RL15 for .308 ?

[TackDriver284]

I was in the process of cleaning my shelves and I noticed that I have a pound of RL15 that I overlooked on my shelf. Its been there for years and I'm fireforming some new brass of 100 pieces so I'm saving good quality hunting bullets and looking to use the 155 Palma Sierras instead. Has anyone having good success with RL-15? Since its a temp sensitive powder, I am clearing out those powders for a reason ( except RL-22, its works great in the 300 Winny ) and keeping the temp stable powders on my shelves. I have Varget, and always used this powder, for the .308 but won't waste it for fireforming loads.
I assume RL 15 should work well for the 155 Palmas in the 308 for fireforming loads and fun shooting to 300 yards.

 

[358 WCF]

You might be surprised at the accuracy. RL15 is very similar to & will work almost as well or sometimes better than H4895 in every cartridge I've tried it in. Charge weights will be within a few grains but not the same. A friend used it in hunter class BR with 150s in a 308. He won a lot of matches.

In my experience it doesn't seem that temp sensitive & is a very useful mid burning rate powder from 220 Swift thru 358 Norma.

 

[345 kv]

I use it with 168 gr bullets and a Rem 700 308 with 178 gr bullets. RL 15 works well in both.

 

[Elkman]

RL-15 allows my 308 to shoot tiny little groups, in the sub 1/2 size. I love it and use it in my .223

 

[5shot]

I use it in the 308 too.

 

[TackDriver284]

Thanks guys for the recommendations, hopefully I get to the range this week or next week, I'll post results.

 

[Guy Miner]

Great powder for the 308 Win. I used it a fair bit when Varget was hard to get a few years back.

Works great with those 155 gr Palma bullets too BTW.

Guy

 

[KinleyWater]

I use it for 308, and almost everything else i load for in rifle. Consistently shoots better than I - not that it would take much.

 

[SJB358]

RL15 may not be as great as Varget in its temp stability but it isn’t bad at all. I’ve used it in about everything from a 22-250 to 375 and man, it works well. Usually very accurate as well. It is the go to in the 35 Whelen with 225’s and 250’s. Fast and super accurate.

 

[hunter24605]

It's probably my favorite powder for 150-165 class bullets in several bolt action and AR10 308 rifles....I also had fantastic results with the 308 win with the 125 AB's

 

[lhsako]

Alliant powders tend to produce the best accuracy and velocity for many cartridges in my experience.

 

[gbflyer]

Good for .35 Whelen too


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[lhsako]

You might be surprised at the accuracy. RL15 is very similar to & will work almost as well or sometimes better than H4895 in every cartridge I've tried it in. Charge weights will be within a few grains but not the same. A friend used it in hunter class BR with 150s in a 308. He won a lot of matches.

In my experience it doesn't seem that temp sensitive & is a very useful mid burning rate powder from 220 Swift thru 358 Norma.

I've found it's a bit temp sensitive in my 22-250. However, 3 shots in a ragged hole w/ the 55 v-max.
3,800 in the 26" tube. Alliant powders yield accuracy and velocity in many cartridges.

 

[Doni]

Tack Driver,
My m 88 chambered in 308 loves 44.0 grains of RL 15 with 165 gmx's, and 165 Game Kings. I am a deer Kansas hunter and this powder works great for my needs. I do not think there is one possible solution for every situation. I experimented with 3 different powders when I started loading. If you are a competition shooter, or in extreme weather conditions, I can see the reason for avoiding temperature sensitive powders.
For my 1903 a3 I use 55.0 grains of IMR 4350 combined with a 165 GMX. I figured that IMR 4350 has been successful for years. I like the fact that the powder can handle a large variety of bullets.
V/R
Doni

 

[Doni]

Tack Driver,
My m 88 chambered in 308 loves 44.0 grains of RL 15 with 165 gmx's, and 165 Game Kings. I am a deer Kansas hunter and this powder works great for my needs. I do not think there is one possible solution for every situation. I experimented with 3 different powders when I started loading. If you are a competition shooter, or in extreme weather conditions, I can see the reason for avoiding temperature sensitive powders.
For my 1903 a3 I use 55.0 grains of IMR 4350 combined with a 165 GMX. I figured that IMR 4350 has been successful for years. I like the fact that the powder can handle a large variety of bullet weights in the 06 .
V/R
Doni

 

[PJGunner]

IIRC, Rl15 is the favored powder for our military snipers when using rifles cambered to the .308/7.62 NATO. I don't think that there would be any better endorsement that that. Ya think?
Paul B.

 

[TackDriver284]

Tested 3 round groups from 43.0 to 44.5 grains in .3 increments with RL-15 , 155 grain Sierra Palmas, virgin Lapua brass, BR2 primers, seated .005" off the lands. Full size RCBS and used a .002" under diameter carbide mandrel. Shot nicely on a plane from 43.2, 43.5, 43.8 and 44.1 grains and all 3 rounds inside .2 to .3 MOA at 100 yards. Went back a week later after loading 30 rounds using 44 grains RL-15 for 3 x 3 inch steel plinking and paper target shooting @ 300. Ringing the 3 x 3 inch steel on each shot and under an inch groups brings a grin to my face. Need to load 25 more pieces to finish fireforming the 100 piece batch, overall RL-15 is a nice powder choice with good speed, and I was not even pushing it that fast either. I believe its 2850 fps average if I could remember when I shot 44.1 grains the first time out. Nosler book max is 46 grains and still 2 grains under book max, and I don't mind shooting the slow node, pretty sure there is a faster node there somewhere, but I'd rather have some fun today and complete the fireforming process using old bullets and powder I had sitting on the shelves and save the better insensitive powders for later. Cheers.

 

[Gunner46]

I have a Rem 600 (308) that is an especially finicky little %itch about what she will shoot and won't. RL-15 cooled her jets in short order! My 7-08 likes it 1/8th inch less than Varget, and is sometimes easier to find, so I have a stand-by load for it when Varget gets in short supply. It's also the powder I used to break in my 338 Fed. No mega speeds, but it put 200gr Speers inside of an inch @ 100 yds. It's Good powder for the '08 case and should not be discounted.

 

[Alaska]

IIRC, Rl15 is the favored powder for our military snipers when using rifles cambered to the .308/7.62 NATO. I don't think that there would be any better endorsement that that. Ya think?
Paul B.

Actually it was replaced by the military for IMR 4064 and Federal got the contract for the Mk316 sniper ammo.