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Old April 9, 2011, 05:40 PM   #1
bluetopper
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Powders Need Names Instead of Numbers

When I got into reloading it took me years to finally get straight what pistol powders I needed of a certain brand. Still, in rifle calibers I haven't a clue what powder numbers are for what calibers. IMR powders are the worst in this regard. Great powders but going in a store, a green horn reloader is lost.

The powder brands that have names for their powders make it sooo much simpler.
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Old April 9, 2011, 06:11 PM   #2
Brian Pfleuger
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I'm not sure why is would be simpler... it's not like they name them "IMR .30-06".

I was not aware that certain powders were for certain cartridges, with a few exceptions.

What name would give to Win748? It works well in cartridges from .204Ruger to 7mm-08 and more.

It seems to me that almost all powders, both rifle and handgun, overlap in their effectiveness to such a degree that any "purpose" naming scheme would be totally impractical, if not impossible.
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Old April 9, 2011, 06:16 PM   #3
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Quote:
Still, in rifle calibers I haven't a clue what powder numbers are for what calibers.
A fairly well-constructed sentence, but a bit wordy as it relates to the current topic.
Quote:
I haven't a clue what powder numbers are for what calibers
Better, more concise, and closer to the point.
Quote:
I haven't a clue
There it is, the crux of the matter.

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Old April 9, 2011, 06:21 PM   #4
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I think the parisite has a point. Powders having names like Retumbo, Varget, LilGun, Benchmark, Trailboss, Blue Dot etc. that give them a distinct identiity are a lot less confusing than IMR 4895, H-4895 and the like.
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Old April 9, 2011, 06:37 PM   #5
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Quote:
I think the parisite has a point. Powders having names like Retumbo, Varget, LilGun, Benchmark, Trailboss, Blue Dot etc. that give them a distinct identiity are a lot less confusing than IMR 4895, H-4895 and the like.
I prefer the Reloader powders numbering system- numbered in relative order of burn rate.
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Old April 9, 2011, 06:51 PM   #6
Jim Watson
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Based on gunboard posts, the most confusing powders in the market are in the Hodgdon Clays series. The existence of Clays, International Clays, and Universal Clays seems to be a challenge to the comprehension, literacy, and memory of more reloaders than the numbered products.
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Old April 9, 2011, 06:57 PM   #7
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The existence of Clays, International Clays, and Universal Clays seems to be a challenge to the comprehension, literacy, and memory of more reloaders than the numbered products.
This just inspired a corollary to my sig-line (If you don't know what you are doing, DON'T!): ..... and if it might explode, you'd better be absolutely SURE.
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Old April 9, 2011, 08:26 PM   #8
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And, of course, there are SR-4759 and SR-4756, which apparently are too close NUMERICALLY for some people to discern the difference. And one is an extruded rifle powder while the other is a flake shotgun/pistol powder, so they don't LOOK anything like each other.

If Parisite really wants to have a clue, I suggest that he get and read a few reloading manuals. There is more to reloading than the powder manufacturers are going to be able to squeeze onto the label on a container of powder.

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Old April 9, 2011, 11:04 PM   #9
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All of my manuals seem pretty clear on this. Not sure how one could be confused on what powders are which. Many years ago maybe things were different, but now the hobby of reloading is an open book test (literally).
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Old April 9, 2011, 11:33 PM   #10
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I say we start a petition. Let's get IMR4895 renamed to Ratumbo, and H4895 renamed to Rotumbo. Retumbo can stay as is. That will eliminate some confusion.
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Old April 10, 2011, 12:58 AM   #11
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I do believe this is all RetroDumbo MuboJubo.

The whole problem would be moot if if we gave a hoot and applied our boot to the novice's patoot, and forced their snoot in a manual, as this old coot in his zoot suite, advises the root to reloading loot is reading and understanding, before buying powder.
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Old April 10, 2011, 03:52 AM   #12
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go to IMR's website and click on reloading data and it will give u IRM Hodgon and Winchester load data for what ever round you want. It will give you several different powders for a round but not all are listed for every bullet weight. Gives you min and max with speeds and pressures. Its what I used as a newbie along with this site.
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Old April 10, 2011, 05:30 AM   #13
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It's really simple since the 4895's are so similar and essentially the same as the 2495. No wait, never mind....

Names, numbers, it really doesn't matter as long as you take care to put the right one on the bench and then put it away before you get another one out.

Manuals can be confusing too, particularly when they just say "Universal" and the powder can says "Universal Clays" with the Clays part being emphasized.
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Old April 10, 2011, 06:58 AM   #14
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If I had to use one powder for everything, it would be Unique. Rifle, pistol, shotgun, you can do it all with Unique. It's certainly not the best powder for every application, but it is unique in that it is so versatile.

And, no numbers to remember.
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Old April 10, 2011, 07:06 AM   #15
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Why change?
The people that are confused will still be confused.

Here in Minnesota we have an International airport with "2" terminals. One was the Humphery terminal and the other was the Lindberg terminal.

Those name were some how confusing to people and they couldn't keep them straight.

The fine people of Minnesota under some very misguided leaders had to spend millions upon millions upon millions of dollars to change the names and signage around the airports to terminal "1" and terminal "2".

Bottom line, the people STILL don't know were they are going.

If you don't know what you are using the name won't make a difference.
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Old April 10, 2011, 07:39 AM   #16
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It seems to me a first step would be reading a load manual that incorporates many different loads for many cartridges.

Many of those books have a powder chart in burn rate order for both rifle and handgun.

Once you have looked at the possible loads for your application, then go shopping for components.

It would not be my choice to just buy a bunch of components and then hope for the best.

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Old April 10, 2011, 08:03 AM   #17
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I don't get it. How are you confused by the name W748 but know exactly what calibers the powder is good for just by seeing WST, Bullseye or Titegroup.
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Old April 10, 2011, 08:19 AM   #18
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I agree with Jim Watson on the Clay line. When I started out (When things were hard to find) I stumbled across some Universal.

I had read references to Clays and Clays Universal (Also seen referenced as Universal Clays).

There was no other experienced reloader to talk to and the guy at the shop where I got it was "Pretty Sure" they were interchangeable.

I wrote to the company and either I was not clear in my question or the guy who answered me was just as confused, because he said they were interchangeable also. (I can not find the e-mail now, but I did post it here awhile back.)

I still felt there was something wrong with the answer I got from the company and the guys here on the board cleared it up.

I prefer the number system simply because it is hard to screw up a number.

I was doing things bass ackwards before. Buying powder and then looking for loads. I have sense learned to look for loads first and then buy the powder.
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Old April 10, 2011, 12:57 PM   #19
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I would like each powder to have it's own container shape.
LIL'GUN and LONGSHOT should not have the same shape.
I'm not going to make THAT mistake again

I think W231 should look like Shirley Temple and Re22 should look like Max Von Sydow.
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Old April 10, 2011, 01:55 PM   #20
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Good idea, all the flake powder canisters could be shaped like Obama with big ears hanging off the sides.
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Old April 10, 2011, 02:20 PM   #21
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Powder names are like cartridge names, confusing......but like a cartridge, once you find a powder you like, it's hard to forget the name.
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Old April 10, 2011, 03:09 PM   #22
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Flashhole has the best idea I've heard all day.

It took me quite a while to understand the differences in Clays, Universal Clays, and International Clays. Uh, there IS a difference, isn't there?
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Old April 10, 2011, 03:17 PM   #23
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Powders all have names. Many of the names have numbers in them. If the names (letters/numbers) are different, on different cans, the powders in those cans are DIFFERENT.
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Old April 10, 2011, 04:10 PM   #24
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Before responding to this post I went to my garage and took a look at my growing collection of reloading powers. Hodgdon includes reloading data for various rifle calibers on the front of its containers. At the bottom of the label of Reloader powders it will say " Powder of choice" for a given caliber. IMR on the other hand doesn't provide any data.
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Old April 10, 2011, 04:24 PM   #25
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They do have names. IMR3031 is named: "IMR3031". Lil'Gun is named: "Lil'Gun". IMR4895 is named: "IMR4895", etc.

Just stop thinking of them as "numbers". 101 Airborne does not mean that there are 101 airborne units (there are only two...the 82nd and the 101), it is their name.
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