Ramshot
Ramshot TAC
A match and service-rifle powder aimed at heavy bullets in the 223 Remington and at 308 Winchester match loads.
The Ramshot with a genuine following: a ball powder for .223 and .308 that meters excellently and shoots better than a bulk powder has any right to, which is why it turns up in both blasting ammunition and hunting-grade .308. Its reputation for temperature sensitivity is contested folklore - at least one shooter's own cold-to-hot testing did not reproduce it, to the surprise of the thread. Treat both the folklore and the rebuttal as anecdote and chronograph your own load. Generally findable and good value, which counts for a lot lately.
- heavy-bullet 223 Remington
- 308 Winchester match and hunting
- bulk AR ammunition on a progressive
Who has Ramshot TAC today
Checked October 10In stock at 1 store — lowest in hand $47.93/lb (8 lb at Graf & Sons)
| Store | Size | Shelf | In hand /lb | Stock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graf & Sons$23.50 hazmat per package | 8 lb | $345.99 | $47.93 | In stock ↗ |
| Graf & Sons$23.50 hazmat per package | 1 lb | $45.99 | $83.44 | In stock ↗ |
| Lohman ArmsHazmat charged, amount not published | 8 lb | $305.95 | $42.17 est. | Out |
| Bruno Shooters Supply$26.95 hazmat + $19.95 ship | 8 lb | $299.99 | $43.36 | Out |
| Lohman ArmsHazmat charged, amount not published | 1 lb | $43.95 | $75.39 est. | Out |
| Bruno Shooters Supply$26.95 hazmat + $19.95 ship | 1 lb | $40.99 | $87.89 | Out |
“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 | Ramshot |
|---|---|
| Product family | Ramshot |
| Status | Currently produced |
| Application | rifle |
| Grain form | spherical |
| Lee VMD (bulk density) | 0.0671 cc per grain · 0.97 g/cc |
| Composition | double-base |
| Temperature stable | Not marketed as temperature-stable |
| Burn-rate position | 110 of 198 (fastest = 1) — what this means |
| Typical cartridges | 223 Remington, 308 Winchester |
Grain shape
Spherical, degressive, with a thin-to-medium web. Metering is the reason people load it: on a progressive it holds charge weight where an extruded match powder of similar speed scatters.
Why geometry decides burn rate more than chemistry does: Shape Is the Product.
Hodgdon flags it as an extra-clean-burning powder. Manufacturer specifically markets its flow characteristics for repeatable charge weights on progressive equipment. Made in the USA.
Burn rate
A medium rifle powder, charted between Alliant AR Comp and Alliant Power Pro Varmint.
Chart agreement: position varies - Hodgdon places TAC immediately SLOWER than Alliant AR-Comp, while Vihtavuori bands TAC with N133 and AR-Comp with N135, reversing the pair. 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:
- Accurate 2460 (position 107)
- IMR 8208 XBR (position 108)
- Alliant AR-Comp (position 109)
- Alliant Power Pro Varmint (position 111)
- Hodgdon H4895 (position 112)
- Vihtavuori N530 (position 113)
What reloaders say about it
Unverified community anecdote. The following is a summary of what handloaders report in public forums. It is not manufacturer information, it has not been tested, it may be wrong, and it contains no load data by design. Treat it as colour, not guidance.
TAC has a quiet but consistent following as a well-metering ball powder for .223 and .308 bulk and hunting ammo. Notably, its reputation for temperature sensitivity is contested — at least one poster who ran their own cold-to-hot testing reports being surprised at how stable it was, which other commenters treated as counter to the received wisdom.
- ball powder, reported to meter excellently
- reputation for temperature sensitivity is actively disputed by users who have tested it
- favored for bulk .223 and hunting-grade .308
- described as good value
Availability: Generally described as findable; not one of the chronically scarce powders.
Reported cautions:
- 'Everyone always says it's temperature sensitive' — the community itself flags this as folklore that may not survive testing. Treat both the folklore and the rebuttal as anecdote.
Consensus level: commonly mentioned. Drawn from thread 1, thread 2, thread 3.
Sources
The specifications above come from Ramshot'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.