BURN RATES

SMOKELESS POWDER BURNING RATE CHART

BURN RATES

All of the following information was taken from Sierra Rifle Reloading Manual, 4th Edition and Vihtavuori 1996 reloading guide.

The following powders are listed by their approximate burning rate, from "fastest" to "slowest". It must be clearly understood that burning rates are not linear. There may be several powders which have very nearly the "same" relative quickness listed together, with the next listed powder being significantly different. It should also be understood that the burning rate of any given powder can vary substantially when different cartridges are being compared. Smokeless propellants are organic compounds, and are subject to lot-to-lot variations which are unavoidable during the manufacturing process. As a result, it is quite possible for a "fast" lot of a "slower" burning powder to appear to be somewhat "faster" than a "slow" lot of what would normally be thought of as a faster burning propellent. This situation, in effect, would cause these two powders to switch positions in the following chart. Bear in mind then, that these listings are subject to change depending on the particular lots of powder involved and a host of other variables which become part of the equation. This is by no means a complete list, and reflects only those powders used in Sierra Rifle Reloading Manual, 4th Edition and Vihtavuori 1996 reloading guide.

**From Fastest to Slowest**
1. Norma R-1	38. Vihtavuori N350	75. Hodgdon Varget
2. Vihtavuori N310,	39. Hodgdon HS-7	76. IMR 4064
3. Accurate Arms Nitro 100	40. Hercules/Alliant Blue Dot	77. Scot Brigadier 4065
4. Hercules/Alliant Bullseye	41. Vihtavuori N105	78. Accurate Arms 2520
5. Scot, Solo 1000	42. Accurate Arms No.9	79. IMR 4320
6. Accurate Arms No.2	43. Hercules/Alliant 2400	80. Norma 202
7. Hercules/Alliant Red Dot	44. Vihtavuori N110	81. Vihtavuori N140
8. Hodgdon Clays	45. Norma R123	82. Vihtavuori N540
9. Vihtavuori N330	46. Hodgdon H110	83. Accurate Arms 2700
10. Scot, Royal Scot	47. Winchester 296	84. Hercules/Alliant Reloader 15
11. Hodgdon HP38	48. IMR SR 4759	85. Hodgdon H380
12. Winchester 231	49. Vihtavuori N120	86. Winchester 760
13. Scot 453	50. IMR 4227	87. Hodgdon H414
14. IMR "Hi-Skor" 700X	51. Hodgdon H4227	88. Vihtavuori N150
15. Winchester WST	52. Vihtavuori N130	89. Vihtavuori N550
16. Winchester International	53. Accurate Arms 1680	90. Accurate Arms 4350
17. Hercules/Alliant Green Dot	54. Norma 200	91. IMR 4350
18. Vihtavuori N330	55. Vihtavuori N133	92. Hodgdon H4350
19. IMR PB	56. Scot Brigadier 4179	93. Norma 204
20. Accurate Arms No.5	57. Hodgdon H4198	94. Scot Brigadier 4351
21. Scot, Scot Pearl	58. IMR 4198	95. Hercules/Alliant Reloader 19
22. Winchester Super Lite	59. Accurate Arms 2015BR	96. Vihtavuori N160
23. Hercules/Alliant Unique	60. Hercules/Alliant Reloader 7	97. Vihtavuori N560
24. Hodgdon Universal Clays	61. IMR 3031	98. IMR 4831
25. IMR SR 7625	62. Norma 201	99. Accurate Arms 3100
26. Winchester WSF	63. Hodgdon H322	100. Winchester Magnum Rifle
27. Hodgdon HS-6	64. Accurate Arms 2230	101. Hodgdon H4831*
28. Winchester Action Pistol	65. Scot Brigadier 3032	102. Norma MRP
29. Vihtavuori N340	66. Winchester 748	103. Hodgdon H450
30. Winchester 540	67. Hodgdon Ball C(2)	104. Vihtavuori N165
31. Hercules/Alliant Herco	68. Accurate Arms 2460	105. Alliant Reloader 22
32. IMR SR 4756	69. Hodgdon H335	106. IMR 7828
33. Scot Solo 1250	70. Hodgdon H4895	107. Accurate Arms 8700
34. Vihtavuori 3N37	71. Accurate Arms 2495BR	108. Hodgdon H1000
35. IMR "Hi-Skor" 800X	72. Alliant Reloader 12	109. Hodgdon H870
36. Accurate Arms No.7	73. IMR 4895	110. Vihtavuori N170
37. Scot Solo 1500	74. Vihtavuori N135	111. Vihtavuori 24N41

* (In manuals or writings published before 1973, any mention of 4831 will refer to Hodgdon's H4831. In older manuals, it was customary to list powder simply as "4831" with no designation connecting it to the Hodgdon line. The reason for this is simple; prior to DuPont's introduction of IMR 4831 in 1972, the surplus 4831 sold by Hodgdon was the only powder to carry this designation. Despite their similar nomenclature, these two powders (IMR 4831 and Hodgdon H4831) are not interchangeable and must not be confused. IMR 4831 is significantly faster burning than H4831, and may produce dangerous pressures if used with data developed for the latter.)