New IMR Powders

fiver

Well-Known Member
I started with H-4895 but quickly switched over to IMR, it burns a little slower.
just working up a medium type load with IMR then switching to hogdgdons will speed the initial impulse enough to blow groups out.
even something light like 23.5grs in the 22-250 will show it.

we are gonna see a whole new slew of powders, or changes to many older powders because of European manufacturing standards.
they dictate everything down to how the waste is disposed of and what can be in the waste.
if your product doesn't meet those standards they won't allow it into Europe.


that new jug of 2400?
check it's density by weighing what you get out of your current powder dump setting.
I bet you see a 5-6% difference. [or about 1 gr at 20grs]
and I bet it's a darker color.
 

358156 hp

At large, whereabouts unknown.
I suppose the next thing we'll see is Expiration Dates. I've been anticipating this situation arising with the big influx of new powders lately.
 

KHornet

Well-Known Member
Sure hope you are wrong 358156HP, but like peanut butter
expiration dates, which still tastes good two years later, I don't
trust labels.

Paul
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
I don't see a way to make powder have an expiration date.
I think with the nitro content some of it has making it de-stabilize will leave behind some very undesirable consequences.
 

Winelover

North Central Arkansas
that new jug of 2400?
check it's density by weighing what you get out of your current powder dump setting.
I bet you see a 5-6% difference. [or about 1 gr at 20grs]
and I bet it's a darker color.


Haven't used dump setting in many years. All my powder is dispensed and weighed on a RCBS Chargemaster. Bullseye is the only powder that gets dumped. Three dispensers set for different charge weights.
 
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USSR

Finger Lakes Region of NY
Since most all of the powders I use were invented 70+ years ago, and work really well, I figure I'll give these new powders about 50 years to make sure they're not just some "flash in the pan".;)

Don
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
I figured your job's mentorship program was kicking in with some [negative] results.
 

JSH

Active Member
Just got into a short discussion on this subject with some other cranky old farts like myself.

I am on the fence on some of the "new" powders. I usually get a pound to "taste test" if it is a useable across the board for me. AA#9 has changed as has 2400. Others I used a fair bit of in rifles was flat discontinued.
Some powders I just figure to try the new. Others I have picked up to have what I considered enough for my use. I am fortunate enough to be in a circle of rifle and pistol shooters I can either pass on to them what I tried and didn't have luck with or they do the same for me.
Is it just me, when SR 4759 went away it seems the price of AA5744 went up about 25-40% and never came back down. I never saw as good as results with the 5744, but it was always a second choice for me, but not that good.

I was told that trail boss was the replacement for it!! That was directly from Hodgdon to boot. I nicely replied to that email that they were drastically mistaken, other than they both go bang. I had used both and nothing was further from the truth. Never got a response to that. The responder was a gent that shocked me because all I had ever heard was how knowledgable he is. I have seen some of his articles after that initial discussion some years back, he likes himself quite a bit is about as nice as I can put it.

AA3100 I was told by an ex employee that H4831 was the exact same thing. All this person was, was a production line worker and not in the lab.
He pushed his chest out and proclaimed he had seen tons of powder come out of the same tube and fill bottles and jugs and the labels were 3100 and 4831. I said you can go to the gas pump and get three different flavors out of the same hose, go in and pay for it and danged if they ain't got about two dozen kinds of sodas all coming out of the same spigot!

As mentioned else where, we as a very small group (casters) have it better than ever with the HUGE amount of designs and the highest quality ever.
The down fall we have as casters, I doubt we will ever see as much data towards CB's in the next hundred years as has been seen in the last fifty.

My method, which can be taken with a dose salts for bottle neck rifle rounds. A powder I have seen good results with for jacketed, I either go with a start load or 10% under. I have had excellent results this far. No it is not a soft load for "plinking". I hate the term. I consider it at times a good match load or practice load with enough steam to hunt with as well.
May not be the cheapest either. But across the board in several calibers, mostly military types with limited modern CB data it has worked well.
Jeff
 

waco

Springfield, Oregon
Very good points Jeff. Concerning SR4759, I still have a good supply. I have also been looking around for a good replacement powder. I really want to give CFE BLK a try.
 

Will

Well-Known Member
Sounds like a good reason to continue my journey into making my own black powder. Last winter I got most of the stuff but never actually tried it.

It will give me something to do this winter.
 

Winelover

North Central Arkansas
Just a heads up. Natchez is offering free Haz-Mat on orders of $150 or more. Three days only, expires 9/13...Promo Code FHB 1709

That's where I bought the jug of 2400......they were offering 10% off orders over $200, at the time. Powder Valley was cheaper but not when you added in their higher Haz-Mat Fee and shipping. Mid South was also higher than both.
 

JSH

Active Member
I am pretty much set for a long time myself on 4759. It just kind of fell into my lap.

The "new" Target powder I am going to give it a try. Supposed to be faster than BE. We will see. I am on the tail end of what I thought would last me two life times when I bought it, 12lb cardboard keg. Maybe 1-2 lbs left most loads were 3-3.5 grains with a top of 5.0 for the most part. All in revolvers. I have a couple of pounds of "new improved" BE that I picked up at a shop that was going out of business. I figured I would have three to run across the chrono for comparison.
Jeff
 

Kenneth Dahl

New Member
I asked IMR this question but never got an answer. CFE (copper fowling eliminator) does this powder have any effect on lead?
 

waco

Springfield, Oregon
I asked IMR this question but never got an answer. CFE (copper fowling eliminator) does this powder have any effect on lead?
I wouldn't think so. Guys have been using CFE223 with cast and had no ill effect.
I still have not heard much about CFE BLK. I want to try it soon. I really like were it's at on the burn rate cart.