Quote:
Powder burning rate charts are all "relative" rather than "absolute".
So I've found the real value in this exercise is when I want to get more rifle velocity by using a slower powder, I won't waste time choosing between two that are very close.
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I've yet to find burn rates as of much relative importance other than a curiosity. If I want to get more velocity, I go to my manuals and find a recipe that gives me more velocity. I still need a start load and a max load, a burn rate chart does not give me that. While just picking a slower powder may give me more velocity...sometimes in handgun calibers, that slower powder is too bulky and you can't get enough of it in a case to increase the velocity over a faster powder that takes up less case volume. Burn rate charts don't tell me that either....but my manuals do. The other thing burn rate has never given me, nor anyone else I know, is expected accuracy in a particular firearm. This is something many of my manuals give me, which powders worked best in their tests for accuracy within a particular caliber and bullet weight. Is there a reason most powder manufacturers/distributors make their burn rate charts just "relative", while their load recipes are quite specific? Maybe it has to do with whats really important. Again, burn rates are interesting....but they are only relative. Just as to me....velocity is only relative. Accuracy is what is absolute. I kill much more game and hit many more targets with accuracy than with velocity.