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Old March 23, 2014, 10:32 AM   #1
Gunnels
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Which Powders Are What Type?

Is there some place I can find a comprehensive list of which powders are what type (Ball, Flattened Ball, Flake, Extruded, etc.)?
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Old March 23, 2014, 10:49 AM   #2
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If the powder is Hodgdon's then their website or annual loading manual has them all listed as to type and what they do. Alliant has their website also.

Jim

http://www.hodgdon.com/

http://www.alliantpowder.com/products/default.aspx

http://www.wwpowder.com/rifle.html

http://www.imrpowder.com/
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Old March 23, 2014, 10:50 AM   #3
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No list that i know of. But checking the MSDS supplied by powder company may help. Heres one from Hodgdon. http://www.hodgdon.com/msds.html Jim types faster then me.
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Old March 23, 2014, 10:59 AM   #4
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Reloading manuals frequently have things like this in the information sections.
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Old March 24, 2014, 07:50 AM   #5
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Anything with a Winchester name on it is a ball powder. The "balls" are flattened to varying degrees to control burning speed, and the amount of flattened vs. rounder vs true balls can vary from powder to powder and lot to lot.

I THINK all of the Accurate Arms powders are also ball powders.

It used to be that anything with an IMR name on it was an extruded powder.

Alliant powders like Bullseye, 2400, Unique, and the Dots are cut flakes.


Note that when Hodgdon says "spherical" powders, that's their code for "we'd use Ball, but that term is trademarked.
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Old March 24, 2014, 08:35 AM   #6
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Lyman’s 49th has just such a list. I don’t have my copy handy so I don’t know what page but it is there.
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Old March 24, 2014, 09:10 AM   #7
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Lyman 49th lists the powders and their types in chapter 7.

Interestingly, the classification they use for what we would call "Ball Powders" is "Spherical or Ball Shaped" and they claim that H380 "...is the only spherical type that has a true ball configuration,..."
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Old March 24, 2014, 09:31 AM   #8
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"the classification they use for what we would call "Ball Powders" is "Spherical or Ball Shaped""

As I noted, that's because the term "ball powder" is trademarked by Olin Corporation.
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Old March 24, 2014, 10:17 AM   #9
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Yeah, I was more interested in the statement that H380 is the only powder with a "true, ball configuration". I have not exactly researched the question but I had always assumed that there were (at least) several true, spherical/ball shaped powders.
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Old March 24, 2014, 10:27 AM   #10
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It could easily be the case.

apparently a lot of the "balls" were never true balls given the turbulence in the mixing vats.
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Old March 24, 2014, 10:43 AM   #11
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The older Speer manuals (maybe 9, 10, 11) used to give that info with pics and even which powders were represented by each. Back then there were a lot fewer powders, though.
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Old March 24, 2014, 02:04 PM   #12
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My Lyman 49 edition list the types as well. Tubular Shape and Wafer shaped powders are extruded. Ball shape ( as previously mentioned) might be more round or flattened an one or more sides and referred to as single base and double base ball powders.

From my limited understand:The different shapes produce more or less surface area to control/change burn rates. As well as space between the powder making them more or less dense (space between granules) in the casing before compression (if even necessary). That's only one way they control burn rate, the rest is formula related.
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Old March 24, 2014, 06:39 PM   #13
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I am loading some Accurate 4350 which is definitely not ball powder. In general ball powders contain nitroglycerin. Extruded normally does not.
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Old March 24, 2014, 11:14 PM   #14
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Quote:
Is there some place I can find a comprehensive list of which powders are what type (Ball, Flattened Ball, Flake, Extruded, etc.)?
Not sure your reason for wanting to know, but I also find it helpful to know if the powder is single based or double based as well as the form.
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Old March 24, 2014, 11:59 PM   #15
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All of the IMR powders I have ever used were extruded.
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Old March 27, 2014, 12:08 PM   #16
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Something I have been interested in and would like one definitive book or source

Add into that that some powders are noted for burning out barrels but which ones?

Win 748 being a balsy powder but is it a hot balys powder or a slow one?

Which powders can you throw on the lawn and get things to grow? (yes I should write it down but then I have to find it. )

There is a plethora of questions on powders in general and you have to pick and shift and try to build your own book

I am not lazy but it would seem for something thats been around for (120 years in smokeless?>) there would be some good central info.
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Old March 29, 2014, 02:37 PM   #17
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Not sure if there is any truth to H380 being the only true ball powder. I have been using ramshot hunter for some 100 gr Nosler partitions in my .243 and if any gets on a flat surface, it just rolls everywhere, I don't have any other powder that has that characteristic. That's the only ramshot powder I have experience with, ( because I can't find a lick of TAC, X-Terminator, silhouette, or true blue ANYWHERE to try out) but from what a friend has told me, that's how most if not all of their powders are which greatly interests me. Would make great metering powders. Feel free to chime in if I have been misinformed.
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