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Is There An Equation?


Bronson7

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Does anyone know of an equation that can be used to figure charge weights when oals are other than published. I'm asking this because my reloading data is showing a paricular charge of Universal at an oal of 1.275 for 45 ACP(230 rn), which is at maximum aol. I feel uncomfortable being at the maximum (or minimum) of anything and I'm wondering if there is a way to mathmaticaly interpolate or are there to many variables to do this? Thanks

Bronson7

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No.

This would be caliber, powder, bullet, case, temperature, and air pressure related.

VihtaVuori has published, in it's hardback reloading manuals, a formula for an increase in pressure and velocity based on delta-OAL for a sample of their powder in a particular caliber, etc. to demonstrate the danger of increased pressure with a small decrease of OAL.  

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 I agree with Jeff, an example in Ramshot data book in 40 S&W shows almost double the pressure with only .010 shorter OAL. 45acp would most likely not be nearly as dramatic, but you are on the right track ask the question. What OAL are you contemplating ? I am sure someone may have some specific input if you are not attempting something very unusual.         .             Travis F.

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Yes there is a way of calculating it by using products like Neconos Quickload Internal Ballistics Software.  I have used this product for several years as my STARTING point when working up a load.

Here's the link to the vendor and some generated numbers.

http://www.neconos.com/details3.htm

Cartridge           : .45 Auto (ACP) (SAAMI)

Bullet              : .451, 230, SPR TMJ 4480

Cartridge O.A.L. L6 : 1.275 inch or 32.38 mm

Barrel Length       : 5.0 inch or 127.0 mm

Powder              : Hodgdon Universal

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,

incremented in steps of 2.0% of nominal charge.

CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step    Fill. Charge   Vel.  Energy   Pmax   Pmuz  Prop.Burnt Btime

%       %    Grains   fps   ft.lbs    psi    psi      %        ms

-20.0   48     4.16    701     251   10330   2017     94.4    0.917

-18.0   49     4.26    716     261   10793   2074     95.1    0.898

-16.0   50     4.37    730     272   11269   2130     95.8    0.880

-14.0   51     4.47    744     283   11758   2185     96.3    0.863

-12.0   53     4.58    758     293   12260   2238     96.9    0.857

-10.0   54     4.68    772     304   12776   2291     97.4    0.840

-08.0   55     4.78    785     315   13305   2342     97.8    0.825

-06.0   56     4.89    799     326   13848   2393     98.2    0.809

-04.0   57     4.99    812     337   14406   2442     98.6    0.795

-02.0   59     5.10    825     348   14977   2489     98.9    0.781

+00.0   60     5.20    838     359   15563   2536     99.2    0.767

+02.0   61     5.30    851     370   16163   2581     99.4    0.754

+04.0   62     5.41    864     381   16778   2625     99.6    0.741

+06.0   63     5.51    877     392   17408   2667     99.7    0.729

+08.0   65     5.62    889     404   18052   2708     99.8    0.717  ! HOT LOAD !

+10.0   66     5.72    901     415   18712   2748     99.9    0.706  ! HOT LOAD !

Results caused by ± 10% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge

Data for burning rate increased by 10% relative to nominal value:

+Ba     60     5.20    871     388   17992   2464    100.0    0.721  ! HOT LOAD !

Data for burning rate decreased by 10% relative to nominal value:

-Ba     60     5.20    793     321   13183   2504     94.8    0.819

(Edited by ryucasta at 11:47 am on Feb. 19, 2003)

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You could figure out how case volume changes with seating depth.  If you cut the volume in half, it should *theoretically* double the pressure, according to the ideal gas law (pv = nRt, pressure x volume = n (the amount of gas, in moles), R = a constant to get units to work, and t = absolute temperature.  n should be directly proportional to charge weight (3 grains of powder produce half as much gas as 6 grains), and temp will be pretty much constant, unless it isn't.

Of course, there may be very good reasons why this system would depart from the "ideal" in ideal gas law.  It would be much safer just to reduce the loads, reduce OAL, and watch for pressure signs, and work up gradually.

There isn't really any good reason to fear maximum OAL.  Max OAL will produce the lowest pressure possible for a given powder charge.  I think the Dillon instructions even say to load as close to max OAL as will reliably function in your gun.  

Anyway, all this has to do with peak pressure, and not with velocity.  I don't think you'd see much effect on velocity at all by changing OAL.  A pressure vs. time curve will get spikier (a higher, narrower peak) if you shorten OAL, but the area under the curve (=impulse) won't change much, so velocity won't change much.  

Finally, look in a different manual!  My Laser Cast manual describes loads at 1.250" OAL for .45acp. (I don't have it at work, so I can't tell you what it says...I'll try to bring it tomorrow).  You can consult Hodgdon's reloading manual online for free, though (although it only contains maximum loads) http://www.hodgdon.com

Lata,

DD

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Based on the new calculations in which the OAL was changed from 1.275 to 1.250 the maximum pressure increased by 1368 PSI for a like powder charge of 5.2 grains of Universal.

Cartridge           : .45 Auto (ACP) (SAAMI)

Bullet              : .451, 230, SPR TMJ 4480

Cartridge O.A.L. L6 : 1.250 inch or 31.75 mm

Barrel Length       : 5.0 inch or 127.0 mm

Powder              : Hodgdon Universal

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,

incremented in steps of 2.0% of nominal charge.

CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step    Fill. Charge   Vel.  Energy   Pmax   Pmuz  Prop.Burnt Btime

%       %    Grains   fps   ft.lbs    psi    psi      %        ms

-20.0   52     4.16    716     261   11143   1998     95.0    0.901

-18.0   53     4.26    730     272   11652   2053     95.7    0.882

-16.0   54     4.37    745     283   12176   2107     96.3    0.864

-14.0   55     4.47    759     294   12715   2160     96.8    0.846

-12.0   57     4.58    773     305   13269   2211     97.3    0.830

-10.0   58     4.68    787     316   13839   2262     97.8    0.814

-08.0   59     4.78    801     328   14425   2311     98.2    0.799

-06.0   61     4.89    815     339   15027   2359     98.6    0.784

-04.0   62     4.99    828     350   15645   2406     98.9    0.769

-02.0   63     5.10    841     362   16279   2451     99.2    0.756

+00.0   64     5.20    855     373   16931   2496     99.4    0.742

+02.0   66     5.30    868     384   17599   2538     99.6    0.730

+04.0   67     5.41    881     396   18284   2579     99.8    0.717  ! HOT LOAD !

+06.0   68     5.51    893     408   18987   2619     99.9    0.705  ! HOT LOAD !

+08.0   70     5.62    906     419   19707   2657    100.0    0.694  ! HOT LOAD !

+10.0   71     5.72    918     431   20445   2693    100.0    0.683  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!

Results caused by ± 10% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge

Data for burning rate increased by 10% relative to nominal value:

+Ba     64     5.20    887     402   19618   2414    100.0    0.698  ! HOT LOAD !

Data for burning rate decreased by 10% relative to nominal value:

-Ba     64     5.20    810     335   14297   2479     95.4    0.794

 

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Dogma,

The numbers have always come in +/- 6% (maximum). This in my opinion is no more of a difference than what you'll find between lots of the same brand of powder.

This product has been very useful to me since it allows one to do what if scenarios.  This particular feature has saved me countless hours when working up a load but then again YMMV.

(Edited by ryucasta at 11:46 am on Feb. 19, 2003)

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Dogma,

I also use the Quick load software and once it is "calibrated" to the gun I've gotten a new load's calculated results to agree with test data to within 10 fps on pistol loads.

I'm still on the learning curve with the program, I've only had it for about 2 months, but I recently found how to alter the temperature which has increased the agreement of my results.

The only thing I haven't been able to find is a way to specify and change the primer types.

I do like the feature that allows you to specify a pressure or velocity and the program tells you what charges of various powders can meet that velocity.

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Not sure what I'm missing, but those numbers don't seem to jive with what I've got for data for Universal and a 230grn plated bullet out of a 5" barrel??  Even Hodgdon's site has different numbers.

At 6.0 grains of Universal with a 230grn plated bullet (very close to speer TMJ) loaded to 1.260 I'm getting 760 fps. That chart shows my load at almost 1000 fps?

What am I missing?

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