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Posted: 1/12/2010 2:21:37 PM EDT
| Just wondering.....there are a crap load of different powders out there. Is there a chart or list somewhere that shows all the powders and what calibers each powder is good for? |
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Reloading manuals show which powders are usable for any given caliber. I have never seen a chart showing each powder and what it is commonly used for. Most hand loaders stick to just a couple of powders and don't branch out once they find what they are happy with. I know of 1 person who has many different powders. He likes the variety of trying different things. Me, I like hodgdon powders. I use:
H335 for 223 Varget for 308 Longshot for .40 HP-38 (winchester 231 is the same, I buy which ever is available) for .45 I tried others back when I first got into loading, but eventually I settled on these powders and that is what I use. I have a few extra 1lb containers of various powders that I have bought, but typically don't use them. Most are IMR and Hodgdon. |
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No, and it's a good thing. When one gunpowder can't be found, a substitute generally can.
Study the gunpowders in the load tables in your load manuals. Soon you'll start seeing the applications for bullet weight, case size, and burn rate. There is overlap in applications, so you'll see loads for slow powders and light bullets that aren't optimum, but better than nothing sometimes, and the other way around with fast powders, too. |
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No, and it's a good thing. When one gunpowder can't be found, a substitute generally can. Study the gunpowders in the load tables in your load manuals. I've been doing that. Just surprised no one has made one yet. I use most of the common powders as well. Just when I go to most reloading shops, I see a ton of powder that I've never researched and the guy on the other side of the counter doesnt know jack about what he's selling. Thanks though. |
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No, and it's a good thing. When one gunpowder can't be found, a substitute generally can. Study the gunpowders in the load tables in your load manuals. I've been doing that. Just surprised no one has made one yet. I use most of the common powders as well. Just when I go to most reloading shops, I see a ton of powder that I've never researched and the guy on the other side of the counter doesnt know jack about what he's selling. Thanks though. You can always open a reloading manual, generally sold where powder is sold, and see if the unknown powder is right for your cartridge. Lyman #49 has nine pages devoted to smokeless powder, with a description of each. |
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No, and it's a good thing. When one gunpowder can't be found, a substitute generally can. Study the gunpowders in the load tables in your load manuals. Soon you'll start seeing the applications for bullet weight, case size, and burn rate. There is overlap in applications, so you'll see loads for slow powders and light bullets that aren't optimum, but better than nothing sometimes, and the other way around with fast powders, too. I started a chart with gunpowders for the most popular handgun cartridges late last year to map out combinations with load data. It wouldn't take too long to finish. |
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Yes. Reloading data and manuals. Well, no, not really. Your manual will generally pick around 8 powders for a given cartridge, some like the Seirra manuals will give quite a bit more, but they are certainly not inclusive. For what the OP is asking, the best thing would be to take a burning rate chart, and add some brackets setting off the common fastest and slowest powders commonly used in common cartridges. For example you could mark off H4895 to IMR 4064 as typical 30-06 M1 Garand powders, and Bullseye to Blue Dot as .45 acp powders. |
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I have a hard time remembering which powders can work with what, so I made my own list for the powders I have.
For example: I currently have 17lbs of Win231 - it can be used in 9mm, 38spl., .357mag, .40 S&W, .44mag, and .45 ACP (I only list the calibers I reload for) The problem comes when you realize that just because a powder can be used, that does not mean it will work best in your particular situation. For example: HS-6 also works with the above calibers, however, I did not like the results I got with it in .38spl., Win231 works better for me. (Win231 my go-to powder for 9mm, .38spl, .40S&W, and .45ACP) |
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Your manual will generally pick around 8 powders for a given cartridge, some like the Seirra manuals will give quite a bit more, but they are certainly not inclusive
Actually this is a good thing as well. According to Lyman: "Powders are designed to suit specific applications such as: bullet weight, case size and shape, pressure level and other specific ballistic and firearms needs. As a result, only certain propellants are suitable for specific applications..." The ballistics people who research the manual data have a good handle on this aspect and therefore, for your benefit, limit the number of powders listed to those that they feel perform best in the specific application. This is one of the downfalls of the Hodgdon web data - they list all of their powders with no caveats as to what performs better in a particular application. Some manuals go so far as to make quite specific recommendations for the application and often list what powders they feel will turn in the best accuracy etc. Therefore, as mentioned by others, a look at several manuals, if possible, will help you narrow the powder selection down. You then can research each potential powder for its individual characteristics, such as: ball or extruded, temperature insensitive or not, etc. What powder is locally available is another thing to look at. What powder will perform well in other of your guns/calibers/applications. This will help you narrow it down. Pay close attention to what powders are most often mentioned as being accurate or producing good results for a whole lot of people and guns. There are usually more than one. |
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The ballistics people who research the manual data have a good handle on this aspect and therefore, for your benefit, limit the number of powders listed to those that they feel perform best in the specific application. No they don't. They limit the selection of powders because testing costs time and money. You can't tell me that if a manual lists H 4895 and not IMR 4895 it's because the H powder is "better for the application". They are too similar to make a difference. This is why different manuals will use different powders. They will generally try to list several older powders that have worked for ages (like Unique in pistol applications), and then add some new powders in order to differentiate their new manual from their older one. For most manuals, there are a lot more powder choices appropriate to the cartridge and bullet choice than listed. |
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The ballistics people who research the manual data have a good handle on this aspect and therefore, for your benefit, limit the number of powders listed to those that they feel perform best in the specific application. No they don't. They limit the selection of powders because testing costs time and money. You can't tell me that if a manual lists H 4895 and not IMR 4895 it's because the H powder is "better for the application". They are too similar to make a difference. This is why different manuals will use different powders. They will generally try to list several older powders that have worked for ages (like Unique in pistol applications), and then add some new powders in order to differentiate their new manual from their older one. For most manuals, there are a lot more powder choices appropriate to the cartridge and bullet choice than listed. That's the reason we have to accumulate information. I almost tossed a Hodgdon pamphlet from 1982 or so last Sunday, then I flipped through and spotted a couple of cartridges that aren't common now, so I added it to the stack. |
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There used to be Load Books (IIRC) that accumulated most load manual's info for a certain cartridge into one book. They were several dollars for each book/cartridge, but it is about the closest thing that comes to mind.
Yep, still around: Load Books website Here's a burn rate chart that relates powders by their general rate (i.e. powders in the same class could probably be used for a cartridge AT APPROPRIATE CHARGE WEIGHT): BURN RATE CHART/GRAPH |
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