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Powder mixing of shotgun w/imr 4350?

wpagewpage Member Posts: 10,204 ✭✭✭
edited March 2014 in Perry Shooter Competition Shooting and Reloading Forum
What is the word on powder mixing? How wrong is it to mix up shotgun powder with high power rifle powder like imr4350?
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    CheechakoCheechako Member Posts: 563 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    That's a trick question, right??
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    charliemeyer007charliemeyer007 Member Posts: 6,579 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have shot a heck of a lot of duplex loads. They were all compressed charges with no chance for mixing. If you are mixing the powders together you are asking for trouble and a trip to the doc if you live.
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    richardaricharda Member Posts: 405 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Never "mix" powders!

    The seldom-used so-called 'duplex' loads of smokeless powders (for advanced experimenters ONLY) involve one powder on top of another, compressed by their own volume or a filler.

    More common is use of a small amount of smokeless under a charge of black powder to reduce fouling.
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    wpagewpage Member Posts: 10,204 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thanks for the feedback. Not a job for novices.
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    RobOzRobOz Member Posts: 9,523 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Don't they use duplex loads to help eliminate hang fires in the big, big African dangerous game rifles?
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    charliemeyer007charliemeyer007 Member Posts: 6,579 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The original 454 Casull loads were triplex. The purpose is usually to provide for cleaner burning.
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    Ray BRay B Member Posts: 11,822
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by RobOz
    Don't they use duplex loads to help eliminate hang fires in the big, big African dangerous game rifles?


    There is a difference between a duplex load and mixed powders. 155mm artillery powder charges are basically a duplex load: There is a primer about the size of a 2 1/2" 410 shotshell. Next is the "ignition packet" which has about a half cup of very fast burning powder, the remainder of the charge is smokeless powder that looks like 4350 on steroids; kernals are about .3" diameter, 1" length. So the primer ignites the packet which then blows into the various charge amounts of regular powder. This in smaller scale is the same deal as the large bore rifle cartridges that have a primer, then a small amount of fast powder, which is held in place by a 100% density slow powder.

    Mixing the two powders would change the burn rate to some entirely different curve and if you were going to experiment with it make sure your health insurance is active and you might want to schedule an appointment with the doctor so you won't have to wait in the emergency room.
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    MobuckMobuck Member Posts: 13,793 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    "How wrong is it to mix up shotgun powder with high power rifle powder like imr4350?"
    AS WRONG AS ANYTHING COULD POSSIBLY BE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Don't do it. The gain cannot possibly be worth the risk involved.
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    bpostbpost Member Posts: 32,664 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    My first question is WHY? Is there a result being sought? What is the idea behind the question?
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    machine gun moranmachine gun moran Member Posts: 5,198
    edited November -1
    I believe that some European proof houses concocted duplex and triplex loads that would maintain an internal barrel pressure that was equal to the maximum breech pressure, all he way down the bore. And probably produced a muzzle blast that ruptured every can of beer in the County. I don't know what barrel-wall thicknesses they were working with, but I don't think they were standard.
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