Ramshot TAC...Is it really that good?

cryogenic419 · September 26, 2013, 04:53 AM

I keep hearing things here and there about TAC and how wonderfully it meters and pretty decent accuracy in .223. I figure there has to be a downside somewhere but I have yet to really see or hear anything negative.

I currently use Varget for plinking loads but I will be honest, I am tired of fighting how horribly it meters. Accuracy is quite good, but it seems like no matter which powder measure I use I can never get consistant drops. Have used it in the Hornady LNL measure and RCBS Uniflow and depending on the alignment of the moon and stars or some other nonsense it seems to be as much as .4 grains off. I've cleaned the measures, threw every possible anti-static thing I can at the measures, sacrificed live chickens, and still keep getting the same results. I only have this issue with Varget when doing .223 and that particular weight range, when I go up to .308 its not really an issue. I'm loading on a progressive and trying to crank out ammo but I have gotten so crazy about super consistent powder drops that its just not happening.

I use XBR 8208 for service rifle match loads that I dispense from the RCBS Chargemaster. Tried it in the measures and while it was a HUGE improvement over Varget, I was still running into issues just not as severe or frequent. I don't mind spending the time and energy on match loads, but for general plinking loads I just want to load and go.

Which leads me to looking for a new powder for just that, TAC keeps popping up. It seems like the powder I should be going with, and I have a line on a few jugs of it that I am able to pick up immediately if I choose. I know there is going to be a ton of people saying how good it is. What I want to know is if there is anybody who has bad experiences with it. I've heard plenty of the pros, just wondering what the cons are. How is it in the temperature sensitivity dept? Does it burn dirty? Anything at all...

stubbicatt · September 26, 2013, 06:55 AM

It is good powder for heavier bullets in 223. I prefer the Xterminator for 55's etc., it is just a skosh faster.

steve4102 · September 26, 2013, 09:09 AM

Tac is good stuff. Meters extremely well, burns clean, can be very accurate in many applications. The only issue I have with Tac is that my LGS, does not carry any Ramshot powders, so I have to buy my all my Ramshot on-line.

If you have access to this powder in today's handloading environment, buy it.

There are those that may tell you that Ball/Spherical powders like Tac do not or cannot produce accurate ammo. They may tell you that Ball/Spherical powders are not used by the Benchrest crowd, therefore they cannot be any good. Ignore this, there are plenty of Tac uses that are extremely happy with the outstanding accuracy they get from this powder.

Doyle · September 26, 2013, 10:11 AM

The downside of TAC is that it is like talcum powder. It tends to blow around and it sticks to anything that has a static charge so cleanup can be a pain.

reynolds357 · September 26, 2013, 08:40 PM

Yes, it is really that good.

MarkCO · September 26, 2013, 09:05 PM

All I use for 60 to 77 grain .223 and 5.56 loads. It is good, but a tad faster than Varget.

ligonierbill · September 27, 2013, 09:05 AM

Two TAC anecdotes: In my 22-250, it sends 40 grain Noslers into one hole at 4,000 fps. In my AR (5.56) it gives me the best velocity, and good accuracy, with SGK 65's. I certainly haven't tried every applicable powder for these applications, so I can't say TAC is better than something else. But it sure works for me.

mjes92 · September 27, 2013, 10:50 AM

Its a great powder. I prefer Ramshot X-terminator when shooting 55gr or lighter bullets out of a 16" carbine. A little faster burning, clean burning, and acurate.

cryogenic419 · September 27, 2013, 04:41 PM

I may just have to give both Tac and X-Terminator a whirl and see how it goes. They both seem to cover a wide range of bullet weights well. Been on the fence for a while about this so hopefully this powder works well.

mjes92 · September 28, 2013, 09:07 AM

cryogenic419,
You won't regret trying X-terminator. I did not see a noticeable advantage to x-term over other powders like varget and CFE 223 when loading 55gr projectiles in a 24" barreled rifle. But when I tried the same loads in a 16" carbine, it outshined the others hands down. I don't what it is about that powder, but that little rifle loves it. Most likely Burn rate I guess...

Load safe
Good Luck

RC20 · September 28, 2013, 11:42 AM

While its not "popular" I have found TAC works well in the 30-06 up to the 175 gr bullets (Sierra lists loads at 168)

So it is indeed a good powder and you get a lot of bang for the buck as well as being a sweet metering powder.

cryogenic419 · September 28, 2013, 06:38 PM

Just got back from my match and store visit, managed to snag a few pounds of Tac. I was kinda curious to see how it would do on metering...all I can say is wow. Just poured it in my measure, dropped 10 loads and with the exception on one of the drops that was bouncing between a tenth of a grain difference, this powder seems damn consistant, kept hitting the same number everytime. I am actually excited to see how this powder performs, I see some loading and shooting in my future tomorrow

reynolds357 · September 28, 2013, 09:57 PM

I am impressed with all Ramshot powders. 90% of my rifle reloading is now done with Big Game, Hunter, and Magnum. I replaced 6 powders with Magnum.

cryogenic419 · September 29, 2013, 07:20 AM

When I first started loading I started with Hodgdon, it was the most readily available where I bought my supplies. I later gave Alliant a whirl but still mainly stuck with Hodgdon. I saw the Ramshot line a few years ago and kind of shrugged it off thinking I've already got the powders I like, why change?

In the last year or so I've really been re-evaluating what powders I use and why...is it just because its what I'm used to or is it because its the best option out there for what I am doing. So far Tac seems to show a lot of promise and once I get to the range today I'll know for sure.

September 26, 2013, 04:53 AM	#1
cryogenic419 Senior Member Join Date: March 29, 2009 Location: NW Ohio Posts: 569	Ramshot TAC...Is it really that good? I keep hearing things here and there about TAC and how wonderfully it meters and pretty decent accuracy in .223. I figure there has to be a downside somewhere but I have yet to really see or hear anything negative. I currently use Varget for plinking loads but I will be honest, I am tired of fighting how horribly it meters. Accuracy is quite good, but it seems like no matter which powder measure I use I can never get consistant drops. Have used it in the Hornady LNL measure and RCBS Uniflow and depending on the alignment of the moon and stars or some other nonsense it seems to be as much as .4 grains off. I've cleaned the measures, threw every possible anti-static thing I can at the measures, sacrificed live chickens, and still keep getting the same results. I only have this issue with Varget when doing .223 and that particular weight range, when I go up to .308 its not really an issue. I'm loading on a progressive and trying to crank out ammo but I have gotten so crazy about super consistent powder drops that its just not happening. I use XBR 8208 for service rifle match loads that I dispense from the RCBS Chargemaster. Tried it in the measures and while it was a HUGE improvement over Varget, I was still running into issues just not as severe or frequent. I don't mind spending the time and energy on match loads, but for general plinking loads I just want to load and go. Which leads me to looking for a new powder for just that, TAC keeps popping up. It seems like the powder I should be going with, and I have a line on a few jugs of it that I am able to pick up immediately if I choose. I know there is going to be a ton of people saying how good it is. What I want to know is if there is anybody who has bad experiences with it. I've heard plenty of the pros, just wondering what the cons are. How is it in the temperature sensitivity dept? Does it burn dirty? Anything at all...

September 26, 2013, 09:05 PM	#6
MarkCO Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 1998 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 4,308	All I use for 60 to 77 grain .223 and 5.56 loads. It is good, but a tad faster than Varget. __________________ Good Shooting, MarkCO www.CarbonArms.us

September 27, 2013, 10:50 AM	#8
mjes92 Senior Member Join Date: January 28, 2013 Location: Land of 10,000 taxes Posts: 211	Its a great powder. I prefer Ramshot X-terminator when shooting 55gr or lighter bullets out of a 16" carbine. A little faster burning, clean burning, and acurate. __________________ Dad !!! "It's only going to be perfect if you do it yourself." - my teenage daughter Dad !!! "I'm not scared" My Cancer fighting daughter." Cancer Sucks NRA - Life Member

September 28, 2013, 09:07 AM	#10
mjes92 Senior Member Join Date: January 28, 2013 Location: Land of 10,000 taxes Posts: 211	cryogenic419, You won't regret trying X-terminator. I did not see a noticeable advantage to x-term over other powders like varget and CFE 223 when loading 55gr projectiles in a 24" barreled rifle. But when I tried the same loads in a 16" carbine, it outshined the others hands down. I don't what it is about that powder, but that little rifle loves it. Most likely Burn rate I guess... Load safe Good Luck __________________ Dad !!! "It's only going to be perfect if you do it yourself." - my teenage daughter Dad !!! "I'm not scared" My Cancer fighting daughter." Cancer Sucks NRA - Life Member

September 26, 2013, 06:55 AM	#2
stubbicatt Senior Member Join Date: September 15, 2007 Posts: 1,707	It is good powder for heavier bullets in 223. I prefer the Xterminator for 55's etc., it is just a skosh faster.

September 26, 2013, 09:09 AM	#3
steve4102 Senior Member Join Date: December 23, 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,955	Tac is good stuff. Meters extremely well, burns clean, can be very accurate in many applications. The only issue I have with Tac is that my LGS, does not carry any Ramshot powders, so I have to buy my all my Ramshot on-line. If you have access to this powder in today's handloading environment, buy it. There are those that may tell you that Ball/Spherical powders like Tac do not or cannot produce accurate ammo. They may tell you that Ball/Spherical powders are not used by the Benchrest crowd, therefore they cannot be any good. Ignore this, there are plenty of Tac uses that are extremely happy with the outstanding accuracy they get from this powder.

September 26, 2013, 10:11 AM	#4
Doyle Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2007 Location: Rainbow City, Alabama Posts: 7,167	The downside of TAC is that it is like talcum powder. It tends to blow around and it sticks to anything that has a static charge so cleanup can be a pain.

September 26, 2013, 08:40 PM	#5
reynolds357 Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2012 Posts: 6,165	Yes, it is really that good.

September 27, 2013, 09:05 AM	#7
ligonierbill Senior Member Join Date: May 20, 2007 Posts: 2,456	Two TAC anecdotes: In my 22-250, it sends 40 grain Noslers into one hole at 4,000 fps. In my AR (5.56) it gives me the best velocity, and good accuracy, with SGK 65's. I certainly haven't tried every applicable powder for these applications, so I can't say TAC is better than something else. But it sure works for me.

September 27, 2013, 04:41 PM	#9
cryogenic419 Senior Member Join Date: March 29, 2009 Location: NW Ohio Posts: 569	I may just have to give both Tac and X-Terminator a whirl and see how it goes. They both seem to cover a wide range of bullet weights well. Been on the fence for a while about this so hopefully this powder works well.

September 28, 2013, 11:42 AM	#11
RC20 Senior Member Join Date: April 10, 2008 Location: Alaska Posts: 7,014	While its not "popular" I have found TAC works well in the 30-06 up to the 175 gr bullets (Sierra lists loads at 168) So it is indeed a good powder and you get a lot of bang for the buck as well as being a sweet metering powder.

September 28, 2013, 06:38 PM	#12
cryogenic419 Senior Member Join Date: March 29, 2009 Location: NW Ohio Posts: 569	Just got back from my match and store visit, managed to snag a few pounds of Tac. I was kinda curious to see how it would do on metering...all I can say is wow. Just poured it in my measure, dropped 10 loads and with the exception on one of the drops that was bouncing between a tenth of a grain difference, this powder seems damn consistant, kept hitting the same number everytime. I am actually excited to see how this powder performs, I see some loading and shooting in my future tomorrow

September 28, 2013, 09:57 PM	#13
reynolds357 Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2012 Posts: 6,165	I am impressed with all Ramshot powders. 90% of my rifle reloading is now done with Big Game, Hunter, and Magnum. I replaced 6 powders with Magnum.

September 29, 2013, 07:20 AM	#14
cryogenic419 Senior Member Join Date: March 29, 2009 Location: NW Ohio Posts: 569	When I first started loading I started with Hodgdon, it was the most readily available where I bought my supplies. I later gave Alliant a whirl but still mainly stuck with Hodgdon. I saw the Ramshot line a few years ago and kind of shrugged it off thinking I've already got the powders I like, why change? In the last year or so I've really been re-evaluating what powders I use and why...is it just because its what I'm used to or is it because its the best option out there for what I am doing. So far Tac seems to show a lot of promise and once I get to the range today I'll know for sure.