unburnt powder
- Thread starter cooner
- Start date
cooner; What rifle, bullet and load are you using. When I was loading my late-built 38-55with 255 grain cast bullets and IMR 3031, I experienced the same thing until my loads got up closer to a working maximum. Then the unburned powder granules disappeared. I suspect that 3031 wants a bit more pressure to burn cleanly. Regards, Eagleye.
Listen to eagleye on this. He's given you a bit of wisdom that not many know these days. The new powders are very good and seem to burn a lot cleaner than the older styles. Powders such as 3031, 4064 and even 4831 will leave unburned granules behind or blow them out of the muzzle if the pressures aren't high enough.
If it's quite cold where you're shooting, say -20C, that same load might be just fine in the fall. 3031 is fairly temperature sensetive. Lots of old timers switch over to magnum primers for winter shooting with these older favorites.
If it's quite cold where you're shooting, say -20C, that same load might be just fine in the fall. 3031 is fairly temperature sensetive. Lots of old timers switch over to magnum primers for winter shooting with these older favorites.
Thanks for the reply guys, the load is a stn LR primer(win) the bullet is a 249 grn cast lee and I am using 28gns of 3031 for a target load. It was cold the day I was shooting. Maybe I will try the mag primers and see if it helps. I happened to notice it because the snow showed the powder and then when I got it home and cleaned it ,there was powder in the barrel.
cooner
cooner
vagrantviking
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- High River, Alberta
After doing regular sweep up at an indoor range I can tell you that most pistols and rimfires in particular, leave a lot of powder unburned. I would think that rifles woudl be better but there must still be something less than 100% consumed.
I wonder what the actually efficiency is of various powders or chamberings. Anyone ever seen any info on this kind of thing?
I wonder what the actually efficiency is of various powders or chamberings. Anyone ever seen any info on this kind of thing?
Cocked&Locked
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- S. Ontario
what caliber is this load in? without that not much can be said about the load.
The caliber is 38-55 and the load is for sillouette shooting out to 200 yrds. I am using a lee cast bullet so I am limited as to what kind of velocities and pressures I can go with. The barrel is a full 28"on a win 94 frame. I am using IMR3031 because of my supply and use with other calibers I have. The load shoots well as my groups are good, its just this unburnt powder issue, I was wondering if anybody else had the issue or ideas??. cooner
I don't see why a cast bullet can't be fired at factory velocities in the 38-55. We fire gas check cast bullets in the 30-30 at the same loading as jacketed. If you are using a flat base bullet, cut biscuts out of the white material that packaged meat comes in from the butcher store in the super markets. Put a bullet sized biscuit on top of the powder and it will have close to the same effect as a copper gas check.
Some twenty years ago this was a hot topic. People who know much more than I do about such things, stated that those white trays the meat came from the store in, wouldn't melt or burn in the cartridges.
Some of us used them quite extensively in 44 magnums and had good success.
Typical rifle powers butn best in the 55,000 to 70,000 psi range. When loaded under pressure, they do not burn well. In 38/55 you have no option but to use low pressure. A faster powder, like 4198 would be better. But if the 3031 is accurate, keep it. You have to clean anyway.
Shooting over snow is always educational.
Shooting over snow is always educational.
Cooner, I have seen this many times and what I do is use a good crimp, this usually works, if there is still unburned powder then you can go one step further and increase the neck tension. These techniques both work but in the event that you still have unburned powder then a faster burning powder is your only solution, be prepared to use a filler with the faster burning powder.
bigbull
bigbull
Last edited:
I suspect your load is too low of a pressure to properly use 3031. Since it is a lever action, I would choose another powder. Otherwise you will start to have powder granules getting back into the chamber and the action.
There are better choices for low velocity loads, including 2400, Reloder 7 and IMR 4198 (although I find it also leave powder granules at lower velocities).
There are better choices for low velocity loads, including 2400, Reloder 7 and IMR 4198 (although I find it also leave powder granules at lower velocities).
