Your Powder Selection Criteria?

When you are setting up to load for a cartridge how do you determine powder selection?

I try to use the powder recommended by the bullet manufacturer that gives me a load in the 95% to 100% density at max load. When loading both soft and solids, I try to use the powder that works with both.

That is if that powder is available... which, I am learning, is far from being a given...

If not, I look at 1) what alternate powder the bullet manufacturer tech support folks recommend; 2) what powder other reliable folks use; 3) what powder has a similar burn rate in the charts but this is no fool proof as comparable burn rates will still result in different load density, pressure, velocity, etc.

I am very much a reloading newbie and will be looking with great interest at what experimented reloaders respond

So far, I am going by Layne Simpson recommendations:

"Of all the things that affect the accuracy of a handload, primers are at the very bottom of the list ... Far more important than the brand of primer, is how they are seated into the case."

"From a pure accuracy standpoint, the type of powder used is also near the bottom of the list ... The density is extremely important. With any powder of the correct burn rate loaded at close to 100% density, accuracy will generally be quite good."

Lots of things really. Burn rate, kernel size, cost.
If im setting up for something like 223 Remington I will probably select a ball powder like 748 or cfe 223 due to their precision metering and good velocity.
30-06 will like get IMR 4350 as it’s a proven performer.
I always tell new reloaders to buy Winchester 748 and 760 as the vast majority of centerfire rifles can loaded with those two powders. Then they can try others later.
A powder that uses more grains for the same speed will do so with lower pressure, a powder that uses fewer grains for the same speed will have less recoil.
Depending on the cartridge, barrel length can make a difference on the optimum powder.

I feel like cost as a variable in powder selection went out the door about 2 years ago. Now it's mostly about availability depending on where you live. But seriously, I really like Vihtavuori powers and try to stay with them - I did live in Finland for 5 years and am partial so this my preference.

All other preferences aside, you should look for one of the most efficient powders for the cartridge / bullet combo you want to use. I run the numbers in QuickLOAD and then look for a powder that can get me from just under to just over 95-100% fill load, up to max pressure, and 100% powder burn. Somewhere in there should be your sweet spot.

I hit the manuals first and see what I want to accomplish as far as speed is concerned. Once I have decided on that I'll select a few different powders. I try and stay with ball or flake as a personal preference.

If I know the velocity that I want and find a powder that will get there and be under the max load I'll try that one out first and see how it performs. If I like what it does I'll go with it. If I think that I can get better results with a different powder I'll try that other powder.

In my younger days I wanted speed, the more the better and I loaded that way. Max loads with light bullets.

I'm glad that I grew out of that.

You get a buddy with QuickLoad.

Give him the needed data - cartridge, SKU of the projo, powder, barrel length, H2O capacity if you have a fired case - he gives you the load back that matches a harmonic node/sweet spot for your barrel. We usually start at 100% case fill and reduce the grains until we hit a sweet spot. I also reduce the max pressure limit to 62,000 PSI just to have an extra safety margin. (I consider 65,000 PSI to be modern steel limits/sanity). I don't chase the last foot per second, but rather the fill and burn percentage that gets me to a harmonic node so it has minimal barrel whip/shot dispersion.

I have started with W748 & W760 many times, as Wyatt Smith indicates above. Recently, it seems that Ramshot & Western powders are also very useful and they run $37/Lb. vs. the normal market rate of $50-$60/Lb.. Hunter powder delivers 200 FPS more than W760 with 300 grain projos in .375 bore, for example. X-Terminator, TAC, & Big Game seem also to be useful. BL-C(2) is my favorite for .308WIN and 175 grain Sierra Match Kings.

Hope these help, but you have to determine what you are trying to achieve - a 7x57 Mauser with 175 grain projos for smaller plains game likely requires a different powder than the .495 A-Sqare with a 500 grain projo for Cape Buffalo.

I can warn you off of trying a dozen powders - I have TOO many different ones - find your favorites and buy in 8lb. canisters to save money and HAZMAT fees.

On hazmat fees, get onto Natchez Shooting Supply email list. It seams like they have a no hazmat charge once a month.

If they have what you want.

Schüler Jumbo said:

When you are setting up to load for a cartridge how do you determine powder selection?

Click to expand...

I read and do research.

Normally I look for a full case of the powder listed in the manuals, I use 10-15 different sources of this information to compare what other companies have and I average them all to get an idea of the load.

Temp stability used to be my main concern, I’m going against all my gut feelings and been running CFE223 to see how temp unstable it actually is. Some guys say it’s horrendous; my personal experience is between 0 degrees and 80 degrees is not that bad. Once I find a few I like I grab some 8 pounders and stack them DEEP

I’ve had larger SD’s using IMR3031 but it works for a lot of my calibers so I have a lot of this too

I try to use the powders recommended by the manufacturers for the respective cartridges and the bullet. This is certainly not always easy, especially when it comes to powders that are not available in our countries or to reload big bore cartridges. For the latter, there are often little load data available, and when there is, there are sometimes unrealistic and unusable in the practice.

I also prefer 90% to 100% load density, accordingly the powder selection, but that is not always possible. If the recommended powder is not available, then I have to look for equivalents, but the burning rate charts are often not very helpful since each one shows something different. One should primarily orient oneself towards the relative velocity and the relative pressure data of each powder sort and consider if it is a single or a double base powder. The pressure build-up is slightly different, despite similar velocity and pressure data. One must also take into account length, rifling and throat of a barrel as not every one can handle all the specified powders and their maximum loads.

The choice of powder becomes problematic when no load data are available. In that case, a suitable powder can be selected based on the case geometry, if that can be compared to that of other cartridges. However, if the case is not comparable to any known cartridge, it becomes very problematic. In this case powder selection requires some experience in reloading and also a fair amount of caution to approaching the maximum load.

grand veneur said:

However, if the case is not comparable to any known cartridge, it becomes very problematic. In this case powder selection requires some experience in reloading and also a fair amount of caution to approaching the maximum load.

Click to expand...

In this scenario please advise your thoughts on how to begin solving powder selection criteria. Do you look deeper into powder chemistry? Does primer selection figure in at this point? Is the importance of employing a chronograph magnified? Thank you.

Use Gordons Reloading Tool. aka GRT. It will tell you what powders are 100% burn and what fill rate. You should enter YOUR fired case capacity for the brass you are using and also enter the coal with the bullet you are using. It all affects case capacity thus burn. I do this for everything I need to shoot small.

Schüler Jumbo said:

In this scenario please advise your thoughts on how to begin solving powder selection criteria. Do you look deeper into powder chemistry? Does primer selection figure in at this point? Is the importance of employing a chronograph magnified? Thank you.

Click to expand...

As I already mentioned, you cannot absolutely rely on the burning rate charts when looking for powder equivalents. You need precise data on the very different types of powder to be able to compare them. Unfortunately, these parameters are very hard to find. You can ask the manufacturers, but many don't disclose them. Without these parameters, the companies have to tell you which identical powders are found under different names, which many also don't do. Reload Swiss RS does this partially for their products upon request.

Regarding primers, there are differing opinions on whether to use standard or magnum primers. I base my decision on the burning rate and the amount of the powder used.

A chronograph is certainly helpful, but without additional pressure measurement the values are not always usable, and hardly any of us have the possibility to measure the pressure.

Schüler Jumbo said:

When you are setting up to load for a cartridge how do you determine powder selection?

Click to expand...

Great question. I want the powder and liad that gives my desired FPS in the fewest grains so I have the least recoil. An example should bring this home. In a 470 NE you can load 80 grains of IMR3031 to get 2150 FPS or 112 grains of H4831SC to get the same 2150 FPS let me assure you the latter will kick the sh!? out of you with the former being a pussy cat to shoot. Always look for this and you will be glad you did

Rare Breed said:

Great question. I want the powder and liad that gives my desired FPS in the fewest grains so I have the least recoil. An example should bring this home. In a 470 NE you can load 80 grains of IMR3031 to get 2150 FPS or 112 grains of H4831SC to get the same 2150 FPS let me assure you the latter will kick the sh!? out of you with the former being a pussy cat to shoot. Always look for this and you will be glad you did

Click to expand...

That’s an interesting concept that I never thought about

Schüler Jumbo said:

When you are setting up to load for a cartridge how do you determine powder selection?

Click to expand...

@Schüler Jumbo
I try and select the slowest powder that gives the highest velocity with lower pressure and good accuracy.
Doesn't always work but mostly does.
Sometimes the second slowest powder gives better accuracy.
Bob

Schüler Jumbo said:

When you are setting up to load for a cartridge how do you determine powder selection?

Click to expand...

I'm inline with @Tanks, @Rare Breed, and @Bob Nelson 35Whelen methods in choosing a preferred powder.

My Steps for choosing a reloading powder:

1. Select my bullet. Based on intended use.

2. Select My desired velocity range based on the bullet manufacturer's recommended optimum velocity range.
(This requires a contacting the bullet manufacturer's tech department)

3. As @JimP, @Tanks, and @grand veneur mentioned:
Study Various Reloading Manuals: {on hand: Lyman, Hornady, Nosler, Sierra, and Speer}
Rarely do any 2 or more manuals list the same minimum/maximum powder charge weight for a given bullet weight using the same powder.

4. As @Rare Breed and @Bob Nelson 35Whelen mentioned:
I first choose the powder that provides the best bang for my buck based on powder availability at my "local" gun store.
________________________________________

Example:

Caliber: 30-06

Bullet Weight: 168 grains Hornady SST for all around shooting: target, hunting NA big game, and all but the largest Africa PG.

Manufacturer's recommended Optimum Velocity Range (IIRC): 1800 - 2600 FPS.

My target velocity is 2500 FPS.

Calculated via multiple Reloading Manuals: (IIRC) 48.7 grains IMR4064, with 50.3 grains being a max charge.


CHRONOGRAPH...TEST LOADS 5 EACH using IMR4064 for best group at 100 yds.

47.0 grs
47.5 grs
48.0 grs
48.1grs for 168gr Hornady SST bullets at +/- 2550 FPS
48.5 grs
49.0 grs
49.1grs for 168gr Barnes TSX bullets at +/- 2600 FPS

Both Barnes and Hornady 168 gr bullets have same POA/POI at 100 yards.

I look in the manuals or at good on-line data published by the powder / bullet manufacturers. If three or more sources agree on the best two or three powders for a certain bullet weight, ( velocity and consistency ) I see what's available on the market or in my stash and try one or two of those powders in a ladder test in my own rifle. I don't ever test charges with increments smaller than 0.5 grains. A chronograph is important. Stop increments when the load data max. velocity is reached for a certain barrel length, even if that's not the "max" powder charge listed. I sometimes fine tune the seating depth of the load for accuracy and reliable function in the particular rifle, and that's it.
I only concern myself with "temperature stable" powders if I expect to hunt in extreme hot or cold. Most of my shooting is in "moderate" conditions so it's not really important to me.
If shooting a very short barrel rifle, I'd have a bias towards faster burn rate powders to reduce muzzle blast and flash.
If shooting a very long barrel rifle, I'd lean towards slower burning powders at 100% case capacity for maximum velocity and power.

Criteria? Simple really. I peruse all available published data. I pick an extreme type, temp insensitive powder in the mid burn rate range for the weight and type bullet for the cartridge. I set a conservative muzzle velocity goal, start low and work up toward that goal using a chronograph. When desired accuracy is achieved near my velocity goal with a reasonably low standard deviation of velocity, I call it good.

Schüler Jumbo said:

In this scenario please advise your thoughts on how to begin solving powder selection criteria. Do you look deeper into powder chemistry? Does primer selection figure in at this point? Is the importance of employing a chronograph magnified? Thank you.

Click to expand...

@Schüler Jumbo
Unless you are chasing bench rest accuracy primers play little part in hunting loads.
Don't overthink it chemistry is for scientists.
Pick the projectile you want, the velocity you are chasing and pick the powder everyone else recommend. 90-105% case capacity. Yes 195% but you need a drop tube
Depending on your cartridge CFE223is very versatile in cases from 17 REM to 375 mag
H4831 is a good powder in a lot of cartridges with heavy bullets to.
Research is your friend here.
Bob