Thread: 50 plus Years using Australian Rifle Powders

Greetings All,
In my recent fumbling with BM8208 I realised that it was a little over 50 years since I loaded my first cartridge. It was a .303 with a 180 grain Norma projectile, CCI primer and 34 grains of AR2201 powder. AR2201 powder had been developed about 1960 for use in the 7.62 Aussie ammo for their SLR. It was never a canister powder and its speed varied from lot to lot and not offered directly to the public. It was sold to wholesalers in 30 pound kegs which was then on sold in smaller quantities to the public. Mine came from CAC in a tin like the one below, later used for storing AR2206. The manufacturer provided no loading data but some privately developed data was available. Mine came from Reloading Simplified by Cyril Waterworth.

AR2201 was temperature sensitive and did not store well so in the late 1970's a new powder was developed at the request of the Army and three additional powders were added. These were AR2207, AR2206, AR2208 and AR2209. The manufacturer, Mulwex, did not develop data but this was done by members of the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia and published in a small pamphlet by Mulwex dated about 1985. AR2206 was the first of what are now touted by Hodgdon as their extreme powders.
By 1985 my .303 rifles had gone replaced with a .308 (later more than one) and a .223. I had fallen under the influence of Handloader Ammunition Reloading Journal and was using IMR4064 and IMR4895 plus AD2206 once my AR2201 ran out about 1983.
About 1990 the first of my 6.5x55 rifles appeared in the cupboard. Ken Waters had published some loads with the 120 grain projectiles and IMR3031 in his 1987 pet loads and AR2206 was supposedly the same speed. The chronograph revealed that it was much slower and a can of AR2209 was purchased which produced the goods.
Currently all of the powders I use come from ADI, BM8208, AR2206H, AR2209, AR2213SC and AR2217. I will try to pare this list down a little as stocks run out but I can't currently see the need for any others.
Regards Grandpamac.