Post Alliant Power Pro Varmint Results

[Drillboss]

Being curious, I just shot a comparison picture of Alliant Power Pro 2000-MR beside the mystery powder loaded into Hornady Black Match ammo. The two look almost identical to me since they're both flattened spheres of the same color except that the mystery powder kernels look to be about half the size of the 2000-MR.

It's dubious to think you can tell much about a powder by looking at it, but still I wonder if their chemical compositions are similar? The smaller kernel size may explain how Hornady is able to load production ammo that's so consistent since it likely measures more consistently.

The mystery powder looks blacker in the photo because it's farther from the light source but in person they look the same to me. It's difficult to take a good picture of powder kernels with a phone camera.

Dunno Crusty. What I've seen though is that Power Pro Varmint gives velocities about like Factory Hornady Black, but I'm seeing Black being quite a bit more temperature stable than PPV. Speer's data shows that 2000-MR should be about 200 fps faster than PPV.

Hornady sells good ammo. I guess I'd do the same thing and not let anyone know what magical powder I was using.

[beastep]

Here's some data for the sake of science. I went out and shot another 3 round group with factory Hornady Black to get an indication on temperature stability. Here's what I have:

60 deg: Avg vel 2441, ES 11, SD 5.2, I think the 3 round group was about 1.5"
44 deg: Avg vel 2424, ES 9, SD 3.9 (lost 1.06 fps/deg, obviously more stable than PPV)

Now it gets weird. After pulling the target for the 44 deg test, I though I had missed a 24" square frame with two shots, all I had on the target was one very ragged hole. Possibilities were single hole, or 2 complete misses. Neither made sense.

I went back and got the backer board, which was brand new. The hole is slightly triangular and measures 0.3". A fired case neck is a friction fit into the hole.

It's still hard for me to believe, and I have no witnesses, but this was a "no crap",center to center, 3 shot group of 0.036". I've never come anywhere close to that before with any load, and doubt that I ever will again, but at least I can tell people I did.

BTW, all of my data has been with a MagnetoSpeed strapped on the barrel.

Thats a little crazy. Its hard to believe that the less than 20 fps change can attribute to such a group change. But man this is all voodoo anyway.

[Drillboss]

Thats a little crazy. Its hard to believe that the less than 20 fps change can attribute to such a group change. But man this is all voodoo anyway.

The only thing I attribute the group to is the stars being perfectly aligned and maybe I managed to do everything behind the trigger better than I normally do.

[hikfromstik]

I just loaded my first 5 of alliant power pro varmint with Berger 130gr AR hybrid tactical otm in 23" Lilja barrel . I started at 28.5 grain and loaded them at 2.265" coal . I got a sub moa group probably around 0.8"- 0.9" I also used CCI 450 sm rifle mag primers. This load showed zero sign of over pressure . This is super fine powder . I think the magnum primers help this powder ignite all those tiny pieces. I don't have a chrono ( yet ) so I have no idea about velocity . I'll probably move up to 28.7gn for winter load .

Edit: I went to 28.7 and my groups tightened up to about .75" . The primers still look rounded . I'll probably stay here until I get a chronograph and see what kind of speed I'm getting .

[koden]

I was hoping to get out tomorrow and test the 130 TMK's and RDF's that I loaded up with PPV this week but I looked at the ocean forecast and decided I need to drag the boat out and catch some Lingcod.

Decisions decisions.

[BluntForceTrauma]

Really appreciate all you guys working with this. We're gonna get some good data!

[Mad Charlie]

I second that!

[Sticks]

Barrel length, muzzle velocity, ammo temp, not ambient with anything that groups well.

[Joseph5]

Ammunition manufacturers usually do not say what powder they are using because it is generally a powder that is not available to the average consumer. Hornady listed H4350 as the powder for the 6.5 Creedmoor loads when they first came out years ago to boost popularity and acceptance but that is no longer the case because they have gone to a different powder now. Bill A. covered this in a post years ago saying that the powder he was using in his factory Grendel loads was not available as a canister powder. Hornady has also stated that their Superformance ammunition has a unique powder blend for each load to optimize performance. It is different from the Superformance powder that is available to consumers.

[muvef]

Tested the 107 gr Sierra MK's

18" JSE barrel

2.256" COAL

30.4 gr PPV

2573 fps

30.7 gr PPV

2600 fps

No signs of pressure signs.

Both loads were around a inch. I didn't feel like walking through the mud again to pull the targets.

[BluntForceTrauma]

M, thanks for report!

[Drillboss]

I was going to hold this until I got some warmer temperatures, but decided to go ahead and show what I have.

My original shooting was at about 60 degrees. I selected my load of 28.7 gr of PPV as a datum, since it gave me the lowest ES and SD, and it also gives me some room if things try to spike at higher temperatures. Over the past couple weeks, I've checked some lower temperatures.

60 deg: Avg vel 2448, ES 9, SD 3.7, group size 1.14" (original data presented above)
52 deg Avg vel 2421, ES 20, SD 8.5, group size 0.6" (lost 3.5 fps/deg)
40 deg: Avg vel 2406, ES 27, SD 12.5, group size 1.33" (lost 2.1 fps/deg)
28 deg: Avg vel 2398, ES 32, SD 14.6, Too damn cold and windy to set up and shoot for groups. I just huddled in the shed, shooting at the berm. (lost 1.6 fps/deg)

I finally got around to shooting these rounds with some higher temps.

71 deg: Avg vel 2452, ES 48, SD 19.9, group size 1.8" (gained 0.4 fps/deg)
83 deg: Avg vel 2459, ES 54, SD 22.9, no group (gained 0.5 fps/deg)
93 deg: Avg vel 2632, ES 17, SD 7.6, no group (gained 5.73 fps/deg) I think that's what they call a pressure spike.

The 93 deg set was single loaded and I let things cool off for about a minute between shots. That may explain the ES and SD coming back down from the original trend. All the other sets were fired with 3 rounds in the mag. I still didn't see any noticeable marks on the brass at 93 deg.

Be careful with this stuff if you're above 80 degrees.

Here's the full data set:

PPV Temp Test.pdf

[BD264]

PSX_20180520_102024.jpg

[muvef]

[Drillboss]

I'd be interested to see what your data looks like up around 90 deg. In general, I like the powder but I'm a bit concerned about what I saw at higher temps.