Post by Bullshop on Feb 16, 2024 9:40:49 GMT -7
Being a licensed ammo manufacturer I may be privy to some insider information that is not available to mere mortals. Something I have been hearing about is that there are three new mega manufacturing plants aimed at NATO production slated to come on line within the next 18 months. Two of these are in Europe and one in the US. Apparently the money changers see a world conflict on the horizon that has great potential for profit.
This may have a greater effect on us sporting hand loaders in that component production such as brass, primers, and powder may be sucked into the huge vacuum this can create. From a manufacturers point of view government contracts can be very lucrative . They can infuse large sums of money for equipment and supply purchase than can increase production rate. For that reason government contracts take precedence from component suppliers over other outlets.
The effect this might have on us is that it may exasperate an already bad supply situation. For those reasons I feel it is a good idea to buy now and spend until it hurts because in a year or so that opportunity may be lost for a good long while. Right now an area of opportunity in powder is in surplus powders but I am seeing a rapid depletion in availability of those that I have to assume is related to " THE RUMORS "
One surplus powder I have been using for 10 years and have burned several kegs of is IMR-7383. This powder was developed for the artillery spotter round which is a 50 BMG short that only fires a tracer. This powder has the burn rate of IMR-4831 but with a greater bulk. What that means is that it will have a lesser weight per any volume than does 4831. As an example lets say you shoot a 7mm mag with a 175 grain bullet with a charge weight of 4831 at 70 grain which is at 100% load density. If you fill the case to the same volume with 7383 the charge weight may weigh only 60 grain. So from that you can see that it will work in all the same applications as 4831 but will not deliver the same level of ballistic performance. So with that your 7mm mag performs more like a 270 or your 300 mag more like a 30-06.
At the current price of 7383 at $10.00 per pound I can live with that especially considering there soon may be nothing else available. Other applications for the powder are in large capacity black powder cartridge cases. Its best suited to bottle neck cases but can be used in straight wall cases but may require a small duplex kicker charge to keep the barrel free of unburned powder. Mt favorite LT-30 works great for this not unduly raising chamber pressures but having a slow enough burn that it keeps the barrel clear of unburned powder from the 7383. 7383 is a top choice for my 40-90 Sharps bottle neck moving its performance from black powder velocities of in the area of 1400 fps to well surpassing the ballistics of that favorite of T.R. the 405 win at over 2000 fps in the same caliber with the same bullets.
Still another application is for use with cast bullets in modern bottle neck cases. 7383 has given superb accuracy at fairly high velocity in the 308 win with a heavy cast bullet. It is well suited for this purpose because of its increased bulk. The greater bulk allows that all important 100% load density but at a reduced pressure that a cast bullet load may require. If I was a powder doctor I would be writing prescriptions for 7383 for shooter using cast bullets in modern bottle neck cases.
I just stocked up on a good quantity of 7383 currently at $10.00 per pound as well as a supply of the 870 surplus powders. The 870 powders are pretty much that same as H-870 and Accurate Powders 8700 which Jeff the supplier says to use data for. Six kegs can ship on one haz-mat fee so might as well max that out, I did. The supplier I use is Jeff Bartlett at GI brass
This may have a greater effect on us sporting hand loaders in that component production such as brass, primers, and powder may be sucked into the huge vacuum this can create. From a manufacturers point of view government contracts can be very lucrative . They can infuse large sums of money for equipment and supply purchase than can increase production rate. For that reason government contracts take precedence from component suppliers over other outlets.
The effect this might have on us is that it may exasperate an already bad supply situation. For those reasons I feel it is a good idea to buy now and spend until it hurts because in a year or so that opportunity may be lost for a good long while. Right now an area of opportunity in powder is in surplus powders but I am seeing a rapid depletion in availability of those that I have to assume is related to " THE RUMORS "
One surplus powder I have been using for 10 years and have burned several kegs of is IMR-7383. This powder was developed for the artillery spotter round which is a 50 BMG short that only fires a tracer. This powder has the burn rate of IMR-4831 but with a greater bulk. What that means is that it will have a lesser weight per any volume than does 4831. As an example lets say you shoot a 7mm mag with a 175 grain bullet with a charge weight of 4831 at 70 grain which is at 100% load density. If you fill the case to the same volume with 7383 the charge weight may weigh only 60 grain. So from that you can see that it will work in all the same applications as 4831 but will not deliver the same level of ballistic performance. So with that your 7mm mag performs more like a 270 or your 300 mag more like a 30-06.
At the current price of 7383 at $10.00 per pound I can live with that especially considering there soon may be nothing else available. Other applications for the powder are in large capacity black powder cartridge cases. Its best suited to bottle neck cases but can be used in straight wall cases but may require a small duplex kicker charge to keep the barrel free of unburned powder. Mt favorite LT-30 works great for this not unduly raising chamber pressures but having a slow enough burn that it keeps the barrel clear of unburned powder from the 7383. 7383 is a top choice for my 40-90 Sharps bottle neck moving its performance from black powder velocities of in the area of 1400 fps to well surpassing the ballistics of that favorite of T.R. the 405 win at over 2000 fps in the same caliber with the same bullets.
Still another application is for use with cast bullets in modern bottle neck cases. 7383 has given superb accuracy at fairly high velocity in the 308 win with a heavy cast bullet. It is well suited for this purpose because of its increased bulk. The greater bulk allows that all important 100% load density but at a reduced pressure that a cast bullet load may require. If I was a powder doctor I would be writing prescriptions for 7383 for shooter using cast bullets in modern bottle neck cases.
I just stocked up on a good quantity of 7383 currently at $10.00 per pound as well as a supply of the 870 surplus powders. The 870 powders are pretty much that same as H-870 and Accurate Powders 8700 which Jeff the supplier says to use data for. Six kegs can ship on one haz-mat fee so might as well max that out, I did. The supplier I use is Jeff Bartlett at GI brass
