Picking a Powder (loading in the weeds :) )

View · by **Snowgun** on Sun Apr 14, 2013 9:50 pm

Ok, So i'm messing around looking to set up a load for my 460 Rowland while i'm waiting for it, and i'm a little confused as to how to go about picking a powder to start with.

So far the powders I've heard of being used are:

Looking at the powder burn rates (http://www.reloadbench.com/burn.html), these all fall roughly into an area on the chart.

The problem is that they don't exactly fall into an area. Unique is sort of up there, compared to the others. My limited experience with reloading centers around using fast powders (solo 1000, N320) for gaming loads, and that has a different set of requirements (low charge weight, high bullet weight, low/med velocity, med/low accuracy) than what i'm shooting for on the 460 (med/high bullet weight, HIGH velocity, high accuracy).

So to the questions:

Are all these powders pretty much exchangeable performance wise if they are close to each other on the burn chart?
There are a lot of powders between Unique (#35) and N350 (#57), is there a way to suss out what I want without having to try them all?

DISCLAIMER: (yes I know I'm in the weeds here, but at least I KNOW I'm in the weeds, so we can skip that discussion. And i've RTFM, multiple, even the one by the guy with no hands.

)

View · by **crbutler** on Sun Apr 14, 2013 9:57 pm

Prefacing this with I don't have a .460 Rowland, but my experience with others in particular the .45 win mag.

The slower powders tend to give better velocities with heavy bullets- as long as you can get enough in the case.

Viht N350 is very consistent and clean burning, and looks like the slowest of the lot that you listed. I would probably start there and branch out once you see what it will do. You will probably find that best accuracy is a bit below your max load.

View · by **Snowgun** on Sun Apr 14, 2013 11:20 pm

crbutler wrote:The slower powders tend to give better velocities with heavy bullets- as long as you can get enough in the case.

Viht N350 is very consistent and clean burning, and looks like the slowest of the lot that you listed. I would probably start there and branch out once you see what it will do. You will probably find that best accuracy is a bit below your max load.

This is what I have been reading...the case volume for the 460 is sort of smallish for a magnum round, so the slower powders don't work as well like they do in a 44 mag. I've heard don't go less than AA no 9.

Many people say AA no 7, but this is from 5-10 years ago, and apparently sourcing of that powder has changed...

I have had great results with Vihtavuori before...350 might be a good idea along with some #7.

View · by **tator2k** on Mon Apr 15, 2013 5:53 am

I've ran N350 in a .45 ACP with both 230gr and 250gr and the burn and the feel is alot more balanced than running W231. That's my best experience I've had.

View · by **Seismic Sam** on Mon Apr 15, 2013 7:19 am

I use Power Pistol for my 45 super loads - IIRC I sent you all the data I had on 45 Super, didn't I??

Power Pistol also works well on 50GI for +P loads.

View · by **Snowgun** on Mon Apr 15, 2013 8:02 am

I guess another question i have is what about all those powders in the same burn rate that nobody talks about? Could they be awesome?

(Yes i got the 45sup data, awesome, thanks!)

View · by **rugersol** on Mon Apr 15, 2013 8:09 am

I use AA-7 ... fer other stuff ... it would a good midrange powder fer .460 ... kinda defeats the point, don't it?!

I'd probly go AA-9 'er 300MP! ... if I wanted a midrange .45, I'd jest drop in a heavier spring and load up some Super brass!

View · by **rugersol** on Mon Apr 15, 2013 8:13 am

Snowgun wrote:I guess another question i have is what about all those powders in the same burn rate that nobody talks about? Could they be awesome?

Havin' looked at various powders in this range, I'd guess that some are very fluffy/fast "rifle" powders?! ... also, even if it's a "pistol" powder, there's various shapes and density ... and the burn-rate chart ain't the end-all fer what's "slower" than what ... they's more like guidelines!

View · by **Dutch** on Mon Apr 15, 2013 5:32 pm

Vihtavuori is for sale. Unless they find a buyer, it's going to cease to exist in the near future.

View · by **Snowgun** on Mon Apr 15, 2013 8:04 pm

Dutch wrote:Vihtavuori is for sale. Unless they find a buyer, it's going to cease to exist in the near future.

Dammit, They are awesome sauce...

rugersol wrote:Havin' looked at various powders in this range, I'd guess that some are very fluffy/fast "rifle" powders?! ... also, even if it's a "pistol" powder, there's various shapes and density ... and the burn-rate chart ain't the end-all fer what's "slower" than what ... they's more like guidelines!

This makes sense...However technically I use a shotgun powder for my 9mm, so i'm not sure when to pay attention to the labeling...

I wish they give more detailed specs on each powder for comparison. I dont' know what they would be, time/burn/density graphs? Pressure/time graphs? It seems like everything in reloading is quasi scientific and it kinda annoys/freaks me out. The only way seems to subscribe to quickload, but you are trusting someone else's program....

View · by **rugersol** on Tue Apr 16, 2013 6:00 am

Snowgun wrote:However technically I use a shotgun powder for my 9mm, so i'm not sure when to pay attention to the labeling

I used the terms "rifle" and "pistol", in quotes!

... I recall ... several years ago ... one "expert" runnin' off his mouth ... 'bout how "SOME PEOPLE" use "shotgun" powders fer pistol!

I don't have/use Quickload. From what I've seen/heard, no one ever questions it?!

I usually look fer AT LEAST one other guy who's done it ... and don't otherwise sound like too big a doosh!

Cruise forums containing data fer yer .460 ... use yer "filter" ... enter the "good" ones into a spreadsheet ... shouldn't take too long ... and ya'll come up with a couple likely candidates! ... don't ferget to watch availability of the powder(s) in question!

View · by **Beretta96CT** on Tue Apr 16, 2013 8:16 am

Some links I found, hope they help.

http://www.clarkcustomguns.com/460loadchart.htm

http://www.concealco.com/ccu_460row.html

http://www.reloadersnest.com/frontpage_ ... liberID=74

http://www.reloadbench.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000547.html

http://www.sixguns.com/tests/tt460r.htm

http://www.realguns.com/loads/460Rowland.htm

http://460rowland.com/about/

Hope these help.

View · by **ex-LT** on Tue Apr 16, 2013 9:03 am

Dutch wrote:Vihtavuori is for sale. Unless they find a buyer, it's going to cease to exist in the near future.

I was just out on the Hodgdon website, and they have a link to the Vihtavuori website on their home page. Could it be that a deal is in the works?

View · by **Rodentman** on Tue Apr 16, 2013 3:54 pm

I'm supposed to get my 500 pc of 45 super dooper brass by the end of April. Here's hoping I do.

View · by **Snowgun** on Tue Apr 16, 2013 8:37 pm

Beretta96CT wrote:Some links I found, hope they help.

http://www.clarkcustomguns.com/460loadchart.htm

http://www.concealco.com/ccu_460row.html

http://www.reloadersnest.com/frontpage_ ... liberID=74

http://www.reloadbench.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000547.html

http://www.sixguns.com/tests/tt460r.htm

http://www.realguns.com/loads/460Rowland.htm

http://460rowland.com/about/

Hope these help.

Thanks for posting these in one place. I've seen all of them. Some of them are old recipes and the powder has changed, some are contradictory. They do help for a starting point though...but they tend to all copy each other for powder usage, and you can't help wondering if they should have tried some other powder types.