SR4756 Replacement for 9mm, 38 super, .40, .45?

[Archym]

Hello. I've been researching this for weeks now and I can't find any reliable information on IF there is ANYONE out there with first hand experience or hard, recorded data on any powders that give near identical, or at least closely similar results to reloading the above mentioned handgun cartridges with the discontinued SR4756.

If I can request to guide some of the responses:
- If your answer is "YES", then please describe your range results with the load data and tell us about your experience with the powder(s) you found to be an adequate equivalent to SR4756
- If your answer is "No, But..." then PLEASE DO NOT respond to this post. I'm sure there are other posts, forums, camp-fires you can elaborate on how you used to use SR4756, how much you liked it, how you found [X] amount of it in an estate sale and stocked up, or how you've found a powder that works pretty good in some other rifle, or shotgun load. I'm sure there are manufacturer's out there eager to publish claims on similar burn rates and ease of flow characteristics. THAT information I can find those plastered all over the web.

If some background would be helpful: I have been reloading the above mentioned cartridges with SR7456 using Cast Lead, Cast Lead Powder-coated, or Lead Copper Plated bullets with VERY good accuracy and flawless operation results. I have also been reloading the same cartridges with CFE-P, Long Shot, and WW572 which are currently the only powders (in production) I have found ~{expensively!}~ available around the Eastern Side of the St. Louis Metropolitan area. Those three powders, while functioning, just don't give results as desirable as I've experienced with my ageing and dwindling supply of SR4756.

Thank you to those that can give and applicable and succinct response to this post.

 

[dcloco]

HS6 has been my go to powder for 9/38/357/40/44/45. Burns clean and is accurate. I run close to top of the recommended load (after working up loads of course).

Powder Valley had 8 pounders for 19x.xx? a couple days ago.

 

[Blue68f100]

What is the purpose for the ammo. Blasting, BE general plinking?

The reason I ask all may require a different powder. For light BE loads (45acp, 38spl, 357mag) I use WST. I use WSF for 9mm, 40, 45acp.

 

[Archym]

Thank you for the replies. The main use is for indoor practise at 10 - 25 yards in all listed calibers. 9mm is not so much of a concern as I've found that CFE-P and Longshot have been showing very good results. I barely shoot the .40. My 45 long slide seems to be in love with older powders that are no longer in production: SR-4756, 452AA, Winchester 231. My 38 special loves "gallery" loads of Bullseye and SR4756. I still have a dwindling supply of SR4756 and some 452AA but those will undoubtedly be running low, or out by the end of 2021. I'm searching for equivalent powders that will return the same level of accuracy in my safe queens. At 10-12 yards my 45 long slide can put 7 shots (almost) in 1 hole from a rest, and on a good day when my hands/arms/eyes cooperate I can get fairly close to that standing 2 handed. My 357/38 is a 6 inch barrel with target sights and it is probably a more accurate instrument than I am a shootist when fed some tailored loads in either Bullseye and or SR4756.

Again, thank you to the community for your thoughts and replies. I may just be pulling this thread down if I can't find primers for less than $8 per 100....when I can even find that.

Maybe it's just time to change hobbies...

 

[Palladan44]

See the list of burn speeds here. Whatevers closest to # 56

 

[Palladan44]

The closest I've personally used to the burn speed of SR4756 is AA#5 and Power Pistol.
Both excellent metering powders. Both very workable in their ranges of bullet weights from lite to heavy, although I prefer to use these "medium burning" powders in 9mm with 135gr or 147gr bullets. My greatest accuracy with semi Autos never was with these powders, although they get great velocity.... I prefer WIN 231 or CFE Pistol for target loads. I believe the quicker powders can be downloaded more efficiently in the "service calibers"
This is just me though....

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Hello. I've been researching this for weeks now and I can't find any reliable information on IF there is ANYONE out there with first hand experience or hard, recorded data on any powders that give near identical, or at least closely similar results to reloading the above mentioned handgun cartridges with the discontinued SR4756.

If I can request to guide some of the responses:
- If your answer is "YES", then please describe your range results with the load data and tell us about your experience with the powder(s) you found to be an adequate equivalent to SR4756
- If your answer is "No, But..." then PLEASE DO NOT respond to this post. I'm sure there are other posts, forums, camp-fires you can elaborate on how you used to use SR4756, how much you liked it, how you found [X] amount of it in an estate sale and stocked up, or how you've found a powder that works pretty good in some other rifle, or shotgun load. I'm sure there are manufacturer's out there eager to publish claims on similar burn rates and ease of flow characteristics. THAT information I can find those plastered all over the web.

If some background would be helpful: I have been reloading the above mentioned cartridges with SR7456 using Cast Lead, Cast Lead Powder-coated, or Lead Copper Plated bullets with VERY good accuracy and flawless operation results. I have also been reloading the same cartridges with CFE-P, Long Shot, and WW572 which are currently the only powders (in production) I have found ~{expensively!}~ available around the Eastern Side of the St. Louis Metropolitan area. Those three powders, while functioning, just don't give results as desirable as I've experienced with my ageing and dwindling supply of SR4756.

Thank you to those that can give and applicable and succinct response to this post.

For an old powder look at old data. Bullseye and SR4756 have always been SxS twins for cast target shooting with medium weight bullets. Unique, Bullseye and SR7625 (also deprecated) are typically in the same velocity range in the old Lyman's manuals.

 

[Dudedog]

I never had much of a chance to use SR4756. I only had a lb, and then it was gone and no more to be had.
(I do miss SR7625, burned about 5 lbs of it before it was gone)
I do like WSF in 9mm, close burn speed wise, works well for me across it load range in 9mm.
(only issue is there is not a lot of WSF data out there)
Don't own a .38 super or .40 so I don't know about it there.
It worked for me in .45 but for my .45 plinking loads I prefer HP38/W231 (same powder different names)

9mm Data
Mixed range brass, S+B SP (milder than CCI by about 10-20fps) charges as thrown after setting measure, 5" 9mm 1911

String: 5
Date: 9/17/2017
Time: 11:24:26 AM
Grains: 124
Hi Vel: 1037
Low Vel: 1012
Ave Vel: 1021
Ext Spread: 25
Std Dev: 9
RMR MPR JHP 4.5 WSF 1.08
Velocity Power Factor Ft/Lbs
1021 126.604 286.995
1018 126.232 285.311
1012 125.488 281.958
1020 126.48 286.433
1037 128.588 296.061
(this is under recommended start charge but shoots well for me, my match load for USPSA)
Side note: WSF drops vel as it gets hotter, reverse temp sensitive, as I recall that day it was over 100.)

String: 2
Date: 10/29/2017
Time: 9:08:18 AM
Grains: 124
Hi Vel: 1137
Low Vel: 1113
Ave Vel: 1125
Ext Spread: 24
Std Dev: 9
RMR 124 FN-FMJ 4.9 WSF 1.08 5inch 1911
Velocity Power Factor Ft/Lbs
1137 140.988 355.913
1117 138.508 343.502
1113 138.012 341.047
1130 140.12 351.544
1128 139.872 350.301

Hodgdon has data for WSF in 9mm, .40 and .45.
Here is a snip of some older WIN data for .38 Super.

 

[BBarn]

Hope you can find a suitable replacement. Being a single base powder, it's behavior can be a bit different than the more common double base pistol powders.

 

[LiveLife]

indoor practise at 10 - 25 yards in all listed calibers ... My 45 long slide seems to be in love with older powders

I'm searching for equivalent powders that will return the same level of accuracy ... At 10-12 yards my 45 long slide can put 7 shots (almost) in 1 hole from a rest

Consider powders popular with bullseye match shooters mentioned in this article that produced 1.5" to 2.5" (Most under 2.0") 15-30 shot groups at 25 yards -
https://www.shootingtimes.com/editorial/loads-for-the-bullseye-shooter/99418

Powders used were N310, N320, Bullseye, 700-X, Clays, Titegroup; WST and W231/HP-38 and article mentioned:

"All these powders are capable of excellent accuracy in the .45 ACP"​

 

[Howa 9700]

How about Option C......I have what I think is most of an 8oz can of actual SR4756 powder I have no use for that I can put in your hand. I'm in Central MO if that matters.

Also have either Bullseye or Unique that I will never use. Whichever it is will be several years old, but may still go bang.

Send me a PM and maybe we can work something out.

 

[Howa 9700]

PS: Also have an 8 oz can of 7625.

Do the cans have value to collectors?

 

[Blue68f100]

Thank you for the replies. The main use is for indoor practise at 10 - 25 yards in all listed calibers. 9mm is not so much of a concern as I've found that CFE-P and Longshot have been showing very good results. I barely shoot the .40. My 45 long slide seems to be in love with older powders that are no longer in production: SR-4756, 452AA, Winchester 231. My 38 special loves "gallery" loads of Bullseye and SR4756. I still have a dwindling supply of SR4756 and some 452AA but those will undoubtedly be running low, or out by the end of 2021. I'm searching for equivalent powders that will return the same level of accuracy in my safe queens. At 10-12 yards my 45 long slide can put 7 shots (almost) in 1 hole from a rest, and on a good day when my hands/arms/eyes cooperate I can get fairly close to that standing 2 handed. My 357/38 is a 6 inch barrel with target sights and it is probably a more accurate instrument than I am a shootist when fed some tailored loads in either Bullseye and or SR4756.

Again, thank you to the community for your thoughts and replies. I may just be pulling this thread down if I can't find primers for less than $8 per 100....when I can even find that.

Maybe it's just time to change hobbies...

W231 is the same as HP38, it is not being fazed out that I'm aware of.

Now for 452AA, That powder was renamed if I recall to WSF. May want to contact Winchester Powder to confirm. The 452AA was my main powder for 12 ga back in the 70's and 80's.

As for fast powders for BE shooting, WST is my favorite since it burns clean at reduced loads. I use it for my 45acp, 357mag/38spl BE loads. I've also used it in 9mm and even 357sig loads.

 

[CoalTrain49]

This might help.

http://www.adiworldclass.com.au/powder-equivalents/

I think I have a pound of 4756 that's wasting away. Where are you located? PM will work.

 

[Archym]

Thanks again to the community for all the replies. I've been lucky enough to score a jar of 700-X and a jar of TiteGroup. I'll see how those do in .45 and .38 special soon. I've probably just enough left in the can of AA542 to finish off maybe 150 rounds of .45.. I'm really going to miss that powder. It's been shooting incredibly well through the Iver Johnson Long Slide. At 10 yards from a rest it almost feels like I'm cheating. This was the last target that I stretched
out to 20 yards - 10 shots at the noggin from resting, 10 shots in the abdomen from a 2 hand standing position. Load was mixed brass, Winchester large pistol primer, 4.9gn of AA452, 200gn CLSW, COL - 1.225" all with very minor taper crimp out of Lee Dies and a Lee single stage press.

 

[dcloco]

HS6 is my pistola powder for 9, 38 & 357, 40, 44, & 45 acp. Accurate, clean burning, at/near top of speedometer, and I only need one powder for multiple calibers.