Western Powders 1st reloading manual

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ghostrider
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Western Powders 1st reloading manual

#1

Post by ghostrider »

Useful for anyone using Ramshot, Accurate, or Norma powders.



Currently on sale at Midway:

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/59256 ... ing-manual
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Re: Western Powders 1st reloading manual

#2

Post by K-Texas »

Maybe you can tell us what calibers they show Norma data for? Rob Behr up at Western is a good friend. As mentioned elsewhere here, I have a fairly new article on their blog titled: The Heavyweight Semi-Finals. Rob wrote the manual while the data was developed in their lab by others. It really is a great piece of work with one exception. The 9 x 19mm & 9 x 19mm +P data are pretty lame. Really unfortunate, but if you have older Accurate load guides from the early years of the last decade, Accurate had one of the best ballisticians in the business. A European named Johan Loubser. Most of his data agrees with manuals from other component makers. Western got him in the bargain when they purchased Accurate Powder Co. I had several conversations with him, mostly about cartridge pressure and the different testing methods used here and in Europe. The guy was just flat-out world-class, but, unfortunately, he retired and returned to Europe (Northern) some years back.

Their other data looks good and Rob sent me an advance copy of the load manual on PDF which is on this computer. I thought he did an exceptional job when he asked my opinion. He is a very bright and talented guy.

Something else you will find in the Western Load Manual, or their annual guides, is true data for 5.56mm NATO. Other companies kinda fudge by using heavy bullets in .223 Rem loads and call it 5.56mm NATO data. Well, that dog won't hunt! The pressure rating for the .223 Rem is 55,000 PSI/SAAMI while the pressure rating for the 5.56mm NATO is 62,350 PSI/CIP. That's the reason for the warning not to load or fire 5.56mm NATO ammo unless the firearm is specifically rated and marked for it.

If you're into the newer Mk 1 & Mk II loads originally conceived by Chris Kyle and use 77 & 75 grean open tip match bullets with cannelures, respectively, not only does Western have the best data, but trying to improve over TAC is going to be a job I wouldn't want. Their is a req'd velocity spec that started with the Mk262 Mod 0 that is now the Mk I. The Sierra 77 gr. HPBT-Matchking must exit the barrel at 2700 FPS or faster to assure that it will tumble out to 300 yards, and what makes these loads so deadly. The Mk II is essentially the former Hornady Tap II LEO load that uses their 75 gr. BTHP w/c that was spec'd 2750 FPS from a 16" barrel. We just chronographed some Mk II type loads on Friday using TAC where 10 rounds over the chrono averaged 2780 FPS and gave an exceptional Standard Deviation of 9FPS. My Shooting Partner had some scope issues that's on his Colt's Competiton CRX-16, and Saturday he emailed that he had run out to the range to check the loads again with the scope corrected and fired a 5 round group of .365". Those guns were built in Breckenridge and were guaranteed to shoot 3 round 1" groups or less at 100 yards, Really a shame that the Colt's bankruptcy killed Bold Ideas in Breckenridge! ;-)
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