Alliant Powders

[Steve crawford]

Anyone use Alliant 1200-R , 200-MR, or Reloder 10 for 5.56 and 308?  Local gun shop has some of each.  Which would be best?  

[edgecrusher]

Rl 15 is best

[dpete]

1200-R works great for 5.56 up to 55 grain bullets.

[Steve crawford]

I guess it would help if I gave the bullets that I have for each rifle.  I have 55 gr. FMJBT and  55 gr. Pointed soft point BT for the 5.56.  I have 150 gr. bulk FMJBT, 150 gr. Nosler Green tip BT, and 165 gr. Nosler Green tip BT for the 308.  Also have 2 or 3 hundred old Hornady 150 gr.  SPBT. from 20 years ago when I loaded 30-06 .  I would like to try to use one powder for both AR style rifles and my Remington 700 bolt gun in 308.  Hope that helps

[Matt.Cross]

35 minutes ago, Steve crawford said:

I guess it would help if I gave the bullets that I have for each rifle.  I have 55 gr. FMJBT and  55 gr. Pointed soft point BT for the 5.56.  I have 150 gr. bulk FMJBT, 150 gr. Nosler Green tip BT, and 165 gr. Nosler Green tip BT for the 308.  Also have 2 or 3 hundred old Hornady 150 gr.  SPBT. from 20 years ago when I loaded 30-06 .  I would like to try to use one powder for both AR style rifles and my Remington 700 bolt gun in 308.  Hope that helps

I wouldn't advise trying to run any soft-point bullet in a 308 AR, it may or may not work out, with failure being more common than success. It has to hurt to watch good handloads be ruined by a rifle that's designed for hard-pointed ammunition.

[shooterrex]

I use Varget in 223 and 308. If you can find any.

[98Z5V]

For 5.56 heavies, .308 Win heavies, plus .308 Win 150gr FMJ-BTs, I use Alliant RL-15, and it's spectacular.  RL-15 and Hodgdon Varget are almost identically interchangeable, for 5.56 and .308 Win load data, too.  Damn near identical twins.  For my .308 Win 178gr ELD-X load that I came up with, I used Accurate 2495. I won't use anything else for that load.

As a general rule, if it works with 5.56 heavies, it works with .308 Win heavies, too.  For 5.56 55gr range loads, I just use H-335. 

As far as Alliant powders go, they're excellent.  The others I use are RL-7 for the 25-45, and RL-22 for the .260 Rem, .300 Win Mag, and .338 Lapua Mag loads.  I don't use it, but RL-17 is supposed to be the SHEEIIITTT for .260 Rem and 6.5 Creedmoor.  I'm not changing my .260 Rem load for anything, though.  No way, no how. 

Edited April 6, 2021 by 98Z5V

[Albroswift]

I used RL-15 for 25 years but am getting better results with their newer AR-Comp in the 308ARs. Still use the 15 in lever guns and my H&R SB Ultra. Data shows lower pressures required for similar velocities so seems to me a good long barrel powder, but maybe too much gas for my 308AR's midlength and carbine setups

[dpete]

On 4/5/2021 at 9:55 PM, Matt.Cross said:

I wouldn't advise trying to run any soft-point bullet in a 308 AR, it may or may not work out, with failure being more common than success. It has to hurt to watch good handloads be ruined by a rifle that's designed for hard-pointed ammunition.

I must be an exception to the rule.  I hunted with Hornady 165 gr BTSP in my 308 AR and use the 129gr BTSP in my grendel.  Both of them never had a hiccup feeding and both were MOA bullets at the 100 yards I had them sighted in for.  WI northwoods forest usually doesn't allow shots longer than 50 - 100 yards.  Yes the soft tips would get marked by the feedramps, but at that distance it made no difference accuracy wise. 

[Matt.Cross]

57 minutes ago, dpete said:

I must be an exception to the rule.  I hunted with Hornady 165 gr BTSP in my 308 AR and use the 129gr BTSP in my grendel.  Both of them never had a hiccup feeding and both were MOA bullets at the 100 yards I had them sighted in for.  WI northwoods forest usually doesn't allow shots longer than 50 - 100 yards.  Yes the soft tips would get marked by the feedramps, but at that distance it made no difference accuracy wise. 

It's not a rule, by any stretch of the imagination. It's simply my recommendation, I don't begrudge anyone who wants to disregard it. My only intention is to save others some grief, by all means use what you know will work for you.

[mtrmn]

This has nothing to do with the OPs question but it's just a fun fact that reveals my age and how long I've been dabbling in this reloading thing. I'm so old that almost ALL of my "Alliant" powders have "Hercules" on the canister.

[Sharpshooter]

^^^^ I hear that!

[392heminut]

14 hours ago, mtrmn said:

This has nothing to do with the OPs question but it's just a fun fact that reveals my age and how long I've been dabbling in this reloading thing. I'm so old that almost ALL of my "Alliant" powders have "Hercules" on the canister.

[Magwa]

I use or have used Reloader 22, 26, H1000 H4350, Retumbo IMR 7828, reloader 26 is the bomb for over bore cartridges... more velocity than any other powder at safe levels.