Bright Burning Powders

[Matt304]

I am looking for a powder to use to do some nighttime time-exposures of big muzzle blasts from big pistol calibers, like 460, 45-70, and 500. It would be nice if the same powder would be a good candidate for working up to max-pressure loadings as well in these cartridges, and not a finicky powder.

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

 

[rcmodel]

H110, WW296, 2400. All the usual suspects for Magnum caliber handguns.

The 45-70 is a completely different animal ,and will require different powder.
Look for the slowest powders recommended in your reloading manuals and they should likely give the brightest muzzle flash.

But it seems powder manufactures have spent the last 100 years trying to tame down muzzle flash. Massive muzzle flash is not something very many shooters & reloaders are looking for, so it's hard to give any recommendations.


rcmodel

 

[zxcvbob]

Blue Dot is a good one. How about using black powder?

 

[Matt304]

I managed to keep searching and found the other thread on this topic. Sorry I jumped the gun a little early. But I do have some questions pertaining to this subject a little more.

In the respect that they are all firing large bullets from a roughly similar diameter bore, and all being pistols, can you explain why the 45-70 or also the 444 marlin should be loaded differently (in powder choice) than say the 460 and 500?

The effective barrel length is 12" on those. I assumed that those two cartridges would benefit from a pistol powder as well, even though they are rifle cartridges, since they have reduced time in the barrel. I have also heard that no, I want a rifle powder. So I'm confused on loading those in a pistol effectively for max energy possible.

Back to the topic at hand. I want to do the flame photos, but I also want all of the loads to be high-energy, useful loadings. So I seek a powder that is effective in the big-bores, while still yielding a darn good flame, if there is a balance between the two somewhere. I have heard that I should use Bluedot. The two larger cartridges (444 and 45-70) are the two I am more concerned about in the pistols for max loads.

 

[rcmodel]

SO, you have a 45-70 & .444 Marlin pistol?
Must be a T/C Contender?

There is some specific loading data for T/C Contenders in the Hornady #6 manual. They show highest velocities in both .444 & 45-70 with rifle powders like RL-7, IMR-4198, and N-130.

Why?
Because they are both much bigger cases then even the .500 S&W, so they will hold about 5 - 10 grains more of a slower burning powder.

Suggest you get a set of Hornady manuals and you can select your own loads out of several possibilities. Generally speaking though, the biggest charge allowable, of the slowest powder will produce the most blast & flash.


rcmodel

 

[Big Boomer]

light bullets with slow burning powder! Something like these?! Introducing my 460 Mag and my 357

not to dominate the thread with my pictures but they are just sooo cool to look at!

Rcmodel has the right powders btw H110 in the 460, 2400 in the 357. Haven't got any pics of my 500 yet but we will get them!

 

[strat81]

Break out the marshmallows! Cool pics, Boomer!

 

[the pistolero]

Those are some SWEET shots, Boomer. How did you get them? You bring the marshmallows, strat, I'll bring the graham crackers and chocolate.

 

[Matt304]

RC Model, thanks for the advice. I'm going to get me a set of those Hornady manuals for the big bore pistol loads right away.