IMR 8208 XBR Review

2.200 OAL tests

3.29 Standard Deviation using the 2.200 OAL and the Nosler 55 Grain FB Tipped bullet. That is as good as it gets. But overall, SD is slightly below the top tier powders we have tested, across a wide range of loads. This powder likes very specific loads to shoot great. It shoots great if you get in that narrow band it likes. But other powders like VV N140 shoot pretty much any load good.

Lots of colorful bullets

To go with the bright bottle. These were all the loads from the chart above.

IMR 8208 XBR (100 yards)

This is one of those powders that has brilliant marketing, but does it shoot good? You look at the name its kind of fancy. 8208 XBR. Sounds like some super funded government skunkworks, area 51 stuff. Then you look at the bottle and its shiney gold with bright lettering.

But then you actually shoot it and realize there could be better options, and Reloader 15, Norma 203B, VV N140, Varget and SW Precision Rifle are better. This is just our opinion. In not 1 caliber I try this, is it competitive with the top tier powders. Once in a while it makes a few good groups, but look at N140 for example. Almost every load is good, many different bullets and charges.

This powder is somewhat temperature insensitive, which is good. But I never understand why competitive shooters sometimes tell me this is one of the reasons they like this. When you go to a competition, you get to shoot a bunch of shots before and during, to sight in. So if you are 50 FPS more or less, you can adjust, so temp sensitively is not that important for competitions. Its generally important when you get zero warm up and the first shot matters, and its longer than 500 yards range.

This is all at 100 yards.

The go to load with XBR8208, is pretty much 23.3 grains using a 77 SMK, or Nosler CC, or 23 grains using a Berger 77 OTM. That load will shoot well for you. 1 tiny slyer, otherwise, its doing .2" group at 100 yards.

8208 XBR vs MP 540

You can read more about MP 540 opn the MP 540 page. But we did a few of the internets most popular call outs today. What are they? 23.1 and 23.3 grains of 8208 XBR using 77 grain SMK and CC. Good results. People are not wrong about that. High velocity, low SD, its a good load.

This was shot out of 2 different barrels

WOA Shilen 1:7.5 twist 20"

CLE Douglas 1:7 twist 18"

The Douglas barrel is probably the most accurate barrel I own, it does sub half in groups more often than other barrels.

8208 XBR stats 2 Barrels

So there is 20" Shilen and 18" Douglas for your comparisons.

8208 XBR, we will say, probably has the most "ideal" case-fill in 223 using 77 grain bullets of anything else out there. Its compressed, but perfectly compressed, not too much. That is ideal. XBR is also quite high velocity for its pressure compared to other powders.

Its no wonder so many people like it, however we will stick to our guns and say N140 is superior.