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ball flake or stick

woodchuckjohnwoodchuckjohn Member Posts: 207 ✭✭✭
I have begun loading 204 Ruger. Win 748 flows like salt, but the stick powders, like IMR 4064 clog the funnel and make a mess of things. Is there anyway to tell which type of powder, be it ball, flake or stick and group them in a category. I am inclined to stay with the ball powders since the 204 has such a small opening in the cartridge case.

Comments

  • Hawk CarseHawk Carse Member Posts: 4,365 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Well, if it says Winchester Ball or Hodgdon Spherical, that is a definite clue.

    Hodgdon XMR and IMR are extruded.

    No Alliant rifle powder is ball process, nor Vihtavuori.

    Ramshot and Accurate sell both, you would have to do something radical like read their catalogs.

    You might be shortchanging yourself, there are some fine grained extruded powders that meter well and would probably slide down the funnel into your sub-small bore. H322 for example.
  • woodchuckjohnwoodchuckjohn Member Posts: 207 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    H322 was recommended to me by a range officer. Thanks. I went to some websites and wrote them down.
  • MobuckMobuck Member Posts: 13,733 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Most loading manuals have a description and application suggestions for many powders.
  • charliemeyer007charliemeyer007 Member Posts: 6,579 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Small necks are a pain, but I would let my group size determine the choice of powder along with availability.
  • Ray BRay B Member Posts: 11,822
    edited November -1
    If you're really interested in accuracy and repeatability, I'd suggest using a scale rather than a measure, in which case the powder shape doesn't matter.
  • DEEREHARTDEEREHART Member Posts: 373 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I load approximately 2500 rounds a year and use H335.I do it on a Dillon 650. The only time I have an issue is when I over lube the cases.
  • 243winxb243winxb Member Posts: 264 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    http://www.ilrc.ucf.edu/powders/sample_detail.php?powder_id=454Link shows Photos, measurement of powder. Ball powder lists - SphericalPowders.jpgWinStMarksPowder.jpg
    [url] https://saami.org [/url]
  • RobOzRobOz Member Posts: 9,523 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Hawk Carse
    Well, if it says Winchester Ball or Hodgdon Spherical, that is a definite clue.

    Hodgdon XMR and IMR are extruded.

    No Alliant rifle powder is ball process, nor Vihtavuori.

    Ramshot and Accurate sell both, you would have to do something radical like read their catalogs.

    You might be shortchanging yourself, there are some fine grained extruded powders that meter well and would probably slide down the funnel into your sub-small bore. H322 for example.


    Why such a smart * answer to the guys question? Maybe he's just starting out and does not have all the nomenclature down.
  • Hawk CarseHawk Carse Member Posts: 4,365 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    It is tough to learn this stuff one question at a time on the internet. If I think the poster is not making a reasonable effort, I ignore him.
    If I think there is some hope for him, I will provide what you consider a smart * (but accurate) reply.
  • rufe-snowrufe-snow Member Posts: 18,649 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by 243winxb
    http://www.ilrc.ucf.edu/powders/sample_detail.php?powder_id=454Link shows Photos, measurement of powder. Ball powder lists - SphericalPowders.jpgWinStMarksPowder.jpg





    I was just loading 45 ACP with Winchester AA Super Handicap. I don't care what the data sheet says. It ain't ball powder. Tiny flakes. it measures OK so far. Long as the powder hopper is full. I wouldn't trust it with a 2/3 empty powder hopper, though.

    Ball powder, like the Accurate Arms AA 2 that I have used for years. Is completely different physically, and a pleasure to use.
  • Hawk CarseHawk Carse Member Posts: 4,365 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Ball Powder is the manufacturing process as developed by Dr Olsen at Olin many years ago, not the final shape of the granules.

    A lot of different grades of Ball powder have been rolled flat to adjust the burn rate; probably more than are left round. Which causes them to be mistaken for flake powder.
    Win 231 is rolled pretty flat, but I read that it was brought out to give better metering than 230.

    Some of the early commercial Ball powders were very odd, AA12S and AA20S granules are little clumps and clusters of round balls stuck together.
  • 243winxb243winxb Member Posts: 264 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Rolled ball powder http://firearmsid.com/Feature%20Articles/McCord_gunpowder/index.htm The Manufacture of Smokeless Powders and their
    Forensic Analysis: quote:The manufacture of smokeless ball powder requires a more specialized procedure (National Research Council 1998). Nitrocellulose, stabilizers, and solvents are blended into a dough, then extruded through a pelletizing plate and formed into spheres. The solvent is removed from the granules, and nitroglycerine is impregnated into the granules. The spheres are then coated with deterrents and flattened with rollers. Finally, an additional coating with graphite and flash suppressants is applied, and the batch is mixed to ensure samegeneity.
    [url] https://saami.org [/url]
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