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1/11/2010 7:42:29 AM EDT

I wandered up on  40lbs of H50BMG and 20lbs of US869 couple months ago.  It was priced at $100 per 8# so for Hodgdon powder; so I picked it all up figuring you can't get a much better deal.  Also picked up all their primers at $100/250 as well.  

I have several thousand 647g API surplus projectiles I decided to load up for plinking rounds.  All of the US869 is in 1# jugs so I decided I would try to use up most of that first.  The max load according to both the Hodgdon website and Hornady reloading book calls for 265g of powder using US869 with a 650g projectile.  Using that data; I reduced the loads by roughly 10% and round up to 240g .... someone would be hard pressed to put 265g of powder in a 50 BMG case and still have room to seat any type of bullet.

Does that load sound about right?  Not used to having to put more than 220g in a case .... just seems like an awful lot of powder.  Another thing I find interesting is that you can use US 869 in 338 Lapua but there is no load data for H50BMG for 338 Lapua.  H50BMG is a much cleaner powder and has nearly the same burn rate ....

Sarg
1/11/2010 8:02:35 AM EDT
[#1]
Quoted:

I wandered up on  40lbs of H50BMG and 20lbs of US869 couple months ago.  It was priced at $100 per 8# so for Hodgdon powder; so I picked it all up figuring you can't get a much better deal.  Also picked up all their primers at $100/250 as well.  

I have several thousand 647g API surplus projectiles I decided to load up for plinking rounds.  All of the US869 is in 1# jugs so I decided I would try to use up most of that first.  The max load according to both the Hodgdon website and Hornady reloading book calls for 265g of powder using US869 with a 650g projectile.  Using that data; I reduced the loads by roughly 10% and round up to 240g .... someone would be hard pressed to put 265g of powder in a 50 BMG case and still have room to seat any type of bullet.

Does that load sound about right?  Not used to having to put more than 220g in a case .... just seems like an awful lot of powder.  Another thing I find interesting is that you can use US 869 in 338 Lapua but there is no load data for H50BMG for 338 Lapua.  H50BMG is a much cleaner powder and has nearly the same burn rate ....

Sarg


I'd start around 220 grains.  That US869 is really slow stuff and it's ball powder...fits more densely in a case than extruded H50BMG.  I'm sure you can fit the 265 gr in the case but i wouldn't suggest it.  Start at around 220 and work you way up, 5 grains or so at a time, always watching for a tight bolt on opening.  When it gets tight, backoff 2 grains and consider that your max load.

-David
Edgewood, NM

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