How many powders out there have close copies by other names?

[Tracy]

Great stuff as is all of the Vectan I've tried. Price is good on it, too.

Only Vectan powders I've tried are AO and Tubal 2000, which is similar to the 4198s and rl7. I like both, and am thinking about getting some gm3.

[Elkins45]

I bought six bottles of GM3 from Graf's and am trying it out in 9mm and 40 S&W right now. Initial results have been quite good.

Graf's still has the free hazmat with six bottles deal going on for one more day.

[jonp]

I bought six bottles of GM3 from Graf's and am trying it out in 9mm and 40 S&W right now. Initial results have been quite good.

Graf's still has the free hazmat with six bottles deal going on for one more day.

I"ve been using GM3 in several pistol loads and it's quite promising. I've become a fan of the powder. 9mm, 38sp, 357, 45acp, 45 colt, all good target.

[Clay M]

Lovely, lovely just scored some Benchmark and Varget.
Benchmark is very close to IMR 3031 which is very near and dear to my heart.
Varget is very close to IMR 4064 which was also a standard for the .308win for many years..

I will be interested to see how the Benchmark works in my .204Ruger and my .22PPC
IMR 3031 is the powder for my .204
I primarily want the benchmark for loading the .223

[Shiloh]

Close but not exactly the same. Do the research.

When I bought surplus or pull down powders years ago, particularly from Bartlett and Pat's, there were instructions.
Instructions were as such for instance: SIMILAR to BLC-(2), use starting load and work up as per standard load development techniques.

Shiloh

[JSnover]

Want to really know? Call the manufacturers and ask them. Hodgdon tells you which powders are the exact same. It's best to get the information straight from the source and not an Internet forum.

^THIS! Great idea for a thread (maybe even a sticky), but make sure you got good dope before you start filling cases.

[nvreloader]

Out of the 140+ US powders I have files on,
only these powders have the same spec's,
for Burn rate, Explosion heat, Powder load heat,
They are,

Hodgdon H 414	0.4529-	3880-	1.2450
WINCHESTER 760	0.4529-	3880-	1.2450
RAMSHOT ZIP	3.6500-	4060-	1.2220
WINCHESTER 231	3.6500-	4060-	1.2220
RAMSHOT TRUE BLUE	2.6000-	3980-	1.2240
WINCHESTER 540	2.6000-	3980-	1.2240

And for those that believe that H-110 and Win 296 are the same,
their spec's don't show that info,
as you can see here,

Hodgdon H110	0.8000-	4110-	1.2200
WINCHESTER 296	0.7300-	4300-	1.2350

HFSO,

Tia,
Don

[umwminer]

Win 748 is BLC-2 is WCC 846

[LeftyDon]

How about hodgdon clays and alliant clay dot? They use the same data in shotguns. I've used them both in 38 special with nearly identical loads. Not the exact same powder but very close from what I've seen.

I've seen reports on Shotgun World that the Canadian made Clays doesn't have the same density as the old Aussie made Clays. This showed up with shotgun reloaders that use MEC bushings in their MEC reloaders and had to change bushings to get the same drop weights. If you weight it then there's no problem, but if you use a volume dispenser then an adjustment is needed. The Canadian Clays weights more for the same volume.

[Elkins45]

Out of the 140+ US powders I have files on,
only these powders have the same spec's,
for Burn rate, Explosion heat, Powder load heat,
They are,

Hodgdon H 414	0.4529-	3880-	1.2450
WINCHESTER 760	0.4529-	3880-	1.2450
RAMSHOT ZIP	3.6500-	4060-	1.2220
WINCHESTER 231	3.6500-	4060-	1.2220
RAMSHOT TRUE BLUE	2.6000-	3980-	1.2240
WINCHESTER 540	2.6000-	3980-	1.2240

And for those that believe that H-110 and Win 296 are the same,
their spec's don't show that info,
as you can see here,

Hodgdon H110	0.8000-	4110-	1.2200
WINCHESTER 296	0.7300-	4300-	1.2350

HFSO,

Tia,
Don

Not to be contrary, but if your data shows that H-110 and W296 are different then I think you need to reexamine your data. Hodgdon themselves will tell you they are the same. The only way I can explain this data is lot to lot variation.

[JohnH]

I'm perplexed. Just what does "equivalent" mean? An old puzzle: Man is taking his cattle to market. He meets a neighbor on the way moving his cattle as well. Man says to his neighbor If you give me one of your cows we'll have the same number. Neighbor thinks about it a little and says no. If I do that you will have twice as many cows as I do. But if you give me one of your's we'll both have the same number. How many cows does each man have? Answer is 5 and 4. A total of 9 cows. If each man had 2 and 7 cows, there would still be a total of 9 cows but the relationship of the numbers while equal in total is not equivalent in relationship to themselves. I'm sure that's an odd way of making my point. I've shot Green Dot and Red Dot in shotguns, handguns and in rifle cast loads for years. They behave similarly and could be called equivalent if overall performance of the two is what is being discussed, but in their made for roles as shotgun powers they are and do behave differently. I'd take the term "equivalent" with a big grain of salt.

[olafhardt]

I spent years in the chemical business from ordinance to water treatment. If I was told two powders with different names were the same, I would not believe it. If they were canned out of the same batch, I would expect variations. In fact I expect differences from the top of the bottle to the bottom. I just don't push the boundaries.

[WRideout]

[QUOTE

Anybody ever heard of Hodgdon H240? It was similar to 2400, albeit maybe a bit faster.

[/QUOTE]
I aquired a very old can of H240, among others, when my stepfather was getting out of the reloading game. I used the recipe on the can for 38SPL, and found it to be very satisfactory. The cardboard can still had the price tag on it, which was incredibly low.

Wayne

[DLCTEX]

H 110 and 296 were slightly different until Hogdon became supplier for both. Now Hogdon says they are same. Load manuals treat them differently as there are still supplies of old 296 out there.

[35 Whelen]

For a good while I used AL 20/28 aa a grain-for-grain replacement for Unique in my .44 Specials. With identical bullets and identical charges velocities averaged about 2.5% higher. I tried one load in a 45 ACP and velocity was only 1% higher. I tested it in a .38 Special but the exact figures have escaped my memory. BUT, I found in larger cases such as the 44-40 and 45 Colt, velocities aren't nearly as predictable and extreme spreads are usually high , so I stay away from it in larger capacity handgun cartridges. Besides, Unique is much more available now than it was.

35W