said, and I quote, "Frankly, the numbers just were not there." I asked him if they were losing money on the powder. he said, "No, we just weren't selling enough to make it worth while."
So there you have it. The bean counters strike again.
FWIW, my favorite powder for the .300 Win. Mag. is Winchester's WMR. It's been discontinued, as you probably well know. I have a great many loading manuals, and you'd be surprised at how many of them totally ignored WMR. Nosler and Hornady had a few loads, and maybe Speer's book might have had some, but there was damn little data worked up in those manuals.
That wasn't the case with H-205 as in checking the manuals of the period, every one of the ones I have, Nosler, Hornady, Speer, and Sierra all have data. The only exception was the Lyman #47. I just checked data for the 30-06, so They may have used it in some other cartridge.
methinks it is just another case of the bean counters striking again. Twixt them and the scumbag lawyers, they're ruining the firearms industry and shooting game. JMHO.
Paul B.