Originally Posted by Blu_Cs
Friends:

I've been pretty much a factory cartridge kinda guy for the last 50 plus years. In truth, I have been fairly easily satisfied with something from Wally world, especially if its on clearance (not too long ago, right?!!!) for most of my uses in standard rifles - with barrels from 22-26 inches. All good.

But times they are a changing, and I can see reloading as a realistic option, even if supplies are pretty durn lean.

My question is this: are there powders that burn more thoroughly in a short barrel than a long one? For example, A couple years ago I had JES rebore a .243W to .358 Winchester, and slice the barrel down to 18 1/2 inches. Absolutely love it. My nickname for it is "Steady Eddy" - big bullet moving about 23-2400FPS. Devastating..and checks the humane (DRT) box for me. But the factory Hornady's I bought are prolly designed for a 22" - 24" barrel.

But I have other rifles with short barrels as well. If we are going "custom made" by reloading, can we eliminate belchfire situations where powder is still being burned several feet out from the muzzle when a round is touched off, simply by going to a faster burning powder.

Years ago I read JOC observe that a certain load of IMR 4064 in .30-06 in a 165 grainer produces "no great muzzle flash" and a "farly light report". My thinking is, why not pursue this for short barreled rifles, by modulating the powder type?

And no, I'm not limp wristed about recoil etc, and use full throated factory rounds in medium and large caliber magnum rounds, without concern. Bottom line: the self-made loads dont have to be reduced. That said I'm also not all about wringing the last few FPS out of anything, and think Shaman with his 95% rule of max, is probably highly prescient. Think steady eddy. JB would probably call me a "medium medium" kinda guy.

Which powders to consider? Does caliber really matter? If yes, lets throw out the hypotheticals of .270, 30-06, .338WM and .375 (Ruger or H&H).

Gentlemen: Popcorn, anyone? Fire away!

........................Regardless of cartridge, you load the same way for a shorter barrel as you would for the longer 22", 23" , 24" or 26" barrels. Book listings of slower burning powders that show higher velocities from longer tubes (as an example RL17 in a 300 WSM) also will give higher velocities from the shorter tubes as well. Where velocities are concerned on average, figure about a 15-20 up to maybe a 25-30 fps decrease for every inch of shorter barrel length. In other words from my chrony experience using 2 other buds 300 WSM rifles a few years back and hundreds of rounds for the experiment, my shorty 300 WSM chrony 'd 95.5% the velocities of the longer 24" barreIed 300 WSMs using the same identical handloads. A 4.5% average velocity loss. I own a shorty 16.5" tubed 300 WSM Ruger Frontier (nicknamed MIGHTY MOUSE) which ballistically is a 24-26" barreled 30-06.......As far as which powders burn more efficiently from the shorter tubes? I say do not worry about that at all. Instead, your concern and focus should be what powders offer the best accuracy without sacrificing much if any in the velocity dept from the shorter barrel.....At the range firing max loadings from my Frontier, I notice no noticeable muzzle flash during day light hours. Instead, there is NOISE, a very loud report which of course is muffled with excellent hearing protection. I also own a 375 Ruger Alaskan with a 20" barrel. Aside from powder differences, I do nothing different with my 375 Ruger than with my 300 WSM. The same principles apply......Look in your reloading books and choose your powders accordingly based on what you wish to do based on the velocities you are looking for and just let the noise, burn efficiency and any potential muzzle flash fall by the wayside. If you wish for the lower velocities then use the faster burning powders.

28 Nosler,,,,300WSM,,,,338-378 Wby,,,,375 Ruger