SmallCaliberCentral

I am ready to reload and am starting with Win. brass, Fed 205M primers, 39gr Sierras and 10X powder. The 10x is a popular powder on this site, but I read a post saying it was the dirtiest powder...not good for extended shooting. Any opinions/suggestions?

Its a very popular powder on here but I quit using it because of the very hard to remove carbon ring.I'am trying 8208 but won't really know if its any better till after my prarie dog hunt

You should try Ramshot Xterminator.


It burns clean, meters well, and performs with great results in the 204's!

I agree, Xterminator is a good way to go.

Ricky Bobby wrote:You should try Ramshot Xterminator.


It burns clean, meters well, and performs with great results in the 204's!

I've used RL10X in two different 204's now. I might rethink it if I was going through a few hundred rounds /day on rats. For me, the performance has been worth it and I don't find it to be difficult to clean.

Another great choice is IMR8208

I am using Benchmark with no issues. Meters well, less temperature sensitive than some powders. Works well in my Cooper and Savage.

I found too that RE10x seems to burn dirty I use ramshot tac and Xterminator and it is seems to shoot great and burn clean!

Bangflop wrote:I am ready to reload and am starting with Win. brass, Fed 205M primers, 39gr Sierras and 10X powder. The 10x is a popular powder on this site, but I read a post saying it was the dirtiest powder...not good for extended shooting. Any opinions/suggestions?

Factory barrel?

Clean is not always best.
Benchmark is the cleanest burning powder IMO.
Awesome accuracy potential if you find the correct node. They're small nodes to find. Most nodes are no matter what powder your using
Does'nt necessarily mean your particular barrel will shoot extended rounds without losing accuracy.
The flip side of carbon fouling is copper fouling. Factory barrels and clean burning powders in tandem with high velocity are very susceptible to copper fouling.
Find an accurate node with BM at the lower scale of 204 velocity and you can shoot all day long (year long?)
Sometimes a little soot in the barrel helps accuracy.

I'd bet X-Terminator would be a great next step.
My favorite powder in the 6PPC and 6BR -14 twist.
With HBN coated pills I've found both those guns will shoot at competitive levels all year long with never seeing a patch down the bore. 4-500rds without cleaning and they still shoot better than barrels of their age (round count) should.

One of my all time favorites in the 204 for extended shooting is Winchester 748.
Back in the day when I shot factory 204's in comp that powder would shoot all season with naked 35 Bergs without a patch. Another 4-500rds.
Extended shooting without cleaning, degredation of accuracy, or change in point of impact due to fouling bores was the name of the game in those comps.
W-748 fit that bill just right. Seldom shot the smallest groups in load testing but it would run forever consistently.
When your not shooting at paper and have no idea where your misses went "forever consistently" is a good thing to have.
Always clean my barrels at the end of the season just out of quilt.

I've burned 3 lbs of 10X over the years in the 204R in several different barrels.
Coated bullets, naked bullets I always see the same thing. Very nice accuracy potential short term, very easy to find, but I've never seen a barrel that could do it long term.
Then spend two days getting the glaze out of the throat. Just not my cup of tea.

Not too much carbon, not too much copper. Find that powder and you'll have extended shooting Nirvana

I didn't mention I am shooting a CZ factory varmint weight barrel. Only have fired 33 total factory rounds. Ten rds. cleaning after each then 3 groups of three,cleaned after each. A group of 5 then cleaned. Shot the rest and cleaned. just a note I saw no evidence of any copper fouling at all. I thought I would try IMR 8208 next, after the 10X. Anybody had time to evaluate this powder? Thanks for the advice. The Ramshot powders are not readily available here and I am not interested in picking up the hazardous charge.