Powder names?

[wisconsinteacher]

Okay, this is probably the most random question I have asked here so far, but how/why are powders given the names and numbers they have. I under stand 10x but what does 4350 or 4064 stand for?

Told you it was a random thought as I was prepping brass last night.

 

[SJB358]

Great question. I know a few powders represent certain loads (H380) and another represents the 300 Win winning 1000 yard matches with it (H1000). Beyond that I'd be stretching.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

I think BLC2...stands for "ball C lot 2"...or something like that...been a while since I read whatever it was that I read that in...not sure its true...but I read it somewhere.


MRP is "magnum rifle powder"...I think.

Not sure about URP...

 

[DrMike]

It is a closely guarded trade secret! :shock: If they told us, they would have to quit marketing powder. 8)

Seriously, there are multiple reasons why powder is named as it is. Some goes far back into the mist of early hand loading.

 

[Guy Miner]

Always thought it was interesting. And some don't have any numbers.

Unique
Retumbo
Varget

 

[buckfever]

Some powder names might be miss leading like tite group but I've wondered about the name thing to.

 

[ScreaminEagle]

H380- Because a load of 38gr created awesome groups in his 22-250
littlegun- For little guns

Thats all I know

 

[Horsethief]

I heard the same things about how BLC-2 and H-380 got their names. Superformance, is guess, is supposed to indicate super performance. Why would a company market a powder called "Underformance" or "Blah-Zay" and think it would be successful for handloaders.

 

[BD1]

LOL, Blah-Zay.... Underperformance......
IIRC, IMR 3031's handle came from 31grs. in a 30-30

 

[Woodycreek]

varmint- Var
target- get
= Varget

Still don't know the story behind Retumbo?

 

[DrMike]

"Retumbo" is a word in one of the African dialects for "thunder." Amazing the intel that accumulates and continues in the mind.

 

[Guy Miner]

95 grains of it from a .300 Rem Ultra Mag case thunders all right!

 

[Woodycreek]

95 grains of it from a .300 Rem Ultra Mag case thunders all right!

Yes it does! 95gr of Retumbo and the 200 AB is the combo for me.

 

[jmad_81]

H380- Because a load of 38gr created awesome groups in his 22-250
littlegun- For little guns

Thats all I know

The H380 sure worked great in my 22-250!

 

[RiverRider]

I am pretty sure 2400 means something, but if I ever knew it I have forgotten. Maybe related to the Hornet?

 

[Wincheringen]

Red Dot, Blue Dot, Green Dot all have respectively colored dots in them. Clay Dot has little orange dots in it, but it was named because it is Alliant's version of Hodgdon Clays, using the same data. Pro Reach is Alliant's version of Longshot, 20/28 because it is ideal for loading in those gauges.

 

[PJGunner]

I am pretty sure 2400 means something, but if I ever knew it I have forgotten. Maybe related to the Hornet?

I'm thinking it was because it would give 2400 FPS in the .22 Hornet. The real puzzler is 4895. I can remember when it first came out s a milsurp powder when I bought some the slesman would write on the bag "Use data for 4320, of maybe it might be data for 4064, 3031, you never knew what it would be. Then I guess Hodgden took it all and blended it to be closer to what DuPont started bringing out. The end product was slightly slower that the standardized level of the fresh IMR4895. I have a few of the oldler Lyman manuals and in those they shot the starting load for 4895 to be 51.0 gr. and now IIRC that's considered the max load. for the 30-06. I haven't used that powder for the 06 in years so take that with a grain of salt. Funny thing is when I first worked up a load for the 06 and 150 gr. bullet, 49.0 gr. with the 150 gr. Sierra Pro-Hunter although it didn't carry that was as high as I could go in what was then a brand new J.C. Higgins FN Mauser back around 1953 as I recall. Killed a lot of deer with that load. No chronographs back then so I loaded up a few and shot them over the Chrony. Pressures were too high in the very same rifle the loads were worked up. Guess I should have started low and worked up but this was two full grains below published max. :?:
My thoughts on that is when DuPont was making the IMR powders, they used cotton linters to make the nitrocellulose. It's my understanding they now use wood fibers, mainly sawdust to make nitrocellulose and I think it's affected the burning rate. I know people who can use a full 51.0 gr. in their 06 but no way can I come close in my rifle. Oh well no big deal as I quit using 150 gr. bullets in the 06 over 30 years ago, usually going with the 180 gr. and only lately doing anything with 165 gr, bullets as a custom 06 I have has a 1 in 12" twist and does not shoot all that well with 180 gr. bullets.
Paul B.

 

[Elkman]

Retumbo" is a word in one of the African dialects for "thunder." Amazing the intel that accumulates and continues in the mind.

Most of what accumulates in my mind is irrelevant and uninteresting, but boy there is a lot there !!!!!!