Hey Guy's

On the Alliant web site, main page, they list loads for the 470 NE.
I have seen alot of post's and info on using RL 15, but they only list RL 19 and 22 on the wed page ?
Any idea why RL 15 is not listed ?
Guy I spoke to, said Federal uses RL-15 for there factory loads ?
So why not list load data for it !
Any thoughts.

My guess is that you need some sort of filler (foam or dacron) while using RL15 in large nitro cases, and the powder manufacturer doesn't want to go there for numerous reasons.
That said, if you do a search or PM me, you will find all you need to know about RL15 loads in the 470 NE. Many folks on this site have used RL15 with great sucess....myself included.

good luck.

Gary
DRSS
NRA Lifer
SCI
DSC

I use RL-15 with a foam wad, with "good success" whatever that means, like the rifle hasn't blown up so that's good!

The story told on AR is that Federal uses a hot primer unavailable to the common folk that precludes the need for a wad or other filler, as you can hear the powder sloshing around in the Fed. factory loads.

Supposedly RL-15 has a burn characteristic(s) that nearly duplicate Cordite so in theory it will yield similar regulation in old, Cordite regulated rifles.

The other thing is that one can use significantly less RL-15 powder than the others (Barnes shows RL-25 also) which reduces recoil, but requires a filler.

I don't know if any of this is true (except for the reduced recoil), but those are the stories. Hopefully someone will chime in with the real story.

The use of RL-15 in Nitro Express reloads stems from a Dec 1999/Jan2000 Handloader Article by Ross Seyfried.

As stated above RL-15 will give you very consistant velocities. If you need a copy of the article, please email me at rkmojo@aol.com

I asked one of the boys from Federal, at the 2007 NRA show in St. Louis, if they used RL 15 in the factory 470 loads. He replied that they did, for what that is worth.


Dutch

quote:

Originally posted by nitro450exp:
On the Alliant web site, main page, they list loads for the 470 NE.
I have seen alot of post's and info on using RL 15, but they only list RL 19 and 22 on the wed page ?
Any idea why RL 15 is not listed ?

Ditto with what Gary said, they don't like to post a load that uses filler and R-15 needs a filler with 470 N.E. It is the powder of choice for just about all N.E. rifles. I know how to fix the filler problem, maybe some of us AR guys could pay off some Federal ammo employee to get us a few thousand of the F-216 primers.

When you get some Dirk, I'll trade ya some of my 215 Gold Medal primers!

Folks, remember that Federal is most likely using a non-canister powder, their own special order of an RL-15 type powder. We ain't ever gonna get our hands on that stuff outside a Federal cartridge!

“Folks, remember that Federal is most likely using a non-canister powder, their own special order of an RL-15 type powder. We ain't ever gonna get our hands on that stuff outside a Federal cartridge!â€
Rusty,
I think you are absoutley right. They blend up a bunch of the powder so it will have the properties they want and can have enough in a batch to last them for a while.
I am wondering if someone would like to do an experiment? Pull some Federals and insert a foam wad and shoot them over a chronograph. I am wondering if it would help the consintey of Federals ammo.
Bill

I don't know if Federal uses a proprietary RL 15 or not, but when I shoot their .470 loads against my own reloads using RL 15, a foam Kynoch wad, Federal 215 primer, and Woodleigh bullets, I get much better consistancy in velocity and accuracy with the reloads. Has anyone else noticed a similar pattern?

Geronimo

I haven't chrono'd Fed factory rounds in my 470. Neither have I chrono'd that many rounds at the same ambient temp., but when the load gives me vels. in the 2150-2200 fps range, they are extremely consistent, within a few fps.

What is even more interesting is that both barrels are consistent with each other, within a couple fps. Not unusal to get, e.g., 2181 fps in the right barrel and 2182 in the other. Spooky.

Thanks for input.
I really want to stay away from fillers, so I will work up some loads with RL 22 as it calls for more powder than RL 19 (Better load density).
Any suggestions for RL 22 with 500 and 400 grain bullets ?
Is the federal 215 primer the hottest available, to us mere mortals.
Thanks

I like RL-15 and a foam wad or 5 grs. of DACRON in the .470...

I also like IMR-4831 if I want it to cook..I can get 2245 FPS in a Searcy and that is what my gun was regulated for by Butch..

The recoil was horrendous so I loaded it down to 2020 FPS with RL-15 and a filler, and got the same POI, killed buffalo like the hammer of Thor, and I saved my bicuspids!

quote:

I can get 2245 FPS in a Searcy and that is what my gun was regulated for by Butch..

The recoil was horrendous ...

Put that in a 7.5 lb. rifle and it is even horrendous-er-er-er!

I was able to chrono all the Factory 470 loads in my Merkel. Only two rounds each. I use 108 gr. H4831SC, F215M, No Filler, @ 2047

TBBC Softs 2130 FPS
TBBC Solids 2162 FPS
Woodleigh Softs 2165 FPS
Woodleigh Solids 2097 FPS

Don't even show me a 7.5 lb. .470 lest I go in to chillbains and gilflurtations, the thought is making me ill....please no more such posts, it brings about memories of my 7 lb. 505 Gibbs Improved and I go into hiding and scream at the grandkids!