Choosing a powder...

[dromia]

Badger, I would still appreciate a link to or a copy of that article you were referring to or the title of the publication/source it was from.

[meles meles]

We know, and have the fact tucked away in crevice 23,567b of our ikkle brain. As and when we find it, we'll copy and send it. It was in an old magazine or book so we'll have to scour the sett library to find it.

[Dougan]

So, let's see. Check our working out, oomans, (and squirrel).

We have some N560 and a load for it that works well with hefty Match Kings in 7mm Rem Mag.

Our next task may be to paw load for our various 6.5x55 Swedes. We have a mould for making some 163 gn cast boolits (NOE 269). According to the Viht manual, N 560 is a slow burning powder, and it seems that pushing a hefty bullet up a long thin barrel is a good application for slow burning powders. Lyman suggest that 41.5 gn of N560 is a good starting load for a 160 gn bullet so that seems a reasonable place to begin. If we cross reference to burning rate tables, N560 is considered similar to Reloder 22 and Hodgdon 4831 and, lo and behold, Lyman quotes very similar loads (and resultant velocities) for those two powders too. We can thus either use N560, or if that isn't available, we could try Reloder 22 and Hodgdon 4831? So far, so good?

As one relative beginner to another I'll try to continue to give you some general advice, but when it comes to specific loads I'd listen to Adam.

It seems to me from what you're saying that you are mixing the theory of three types of loading, when there are quite different approaches for different calibers, bullets/boolits and applications...

...Firstly, the load you have for your 7mm AI - It sounds a good load, but is clearly worked up for performance up to 1000 mards...it's at the maximum load for that bullet; giving a theoretical velocity over 2900 fps - This is OK (assuming it was worked up properly) as the AI is a modern rifle with a strong action, but personally I wouldn't want to put 'hot' loads like this down a milsurp, both for safety and so as to not wear out a classic barrel quickly - I would assume that whoever worked up the load chose a double base powder to get maximum velocity out of the round.

Then there's the difference between jacketed and cast loads - If you look at the data again in the Lyman manual, the load for the 160gr bullet is for a Jacketed RN...as I said before, the data is specific; so while the data may be OK for another jacketed bullet of the same weight but a different shape (though these are not assumptions that folk with our level of experience should make), it is definitely not interchangeable with a cast boolit...if you look at the cast boolit loads (the bottom two) you'll see that they use approximately half the amount of a faster burning powder giving much lower velocities.

[Dougan]

Hmmm, so it seems that condom bullets are better than cast boolits after all then ?

Now now, don't wind up our best source of information razz

I defiantly can't advise you about the specifics of cast loading, but will share our experience so far...

...I wanted to start using cast in my SMLE and 6.5 Swedish to preserve the barrels - The SMLE was OK...It was quite easy to get an accurate jacketed load sorted, but took 200 rounds of load testing to get even close to the accuracy with cast boolits...I don't see any reason why it can't be done though, and will persevere this season.

With the Swede; it took a whole season to just get my jacketed load right (and it's very good at 200/300)...but my cast loading attempts were a bit rubbish, and I ended up going back to my jacketed load for the Trafalgar meeting.

Apart from the fact that the process of loading cast involves a few procedures and complications beyond jacketed loading, I learned that you can't just pick a boolit you think will work, and then make it work - I rushed my cast loads, and now intend going back to the drawing board and doing it properly; bore-slugging, impact casts and the full works...

...while I look forward to you and Adam discussing cast loading in more detail, I would say his comment of 'walk before you can run' is fair, and I'd really recommend starting with some conservative jacketed loads first.

[meles meles]

... and I'd really recommend starting with some conservative jacketed loads first.

Oh we won't be asking for an opinion from Jenks, too many cooks spoil the broth and all that...

[meles meles]

Hmmm, so from reading Lyman, and harkening to Dromia, once our N560 is used up we could continue loading 175 gn jackets for the 7mm Rem Mag with N160 instead, and also use the N160 for several other rifles and not need the N560 at all. In fact, N160 looks to be a pretty useful all round powdah !

[dromia]

N160 is a useful powder as Vihtavuori say "A slow burning powder for Magnum cartridges and calibers with large case volume and comparatively small bullet diameter."

However if your 7mm N560 load is near the top end of performance for the calibre then changing to N160 might not give you quiet the same result.

[Dougan]

Hmmm, so from reading Lyman, and harkening to Dromia, once our N560 is used up we could continue loading 175 gn jackets for the 7mm Rem Mag with N160 instead, and also use the N160 for several other rifles and not need the N560 at all. In fact, N160 looks to be a pretty useful all round powdah !

As long as you're not worried about barrel ware, then the N560 load sounds good for the AI - But you'll also need some N160* for you 6.5 milsurps, some N140* for you other rifles (7.5, .303, .308 etc.), and some N320* for your pistol calibers...or possibly N340* if you want to push them out to 200 mards.

*or equivalent burning rate.

Enjoy you new hobby this year my stripy friend

[Alpha1]

The powders I all ways have in my reloading den are.

Vitavouri N160 used for my 6.5x55 loads with 120grain 139grain and 140grain jacketed bullets.
Vitavouri N140 used for .308 and .303 7.62x54 jacketed bullets the club I belong to buys this in bulk and we share the cost its gone up a bit the last lot cost me £62 a kilo.
Vitavouri N120 7.62x39 jacketed bullet.
Ramshot Wild bore .308 .303 jacketed
Ramshot MAGNUM .6.5x55 jacketed

Unique cast boolits
Vitavouri N310 cast boolits
I also have some Bullseye cast boolits
I shoot down loaded cast fullbore rifle loads for indoor and outdoors at 25 yards.
I load for cast boolits in my .357/38 special underlever with either the Bullseye or the Vitavouri and some times inique.

I am new to the Ramshot powders but I like them they meter very well and up to now I have had good results in .308 and 6.5x55.

I have other powders but the above ones are the ones I try and all ways have at hand.

[toffe wrapper]

MM
As a European Badger your best bet is to do it by smell or taste as shops are only open during the day and your eyes are better at night. Also going to a gun shop frequented by hunters may get you head blown off.

Failing that Varget & N140 are very good in 308 / 7.62 & 223/5.56, BLC2 is very good in my 303 RL 15 is also good in 303.
As you live underground keep it dry and keep the dirt out.