what is the cleanest burning powder

[leeloader]

hey everyone im new to the forum but a long time 204 shooter. i finally started reloading and was wondering what powder burns clean. i started using ramshot tac but was pretty dirty also had some better luck with rl10x.

[Grayfox]

IMR8208XBR powder is very clean burning

Greyfox

[Bill K]

Rl 10X and H4895 work very well for me and are about as clean burning as you will get. IMR8208 is very good, as mentioned. Bill K

[Vartarg]

All of the above, plus Benchmark.....

[leeloader]

thanks that should save me time and money

[Wrangler John]

I have long held that "clean burning" is a legend not worth worrying about, but then, as the sign over the tack room at Why Worry Farm said "Worry, it gives you something to do, but doesn't get you anywhere". None of the powders commonly listed for the .204 Ruger is going to foul up things any worse than the others. I just ran a bunch of loads through the .204 Ruger, .223 Remington and .22-250 Ackley using Hodgdon's new CFE223 powder. That stuff, supposedly formulated to reduce copper fouling in rapid fire military applications, dirties up things like an old smudge pot. However three or four wet patches of Eliminator and a little CU+2 Copper Remover and things are clean again. It may be the proof of the rule that fluffy black carbon soot doesn't necessarily a dirty powder make. Although I have found the muzzle brake needs a few cycles of the ultrasonic cleaner to remove the smudge (finally a use for the ultrasonic cleaner!)

I learned long ago not to fire a dry bore. After cleaning, the bore should be lubed to aid in reducing copper fouling. Some use Lock Ease Graphited Fluid, Lyman's Moly Bore Paste, or other lube. If your barrel is getting really hard to clean, it's more likely due to a rough throat, too hot a load, or overheating or all the above. That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.

[leeloader]

thanks ill try some lube and go from there

[goatr]

Well I'm outa luck up here in Canada, seems that nobody has IMR 8208xbr in stock nor will they have till end of the year from 4 places I checked in Winnipeg. So for now I'll be using H322 or IMR 4064. Any one that has suggestions that may help please??