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mag_01
02-08-2006, 09:08 PM
:lovebooli Which powder is better for lead loads---a slow burning powder or a fast burning powder--and whats the atvantage of one over the other---thx to all those that respond---Mag_01

felix
02-08-2006, 09:44 PM
It all depends on the hardness of the lead, and how well the boolit fits the gun. If you have a boolit which fit the gun to a tee, then harder the lead the better. For a boolit that fits the gun well, use slow powders for maximum speed. For a boolit that does not fit the gun, use a softer boolit, and a powder speed to bump the tail of the boolit up. How fast and how much of the powder depends on the accuracy gained by each change. Primer types and brands must be commensurate for the length of the case and how tight the boolit is held within the case. ... felix

Buckshot
02-09-2006, 03:59 AM
.............One theory about slow powders is that they are easier on the boolit. Maybe borrowing some from what Felix says, in that they don't 'Boot' the slug so quickly. I've had excellent results with WC852 (slow) which is maybe a tad slower then 4831. Also with full and partial cases of WC860 and WC872 which both have the burning rate of chopped notebook paper. It's dirty in some instances, but where it works, and works so well I can put up with that.

Faster, or pistol and shotgun powders seem to have been more the historical powder for cast lead.

...............Buckshot

David R
02-09-2006, 07:18 AM
It depends on what you want to do. I always used fast to medium speed stuff.

Rifle or pistol? Medium to fast rifle powders like 5744, SR4759 and 2400 seem to do a great job.

Pistol, fast is fine till you get to the magnums.

Bullseye in my 45 auto. Its written on stone tablets that were carried down from the mountain top. Unique works best in the 45 colt, but you can use bullseye or red dot......

Magnum pistols need magnum powder because of case size and general design of the cartridge. You need to fill the case with the right speed powder to get max velocity.

Rifle is a whole different storry. I like Red dot or Promo for plinkers. Its cheap and easy. The whole idea is to save a bunch of money and shoot a nice rifle a lot more so can be a better shot. Red dot is as fast as you can get.

SR4759 and XMP5744 are made for cast boolits in a rifle. They work well, velocities we want for lead can be achieved and accuracy is usually on par.

BUT like Mr. Buckshot said, WC860 is a nice powder. I tried it in my 30'06 and found instant gratitude. Good velocity, great accuracy. Tried it in my 308. With light boolits it doesn't burn clean enough for me, but with a 190 grain, it has become my favorit load in that rifle. I tried it in my 22-250. Got outstanding accuracy but burns too dirty for that gun. Not enough pressure to make it burn. Must be a 60 grain boolit is too light.

If powder was free for my rifles, I would shoot SR 4759 and 5744.

Case size, barrel lenght, bullet weight, powder cost and what you are looking for in velocity dictates which powder is best.

David

mag_01
02-09-2006, 09:22 PM
Thx. guys for the input---In rifles with lead AA5744 is my powder of choice

David R
02-09-2006, 10:26 PM
I forgot to mention medium fast rifle powders are mentioned here quite a bit like Reloader 7 and 4198. I found in my 22-250 26 grains of surplus 4895 shoots as well as 18 grains of SR4759. It took me a while to find the load. I loaded 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 and 32. I chronoed 10 shots of each one. at 26 grains, the ES anb SD went way down. This was the sweet spot for that powder/boolit/primer/case combanation. Just a hair over an inch at 100 yards with weighed boolits. It will repeat that every day.

David