Some shotgun powders have been used in pistols, so vice versa might be possible. Will Check Lyman shotgun manual and get back.

Back now:
Blue Dot, Long Shot, HS-6 & 7, 800x, Herco, Solo 1250, SR 4756, Red Dot, Titewad, Green Dot, WSF. Clays, Amer Select, International, WST, SR 7625, Nitro 100, Competition, Accurate #3, Unique, PB, Universal, N310, 700x, Pretty much covers the 12 guage. from 5th edition Lyman Shotshell Reloading Handbook. IIRC I paid about $30 at the local gun shop for my copy.

Can't tell ya which powder to use just from what ya sent. What hulls, wads, shot load, guage, shell length? If you know anyone at the gunshop or range, they might be able to loan you or sell you a copy. Don't remember if the Hodgdon site has load data for shotguns.

 

So pistol are often cross-capable. That helps a lot. The local reloading supplier does have Universal in stock but I overlooked it because it's labeled with a pistol despite being Hodgdon's recommended powder for steel shot.

 

Just go ahead and eyeball it. I'm sure it will work out fine.

lol

 

Go to the Hogden web site. They list safe shot shell recipes for all their powders

 

Many of my local stores that have reloading supplies don't have a very large selection for the last year or two. Same for online stores. Though I may have preferences in one powder over another I've learned that nowadays I have to reload with 'something else'. As long as I can find reload data for it that's what I'm using. Hopefully this will turnaround in the next year. At least that's my hope.

 

Most "pistol" powders really are shotgun powders.

 

It's looking that way, which is not what I'd expect because a pistol and a shotgun have very different barrel lengths and you would think they would be significantly different powders.

Can anyone explain to me the differences between the 3 smokeless powders? Do they formulate them to be faster/slower burning, is it a power per weight, or power per volume issue, or what?

It also seems odd that reloading supplies are in such short supply. I'd have thought they'd come back before full ammunition.

 

We'll be Praying for You....

Try, real hard to find Unique or Universal powder.

Get some reloading manuals.

Take care! You are messing with some POW, POW, POWERFUL GENIES! Don't let them best you!

 

Back, way back when, the average reloader was a guy shooting skeet or trap so most powders were geared to them. Experimenters were the ones who found out, by and large, that shotgun powders could be used in handgun cartridges. Because of burning rates, most powders for rifle would not be a good fit for shotguns. There are a few that can do it all but only in fairly mild rifle calibers. 2400 and 296 for example can do all 3. But the rifle calibers would be things like 30 Carbine, 25-20 and 300 BO.

 

Please understand, Shotgun chambers are WEAKER than pistol chambers, due to larger diameter and thinner steel. Please be Careful!

 

Powder is powder

It has different burn rates

Some work better for pistol, rifle or shotgun

Typically your faster burning powders work well for pistol and shotgun...not so much rifle but it all depends

There are lots of different types available that will work.....

If you are not using a manual, I strongly suggest you get one, that way you can choose another powder that is in stock

Reloading can certainly clean out the gene pool on the unsuspecting and indifferent.

 

I never said I wasn't using reloading data. I'm looking for specific reloading data to use that is not the most commonly used. At no point did I say I was just going to randomly dump powder in a shell. Thus why I bothered to post here.

There should, though, be a formula to calculate equivalent loads from powder to powder based on burn rate. I'm a little surprised no one's known it.

(Getting there...)

http://www.adi-powders.com.au/handloaders/equivalents.asp

 

Well, just look at 4895. Made by two manufacturers yet the load data ARE different. There is no simple formula for substitution.

 

stephpd, look in a manual that has data on H-110 and Win 296. They are the same powder,
made by the same company. Quite often you'll see a fair amount of difference.

 

That's why I listed 4895. At one time they were separate companies but now I believe they're both owned by the same company. Yet H4895 is slightly different from IMR4895. Although these powders may be very similar they aren't identical. Different plants, different formulas.

Thus different load data.

 

W296 and H110 are the same

W231 and HP38 are the same

These are well advertised


Others that have the same numbers like H4895 and IMR 4895 are not necessarily the same

That's why it's always prudent to follow data out of the manuals or Manufacturers websites.

Always start 10% low and work up.

There are variances in powder from lot to lot and also variances in reloading scales........not everyone's scales read exactly the same

Even manufacturers will tell you NOT to mix powders from different lots

 

I could currently have preferences available as one powder around one more I discovered that at present.

 

Buy a copy of Quickload (software) and you'll know what can powder be subbed for what. Not cheap, (almost $200), but I never look at paper manuals anymore. Only gripe I have is that their database doesn't have some of the newer powders like 300MP.