Crimp
Member
It's hard for me to put this into a concise question, so please forgive me for rambling. My ignorance is such, I'm not sure how to ask the question.
For years now, I've wondered about powder applications and have tried to make intelligent decisions about their specific useages. Sure, I know what a burn rate chart is and understand fast and slow powders. But, for instance, if you look at loading manuals and read people's experiences on the forums, there's seemingly a load for every dang handgun caliber imaginable with Bullseye, AA#5, Unique, 231 or Blue Dot! I think some people load .25's all the way up to .50's with Bullseye. And, you'll hear otherwise reasonable people say stuff similar to, "If you don't like that Power Pistol load, try H110 or AA#2!"
I also understand that powders aren't linear in performance as to their load weights and that they'll swap burn-rate position with different pressure loadings. Also, some of them have pressure spikes and some burn with a smoother curve within their burn rate.
Another consideration is the pressure rating of the round. For instance, 9mm is a small-cavity, relatively high-pressure cartridge and IMHO should probably be using powders somewhere around HS-6 or maybe slower to keep from spiking pressure out of its SAAMI rating while trying to get an adequate fps. Yet, I have excellent 9mm performance with Titegroup and when I chrony them, SDs around 6 or 8.
When considering the gamut of calibers from, say, .380 up through 44 mag, it actually does appear to me that you could do well with one powder. Maybe somewhere around Universal. But, then on the other hand, HS-6 is just a few numbers slower and AA#5 is just a few numbers faster, so what difference woud they make? I've read some people think True Blue is capable of loading just about everything with decent results, and with my narrow experience, I have to agree.
I suppose I shouldn't drag this out any longer, so let me ask - can some one put all this in perspective for me?
If True Blue was the answer, how could Bullseye be a do-it-all too? If AA#7 was the answer for everything, why wouldn't you hear people talking the same about Longshot which sits right beside it on (most) burn rate charts?
Ahhh me... If I wasn't so dang old, I believe I'd take a college course in internal ballistics before I worry myself to death!
For years now, I've wondered about powder applications and have tried to make intelligent decisions about their specific useages. Sure, I know what a burn rate chart is and understand fast and slow powders. But, for instance, if you look at loading manuals and read people's experiences on the forums, there's seemingly a load for every dang handgun caliber imaginable with Bullseye, AA#5, Unique, 231 or Blue Dot! I think some people load .25's all the way up to .50's with Bullseye. And, you'll hear otherwise reasonable people say stuff similar to, "If you don't like that Power Pistol load, try H110 or AA#2!"
I also understand that powders aren't linear in performance as to their load weights and that they'll swap burn-rate position with different pressure loadings. Also, some of them have pressure spikes and some burn with a smoother curve within their burn rate.
Another consideration is the pressure rating of the round. For instance, 9mm is a small-cavity, relatively high-pressure cartridge and IMHO should probably be using powders somewhere around HS-6 or maybe slower to keep from spiking pressure out of its SAAMI rating while trying to get an adequate fps. Yet, I have excellent 9mm performance with Titegroup and when I chrony them, SDs around 6 or 8.
When considering the gamut of calibers from, say, .380 up through 44 mag, it actually does appear to me that you could do well with one powder. Maybe somewhere around Universal. But, then on the other hand, HS-6 is just a few numbers slower and AA#5 is just a few numbers faster, so what difference woud they make? I've read some people think True Blue is capable of loading just about everything with decent results, and with my narrow experience, I have to agree.
I suppose I shouldn't drag this out any longer, so let me ask - can some one put all this in perspective for me?
If True Blue was the answer, how could Bullseye be a do-it-all too? If AA#7 was the answer for everything, why wouldn't you hear people talking the same about Longshot which sits right beside it on (most) burn rate charts?
Ahhh me... If I wasn't so dang old, I believe I'd take a college course in internal ballistics before I worry myself to death!