Range time 12/29/2022....Powder test

[300WSM]

Ramshot X-terminator
Vs.
Acurate Arms #2230
55gr Hornady FMJ-BT

Meant to shoot two 10 shot strings of 5.56x45 but one of them got 11 ...counting error on my part while shooting.

7.5" BBL @ 50 yards
Defense weapon hence the short bbl





Every shot from that short little beast launched ice and snow off the eave on the pavillion at the range...

 

[JD338]

223 Rem?

JD338

 

[desertcj]

Not sure if you know this...those are the same powder marketed under different labels.

 

[300WSM]

223 Rem?

JD338

Yes

 

[300WSM]

Not sure if you know this...those are the same powder marketed under different labels.

Yep yep yep...
And that subject has been beating a dead horse...
There are all sorts of opinions on that subject.

Same load data but it begins and ends there.?.
Some say so...
others say not so fast.
They share data only but differ in the exact properties used in product.

The Xterminator I loaded was manufactured in Belgium

The AA2230
made in USA

I meant to add in my OP about that and I'm going to invert the two charges...
While the ingredients may be the same we will see what happens if the 10 shot string group size follows the charge inversion.

 

[wvbuckbuster]

Same powder or not the second group is tighter which could be due to the .5 gr increase. Shows promise. Dan.

 

[300WSM]

Same powder or not the second group is tighter which could be due to the .5 gr increase. Shows promise. Dan.

Agreed 101 percent

 

[300WSM]

Not sure if you know this...those are the same powder marketed under different labels.

Wanted to share with you one of the opinions on that forever ongoing debate....

This is quoted from a different forum so I'm not 1st nor 2nd person in that discussion just a reader...
"Turns out load data is the only thing that they share. They are different powders manufactured in different places. Whether or not that makes a bit of difference is up to a reloader to iron out during load development and use, but I think it's worth sharing the response I received today from Western Powder:
Accurate 2230 is manufactured in Florida and Ramshot X-Terminator is manufactured in Belgium. Also A2230 is a different shape and it also has an additive to help it be more temperature stable. Whereas X-Terminator is laminated and has an anti-coppering agent added to it. So they are different powders but they do share the same load data. Again they share the same load data only.

So there you go, straight from the horse's mouth. FWIW, I've asked them to update their web site to accurately reflect where 2230 is manufactured. No response yet."

Have an idea what will happen but we'll see it put to paper.

I personally think 2320 will prove to be tighter of the two. At least with this bullet.
I use both of these a lot for many different things.
For fun, for competition etc.
Under a massively huge bright light the two powders look slightly different.
Why? Who knows. I'm no chemist but I can say they don't look identical.

We have a warm snap(the past week it's been zero - 20 degrers...

so strike while the iron is hot.

To be continued....

 

[desertcj]

Interesting, thanks for sharing that. Swapping charge weights of the Powders and retesting will be interesting as well! I've used a little bit of exterminator and found it to be OK, just not quite as accurate in my .223 as some others. I have not tried AA2230.