Help with Powder

[Bzcraig]

Need some help folks, couldn't figure out where to post and ended up here. I'm trying to find good resources where I can learn the basics of powder characteristics. I am starting a journey of rifle reloading and know I need more understanding of powder so I can get the most of my cast boolit loads. I'm not giving caliber or any of that because I don't want load data which I can readily get, I want to know the basics so I can make decisions on which powders to try and for what reasons. The added benefit is once powders are a bit more available I will stock the shelves with several options. It is a lever gun that's why I ended up here.

[Nobade]

Of course studying every loading manual you can get your hands on, as well as powder burn rate charts, is a start. This will at least give you an idea where various powders stack up against each other. But the single biggest leap I managed to make in this area was to purchase Quickload. It shows you the pressure curves with any load combination you might come up with, as well as %fill and %burn. By comparing the %burn of different powders I am able to figure out what pressure a particular powder needs to operate in to work properly. This software has not only saved me countless hours of frustration and trips to the range but allows me to come up with novel combinations of load components that otherwise I would not have thought to try. I recommend it highly, with the usual cautions that it is a simulation and you must actually fire your ammo in your own gun to know the truth. Fortunately us cast boolit shooters do not push pressures very high so no matter what I come up with there is plenty of safety margin. If I were trying to make hot jacketed loads I would be MUCH more cautious and proceed far more slowly.

-Nobade

[Gtek]

Most if not all reloading manuals have a burn rate chart up near the front. When you research your specific caliber you will find a window of the powders that are used for that cartridge in a common load. At this point is where the endless variables come in to play. Same number on the can with different lots can be almost perfect really close or a little off. The barrels used by who ever, when ever to come up with their numbers are probably not going to be the same as your Monday morning barrel and Friday afternoon chamber job on your production weapon. Being in levergun arena and not being specific can mean anything from pistol BP cartridge to my tongue is bleeding and wow that really hurt! Start slow, start low with the combination YOU have, everyone has a different technique to get to their sugar load. Cowboy, hunting, plinking, individuals, all have different needs/speeds. Welcome to the madness and the group therapy! Gtek

[Bzcraig]

Thanks for the replies so far. I have looked at and have access to many burn rate charts and numerous load data resources. I'm looking more specifically about 'powder characteristics.' Pressure, velocity, full case loads, short loads, when to use dacron, when not to, how much, etc. and how they relate to each other. Has anyone read a book with this info or a great website maybe?

[Nobade]

The only place I have seen this information in a useful form is what I mentioned above.

-Nobade

[Bzcraig]

The only place I have seen this information in a useful form is what I mentioned above.

-Nobade


I checked it out after I read your post. At $150 seems like a good reference but I was using my IPad and couldn't download the software. I'll have to bring my laptop home from the office and try again. Is it as simple to use as entering info in a couple of fields then the program kicking out the data?

[Nobade]

It takes a while to learn since there are so many variables you can control. But it has good instructions and "read me" files so isn't hard to learn if you take the time. After using it for four years I am still finding things it can do!

-Nobade