TESTED: Ramshot Grand

Ramshot’s new USA-made Grand powder is a welcome addition to their lineup particularly well-suited for magnums and other high-intensity overbore cartridges. 

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About Ramshot Grand

I’ve grown quite fond of spherical rifle powders because they flow so well through a manual powder measure and also fill a rifle case very well. Temperature-insensitive powders are of great benefit to both hunters and competitive shooters. I’ve seen pressure problems including point of impact shifts, velocity shifts, stubborn bolt operation, and enlarged primer pockets when temperatures rose too much with other powders.

A temperature-insensitive powder reduces or eliminates those issues. I haven’t tried Ramshot Grand long enough or often enough to note how it behaves in cold and hot temperatures but am already considering opportunities to do so. Handloaders know that in recent years the supply of components available has fluctuated tremendously. Ramshot powders are made in the USA, simplifying the supply situation. 

From Hodgdon

Ramshot Grand is a double-base spherical propellant that bring the latest propellant technology to the Ramshot family of powders. Temperature-stable… check. Precise metering… check. Accuracy… check. With a density tuned for magnum cartridges, Ramshot Grand offer optimal load densities which equal low extreme spreads and standard deviations. Ramshot Grand excels across a broad spectrum of cartridges from the 243 Winchester all the way up to the 338 Lapua Magnum. Top performers include 6.5, 7mm, and 300 PRC, as well as the 7mm Remington Magnum and the 300 Winchester Magnum. Made in the USA.”

Ramshot Grand is located right between H1000 and Ramshot Magnum on the burn rate chart—two well-respected and popular slow-burning rifle powders. Just like them, it is intended to be used in high-intensity overbore and magnum rifle cartridges. 

Under the Microscope

We took a look at the physical composition of Ramshot Grand compared to three other popular rifle powders under the microscope: H1000, H4350, and StaBALL HD.

L to R: Ramshot Grand, Hodgdon H1000, Hodgdon H4350, and Winchester StaBALL HD Under the Microscope

H1000 and H4350  are stick powders while StaBALL HD and Ramshot Grand are both spherical powders. Stick powders can flow well through a manual powder measure, but spherical powders are designed to flow better.

Testing 

We chose two powerful cartridges for our first loading project with Ramshot Grand— the well-established .300 Winchester Magnum and the relatively new 300 PRC. Both have proven capable of superb accuracy. 

I selected Hornady’s heavy 225 grain ELD-M bullet for the test to see how well Grand works with a heavy .30 caliber bullet. It is a very long bullet with a high BC of .777 G1 (.391 G7) and is an excellent choice for long range target shooting. Hornady recommends a minimum of a 1:10 twist rate to properly stabilize this bullet, which is also available in Hornady’s ELD Match ammunition. Some hunters have reported success with this bullet, however for hunting with Hornady bullets I turn to the excellent ELD-X and CX hunting bullets. 

At the time we started working with Grand, there was no published data for Grand and the 225 grain bullet for either of the two magnum cartridges. Instead, we used published data for a heavier 230 grain bullet and did not exceed those charges. (I loaded 7.2 grains of Grand for the 300 PRC and 76.8 grains for the .300 Win Mag.) As anticipated, each of the two cartridges produced approximately 2800 fps with the 225 grain bullet. 

Hornady advertises a muzzle velocity of 2810 fps from a 24” barrel for their 300 PRC match ammunition. Our 300 PRC handloads with Ramshot Grand averaged just under that at 2797 fps with excellent consistency.

I assembled all of the ammunition on a Lyman All-American 8 station turret press. I used Hornady’s match dies with a micrometer-adjustable bullet seater for the 300 PRC. I turned to an old set of RCBS dies I’d purchased in the 1980s for the .300 Winchester Magnum. Over the decades I’ve loaded ammunition for several different .300 Winchester Magnum rifles using those dies.  

The belt on a traditional magnum case was originally intended for headspacing the gradually-tapering .375 H&H and .300 H&H cartridges which don’t have much of a shoulder to rely upon for headspacing. When handloading a traditional belted magnum case like the .300 Winchester Magnum, it’s preferable to adjust the dies so that the cartridge case headspaces on the shoulder of the case rather than on the belt. This reduces case stretch which improves case life and can enhance accuracy. 

Of course the much newer 300 PRC does away with the unnecessary belt and has a sharp 30 degree shoulder for headspacing. The 300 PRC essentially produces the same ballistics as the .300 Winchester Magnum, but with a more modern case design. 

.300 Win Mag next to 300 PRC

I used Lapua cases and Federal 215 magnum primers for all of the ammunition. In order to seat the primers, I had to use a primer pocket uniformer to remove a slight amount of brass from the primer pockets of the. 300 Win Mag cases, but not from the 300 PRC cases. I primed every case using a Frankford Arsenal Perfect Seat Hand Priming tool.

I deliberately used Lyman’s manually-operated powder measure, simply charging the cases with the Ramshot Grand dispensed rather than weighing each charge.

As I’ve seen with other spherical powders, this worked very well and resulted in tight extreme spread and single digit standard deviation figures. 

I used Hodgdon’s Online Reloading Data Center to learn which other cartridges Ramshot Grand can be used in. There was quite a variety. I found impressive-looking loads from the little .243 Winchester and 6mm Creedmoor all the way up to the .338 Lapua Magnum! 

Personally, I’d like to develop loads with Grand for my .25-06 and  7mm Remington Magnum. It appears Grand can produce some very high muzzle velocity with mid-weight bullets in both of those cartridges. I’ve done well with both of those calibers in the past, partially because of their high muzzle velocity and the resultant flat trajectory at my usual hunting ranges. 

About the Bergara B-14 Wilderness HMR

We used a pair of nearly identical Bergara B-14 Wilderness HMR rifles in this test.  The “HMR” stands for “Hunting and Match Rifle” appropriately. These rifles have a combination of features that make them ideal for target shooting and hunting. 

My initial impression of these two rifles was favorable. They were easy to shoot with good triggers, comfortable stocks, and a beefy barrel equipped with an effective muzzle brake. Felt recoil was mild, though the muzzle blast from the braked .30 caliber magnum cartridges was significant! Each of them performed well at the range during our load testing with Ramshot Grand. Stand by for further load development and shooting with these two Bergara rifles. 

From Bergara

Bridging the gap between the B-14 and Premier Series, we bring you the B-14 Wilderness Series. This series tackles the need for rifles that can withstand the rugged and unforgiving wilderness while blending into those very same elements – hence Bergara’s hand-painted camouflage stocks with added webbing for increased texture and grip. All Wilderness Series barreled actions feature Sniper Grey Cerakote® finishes for advanced protection in extremely harsh weather.

The B-14 Wilderness HMR rifle features our integrated mini-chassis molded into the stock to give the rifle repeatable bedding and accuracy. This rifle is also outfitted with a Bergara Performance Trigger and a 5 round (3 round: 6.5 PRC) AICS style detachable magazine. The world-renowned (#6) Bergara barrel is finished in Sniper Grey Cerakote and features a seamless, omnidirectional, and multi-ported muzzle brake that will reduce felt recoil by up to 35 percent. The Wilderness HMR is complemented by our super-smooth B-14 Action, which is a two-lug system with a sliding plate extractor and a coned bolt nose and breech to ensure smooth feeding and extraction of the cartridge. It has been factory drilled and tapped to fit Remington 700 style rings and bases and includes QD flush cups, adjustable cheek piece and length-of-pull spacers.

The B-14 Wilderness Series provides a great deal of added value for the hunter that wants a no-nonsense performer that is built to withstand the backcountry. We are breaking through the uninhabited and inhospitable regions to bring you the weather protection needed to withstand these conditions.

We believe the word wilderness, while may be rugged, harsh and unforgiving, describes an experience rather than a location. We built the B-14 Wilderness Series to match every stride taken off the beaten trail.

    • Weight: 9.5 lbs-9.9 lbs
    • Overall Length: 40”-47.5”
    • Barrel Length: 20”-26”
    • Finish: Sniper Grey Cerakote
    • Magazine: AICS style detachable
    • Mag Capacity: 5 round mag provided (3 round mag: 6.5 PRC)
    • Barrel Taper: No. 6
    • Muzzle: Threaded 5/8-24” with Omni Muzzle Brake
    • Stock: Bergara HMR Molded with mini-chassis
    • Scope Mount: Fits Remington 700 bases with 6-48 screws
    • Trigger: Bergara Performance Trigger
    • Integrated QD flush cup sling mounts and swivel mounts
    • Adjustable cheek piece, and length-of-pull

CALIBER/TWIST: 6.5 CREEDMOOR/1:8, 6.5 PRC/1:8, .308 WIN/1:10, 7MM REM MAG/1:9.5, .300 WIN MAG/1:10, 300 PRC/1:9, 28 NOSLER/1:9

All B-14 Wilderness rifles are guaranteed to produce groups of 1.0 MOA or less at 100 yards with quality factory match grade ammunition.

Wilderness HMR MSRP $1260 – $1340

Conclusion

Ramshot Grand is a welcome addition to the array of  available slow-burning powders and seems particularly well-suited for overbore and magnum cartridges shooting mid-heavy weight bullets. This spherical powder flows very nicely through a manual powder measure producing very consistent ammunition and making it useful for progressive presses. 

 We observed excellent shot-to-shot consistency with both of the cartridges, indicating great potential for accurate long-range ammunition. (Stay tuned for accuracy results in an upcoming video.) I’m looking forward to doing more load development and testing with Ramshot Grand!

Get the Gear

Ramshot Grand at Midsouth Shooters Supply

Hornady .30 Caliber .308 225 Grain ELD Match Bullets at Midsouth Shooters Supply

Federal Magnum Large Rifle Primer #215 at Midsouth Shooters Supply

Lapua .300 Winchester Magnum Unprimed Rifle Brass at Midsouth Shooters Supply

Lapua 300 PRC Unprimed Rifle Brass at Midsouth Shooters Supply

Lyman Brass Smith All-American 8-Station Turret Press Reloading Kit at Midsouth Shooters Supply

Hornady 300 PRC (.308) Match Grade Die Set at Midsouth Shooters Supply

RCBS .300 Winchester Mag Full Length 2 Die Set at Midsouth Shooters Supply

Frankford Arsenal Platinum Series Perfect Seat Hand Primer at Midsouth Shooters Supply

Bergara Wilderness HMR

Element Optics Theos 6-36×56 FFP 

Caldwell Velocriadar 

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Thanks,
Guy Miner

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