Accurate Arms #5 compared to WST

I read somewhere that AA #5 and WST have similar burning rates. I don't recall seeing any mention of AA #5 on this forum.

Neither has there been any chat about Red Dot and HP-38 but they are similarly nearly identical and both excellent for 38 / 45 acp.

Slodad wrote:I read somewhere that AA #5 and WST have similar burning rates. I don't recall seeing any mention of AA #5 on this forum.

I considered Accurate No.5 my 'go to' powder for general pistol use until I ran out a few years ago. I have not seen any at my LGS in a long time so I have been working on new loads with what I can buy. I can't say that my loads at that point were 'Bullseye' quality as what mattered was that they went bang and the plates fell down but I did find it pleasant to work with .... unlike the 700X that a friend found a bunch of (and we were happy to have 'something') but which hates my powder measure. I may start putting it in shotgun shells just to use it up (the 700X that is) once (if?) I have a reasonable supply of something like No.5.

Bruce

Red dot & hp38?

Fire Escape wrote:

Slodad wrote:.... unlike the 700X that a friend found a bunch of (and we were happy to have 'something') but which hates my powder measure.

Bruce

Do not discount the value of 700X..
I'd trade all the VV310 in the world, for 700X

Slodad wrote:I read somewhere that AA #5 and WST have similar burning rates. I don't recall seeing any mention of AA #5 on this forum.

AA #5 is listed as a slower burning powder than WST in the 2 burn rate lists I've found that have both.

One (I didn't record the source) ranks them as 21 (WST) and 32 (#5) out of 133 powders. 

The other list was saved from Reloadammo.com. It lists them as 26 (WST) and 61 (#5) out of 220 powders.

The lists have AA #5 listed between N330 and N330 and similar to Unique and Power Pistol. All those are considered slower powders than WST which is listed as faster than Green Dot and slower than Titegroup and Solo 1000

Did you see the "Sticky" at the top of ammo discussion?

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

That is likely where I got the impression that they were similar in burning rates.

OldMaster66 wrote:Did you see the "Sticky" at the top of ammo discussion?

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

If you look at 10 burn rate charts, you will find the relationship between any two powders to shift quite a bit--for powders close to each other, they can completely switch positions.
For simplicity, look in a manual at the max load for each powder. In almost all cases, the faster powder will reach max pressure at a lower charge weight (and don't sort by max velocity, but by charge weight at max pressure).
Since burn rate depends on test conditions, and volume is a factor, powders do shift with different cartridges and different weights of bullets.
For me, WST is right around Bullseye, Red Dot, and AA2 and AA5 is around WSF, Unique, and Power Pistol.
And yet, in .45 Auto, AA5 seems more like Green Dot and HP38/231.