Quickload, how can I find the best powders for the cartridge?

[jayjay1]

Hello everybody,
I´m having Qucikload now for over a year and everything is fine.

But I can´t find out, how the programm helps me to find a good powder for a cartridge.

I have the pistol and I know my OAL with this bullet.
How can I then find out, which powders would work best?

Any help in this is very welcome!

[bgmkithaca]

The tool you are looking for is the propellant setup table- it is the option on the tool bar that is the seventh from the right. It has two sliding scales on it and a number of parameters to enter. Look in the index of your manual for details to set it up. It is somewhat confusing to set up the first few times but is a time saver when you get the hang of it. Read it a couple of times then give it a go. Plan on playing with it a bit to narrow down the choices you get.

[jayjay1]

Well yes, I see.

But which of those powders is best when I´m looking for getting a factor and want less recoil?

[bgmkithaca]

Less bullet weight at a given velocity gives less recoil or less velocity with the same weight gives less recoil. Beyond this you will have to do your own homework to get what you want for recoil.

[rsrocket1]

jay,
Less recoil is the result of less momentum of what comes out of the barrel. You can't change physics. Using the same gun, the only way to do that (other than the small amount of gases from the combustion) is to reduce the bullet weight or bullet velocity one to one. It's not energy (1/2*M*V*V), it's momentum = M*V.

As you reduce the velocity of the bullet, you will probably want to go with a faster powder. This is where Quickload can help you out. Try to keep the Pmax up above 15-20,000 psi. Most powders get real dirty and don't burn completely when the pressures get below 10,000 psi.

Example:
If you take a 150g Hornady #3037 .308 bullet and load it with 35g IMR4895, you'll see that nice pressure vs. bullet travel with a 44kpsi Pmax. As you reduce the powder, when you get to 25g, the curve looks mushy and by the time you get to 20g, you are down to 14kpsi Pmax and a very poor looking burn curve.
Now try 12 grains of Unique. Although the MV is only 1677 fps, the pressure curve looks very much like a full charge of rifle powder, just lower Pmax and lower MV. That's the type of curve you want to see with a smaller charge of faster powder for lower recoil.

[jayjay1]

Thank you guys.

@rsrocket1:
Because I´m not an English native speaker, and technical English sometimes reminds me in that, I will ask you something, to make sure that I´ve got you right, ok?

As you say, a higher pressure will lead to a clean burning, ok so far.
I can reach that aim with a lighter bullet and a slower powder, which has the same effect as a heavier bullet with a faster powder (where I have to keep an eye on pressure rise for sure, what I do know, because the higher starting pressure could cause some trouble).

But what I don´t understand is, how I can find a powder with low Pmax, which will do this.
Where can I find this in Quickload?

[Nobade]

Assemble the load you want - cartridge, bullet, seating depth, and barrel length. Then use the tool on top - the box with the dots that opens to show you the two sliders for powder, and buttons to select the various parameters like pressure max and case fill. Set case fill up to maybe 102%, and a minimum of 30%. Set the sliders to their limits to include every powder. Hit the go button, when you have results then sort by whatever you want - Pmax, propellant burnt, muzzle pressure, etc. I like to use propellant burnt because if it burns 100% it is going to be efficient and clean. Then select from those results the powder you want to try and look at it more in depth with the regular screens. This is hard to explain but that's how I do it.

-Nobade

[jayjay1]

Set case fill up to maybe 102%, and a minimum of 30%.

Thank you, have understood everything, but don´t find where I can set the case fill to 30%?

So, when I´m doing this, I take the first powder from up above which burns a 100% and has the lowest Pmax.
That would be good to go (eta. give him a try), right?


P.S.:
Amazing!
Green Dot seems to be a very nice powder for the 9mm Luger.
Easy 100% burned powder, low pressure, easy to reach the Minor factor.

I do have some here.


Has anybody inhere ever tried Green Dot in the 9mm Luger?

[Nobade]

You set the minimum fill down in the bottom of that box that opens when you hit the top button, same place you set the max fill and everything else.

Green Dot works fine in 9MM, just don't push it too hard because it can overpressure really quick.

-Nobade

[rsrocket1]

Thank you guys.

@rsrocket1:
Because I´m not an English native speaker, and technical English sometimes reminds me in that, I will ask you something, to make sure that I´ve got you right, ok?

As you say, a higher pressure will lead to a clean burning, ok so far.
I can reach that aim with a lighter bullet and a slower powder, which has the same effect as a heavier bullet with a faster powder (where I have to keep an eye on pressure rise for sure, what I do know, because the higher starting pressure could cause some trouble).

But what I don´t understand is, how I can find a powder with low Pmax, which will do this.
Where can I find this in Quickload?

You don't want only a low Pmax, you want a Pmax high enough to burn the powder, but still below the safe limit.

With reduced recoil, you want a minimum Pmax of 15-20,000 psi. You achieve this with a smaller charge of fast powder and/or a heavier bullet. You will not get that with a slower powder and/or a lighter bullet. Both of those qualities are working against you.
For example:
.308 150g bullet @ 1700 fps
103634

Then sort by...
Pressure and look for powders you can find in the region of 20,000-35,000 psi
103635

Then check each powder to see if the burn characteristics show a reasonable burn profile like the first trace and not the second trace:
103636

[jayjay1]

@Nobade and rsocket1:

Greaaaat info here, this gives me knowledge in seconds which I didn´t get since the last year having this programm!
Man, what a software, what?

@rsocket1:
What would you call a "reasonable burn profile"?
How can I find that, what are the characteristics?

If I could, I would make this a sticky, defintely!
:goodpost:s

[rsrocket1]

"Reasonable burn load" would look like the top profile and not like the lower one. If the plot looks like a gradual curve with a very gradual drop off of pressure after the peak, then the powder is too slow or too low of a charge and you should look for a different powder. Almost all pistol/shotgun powders will be 100% burned by the time the bullet exits a rifle barrel so long as the max pressure gets up to a good level (20,000 psi or so).

[jayjay1]

Thanks guys,
this helps me a lot.

I just learn to know that programm now.

:2_high5: