Fellow reloaders: has anybody had good results with hodgdon superformance powder?

Roadkill2228 · March 19, 2014, 09:19 AM

I ask this because it looked promising but I feel I've been duped by the hype. I've burned through 2 pounds of the stuff and its just not impressing me at all. I have found it to be a much slower burning propellant than it is listed as in hornady 8s burn rate chart.

Don't get me wrong there weren't huge or dangerous problems, gun went bang, and accurate enough for all the shooting I do, but...first gun I tried it in was a .300 win mag. I know that it's not one of the cartridges it's meant for and I know that hodgdon has states that the powder only shines with a select few rounds.

They also say that where it works, it really works. I loaded 180 ssts to "3000 fps". But you could barely call it that because shot to shot velocity deviation was all over the place. Like anywhere within a 200 fps window. Next I tried it in my .243 with 100 grain speer btsp...here I discovered that it burns way slower than advertised. Seemed to be in the rl19 range but again, nowhere near as consistent.

Finally I actually tried a recommended by hodgdon/hornady load: .243 win, 75 hp, and the charge listed on the canister. This load was purported to generate 3500 fps! Nowhere near that velocity with the load listed and AGAIN shot to shot velocity all over the place! I don't plan to ever buy this crap again, unless its not crap and I've just been doing something really ignorant.

Any suggestions or similar or different experiences? Where does it "really work"? Or is hodgdon/hornady content with 150 fps extreme spreads as being "optimal performance", "rocket science" etc...?

Roadkill2228 · March 19, 2014, 02:46 PM

I have heard that hornady superformance factory ammo is hit and miss too; either a particular rifle loves or hates it. Maybe it's like that with that powder.

AllenJ · March 19, 2014, 05:01 PM

I've just started using it for my 243 Winchester and Barnes 80 grain TTSX's. Group size is good, like you say, but I've not chronographed any yet, just worked up a safe load. Hopefully I can get out this weekend to chrono them and settle in on an optimum CBTO length.

CosmicCoder · March 19, 2014, 08:09 PM

Superformance seems to work best in overbore cartridges with large shoulder angles using magnum primers. I've just started testing SF in my .243 Win with 100gr bullets and it looks fairly promising. My Weatherby Vanguard S2 has a 1:10" twist and I could not get 100gr bullets [Hornady & Speer BTSP] to stabilize below 3000fps [lots of keyholing] so I thought I'd see if I could drive them faster using SF. So far I've got to 3051fps with an ES of 76fps and SD of 27.7fps for a 7 shot string and they were stabilized at 250yd with groupings right at 1moa. I'm going to up the load a bit to get to 3100fps. Next up for testing is the Hornady 87gr VMAX.

kilotanker22 · March 19, 2014, 08:10 PM

superformance works really well in 308 and 6.5 creemooor.

i tried it in a 270 and got really good velocity but mot groups that meet my expectations

iraiam · March 20, 2014, 12:46 AM

It seems to be just another powder option to me, I haven't specifically had any problems with it, but I don't consider the performance of it all that "super" compared to others. I tried it in 30-06 and quickly went back to my long standing recipe with IMR 4350.

Currently I only use Superformance powder in .243, results are good but again, probably nothing worth noting as "Super", I haven't specifically tried the 243 recipe that's listed on the bottle.

Bart B. · March 21, 2014, 09:47 PM

Before ultraslow (extra-slow?) powders came about, none of the slowest ones back then were really great in the accuracy games. While they would push a given bullet out faster with the same peak pressure, the pressure curve was not too repeatable. Muzzle velocity spreads got bigger and accuracy wasn't as good as slower, middle range powders for the case size produced.

Overbore cartridges of decades gone by clustered bullets the closest together on target with upper mid range powders; fastest burning at the low end and slowest at the high end. Good examples are the .308 Norma Mag and .300 Win Mag with medium to heavy weight bullets. IMR4350 or the next slowest powder won the matches and set the records. IMR4831 and slower ones shot bullets faster and won all the races to the target but the real estate they landed in had more acreage.

If these new superformance (sp?) powders win a lot in accuracy games, then they'll have some credibility.

SVTCobra306 · March 21, 2014, 11:10 PM

I've used it for 100 grain .243 with success, not exactly astounding success but good enough I'm going to use up the bottle. IMR 4064 has proven to beat it in accuracy out of my Savage, so once the Superformance is gone, it won't get replaced.

scpaul · March 21, 2014, 11:13 PM

I don't remember where I read it, but not all Superformance ammo uses Superformance powder. I've only shot 1 box of Superformance .308/165 gr. SST's and the Sako I'm breaking in with it loves it. Paul

myfriendis410 · March 24, 2014, 10:56 AM

I've been loading it in the .243 with 80 gr. TTSX's and over the chronograph I'm getting 3,630 fps. That's astounding. And 1/2" groups. I've shot a couple of coyotes and two hogs and that combo worked quite well. No pressure signs either.

CosmicCoder · March 24, 2014, 12:35 PM

Quote:

scpaul originally wrote:
I don't remember where I read it, but not all Superformance ammo uses Superformance powder.

scpaul: You are correct that the Superformance (SF) powder Hodgdon is marketing is not the same powder used in all of the Hornady Superformance ammo. Hornady has numerous proprietary and cartridge specific powder blends that it uses in its Superformance ammo offerings.

Like others I did a lot of on-line searching for info on SF usage and loads but there is not much available third-party info for bullet weights other than those published on Hodgdon's reloading site. I was able to piece together some general info and guidelines for SF.

Hodgdon's SF powder seems to work best in overbore cartridges, with large shoulder angles and with magnum primers. This promotes rapid ignition and fast, complete burns which seems to be key to a successful SF load. The .243 Win is a suitable candidate for SF whereas the .308 Win and .30-06 Sprg are not.

I've been experimenting with SF in my .243 Win. Initially I wanted to see if I could drive 100gr bullets fast enough to stabilize in the 1:10" twist - I was seeing lots of keyholing at under 3000fps with IMR 4350. I had given up on the 100gr bullets but decided to give SF a try. My latest test produced an MV of 3051fps and the bullets were stabilized at 250yd. I'm upping the load a bit for the next test to get to 3100fps.

I also have a test string loaded using 87gr bullets with SF to see how they fair vis-á-vis my usual IMR 4350 load. Weather (snow, ice, mud) has made for slow going the last few months but I'm hoping to get out tomorrow for more testing.

AllenJ · March 24, 2014, 04:23 PM

I was able to get out yesterday and work a little with my 243. I had 12 rounds loaded in lots of 3 at different COAL and was able to chronograph 6 rounds. The longest rounds averaged the fastest at 3580 fps with no excessive signs of pressure. They were also the most accurate of the group, grouping right at 1/2". Three rounds is certainly not enough to get any meaningful data from but now I load up 10 and see what they tell me.

March 19, 2014, 09:19 AM	#1
Roadkill2228 Senior Member Join Date: March 8, 2014 Location: Nipawin, Saskatchewan Posts: 311	Fellow reloaders: has anybody had good results with hodgdon superformance powder? I ask this because it looked promising but I feel I've been duped by the hype. I've burned through 2 pounds of the stuff and its just not impressing me at all. I have found it to be a much slower burning propellant than it is listed as in hornady 8s burn rate chart. Don't get me wrong there weren't huge or dangerous problems, gun went bang, and accurate enough for all the shooting I do, but...first gun I tried it in was a .300 win mag. I know that it's not one of the cartridges it's meant for and I know that hodgdon has states that the powder only shines with a select few rounds. They also say that where it works, it really works. I loaded 180 ssts to "3000 fps". But you could barely call it that because shot to shot velocity deviation was all over the place. Like anywhere within a 200 fps window. Next I tried it in my .243 with 100 grain speer btsp...here I discovered that it burns way slower than advertised. Seemed to be in the rl19 range but again, nowhere near as consistent. Finally I actually tried a recommended by hodgdon/hornady load: .243 win, 75 hp, and the charge listed on the canister. This load was purported to generate 3500 fps! Nowhere near that velocity with the load listed and AGAIN shot to shot velocity all over the place! I don't plan to ever buy this crap again, unless its not crap and I've just been doing something really ignorant. Any suggestions or similar or different experiences? Where does it "really work"? Or is hodgdon/hornady content with 150 fps extreme spreads as being "optimal performance", "rocket science" etc...?

March 19, 2014, 08:09 PM	#4
CosmicCoder Member Join Date: July 25, 2013 Location: Lander, WY Posts: 31	Superformance seems to work best in overbore cartridges with large shoulder angles using magnum primers. I've just started testing SF in my .243 Win with 100gr bullets and it looks fairly promising. My Weatherby Vanguard S2 has a 1:10" twist and I could not get 100gr bullets [Hornady & Speer BTSP] to stabilize below 3000fps [lots of keyholing] so I thought I'd see if I could drive them faster using SF. So far I've got to 3051fps with an ES of 76fps and SD of 27.7fps for a 7 shot string and they were stabilized at 250yd with groupings right at 1moa. I'm going to up the load a bit to get to 3100fps. Next up for testing is the Hornady 87gr VMAX. Last edited by CosmicCoder; March 19, 2014 at 10:36 PM.

March 20, 2014, 12:46 AM	#6
iraiam Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2012 Location: Lakewood, CO Posts: 1,057	I think I fell for it also It seems to be just another powder option to me, I haven't specifically had any problems with it, but I don't consider the performance of it all that "super" compared to others. I tried it in 30-06 and quickly went back to my long standing recipe with IMR 4350. Currently I only use Superformance powder in .243, results are good but again, probably nothing worth noting as "Super", I haven't specifically tried the 243 recipe that's listed on the bottle. __________________ NRA Lifetime Member Since 1999 "I ask, sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people except for a few public officials." George Mason

March 21, 2014, 11:10 PM	#8
SVTCobra306 Senior Member Join Date: March 18, 2013 Posts: 434	I've used it for 100 grain .243 with success, not exactly astounding success but good enough I'm going to use up the bottle. IMR 4064 has proven to beat it in accuracy out of my Savage, so once the Superformance is gone, it won't get replaced. __________________ Former US Army Paratrooper (1/509th PIR and 2nd BCT 82nd ABN DIV) 2 time OIF Veteran NRA Certified RSO/CRSO NRA Certified Pistol Instructor

March 21, 2014, 11:13 PM	#9
scpaul Junior Member Join Date: February 12, 2014 Location: central.....S.C. Posts: 12	I don't remember where I read it, but not all Superformance ammo uses Superformance powder. I've only shot 1 box of Superformance .308/165 gr. SST's and the Sako I'm breaking in with it loves it. Paul __________________ I once thought I understood.....I was WRONG!!!!!!!

March 19, 2014, 02:46 PM	#2
Roadkill2228 Senior Member Join Date: March 8, 2014 Location: Nipawin, Saskatchewan Posts: 311	I have heard that hornady superformance factory ammo is hit and miss too; either a particular rifle loves or hates it. Maybe it's like that with that powder.

March 19, 2014, 05:01 PM	#3
AllenJ Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2009 Location: Northern California Posts: 1,766	I've just started using it for my 243 Winchester and Barnes 80 grain TTSX's. Group size is good, like you say, but I've not chronographed any yet, just worked up a safe load. Hopefully I can get out this weekend to chrono them and settle in on an optimum CBTO length.

March 19, 2014, 08:10 PM	#5
kilotanker22 Senior Member Join Date: October 14, 2012 Location: North Central, PA Posts: 2,117	superformance works really well in 308 and 6.5 creemooor. i tried it in a 270 and got really good velocity but mot groups that meet my expectations

March 21, 2014, 09:47 PM	#7
Bart B. Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2009 Posts: 8,927	Before ultraslow (extra-slow?) powders came about, none of the slowest ones back then were really great in the accuracy games. While they would push a given bullet out faster with the same peak pressure, the pressure curve was not too repeatable. Muzzle velocity spreads got bigger and accuracy wasn't as good as slower, middle range powders for the case size produced. Overbore cartridges of decades gone by clustered bullets the closest together on target with upper mid range powders; fastest burning at the low end and slowest at the high end. Good examples are the .308 Norma Mag and .300 Win Mag with medium to heavy weight bullets. IMR4350 or the next slowest powder won the matches and set the records. IMR4831 and slower ones shot bullets faster and won all the races to the target but the real estate they landed in had more acreage. If these new superformance (sp?) powders win a lot in accuracy games, then they'll have some credibility.

March 24, 2014, 10:56 AM	#10
myfriendis410 Senior Member Join Date: March 30, 2011 Location: Lompoc California Posts: 274	I've been loading it in the .243 with 80 gr. TTSX's and over the chronograph I'm getting 3,630 fps. That's astounding. And 1/2" groups. I've shot a couple of coyotes and two hogs and that combo worked quite well. No pressure signs either.

March 24, 2014, 04:23 PM	#12
AllenJ Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2009 Location: Northern California Posts: 1,766	I was able to get out yesterday and work a little with my 243. I had 12 rounds loaded in lots of 3 at different COAL and was able to chronograph 6 rounds. The longest rounds averaged the fastest at 3580 fps with no excessive signs of pressure. They were also the most accurate of the group, grouping right at 1/2". Three rounds is certainly not enough to get any meaningful data from but now I load up 10 and see what they tell me.