Has anyone used MRP powder with 165 grain bullets in a 30/06? If so how does it do, does it produce good velocity?

I usually use RL22 but can't find that now so I have been thinking of trying the MRP as they are supposed to be somewhat simular.

I have 2 unopened cans that have a $7.97 price tag. I bought these a few years ago.

Regards, Keith

Never used MRP in an 06. But burned a lot of it in a 280. When I couldn't find it I switched to RL22. Except for the first lot of RL22 I could pretty much load gr for gr with my MRP loads. So if RL22 works for you MRP should as well.

Only used it with 180gr bullets in 3006 it worked well.

I've used MRP extensively with 165 gr. bullets in my 30-06 Ackley Improved. It works quite well, giving outstanding velocities, but I had to compress it heavily and overtime the heavily compressed powder becomes "encrusted" causing a change in burn-rate - that is, to a faster rate resulting in over pressure loads.

Thus, if you compress it, I suggest using fresh reloads, which have not given me any trouble.

AIU

Ackley Improved,
I wasn't aware of powder changing burning rates when compressed. One time in a 30/06 and IMR 4350 I pulled a bullet from some older reloads and the powder was solid from being compressed. I had to use a little screw driver to break the powder to get it out of the case.

Regards, Keith

quote:

but I had to compress it heavily and overtime the heavily compressed powder becomes "encrusted" causing a change in burn-rate - that is, to a faster rate resulting in over pressure loads.

I probably have as many compressed load as non compressed. I have never had this problem but then again maybe the increase existed and just wasn't enough to cause issues. I also don't normally load up several years worth at a time either.

I seriously doubt you will need to compress MRP any more than you did RL22.

What I report regarding MRP came as a shock to me - I wasn't expecting it. Indeed, I've never encountered the problem with other powders I've heavily compressed.

But, it happened with MRP. Overtime - that is, one to two years of the loads being stored as heavily compressed (69 grs of MRP in 30-06 AI), I began to experience excessive pressure signs and erratic velocities that were not apparent when shooting the reloads fresh. And, when I pulled the bullets, the powder had become so encrusted that I had to dig it out of the case with a depriming tool. The encrustation had changed the burn-rate characteristics of the powder.

That encrustation might cause burn-rate changes doesn't surprise me - it's not a "normal" situation. The hard dense encrusted powder must have a different burn "geometry." My experience suggests that it does cause significant changes, which are difficult to predict, especially if you working with hot loads.

Now, I only shoot freshly compressed MRP loads and pull everything I don't shoot. I don't store heavily compressed MRP reloads.

Possibly, the powder coatings for MRP are causing the problem or maybe it's lot idiosyncratic. I don't know for certain.

Regards, AIU