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January 15th, 2011
Here’s good news for .338 LM, .416 CheyTac, and .50 BMG Shooters — No longer will you need to make double throws with a manual powder measure, just to get enough powder to fill your case. Redding Reloading has introduced a NEW high-capacity powder measure that can pump out up to 140 grains of powder with a single throw. The new Redding LR-1000 measure features an all new-metering chamber capable of producing accurate powder drops of up to 140 grains.
Consider that a .338 Lapua Magnum typically uses about 100 grains of powder. With Redding’s new LR-1000 measure,you can fill the case with one throw and still stay within the optimal (middle third) “sweet spot” of the measure’s capacity. This will yield better results, as Redding explains: “[Large Cartridge Shooters] have been forced to resort to double powder drops or working at the very outer limits of a measure’s capacity to throw the needed quantity of powder for these big cases. Neither practice represents the best solution.”
LR-1000 Large Capacity Measure Specs
The LR-1000 features cast iron construction with a hard chromed rotor and cutting edge. Note that the hemispherical cup at the base of the metering chamber reduces bridging with extruded powders, even with small throw volumes. The LR-1000 ships complete with jumbo-sized powder reservoir, powder baffle and a zero-backlash micrometer. For more info, visit Redding-Reloading.com, specifically the Media Center Page (click on “2011 Press Kit”).
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December 12th, 2010
Many of the most popular powders sold under the Hodgdon brand in the USA (including Varget and H4350) are actually made by Thales Australia Ltd. (formerly ADI, Ltd.) in Australia. Some load manuals list Thales (ADI) data, but not Hodgdon data, or vice-versa, so we’ve compiled this list of equivalent powders. If you can’t find a recommended load for a particular Hodgdon powder in your caliber, download the latest ADI Smokeless Powders Handloaders Guide (2010, 5th Edition), a 5-megabyte Acrobat file.
Here’s a list of ADI to Hodgdon Powder equivalents:
AS30N=Clays
AP50N = (No Hodgdon)
AS50N = International
AP70N = Universal
AP100 = (No Hodgdon)
AR2205 = H4227
AR2207 = H4198
AR2219 = H322
Bench Mark1 = (No Hodgdon)
Bench Mark2 = BenchMark |
AR2206 = (No Hodgdon)
AR2206H = H4895
AR2208 = Varget
AR2209 = H4350
AR2213 = (Discontinued)
AR2213SC = H4831
AR2217 = H1000
AR2225 = Retumbo
AR2218 = H50BMG |
About IMR 8208 XBR
NOTE: Although new IMR 8208 XBR is made by Thales (ADI), Hodgdon has not published an ADI-equivalent product code. Thales has loaded some of the 8208 XBR into military ammo. However, Thales Australia Ltd. tells us: “[We] have yet to release the IMR 8208 XBR propellant in Australia to the sporting shooters market; thus it does not have an equivalent Thales (ADI) name”.
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December 9th, 2010
 Most reloaders have used a powder trickler at one time or another. However, they can be frustrating to use for a variety of reasons — e.g. the tube is too short, or the trickler is too low, or the unit isn’t stable enough, or the powder volume isn’t adequate. Well, the inventors of the Omega Powered Powder Trickler have considered all those practical shortcomings in existing tricklers, and built a superior product — a “better mouse trap.”
Every aspect of the new $55.00 Omega powered trickler (from Dandy Products LLC) shows smart thinking. First, hopper height can be adjusted from 1/2″ to 5.5″ high. The tube is long enough to reach the middle of large-footprint scales such as the Denver Instrument MXX-123. And the outer end of the tube is cut at an angle, so you can see the powder kernels as they flow out — no more surprise clumps that raise your charge 0.2 grains. The powder hopper itself is bigger than most, holding a full 1000 grains. That lets you load all afternoon without having to constantly replenish your trickler.
In practice, the Omega trickler is easy to use. It is reasonably fast, while being as precise as anything on the market. The unit is controlled by a two-button control pad, with a black button for slow feed and red button for fast feed. You can use the fast button to load the bulk of reloading powder and then use the slow button to maximize the accuracy of your load. The control pad is connected to the dispenser by a 24″ cable. That two-foot cable run allows plenty of trickler placement options on your bench. Watch the video below to see the Omega Trickler in use.
Omega User Comments
Posting on 24HourCampfire.com, JasonK gave the Omega Trickler high marks: “This thing rocks! It can trickle fast, it can trickle slow, it can drop a kernel or two at a time. After ordering my Omega I quickly shopped for an Acculab VIC-123 scale, accurate to within .02 grains.”
Another Omega user, In2Deep, writes: “You can actually tap the low-speed button and drop kernels while watching the scale. After a little practice it only takes a few seconds to trickle up a load. Using an Acculab 123 scale, it can drop charges that repeatedly read down to around 4 one-hundredth’s of a grain. It turned out to be a tool that really works and saves time. There are rubber feet on the unit and surprisingly it does not cause interference with the digital scale which is often mentioned as a problem with most of the vibratory tricklers. Not many products are even worth the time to do a testimonial but this is a winner[.]”
Forum member Barry O (aka TheBlueEyedBear) has been using an Omega Trickler for a while, and he currently has a second-generation (upgraded) unit on his bench. Barry likes the unit, with some reservations. Barry tells us: “it took me some time to get used to it. One main gripe is the length of time it takes to get the thing primed and ready to dispense powder. But after that, not too bad. I still use my trusty tweezers for fine tuning loads.”
 Handy View Prism for Beam Scale Viewing
For reloders using balance-beam scales, Omega offers a clever portable prism that makes it much easier to see the tip of the balance beam, when the scale is on the benchtop. Omega’s Handy View accessory mounts a prism in a plastic stand. The prism changes the sightline so you can easily monitor the beam tip without having to bend down to see the beam alignment marks.
The prism slides up/down and swivels (around horizontal axis) to allow adjustment of viewing angle. It is a simple set-up, but it really works, allowing you to monitor scale beam movement with greater precision (and less neck strain). The Handy View costs $17.95, and is offered with either a yellow stand or clear plastic stand. You can see how the Handy View works in the video below.
Thanks to Boyd Allen for suggesting this product for review.
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December 3rd, 2010
Now here’s something for the serious reloader — powder by the pallet. Looking to stock up on powder for your .50 cal or .338 Lapua Magnum? Here’s a deal for you big boomer shooters out there. You can’t beat the price: $3.85 per pound. But here’s the catch — you have to buy at least one full pallet.
Ballistic Solutions, Inc. is selling bulk pallets of milspec smokeless powder for .50 caliber reloaders. The $3.85/lb pallet price is 60% off the average retail price for comparable powders, such as Hodgdon H870. The powder, demilled by a military contractor, is palletted and ready for shipping. Quantities still available are:
- 665 lbs of WC867 (95 lbs. per barrel) (6 barrels per pallet); weight per pallet is 570 lbs.
- 44,383 lbs of WC872 (two 30-lb bags per box, with 36 DOT-approved boxes per pallet); weight per pallet is 2,160 lbs.
These particular powders have multiple applications. The burn charts show them to be ideal for .50-caliber reloading, as they are in the same range as H860, H870, 5010 & 50 BMG (872 is replacing 5010 by many reloaders.) The powders can be loaded in cartridges as small as .338 Lapua Magnum.
We can’t think of anyone who really needs this much powder, but perhaps a shooting club or .50 BMG shooters’ association might be interested in a group buy. This bulk powder could be ideal for someone planning to start an ammo-loading business. It is 1.3 tag-listed and legal for export.
The mil-surp powder, originally manufactured for Winchester by St. Marks, was vacuum-extracted by automated machines. Marc Coury of Ballistic Solutions told us: “This is super-clean powder with no contaminants and no moisture as is common with other pull-down methods, so the powder does not need to be filtered.” Ballistics Solutions’ price, for the remaining powder inventories, is $3.85 per pound with a minimum order of one pallet. The cost does not include shipping. Call (949) 645-3815 or email marc@ballisticsolutionsinc.com to order.
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October 29th, 2010
 21st Century Shooting has just introduced what may be the most advanced powder funnel on the market. It has everything you could want. The top section is precision ground and polished for a smooth flow. The center has a see-through tube so you can watch the progress of your powder dropping into the case. At the bottom of each funnel is a precision brass collar insert that allows the funnel to stand on the case without tipping off. The collars are offered in nine, caliber-specific sizes: 17cal, 20cal, 22cal, 30cal, 5mm, 5.5mm, 6mm, 6.5mm, and 7mm. In addition, 21st Century offers custom-milled collar inserts fitted precisely to your cases. That way you can get a perfect fit on neck-turned brass. Just mic your casenecks and 21st Century will craft a custom insert.
Each funnel, with one caliber-specific insert, costs $21.75. Additional standard inserts are $5.75. Call 260-273-9909 for pricing on custom inserts.
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October 23rd, 2010
 Grafs.com is running some great promotions right now. If you need to stock up on powder, now is the time to buy. Graf’s will waive the normal $25 hazardous materials (hazmat) transport surcharge for customers purchasing at least 16 pounds of powder. That’s two 8-lb jugs, or sixteen 1-lb cannisters. Graf’s is also running an ammunition special: Graf’s will toss in ten FREE Birchwood Casey 8″ Shoot-N-C targets if you purchase three or more boxes of centerfire ammo.
No Hazmat Fee with 16 Pounds of Smokeless Powder
Here’s the deal: Buy 16 pounds of smokeless powder, and you won’t have to pay the normal $25 hazardous materials fee on your order. You can add more smokeless powder or primers to your purchase (up to a total weight of 50 pounds) with no additional hazmat charge. Limit one free hazmat fee per order, all items must be in stock. Orders must ship via FedEx Ground.
Free Targets with Ammo Purchase
Buy any three (3) boxes of centerfire handgun or rifle ammunition and receive ten (10) free Birchwood Casey 8″ Shoot-N-C targets with your order (a $10 retail value). The ammo must be in stock to qualify. Limit one 10-pack per order.
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August 21st, 2010
Hodgdon will introduce two new propellants in 2011, LEVERevolution and Superformance. According to Chris Hodgdon, these powders will allow hand-loaders to replicate Hornady’s factory-loaded LEVERevolution and Superformance ammunition. Hornady used proprietary powder blends to achieve impressive velocities in its Superformance ammo. Now reloaders can take advantage of that blending technology to get more performance from their hand-loaded cartridges.
According to the Shooting Times website, the two new powders should be available starting in January 2011: “This is welcome news to handloaders who until now have had to sit by and watch as factories make the best use of new bullets such as Hornady’s FTX and mass-produced loads that handloaders couldn’t safely duplicate. This should also be welcome news to shooters who until now have avoided new high performance cartridges over concerns about future high performance ammunition availability.”
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August 15th, 2010
Powder Valley, a major vendor of powder, primers, brass, bullets, and loaded ammo, has received some large shipments of popular powders including Hodgdon Varget and IMR 8208 XBR. Powder Valley also has the hard-to-find Alliant Reloder 17 powder in stock, in both 1-lb and 5-lb containers.
 Powder Valley Now Stocks Factory-Loaded Ammo
FYI, Powder Valley is now stocking quality factory-loaded ammo from Lapua, Hornady, Nosler, Prvi Partizan, and Wolf. If you’re looking for match-grade Lapua factory ammo or the Hornady .223 Rem, 6.5 Creedmoor, and .30-06 ammo, give Powder Valley a call at 800-227-4299.
Powder Valley Inventory Updates on Facebook
Powder Valley now posts recent product arrivals on Facebook. If you have a Facebook account you can link to the Powder Valley page to get the latest updates.
August 13
IMR 8208: Finished up the backorders on 8208 8#. We received in about 200 kegs from Hodgdon last week and have filled backorders that were placed prior to June 25.
August 12
Large shipments of primers received over the last couple days. Received 2 million Winchester, 1.2 million Federal, 1.5 million Rem and 6 million Tula. Also received large shipment of Winchester brass.
August 6
Varget 8-lb jugs have arrived. We won’t update the website until Monday. Facebookers go ahead and put your order in now and you will get first dibs.
August 2
Received in about 2 million Remington primers. Also, received a large shipment of backorders from Berger. We will be receiving about 125,000 Federal Small Pistol primers later this week and about 2-2.5 million in 3-4 weeks. We will begin listing these primers on the website August 3 so you can place an order if you would like.
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August 3rd, 2010
 Cabelas.com is running a good promotion now through August 10, 2010. Click the link below to get a promo code good for $20.00 off any order of $150.00 or more. That $20.00 off promo comes in handy, as Cabela’s big annual Reloading Sale is underway right now. You’ll find good prices on Alliant, Hodgdon and IMR powders, CCI Primers, Barnes Bullets, and Winchester Brass. For example, a 5-lb jug of Alliant Reloder 15 has been reduced to $99.99, while Winchester .204 Ruger brass is marked down to $115.99 for 500 cases. Use your $20.00 off promo on discounted sale items for maximum savings.
NOTE: This promo is not good on prior purchases, it cannot be combined with other coupons or promotions, the offer can only be used once, and it is not valid on gift cards or gift certificates.
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March 24th, 2010
If you have a older version of QuickLOAD that won’t run on a Vista or Windows 7 computer, take heart, Neconos.com now has the updated version 3.6 of QuickLOAD. Version 3.6 is fully compatible with XP, Vista, and Windows 7, AND the latest update has an upgraded database with MORE powders, bullets, and cartridges. In addition, G7 Ballistic Coefficients are now supplied for many bullets in the database.
If you are currently running an older version of QuickLOAD on an XP machine, and you plan to upgrade to Windows 7, you should order the new QuickLOAD v. 3.6, with disk exchange. You will need to send in your CD so it can be “personalized” with your serial number. Ed Dillon of Neconos.com explains: “If you have 3.0, 3.1 or 3.2 and are planning on using a VISTA or Windows 7 machine you must install a new, compatible QuickLOAD disk. Send in your old CD and we will replace it with a Vista/Windows 7 compatible CD for $14.95 plus S & H.” (Note — this latest version 3.6 disk is also backwards compatible with Windows ME, 2000 and XP). Call Neconos at 800-451-3550, for instructions on how to send in your disk for the upgrade.
Data-only Upgrade Also offered
If you own a more recent version of QuickLOAD that already works with Vista, or if you plan to stick with XP, you can can order a data-only version 3.6 upgrade. That is the simplest way to get the enhanced databases, with new powders, bullets, and cartridges. If you have CD versions 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, or 3.5, you can purchase a new data update that adds new powders, cartridges, and bullets to your existing QuickLOAD program. For the data-only update, you do NOT need to send in your original installation CD, or uninstall the program. The data-only upgrade should simply update your QuickLOAD databases and you can keep running your program as usual.
Read our QuickLOAD Review to Learn More
The full QuickLOAD program costs $149.95, bundled with the QuickTarget ballistics program as a FREE extra. The latest version of QuickLOAD has comprehensive data for more than 1200 cartridges, 225 powders, and 2500 bullets. QuickLOAD is a remarkably powerful software program that will help you choose the most efficient powders for your cartridge. It can predict the effect (on pressure and velocity) of small changes in seating depth, barrel length, and even ambient temperature. Check out our detailed QuickLOAD Review to learn why this software is an invaluable tool for the serious reloader.
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March 4th, 2010
Southwick Associates compiles statistics for the hunting/shooting industry and public wildlife agencies. Based on 2009 survey results, Southwick has ranked the most popular shooting/hunting brands and products. These rankings were based on HunterSurvey.com and TargetshootingSurvey.com online polls completed by nearly 45,000 hunters and shooters. The polls asked the hunters and shooters to list the outdoor products they purchased most often.
 There were some interesting results among rifle shooters. Remington is still the #1 rifle-maker, and Remington also leads the way in rifle ammunition. Hodgdon is the top reloading powder vendor with 36.5% of reported purchases. Top bullet-maker is Hornady with 30%, but remember this is for hunting AND target shooting. CCI makes the most popular rifle primers. We were somewhat surprised to see that the top scope brand for all firearms was Bushnell, which held a 17.3% share.
Southwick Associates’ HunterSurvey.com also measured buying activities over time. As you might expect, hunters spent the most money on gear in November. However the peak month for target shooters was June. We would have figured most of the spending would have taken place earlier in the spring — at least for rifle shooters who reload.
Rifle Shooting & Hunting
• Top rifle brand: Remington (16.5% of all purchases)
• Top muzzleloader brand: Thompson Center (29.5% of all purchases)
• Top scope for firearms: Bushnell (17.3% of all purchases)
• Top rifle ammunition brand: Remington (28.8% of all purchases)
• Top reloading bullet brand: Hornady (30.2% of all purchases)
• Top reloading powder brand: Hodgdon (36.5% of all purchases)
• Top reloading primer brand: CCI (36.0% of all purchases)
• Top shooting target brand: Shoot-N-C (38.9% of all purchases)
Shotguns
• Top shotgun brand: Remington (22% of all purchases)
• Top shotgun ammunition brand: Winchester (32.0% of all purchases)
• Top clay brand: White Flyer (34.3% of all purchases)
• Top balls, bullets, or shot brand: Hornady (26.2% of all purchases)
Handguns
• Top handgun brand: Sturm Ruger (16.6% of all purchases)
• Top handgun ammunition brand: Winchester (22.0% of all purchases)
• Top holster brand: Uncle Mike’s (21.4% of all purchases)
• Top blackpowder brand: Pyrodex (51.5% of all purchases)
Hunting Gear
• Top binocular brand: Bushnell (19.5% of all purchases)
• Top knife brand: Buck (16.7% of all purchases)
• Top scent or scent covering brand: Scent-A-Way (24.5% of all purchases)
• Top game call brand: Primos (34.8% of all purchases)
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January 28th, 2010
 We know many of our readers are interested in the new IMR 8208 XBR powder distributed by Hodgdon Powder Company. Early test lots of this new propellant have already won important benchrest matches, and field testing has shown that it is extremely stable across a wide temperature range. At SHOT Show 2010, we interviewed Chris Hodgdon, who gave us the “inside story” on this new powder. Before we started taping, Chris shared with us lab test results showing how pressure of a fixed load varied with ambient temperature. The data was stunning. Basically 8208 XBR showed almost constant pressures from below freezing to well over 100° F. This editor has personally never seen a powder test that revealed “flat-line” results like 8208 XBR, with recorded pressures remaining virtually unchanged over a huge temperature range. If the test results are to be believed, this is indeed a very exceptional powder.
On some internet Forums, skeptics have suggested that IMR 8208 XBR is just an “odd lot of H322″, and that, accordingly, 8208 XBR may not be available for long. Chris told us that the skeptics are misinformed — those who have suggested that 8208 XBR is re-labeled H322 are completely wrong. IMR 8208 XBR IS something new and it IS here to stay. IMR 8208 XBR is NOT merely a “tweaked” blend of H322. Though 8208 XBR has small kernels like H322, allowing it to meter well, 8208 XBR is a completely new formulation. Moreover, IMR 8208 XBR is not going to be a “one-production-run” wonder. Chris explained that Hodgdon is fully committed to long-term production of this new powder. So if you acquire some now, and develop a great load, rest assured that you will be able to obtain more IMR 8208 XBR in the future. As Chris explains in the interview, Hodgdon is strongly committed to IMR 8208 XBR and Hodgdon plans to keep it in production for a long time.
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