powder selection .300winmag, 40s&w, 460S&Wmag

waderow

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When I was 15, my reloading mentor taught me all the basics and a few tricks.

He taught me about pressure signs. About carefully exceeding max loads. About consistency, and accuracy. He taught me that the rockchucker is the only non-progressive press to own.
He had me read up on P.O.Ackley, and had me bench shooting 1/2" groups at 100yards at age 15 out of a win M70 in 300winmag.
In fact, I was taught well in that summer, and his teachings carried on through the years. Unfortunately, my Dad was killed in an accident that fall, and I moved, and lost touch. I didnt have a mentor anymore, and at that time, there was no internet. I just stuck with what I knew, and reloaded pretty accurate 73-76grain imr4831 180gr nosler partition loads and do to this day. I sometimes play with IMR4350 just to have something new....

One thing he never taught me was about powder choice. He briefly explained to me why we would be using IMR4831, but at the time it was over my head, and I didnt catch the basics.

I sort of understand that you use slower powders for bigger charges, and faster for smaller such as pistol etc.

Anyone know of any concise articles on powder selection where a guy could educate himself a bit more?

I am currently doing my own load development for my new 460s&wmag, and of course I can just stick to the manuals, but not understanding the manuals choice doesn't sit well with me.

IMR%204831.jpg
 
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Here's an explanation from another site that seems to make sense:

"It sounds like you are looking for general principles here for powder selection. It really depends on the relationship between case volume, bullet weight and caliber (diameter of bore). The case volume is the amount of space the powder has to start burning in, the caliber determines how much this space will grow as the bullet starts to move, and the bullet weight (inertia) helps determine how fast the bullet will accelerate.

Cartridges with small case volumes and light bullets (say 32 ACP for an extreme case) have to use very fast burning powder to get pressures built to give the bullet extra speed (velocity depends on pressure). Slow burning powders just wouldn't finish burning til the bullet was out of the barrel. Conversely a big case volume with heavy bullets, say a 460 Weatherby, needs very slow burning powder to let the bullet start moving down the barrel before it all burns up and builds way to much pressure, blowing up the gun. (yes, a case full of a fast pistol powder like Bullseye in most any rifle caliber will chop your rifle in half - in any of the popular actions Mauser 98, Remmington 700, Winchester 70, Ruger MkII etc)"
 
Here's an explanation from another site that seems to make sense:

"It sounds like you are looking for general principles here for powder selection. It really depends on the relationship between case volume, bullet weight and caliber (diameter of bore). The case volume is the amount of space the powder has to start burning in, the caliber determines how much this space will grow as the bullet starts to move, and the bullet weight (inertia) helps determine how fast the bullet will accelerate.

Cartridges with small case volumes and light bullets (say 32 ACP for an extreme case) have to use very fast burning powder to get pressures built to give the bullet extra speed (velocity depends on pressure). Slow burning powders just wouldn't finish burning til the bullet was out of the barrel. Conversely a big case volume with heavy bullets, say a 460 Weatherby, needs very slow burning powder to let the bullet start moving down the barrel before it all burns up and builds way to much pressure, blowing up the gun. (yes, a case full of a fast pistol powder like Bullseye in most any rifle caliber will chop your rifle in half - in any of the popular actions Mauser 98, Remmington 700, Winchester 70, Ruger MkII etc)"

cool. Is there any calibre guidelines or charts to reference for burn rates?
 
There are charts showing relative burning rates if you google them but they vary slightly for different cartridges , in other words a powder may act faster or slower in one case then another. There is a tool called the Powley computer that predicts starting loads based on case capacity and caliber , I have never used it as I have found loading manuals to be more specific for any common chambering.
 
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