I gave a friend of mine a partial pound of my stash of SR4756 to try in his Model 686 and he's hooked but of course can't find any of that discontinued powder. He asked me for suggestions for a replacement so I passed the question along to Hodgdons and they recommended TrailBoss. I've haven't used that powder but have never considered it to have the fine metering and clean burning characteristics of good old 4756. Any ideas I can provide my buddy?

Ed

BE-86 or CFE Pistol both meter well. The one your friend should try would depend on the cartridge he is trying to load for and exactly what he wants his load to do.

Trail Boss works best on low level lead bullet loads.

I use SR4756 for all my handgun loads,9mm,38sp,357M,40S&W,10MM,41M,44sp,44M. I accumulated a lot since the 'discontinued' notice was issued. For when I have no more,I'll be trying 800-X. Burn rate charts show 800-X as the same/slightly slower as SR4756. 800-X is not discontinued but not as abundant as other powders.

I have read that 800x meters like cornflakes, but some are happy with it. I plan to try BE86 as soon as I run out of Red Dot. Heard a lot of good things about it.

SR -4756 is a single based powder a little slower than unique . I would look at the vihtavouri powders or noble sport vectan , both single base powders . You will find something comparable there.

S4756 did not do well for me in the short case 9mm.
In the 38 Special it did ok but it did run into high pressures in the 357 case. ( c/o chrony data )

Try and find the new BE-86 and you will be pleased and have fewer headaches, worrying about pressure build up.....
and it is also great in the 9mm.

Any of the powders from #31 though 44 on this burn rate chart that you can find and has load data. Plus a few that are not on there, like BE 86.

https://www.hodgdon.com/wp-content/u...-2015-2016.pdf


Replacement of SR 4756?

__________________
Still Running Against the Wind

If you have no objection to the metering, or a suitable workaround, 800X is really nice in the 9mm. I've included a thumbnail ... Nosler 124gn JHP, 15 yards, 1225fps. Once I got my grip ironed out, the flyers went away.

Attached Images

20170415_123105.jpg (86.7 KB, 25 views)

The Alliant 2400 works great for magnum loads (.357 and .44mag). I use a faster burning powder (Alliant Green Dot or Alliant American Select) for the standard loads (.45, .40S&W, .38spl, etc). The recipes call for considerably less of the faster powder which means the faster powders cost less per cartridge and, at least for my loads, provide great accuracy and minimum fouling.

If you want to do it right, study some current load manuals and a burn rate chart. With the glut of powders we have on today's market, there are at least several that would be appropriate in your situation.

As for 800X, I've developed some accurate loads with it, but would never buy another pound as it really does meter very poorly; may be the worst in this regard.

He is loading cast 140- and 158-grain semi-wadcutters for target shooting only. I use 6.0 grains of 4756 for that purpose and that's what he tried and loves.

He has tried CFE Pistol but it wasn't very accurate for him. SR4756 was.

800X was always filthy stuff - I used it in 20-gauge shotshells years ago and actually would find small pieces of wood in it!

BE-86 might be a good substitute. I never used it but have heard good things about it.

Thanks for all the replies. I spoke with him at our gun club this morning and he said he joined this forum so he may have seen these posts.

Ed

I sort of hate to post this suggestion because this particular powder has become a bit difficult to find locally and considering a slightly wide geographic area you are somewhat local.

That suggestion is that you give Vihtavouri 3N37 a try. All I ask is that you don't drive to Ohio to purchase some. I've been using 3N37 to load 38 special since I discovered that SR7625 is very position sensitive in a 38 special or 357 Magnum case. The 3N37 is NOT the least bit position sensitive and it meters as well as SR7625, burns quite clean, is low flash even in a 2 1/2 inch model 19, and quite accurate. About the only downside is the cost, price per pound is about 25-30% higher than most powders and I'm using 6.7 grains for each 38 special load with a 125 grain plated bullet.

Ed, I'm up by Lehighton. I have 4 pounds of SR4756 if your friend is interested in taking a road trip send me a PM.

Tom

I would look at wsf in the same burn range. Clean burning, good metering, pretty darn close to unique in load range.

__________________
NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

"He is loading cast 140- and 158-grain semi-wadcutters for target shooting only. I use 6.0 grains of 4756 for that purpose and that's what he tried and loves."

For target .38 Special loads, the faster burning powders like Bullseye, 700-X, Red Dot, or AA#2 usually work the best. Trail Boss? Way too expensive per round.

Hard to believe someone at Hodgdon would suggest Trail Boss as a replacement for 4756. Must have been a newbie.

CFE is accurate. You need to do work-up loads with new combinations to find out what charge weight works best for your gun. Can't just pick a weight & assume it'll be the ideal one.

6.0gr/4756 in 357 cases? That's a light load of fairly slow powder. If you want to stay with that speed powder I'd suggest Power Pistol but for that velocity you'd be better off with a faster powder like HP38/W231.

.

__________________
Waiting for the break of day

I'm betting he will and he probably gets to that vicinity for work now and then. I'll let him know and thanks for the offer. Please text your phone number to me at 717-512-0250 and I'll forward it to Larry.

Ed

text message sent Ed

No hurry to come up here I will hold it for him if he wants it.

My take on Trail Boss is that it is extremely overpriced and not at all economical. Its only advantage is that it has a very low bulk density and fills cases, preventing the possibility of double charges. Not a propellant I would ever consider using for anything.

If "he" is only loading TARGET loads, is it with 38 or 357 brass??

Either way, why even bother with a discontinued slow powder?? There are many many powders that will work. and work well.

HP 38 or anything close to it in that burn rate.

__________________
Still Running Against the Wind

I would find another powder that I like . When Unique was not available yr after yr I found another powder that I actually like better and is more available .

Sure you might be able to find SR4756.......
and it is/was a great powder , while it was being made.

I have some and will use it up and be sorry when it is gone but....
I have also jumped on another wagon, that carries the "New Powders" so I don't have to worry about future loads.

In the past I have shown 38 snub to 6" barrel target loads
that have been around 1" groups and some at .50 or even .38" groups with lead bullet target loads.........

and none of them were using SR4756.

I get what you guys are saying but for all the powder you use per handgun target round and for all I shoot my revolvers (I use AutoComp in my 1911s), my +/-14 pounds of 4756 will probably last me AND my 35 year-old son our lifetimes so why not use what you like if you can find it?

Tom and my buddy Larry are going to exchange Larry's $80 for Tom's four pounds of 4756. Larry shoots his 1911s more than his 686 so that $80 will probably provide him with the powder he likes best for his lifetime so why not?

Some powders, like some bullets, just cannot be exactly replaced when they are discontinued. PB was a super trapshooting powder and the closest readily obtainable replacements in terms of burning rate, Clays International and Green Dot, just aren't good old soft-shooting, tight patterning PB.

Berger discontinued its 50-grain .224" flat-based varmint bullet. Will its 52-grain replacement shoot this well in my .22-250s?



Maybe; maybe not. But I'll have to find out eventually when I send the last of the 150 bullets I have down the barrel.

Ed

In the Hodgdon lineup:

• CFE Pistol,
• HS-6,
• 800-X,
• Universal, or
• HP-38

From the Accurate stable:

• AA #5, or
• AA #2

From the Alliant powders:

• Unique,
• Green Dot, and
• The perennial favorite, Bullseye.

I've used Bullseye, 800-X and HP-38 in 38 Special with good results although what someone else said about 800-X metering like corn flakes is a pretty apt description. I throw all my charges light and tricle them up to full weight so the sluggish metering isn't all that much of a concern to me.

I'm not familiar with Ramshot or the Finnish or Swedish powders so I'll stop there.

Corn Flakes meter better... I use 800x for full house 10mm and hand check every charge.(Because I have to for accuracy) P.I.B.

Might be time to buy that reloading manual. Lyman's manual contains cast bullet data. For target loads Accurate Arms #2 or #5 has given me excellent results (at lower prices) for 20+ years.

__________________
S&WHF 366