Alliant Reloder 15 Vs. Norma 203B — The Numbers Tell All
In response to our Bulletin story about the availability of Norma powders at Midsouth Shooters Supply, one of our Forum members asked: “I’m having trouble finding Reloder 15 for my 6.5×47 Lapua — should I consider running Norma 203B instead?” As we’ve explained before, these two powders, both made by Bofors in Europe, are very, very similar. Here are some hard numbers that should demonstrate how virtually identical these powders really are.
Target Shooter Magazine writer Laurie Holland compared Norma 203B and Reloder 15 using data from QuickLOAD. Laurie also checked load manuals to see how listed charge weights varied for the two propellants. Laurie concluded there was very little difference between Norma 203B and Reloder 15.
Norma 203B vs. Alliant Reloder 15
Commentary by Laurie Holland
Running [203B and RL15] through QuickLOAD doing a ‘charge table’ run for a 130gn Berger VLD at 2.700 COAL in 6.5X47 Lapua, gives very similar positions in the table [for both powders]. The charge required to achieve 62,000 psi estimated pressure varies by a mere 0.2 grains between the pair, Norma 203B being the heavier of the two. The estimated Muzzle Velocity (MV) also varies by a mere 2 fps, RL15 estimated to produce 2,946 fps MV compared to 2,944 fps for N203B at 62,000 psi (with the parameters I used).
If they aren’t the same thing, they’re so close as to make no difference and as Forum Boss points out, they’re made by the same people (Bofors) in the same plant.
[The Berger Reloading Manual includes data for both powders] for the .308 Winchester and heavier bullets (185 to 230 grains). Maximum charges and claimed MVs are not always identical, but are so close as to be marginally different production lots of the same thing, or maybe the result of minor testing variations.
.308 Win Max Charge Weights in Grains (RL15 / N203B) (Berger Manual)
MVs [for the four bullet types] are close but not identical, the largest difference being for the 210s which shows RL15 producing 2,428 fps MV v 2,383 for Norma 203B.
Norma 203B Chemistry
According to the Norma Reloading Handbook #1, Norma 203B has the following composition:85% Nitrocellulose
7.5% Nitroglycerin
2.0% surface coating
4.6% Various chemicals
0.9% Water3,957 J/g specific energy
890 g/l specific densityFor comparison, the 7.5% NG component compares to 15% in Viht N500 series powders and 10% in Ramshot TAC / Big Game / Hunter.
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- Powder Spotlight — Reloder 15 and Norma 203B
- Norma 203B Powder Now Available
- Midsouth Shooters Supply Has Popular Norma Powders in Stock
- QuickLOAD Software Updates Available
- Popular Powders at Bruno’s, Graf’s, Midsouth, Powder Valley
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Tags: 6.5x47 Lapua, Alliant, Bofors, Laurie Holland, Norma, Norma 203B, QuickLoad, RL15
Just my opinion here FWIW – – as far as I am concerned they’re the same. I recently purchased some Norma 203B and have used it in lieu of RL15 and I have used the same loads with various cartridges as I used with RL15. I have not noticed any real differences between the two powders or the velocities and pressures generated with identical loads. If there’s a difference, I don’t know what it is, they even look identical.
It would seem to me that the small reported differences in data, would fall well within the lot to lot variations typical of any one powder.
Good to known but doesn’t seem any more available them RL 15
RL-15 is just another batch of Norma 203B that Norma used in their factory and sold the excess to Alliant. They repackaged it and sold it as RL-15. Now that Norma uses Western Powders as their US distributors I don’t think you will see much or any RL-15. Unless Alliant comes up with their version.
You will find that Norma 203B is more consistent from batch to batch than RL-15 was.