I tried RL17 with some 300gr NF softs along with some other powders in my 375HH. I couldn't get the NF's to shoot very accurately with any of the load recommendations from NorthFork.

Has anyone used RL17 with 300gr A-Frames in 375HH? If so, would you share a starting load? The powder is just sitting in my cabinet going unused.

Just gave up on RL 17 in my 30-06. Tried it with 150 gr Barnes MRX and TTSX as well as Nosler Partitions same weight. Went from 55 to 62 grains and everything in between and best it did was with the TTSX but still not as good as the ole tried and true H4350!

Everyone needs to remember that each rifle has it's own requirements and sweet spot for EACH caliber, bullet and powder...what works well in one doesn't necessarily work well in another.

I have several calibers that like RL-17 for velo more than other powders and some of them produce better accuracy and others don't.

I use RL-17 just like H4350...same amounts...for the cases that like H4350, H4831...BUT each caliber gives different velos, some higher, some lower.

You have to work up a load just like any other powder, and what you get may not be what you want...

DON'T condemn the powder because you haven't finished your work or it doesn't work particularly well over some other powder...that is just throwing a tantrum.

RL-17 is just another powder with specific burn rates and parameters...no different than other powders.

AND...don't depend on QL or Load from a Disk for precise load data...both of those programs and the online Powley calculator are just predictors of POSSIBLE loads...not perfect loads.

I can't tell you HOW MANY mucked up results I've gotten from LD for a given set of inputs...it uses similar formulas for calculating pressure and velocity as Powley uses...and are JUST MATHAMATICAL CALCULATIONS not tested data.

I use two Powley programs, LD and a stack of reloading manuals to come up with a safe and sane beginning AND supposedly ending load...sometimes they are close, other times I can't believe how far off the calculated data is according to actual reloading manual data...and I will take the fired data over the software program data every time.

Besides...hardly anyone posits what accuracy level they think is right or what the targets looked like...OR the level of care they take with loading their ammo...most of the posts are full of inuendo which doesn't help ANYONE.

Comeon Guys...be specific with all your gripes and maybe there is someone out there who can give you a solution that will work for you.

Nomo4me and Woods show perfect examples of what some rifles and calibers can do with a "matched" load and what 0.020" difference in seating length can do to a group. You can see the same effects if you take a look at the reloadins section of AR...you can readily see the velo and group size changes with different powders and amounts.

Luck

I reconfirm RL 17 did not work IN MY rifle as well as H4350. Comment only worth what ya paid for it.

I went thru about 3 lbs of it testing it in various calibers from 22/250 up thru 338 mag...

some it worked well in, some it didn't improve over anything else out there...

definitely isn't reinventing the wheel..

glad we have all of these choices.. but what I usually find is that it is still hard to beat many powders that have been around for a long time, particular IMR's line up... and the oldies that have been around since the 1950s..

RL 7, H 322 are two that come to mind..

What's that jingle...hold the pickle, hold the lettuce...HAVE IT YOUR WAY...SAMO-SAMO for your shooters...

I just got my 6-284 together today enough to start load testing...1-8T, 26" Shaw, XP100 action, Jard trigger, Richards Micro Midnight Fire laminated unfinished stock and an aluminum bedding block to the end of the receiver bedded in epoxy.

Hornady 105 Amax seated 0.010" off lands at 2.85" COL, W-W neck turned to 0.016", trimmed 2.16", weight sorted running 200-202 gr, primer pockets uniformed and flash hole deburred...Temp was in the mid 90's.

3 rnds 48 gr H4350, no velo just to get on target.

3 rnds 48 gr RL-17...off targer 4" above targedot...nice 1" triangle...the H4350 load was about 1" above...and WAY TOO HOT, very hard bolt lift...dropped to 46 gr RL-17, two rounds on target...horizontal 7/8" apart, one over chrono 3190fs...bolt lift still a bit stiff.

Dropped to 45.5 gr, 3 rounds, two on target ~0.300" horizontal, one chrono 3170fs...bolt lift just right. Maybe 45 gr would work better.

Definitely shows you can't depend on "RL-17 and H4350 are equal" krap...at least in this case and this rifle...this particular scenario hasn't shown up in the other cartridges where I've used the same load amounts...ALWAYS a lesson a minute in this game.

Cleaned after the first 3 rounds of H4350 and the 6 RL-17 rounds

I have a bolt stop pin and spring and a Model 7 boltstop on order from Brownells but not sure I want to disturb the torque on the screws....

I will get a larger data sample...at least some 5 round groups and chrono numbers tomorrow maybe and also get some 107 Sierras and Norma 6.5 ordered.

Hope this level of accuracy continues...only time will tell.

I also have some HV 100 that shows some very nice high levels of velo to try...at least for the 6.5 cal.

According to Hodgdons website Retumbo produces the highest velocity...I might try some of that also.

Luck

A couple of pics...All the bullets were weight sorted and ogive measured...this batch of Amax's were extremely uniform...plus or minus a tenth gr and 0.001" on the ogive.

15X Weaver scope...actually 106 lazer yds.



I number all my cases so I can determine quickly where any inaccuracies lie...in this instance case #2 was always out of the group and opened from ~0.0300" to 0.900"...Cases #1 & 3 were pretty much in the 0.300" plus or minus a bit.



You can see case #2 was alway out on all the targets no matter the changes in powder amounts. I'm old, twitchy, bad vision but after eliminating all the "bad" cases in a batch I can still hold at least a quarter inch most of the time with my other rifles that have proven they can do it also.

Forget wasting components and barrel, I'm going sageratting... ...I have 10 prepped cases all ready to load.

C'Ya

By the way...I ran my case through Load from a Disk...it came up with one load of Retumbo at 54 gr, 3445fs/45415CUP/90% and a RL-25 load at 51 gr, 3449fs/45609CUP/85%...

I DEFINITELY wouldn't start at those leveles even though the pressure is SUPPOSED to be on the lower side. One very good example of "these software programs are MATHAMATICAL PREDICTIONS and nowhere near reality"...but I will try both those powders within the next few days and see where it leads.

This barrel is still being broken in and I clean it every 6 rounds plus polish the bore with 800 grit Garnet past...for the next 100 rounds or so. Both this barrel and the 220 Swift Shaw barrel are a bit rough.

Both barrels and die sets have slight "problems"...and both the Hornady and Sierra bullets each have their own whines...but that's what happens when using "factory" components...we just have to learn HOW to solve each of them and enjoy the process.

Luck

RL17 has been great for me in 30-06. Shooting a 22" barrel Savage SS. So far 168 SMK's have been MOA to amazing dependng upon the charge. I actually got a 4 shot 1/4" group. After 120 rounds I'm still in the 1/2" to .68" 5 shot realm so thats a keeper.

She's broken in enough, so next up is 165gr and 180gr GameKings. Originally I thought a different powder for 200gr but after seeing WOODS great results I'm gonna have to stick with RL17 to see how it goes.

I gave some RL17 a try in my 6.5-284 yesterday. I was mainly curious about velicity so I used 140 grain Hornady SST bullets which have never grouped very well but I have a bunch. I started with 47 grains in a clean cold barrel then went up in 1 grain increments allowing plenty of cooling time. Unfired Lapua brass with CCI primers. Seated 0.010" off the lands. 24" barrel.

Velocities:

47 grains: 2812, 2849, 2861
48 grains: 2898, 2849, 2801
49 grains: 2892, 2892, 2898
50 grains: 2904, 2936, 2956

I stopped at 50 grains with no indications of pressure. To get this velocity with RL22 I had to go over max. I havent found much load data for RL17 and 6.5-284 but I think my 50 grain max charge is within reason and since this is a hunting rig 2900 fps is fine so I think I'll work with a 49.5 grain charge.

Below is my target. I am going to try 140 grain Accubonds as they have been the most accurate hunting bullet I have tried in this rifle so far. I think I have a pretty good starting point and with a little more work I should be able to tune this in even better. I'm using a lead sled which isn't the steadiest rest and not really necessary with this round.

reloader 17 works really well in all the short mag calibers.getting good results in the 270 wsm and 350 rem mag. 61.5 grains in the 270 wsm with 130 gr accubond sub moa and 3250 fps with a 22" barrel. 65 grains in an encore 350 rem mag with a 225 gr sierra 2900 fps (26" barrel) sub moa

Anybody have data for the 270Wby with RL17 with 150gr bullets. I would like to try to get a little more velocity than I am currently getting using RL22.

quote:

I would like to try to get a little more velocity than I am currently getting using RL22.

Can't see that happening unless you are really under loading the RL22. For me RL17 is too fast for the 270Wby and 150s.
I would go slower not faster. 7828 or a slightly compressed load of RL25 MRP-2 etc.

Just a FYI QL calls max velocity for RL22 as about 75FPS higher than RL17 and 63,000psi

ramrod340--I switched my 270WSM, 7WSM and 300WSM to RL17 from RL22 and picked up accuracy and velocity in all three. I have not seen any published data or loads from people that have actually tried it in the 270Wby. I'm curious to see if it makes such a difference in the Weatherby.

RL-17 was developed especially for the short, fat WSM type, 30° plus shoulder angled cases so any case with similar characteristics should produce good ballistics...for excellent, up to date burn rate charts, Hodgdons has a list and also Accurate Arms has one that puts the powders in a comparison view rather than just a numerical listing view.

For those interested, the AA chart puts RL-17 equal to 760, IMR4350, N150, AR2209 and 7000 and one step faster than H4350 and AA4350.

The sage ratz didn't cooperate at ANY ranges so I decided to continue work on the stock and scratch up the chamber a bit...to see if I could get the cases to release easier.

I also tried RL-25 and got ~100 fs MORE velocity...with a few grains more powder of course, but less pressure indicated by less bolt lift pressure.

Luck

quote:

picked up accuracy and velocity in all three

I'll take your word for it.