"how do I find out what type of powder is in the case"
The only way to find out would be to write them a letter, quoting the lot number printed inside the package, and ask. In the unlikly event that someone answered you, you would not be much farther ahead.
Companies order powder from a much thicker catalog of powders than are offered to reloaders. The increments in speeds are closer together.
These powders are made and packaged (usually a heavy plastic bag in 20 kg drums) and delivered with a data sheet. The data sheet basically says "This lot of powder is a bit faster/slower than average."
The ammo company loads ammo to a specific velocity. There are usually many powders that would work. The other things they consider are price, availability, lot size, hot and cold weather performance, muzzle flash, and loading density.
Cases should not be filled too high, lest powder shake out in the automatic loading machines. I don't what cold weather testing compnaies do now, but CIL used to test all ammo at -40. We cold soaked it for two days before shooting it. We needed 100% ignition and could accept a certain percentage of velocity drop. The guns were not cold soaked - just the ammo.
So, even if they told you that the powder was, say Olin 760, it would not be the same as the powder you buy. It could be somewhat faster or slower.
And don't try to ID the powder. A powder maker starts with a powder composition that looks like bread dough. A whole series of powders will be the identical dough, but will be extruded differently, cut differntly and surface treated differently to make a range of powders. Only about every fifth version might be sold as a cannister powder.
At one time you could at least be reasonably sure what make of powder was in a case. Winchester used Olin powders. Remington used Dupont powders. Today all companies use powders from many, if not any, source.
I think the best you can do is take the round apart and conclude "Hmmm. My rifle seems to like the 180 gr bullet on 46 grains of extruded powder." Then you can look up some likley candidates in the loading manual and go from there.
By the way, I have tried to do what you ask several times, and discovered each time that my guess was 100% wrong.
The only way to find out would be to write them a letter, quoting the lot number printed inside the package, and ask. In the unlikly event that someone answered you, you would not be much farther ahead.
Companies order powder from a much thicker catalog of powders than are offered to reloaders. The increments in speeds are closer together.
These powders are made and packaged (usually a heavy plastic bag in 20 kg drums) and delivered with a data sheet. The data sheet basically says "This lot of powder is a bit faster/slower than average."
The ammo company loads ammo to a specific velocity. There are usually many powders that would work. The other things they consider are price, availability, lot size, hot and cold weather performance, muzzle flash, and loading density.
Cases should not be filled too high, lest powder shake out in the automatic loading machines. I don't what cold weather testing compnaies do now, but CIL used to test all ammo at -40. We cold soaked it for two days before shooting it. We needed 100% ignition and could accept a certain percentage of velocity drop. The guns were not cold soaked - just the ammo.
So, even if they told you that the powder was, say Olin 760, it would not be the same as the powder you buy. It could be somewhat faster or slower.
And don't try to ID the powder. A powder maker starts with a powder composition that looks like bread dough. A whole series of powders will be the identical dough, but will be extruded differently, cut differntly and surface treated differently to make a range of powders. Only about every fifth version might be sold as a cannister powder.
At one time you could at least be reasonably sure what make of powder was in a case. Winchester used Olin powders. Remington used Dupont powders. Today all companies use powders from many, if not any, source.
I think the best you can do is take the round apart and conclude "Hmmm. My rifle seems to like the 180 gr bullet on 46 grains of extruded powder." Then you can look up some likley candidates in the loading manual and go from there.
By the way, I have tried to do what you ask several times, and discovered each time that my guess was 100% wrong.
