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Conversion from powder to powder?

2K views 1 reply 1 participant last post by  Gunrnr 
G
#1 ·
I have a Herters .401 Powermag. The problem is that being a discontinued wildcat, there is very little load data to be found.
My question is: Is there a formula, or a way to to convert loads from one powder to another? For example, if the recommended load of 2400 is 19.5gr, is there a way to figure out how much of, say, Unique I would use?
I have tried to find similar loads for other guns, that list the different powders, but I have not found much success in cross referencing like that.
Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.
 
#2 ·
There are really no standard conversions that I've ever seen and it's important to note that powders' behavior is not linear. They vary from cartridge to cartridge and I have never seen an algorithm that could be safely or effectively used. I just looked at my RCBS Load software and couldn't find anything similar, either.

I have taken a powder that has similar load characteristics to the original and worked loads up from a baseline (usually about 20% or more reduced), by ½ gr increments. I’ll use my chrono and watch for signs of overpressure. But that is not completely reliable if you don’t have a strain gauge or other way of accurately measuring chamber pressure (which I do not).

ADDENDUM: I just did a search for "Herters .401 Powermag" on Yahoo and found some interesting info, as well as some references to discussions on other forums. Might be of some help. ~GR
 
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