One of the unsung features if H4198 is unlike the majority of other (ball) powders for this caliber, it is temperature compensated, extruded powder. Loads developed at a comfortable 70 deg, will not be much different in velocity when fired at say, 30 degrees during hunting season. Every ball powder I've used exhibits sensitivity to temperature. I've always accepted that as the price of playing. If you find a load that shoots well using H4198, consider keeping it around. That is unless you live in a region with little temperature variation between the off season and actual deer season. IIRC, the reports I've seen from members using H4198 was that it was OK, just not outstanding in terms of resultant velocity. I've said this ad nauseum, but this caliber is plenty deadly at even modest speeds. So other than bragging rights, there is little gained from squeezing every last drop of velocity out of it. The exception to that tenet is when you see the accuracy go up the faster you can kick it.
There are two parallel worlds emerging, mostly this year. The performance from an AR platform (still my favorite) and the rapidly growing bolt action offerings. The latter seems to offer a lot more flexibility for the reloader, mainly due to not being as restricted in COL as the AR platform. Where we struggled to hit a safe, easy on the brass, brass load to achieve say 2500fps from an AR platform, that's just where it begins when using a bolt action or single shot.
Different strokes...
WRT the other question about the 200 FTX vs XPB. Though they weigh the same, they are different families of bullet and I never bothered doing a head-to-head with them, all else being equal. Both 200 grainers do well using similar charges, but then the 200's shoot well across a wide range of charge weights. Like the 225FTX, I've seen three velocity accuracy nodes from the 200 FTX before maxing out in safe charge weight I'm sure the same can be arrived at using the solid copper XPB's. It just costs a lot more getting the answers to the particulars when using the Barnes XPB, than it does with the FTX bullets. Doubly so when you catch a sale on blemished 200 FTX bullets from Midway. They're down right cheap to shoot then. This brings up a question I've been meaning to ask the gang. Has anyone else noticed a marked downturn in availability from Midway and their Factory Second and/or blemished offerings this year? Last year, hardly a week went by with not seeing some great deal in them for our caliber. My guess is that Midway is growing tired of losing more lucrative sales of their normal bullets due to folks flocking to their blemished or factory second bullets. I stocked up on both the blemished 200 and 225 FTX bullets the last time they had them, so I'm sitting pretty on 200's and 225's for the foreseeable future.
Lastly, I've made brief mention of the fact that my foreseeable shooting future has been getting more optimistic what with just having my mobility limiting bad left hip replaced about 10 days ago. It keeps getting better daily. Probably not quick enough to entertain making this year's deer season which is only about 3 weeks away. I will not feel confident enough by then with my hip, to wander off in the woods alone, which is my preferred way to hunt.
Look out next year though!
Hoot
Posted: Sat Oct 21, 2017 6:47 am