Ramshot X Terminator Questions

[CamW]

Have any of you folks used Ramshot X Terminator in a .223? I'm looking for loads for 50 and 55 gr. bullets. Also, how is temperature sensitivity?

[StevenD]

CamW

For starters - The Ramshot website has a good reloading guide.

http://www.ramshot.com/powders/loadguide.php

If that isn't good enough, try "www.reloadersnest.com" or "accuratereloading.com"

[Jim Corbett]

I haven't used it yet, but am interested in others' results as well. I plan to try some in .223 ammo I'm going to load for a 16" barrel Kel-Tec. The burn rate seems appropriate and with any luck it will burn as clean as the claims. Just haven't had the time to get started yet.

[T.Zimm]

I know this is not the same; but pretty close. I am getting extremely good accuracy and good velocity. It is sure worth a try. I might try TAC first though as that was SPECIFICALLY designed for the .223 and is a bit slower than X-terminator. Hope that helps.

[CamW]

T.Zimm,
How are your loads when the temperature changes? Are you getting big velocity differences when the weather heats up? I plan to start working up loads now( 55-65 degrees), but I'm wondering if the X Terminator will give me problems when its 80-90 degrees. I'm using Varget now and I find that its fairly stable.

[T.Zimm]

I wish I could answer that, but I loaded those loads and clocked them last summer. I didnt have any pressure problems in the heat. I have a chronograph on the way. Maybe later this week I can clock those same loads in the COLD and see if I lost a bunch of velocity. That might tell us something. Like I said. I would recommend TAC first. I understood that is was developed for the .223 specifically. I have had good luck with ALL the Ramshot powders. But I have not been messing with them for very long. Only about a year. I dont have a good feel for them yet.

[Rocky Raab]

I found that X-Terminator is a bit better suited for light bullets in the .223. It seemed to get a tad touchy with 50s, and more so with 55s. But it sure makes those 40s hum!

I didn't drag out their brochure, so I may be mistaken, but I think that all Ramshot powders are temperature insensitive to one degree or other.

[GLWenzl]

I have been using X-Term for quite a while now and really like it. It seems to not be very sensitive to tempeture.

[Jim n Iowa]

I have tried both the Ramshot powders, they meter well, and I was getting better performance with Tac in my 223 than Varget. I am shooting 55 gr bullets in a Savage 10 tact. The X-T is very similar just have not wrung it out yet.
Jim

[eggman]

I am using it in a sporter chambered in 6x47mm (222RM necked up to 6mm) and it does seem to be temp.sensitive ie. loads worked up in hot weather didn't shoot well when it got cold. It worked just OK for me in a 40x in 222 but I didn't spend that much time working with it . It meters about as good or better as any powder I have used.

Rodney

[acpchuck]

Have been using X-terminator powder for seveal years now for my 223 bolt and my son's AR 15s and it is my powder of choice! Found it easy to get 3400 fps with Speer 50 gr TNTs in my Ruger (26" bbl) and 1/2" groups. Now shooting 50 gr Hornady SX (can no longer get the TNTs close enough to the lands for good accuracy but the SXs work well) at 3300 fps with the same level of accuracy. This powder shoots clean as powder fouling for high volume P-dog shooting is not a problem. With 3000+ rounds through the barrel, copper fouling really is much anymore either but is why the throat is geting so long.

Living in SE Idaho, I shoot a lot in the winter(teens) and summer (90+) with the same powder charge and have not noticed pressure problems. Some day I will pull out the chronograph for velocities in the winter to compare to summer velocities.

In my son's ARs we use because it produces the best velocities with 52 and 55 gr bullets, way better than with BLC-2, H335, Varget or Reloader 15. And with good accuaccy. Note that in my Ruger, X-terminator gave higher velocities and better accuracy than these other powders when I did load development with the SX bullets. It also meters very consistently for high volume reloading needs.

Best of all, I can buy this powder at a local store for under $14.00 a pound. Give it a try, I think you will like the powder