H4831 vs H4831 sc

J

jkc

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
9   0   0
Totally new to reloading and I was just about to try to load some ammo. I bought the short cut powder and am now wondering if there is any difference in weighing the two powders.

I am reading the instructions with the scale I have and it mentions that you need to know how much one grain of powder weights. If the sc powder is cut differently, would the one grain weight be different that the regular cut of powder.

Perhaps I am reading this wrong, and any help would be appreciated.
 
I think you are reading the instructions wrong or not understanding. One grain of anything weighs one grain. Different powders have different burning qualities and differ in volume weight ratio. H4831 should have the same general buning characteristics as that of the short cut version, but when measuring by volume may not be the same weight. Obviously they are from different lots. For those who are really kinky about lot numbers, there may be a difference. Pick one. Work up your loads by weight from reliable loading data. If you change any component in your recipe, back up and work up again. With loading, you can never be too carefull.
 
I hope someone jumps in to confirm what I'm about to say, but my impression is that, if you're measuring charges by weight, it'll be the same. If you're measuring by volume then you would have to adjust the cavity you're using 'cause the SC would probably be less bulky than regular H4831.
 
I think SC powder has a slightly faster burn rate, a least it was that way with IMR 4895 Vs IMR 4895 SC . If you are working up a load there isn't a problem however if you develope a load for H4831 you might need 1/2 grain less with H4831 SC.
 
Oh man, good point BattleRife. Rereading the OP it does seem like our friend hasn't yet understood that a grain is a unit of weight.

If that's the case jkc, put the powder away for now and read, read, read.
 
One big plus for the SC is that it works better thru the meter and will pack into a smaller volume,and I think that's exactly what it is intended to do. Having said that, I still throw my charges a bit low and then trickle up to the final charge weight. I find the same weight of both long and short cut to be totally interchangable in my handloads.
 
H4831 and H4831sc have the same burning rate, it says it right on their website. 35gr of H4831 will produce the same pressure/velocity as 35gr of 4831sc, they are both totally interchangeable.

Of course, like someone has already mentionned, if you're using a dispenser, your setting will probably be different between the two powders.
 
Thanks for being nice guys, and not roasting me too badly.

I do understand that one grain is a unit of measure. I also realize that the 4831 and the 4831 sc produce the same pressures.

The thing is, I just got the Lee Anniversary kit.(no comments about this choice please!) I thought that the scale would be calibrated to give me the grain measurement I want to charge my shells at. But, according to the instructions if I wanted 43 grains of IMR 3031 I would have to set the micrometer to 3.28. This is a cubic centimeter unit of measure.

I haven't loaded any shells, and I do realize I could blow my face off, so thats why I'm here.

Now, if I don't use the powder dispense, does the scale work on the grain for grain principle? EX. if I want 43 grains of powder, set the scale to 43, and add powder until I zero the scale?
 
Dont try to use the dispenser as a volumetric measure. Calibrate the dispenser against the weigh scale (zero the weight scale first, set it to the minimum charge in grains). That way, you can check the subsequent powder charges thrown by the dispenser with the scale. This will give you both accuracy and repeatability.
 
jkc said:
Now, if I don't use the powder dispense, does the scale work on the grain for grain principle? EX. if I want 43 grains of powder, set the scale to 43, and add powder until I zero the scale?
Click to expand...

Yes. Make sure it's calibrated. Whatever it reads will be your weight in grain.
 
Ah, you're using one of the Lee disk measures, not a scale. Like all mechanical powder measures, these dispense by volume, so they cannot calibrate in grains. Each hole measures a specific volume, and since all powders have a different density (grains/CC), a hole will throw a different powder weight with each type of powder. The measure should have come with a table showing both the density of most powders on the market and an estimate of how much powder you will get from each opening.

The table is WAY off, to be used for nothing other than getting an estimate of which opening to try first. You absolutely must weigh the charges on a scale before loading any cartridges, so any difference in packing between the standard and short cut powders will be taken into account at that point. I usually weigh 5 out the first 10 powder charges (do not seat any bullets), then average those 5 charges and make a note somewhere as to the actual weight thrown by that hole with that powder. If all the loads were acceptable you can go back and seat the bullets. This should be done again when switching to a new powder lot if your load is anywhere near max.
 
YES! That is what I'm talking about.

As my daughters birthday party was going on I was thinking about the powder dispenser. I was thinking exactly what you just said "Battlerifle" I thought it doesn't really matter what the density is. All I have to do is set the micrometer and weigh the charge. Once I get to where I want to be, dispense the charge 1 or 2 more times and if they are good, run with that. The instructions say to weigh every charge anyways. I guess rule of thumb would be to always go to the scale.

I am just starting and some of this may seem elementary to you guys. I won't be loading to a full charge right now anyways. I am just going to work up to the bigger loads starting from the bottom. Anyways I guess bottom line you have to be accurate in the amount of powder you are putting in to begin with.

Thanks for the help.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom