newbie question 2: powder in factory ammo

M

mrentropy

New member
I am working my way into this subject gradually. I figure I'll actually take the dive in another few months.

I'd like to start by reloading .270 win, not for competition but just for fun.

I have found one particular type of factory ammo that shoots very well in my gun. That was a true learning experience for me, a novice shooter, to see my 3" groups become so small the bullet holes overlapped, upon changing ammo.

Is there any way to "reverse-engineer" their load, in particular, figure out what powder they are using*? Say, for example, is there a "visual dictionary" of what various powders look like under a magnifying glass?

I hope this isn't an inappropriate question.

Thanks,
Peter

*I mean, other than asking them. I assume they won't tell if asked.
 
I doubt you'll be able to do a true reverse engineering. However, what you can do is to use the same bullet they are using and seek out load data that will match their velocity.
 
No, there really isn't.

The powder ammo manufacturers use is not the same as canister grade powder you can buy at your local gun store. The powder we can buy is engineered to be consistent from lot to lot, in theory a can of Varget you bought 10 years ago should be the same as powder you buy today.

Now there can be lot to lot variations that can effect accuracy, but it is pretty unlikely a load you developed with one lot will be dangerous with a new lot.

Ammo manufacturers don't buy canister grade powder, because the additional quality control at the powder manufacturer increases cost. They buy powder by the boxcar full, and then tailor their load for that specific lot of powder to meet their velocity and pressure target.

In other words, two boxes of Remington .270 from different lots probably have the same powder, but may or may not have the same charge weight.

It really isn't apples to apples.
 
......EM-5: You are correct. F/I; Hornady uses [32] different burn rates of SUPERFORMANCE powder for their SUPERFORMANCE factory loads...HODGDON distributes only [1] of the [32]. Many believe [that] the one from HODGDON is the ONLY one which HORNADY uses in their factory loads. Wrong thinking.

WILL,..just WILL.
 
mrentropy, you are in luck because the .270 Win is very forgiving in finding good loads once a good bullet is decided on. There are many appropriate powders to choose from but 4831 & 4350 (of various brands) both can make a .270 shoot fast & accurate. If you can't find the same factory bullet your rifle likes, try some Sierra's; they seem to always shoot accurately.

FWIW...
 
Thanks, BumbleBug.

Yes, before taking the cheap used Remington 700 I bought into the field, I blew a fair bit of $ trying various expensive factory ammo in it. Almost as much $ as the gun lol.

For 150grain (I hunt elk), I found Federal Premium with a Sierra GameKing BTSP way outperformed everything else. I don't know why, but it did.
 
Yeah, you might have a box of .270 factory loaded with canister grade powder, if that is what the powder mill had on hand to send out. But it might be a bulk lot that looks the same but has a different "burn rate." And they might get a different lot or even a different grade or maybe a different brand of powder next quarter. No way to tell in most cases.

Hornady says they load 6.5 Creedmoor with real deal H4350 and you can duplicate the load, but that is a minority item.
 
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