Hodgdon Extreme
Hodgdon Benchmark
A precision-target powder aimed at benchrest and small varmint cartridges, and at light match bullets in mid-size cases.
A fine-kernel extruded powder built to act like a ball powder at the measure while keeping stick-powder consistency in the chamber. It is at home in the small benchrest cases and behind light bullets in .223 and .204 Ruger, and being an Extreme powder it holds its velocity across a temperature swing. It is faster than people assume from the name: try to make it a general-purpose .308 powder behind heavy bullets and you run out of case before you run out of performance. Inside its window it is one of the better-metering match powders Hodgdon makes.
- 6mm PPC benchrest
- light bullets in 223 Remington
- 222 Remington
- 204 Ruger varmint loads
Who has Hodgdon Benchmark today
Checked October 10In stock at 3 stores — lowest in hand $55.45/lb (8 lb at Lohman Arms)
| Store | Size | Shelf | In hand /lb | Stock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lohman ArmsHazmat charged, amount not published | 8 lb | $412.14 | $55.45 est. | In stock ↗ |
| Graf & Sons$23.50 hazmat per package | 8 lb | $426.99 | $58.05 | In stock ↗ |
| Hodgdon (direct)Terms not published | 8 lb | $450.99 | $60.30 est. | In stock ↗ |
| Lohman ArmsHazmat charged, amount not published | 1 lb | $57.68 | $89.12 est. | In stock ↗ |
| Graf & Sons$23.50 hazmat per package | 1 lb | $53.50 | $90.95 | In stock ↗ |
| Hodgdon (direct)Terms not published | 1 lb | $65.99 | $97.43 est. | In stock ↗ |
“In hand” is the shelf price plus that store’s hazmat fee and shipping, spread over one container. Stock is checked once a day — confirm on the store’s page before ordering. Compare all powders →
Specifications
| Manufacturer | Hodgdon |
|---|---|
| Product family | Hodgdon Extreme |
| Status | Currently produced |
| Application | rifle |
| Grain form | extruded |
| Lee VMD (bulk density) | 0.0715 cc per grain · 0.91 g/cc |
| Composition | single-base |
| Temperature stable | Yes — claimed by the manufacturer |
| Burn-rate position | 102 of 198 (fastest = 1) — what this means |
| Typical cartridges | 222 Remington, 223 Remington, 6mm PPC, 22 PPC, 6mm BR, 204 Ruger, 308 Winchester |
Grain shape
Very short extruded kernels with a thin web — that thin wall the flame has to cross is what makes it fast, and the short length is what keeps it from bridging in a drop tube. It throws closer to ball-powder uniformity than any stick powder has a right to, which is why Hodgdon points it at progressives.
Why geometry decides burn rate more than chemistry does: Shape Is the Product.
Small, easy-metering granules that Hodgdon specifically recommends for progressive presses. Temperature stable per Hodgdon's Extreme designation.
Burn rate
Fast-medium rifle, sitting between Vihtavuori N133 and H335.
Chart agreement: consistent across the three charts that list it Ranked by: Hodgdon, Vihtavuori, Wolfe/LoadData.
Powders charted near it — neighbours on the chart are not substitutes, and adjacency tells you nothing about what charge either one takes:
- Alliant Reloder 10x (position 99)
- IMR 3031 (position 100)
- Vihtavuori N133 (position 101)
- Hodgdon H335 (position 103)
- Ramshot X-Terminator (position 104)
- Shooters World AR-Plus (position 105)
Sources
The specifications above come from Hodgdon's own published documentation, linked below. The two “RCM's read” sections are ours, not theirs — our assessment of what this powder is like to load, drawn from its published characteristics and from what handloaders consistently report. No manufacturer endorses them and no source below backs them. If you think we have one wrong, tell us — we would rather fix it.