Ramshot Grand

[A Guy Out West]

Based on the lack of mention of this new powder, I’m wondering if you all are even able to get your hands on it. I’m not sure if it’s Euro compliant or whatever it needs to be in order to be sold in the UK. It’s 3 hairs above Retumbo And one hair below H1000 in burn rate. I want to try it in my .264 but data on it is scarce. I’d rather use known data than experiment on my own. Hodgon has load data on it for .300 WM, I tried it last weekend and was not able to get as good a group as I have with IMR 4350. Going to do some more testing today. Of note, it removed all of the copper fouling in my barrel and seemed to run much cooler than the other powders I have used in my .300. I’m shooting 180 grain bullets. Has anyone used this powder? Results? Cheers

 

[Laurie]

If you look at the MSDS sheet, it's a General Dynamics St. Marks Powder Co. manufactured product, ie US made, unlike older Ramshots that originated from Eurenco P B Clermont in Belgium.

We don't receive Ramshot grades here from the US through our Hodgdon distributor, instead direct from the Belgian factory with the agreement of the former owners Western Powder. Whether this arrangement will continue indefinitely under Hodgdon ownership or Ramshot powders will move to join Hodgdon brand imports and include non-Belgium imports ? ? Given Hodgdon's close ties to GD St. Marks, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Belgian grades either supplemented by US made products as in this case, or existing imported ones replaced by domestically made equivalents in the interest of cost and supply chain security. Although we retain a limited range of Hogdons post-REACH, this hasn't included any of Hodgdon's recently acquired products such as the 'Accurate' grades so far, even if they are potentially REACH-compliant.

AFAIK, 'Grand' is not imported into Europe to date. Neither the Hodgdon or Ramshot distributor lists it on their websites.

 

[A Guy Out West]

That explains why no mention of it.

 

[A Guy Out West]

Gave the Grand another go today. Nosler 175 gr. HPBT, bottom right 78.5 gr. , left is 79 gr., top left 79.5 gr.. slightest swipe mark started at 79 gr.. Bottom targets are 5 shots, top is only 2 as that was all I loaded. I plan on revisiting 79.5 using my Peterson long brass. Of note, the brass is not hot at all after firing. I can pick it up right after firing and it is only slightly warm. I’m liking this Grand stuff and it the least expensive suitable powder available. Not many seem to know anything about it.

 

[Buggadifino]

'A Guy Out West' contacted me via PM regarding Ramshot Grand. I took a look and these are my thoughts:

Always worth a look at the Safety Data sheet; Here are the ingredients and what they do:

Dibutyl Phtalate – surface moderator that lowers the initial burning rate so lowers peak pressure and allows for a slower build up of pressure for a longer period (velocity is proportional to the area under the velocity graph)

Polyester Adipate – a plasticiser; plasticisers make the propellant more durable and less likely to crack, especially at low temp. Cracked or broken propellant grains burn faster.

Ethyl Centralite (diethyldiphenylurea) – Stabiliser; essentially mops up water or acid (water will become acid in propellant). A build up of acid can lead to spontaneous combustion, stabilisers prevent this.

Rosin – same stuff violinist put on the bow. Helps the grains retain shape.

Akardite – fungicide and stabiliser

Potassium Nitrate – Another surface moderator but nitrates also help with oxygen balance. An oxygen balanced propellant will have enough organic oxygen to permit complete burn without exposure to air. Gun propellants are usually about -30% which is why unburnt powder exits the muzzle and burns causing part of the muzzle flash. Counterintuitively this is deliberate. A balanced powder will create a far hotter burn leading to increased barrel wear and a lower volume of gas (CO2 rather than carbon monoxide – CO2 is far denser so fill less volume) so gives lower velocity.

Potassium sulfate – muzzle flash inhibitor.

Ethyl acetate – used in the production process to help form the propellant grains. Mostly evaporated off during production but some remain.

Diphenylamine – stabiliser, usually used in single base (nitrocellulose only not double base – nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine) so not sure why this is in a double base powder.

N-Nitrosodiphenylamine – bi-product of stabilisers.

Tin Dioxide – reacts with copper to form an alloy that will then be cleaned out with the next shot.

Calcium Carbonate - coolant, it absorbs heat and can reduce barrel wear by up to 40%

Graphite – covers the powder grains. Reduces initial burn as a surface moderant, helps reduce water absorption (assisting the stabilisers) and has no polarity so resists static electricity and helps metering.

 

[billgatese30]

Dibutyl Phtalat

This is heavily restricted under REACH I think which may be why we aren't seeing tbis powder in the EU/UK.