Hottest gunpowder availible?

[DoubleJ]

What is the hottest, most powerful gunpowder I can buy?

[spookgus]

Are you looking for the fastest burn rate or the highest safe velocity in a given cartridge/barrel length?

[KillBilly]

That would depend on the caliber you are loading and whether you consider the "HOTTEST" as the fastest (FPS). The hottest powder for a .30-06 may be the slowest for a .338 and so on...I guess  you could look through you reloading manual and count the number of times a powder is the fastest/hottest for all the calibers possible.

[DoubleJ]

Are you looking for the fastest burn rate or the highest safe velocity in a given cartridge/barrel length?

Biggest boom

[Bofire]

 :)Not an answerable querry. "biggest boom" would relate to container size and construction, and size of charge.

[wadu1]

 Here are the top 59 in order, Norma R1

 1   NORMA R1
2   Winchester WAALite
3   Vihtavouri N310
4   Alliant e3
5   Hodgdon TITEWAD
6   Alliant Red Dot
7   Hodgdon CLAYS
8   IMR, Co Hi-Skor 700-X
9   Alliant Bullseye
10   Hodgdon TITEGROUP
11   Alliant American Select
12   Accurate Arms Solo 1000
13   Alliant Green Dot
14   IMR, Co Trial Boss
15   Winchester Super Handicap
16   Hodgdon INTERNATIONAL
17   IMR, Co PB
18   Vihtavouri N320
19   Winchester WST
20   Accurate Arms No. 2
21   IMR, Co SR 7625
22   Hodgdon HP-38
23   Winchester 231
24   Alliant 20/28
25   Alliant Unique
26   Hodgdon UNIVERSAL
27   Alliant Power Pistol
28   Vihtavouri N330
29   Alliant Herco
30   Winchester WSF
31   Vihtavouri N340
32   IMR, Co Hi-Skor 800-X
33   IMR, Co SR4756
34   Accurate Arms No. 5
35   Hodgdon HS-6
36   Vihtavouri 3N37
37   Vihtavouri N350
38   Hodgdon HS-7
39   Vihtavouri 3N38
40   Alliant Blue Dot
41   Accurate Arms No. 7
42   Hodgdon LONGSHOT
43   Alliant 410
44   Alliant 2400
45   Accurate Arms No. 9
46   NORMA R123
47   Vihtavouri N110
48   Hodgdon LIL' GUN
49   Hodgdon H110
50   Winchester 296
51   IMR, Co IMR 4227
52   Hodgdon H4227
53   IMR, Co SR4759
54   Accurate Arms 1680
55   NORMA 200
56   Alliant Reloder 7
57   IMR, Co IMR4198
58   Hodgdon H4198
59   Vihtavouri N120

[BallisticsNut]

I realize this guy has been around for a really long time and a major contributer...but.... Dont you find it somewhat suspicious when someone asks what is the hottest gunpowder with the biggest boom?   You would think, most experienced reloaders would already now that answer so if your not a reloader, why you asking?     

I think we need a more definitive reason before we respond to that post 

[DoubleJ]

If you must know, I'm building a lawn mower

[JackOfAllTrades]

'Hottest', might be equatable to being the fastest burn rate, but as to which one actually burns hottest (temperature) -I don't know that any of them are outside a hundred degree difference between any of them.

For the biggest boom, a fast powder in a small container may not have sufficient oxygen to build the rapid pressure usually associated. But the same powder in a large container may never buid pressure at all and more or less.. Fizzle out.  A slow powder will normally require a larger containment (given a set amount of powder), than a faster powder, but not always.

Blackpowder is the slowest and most controlable, given a set volume for it to build pressure in.   Biggest audible boom is usually relative to the maximum amount of pressure that can be built and held within a vessel and released through a port of given size. Much the same way a subwoofer with a given amount of wattage is provided, where-as a ported speaker box will allow a given size woofer cone to move more air as it is pressurized. Too large a port defeats the pressure build, allowing the cone to move too much air. Too large of a box will do the same. Too small of a port does not allow the cone to move enough air. Thus a small box is also counter productive.  The bass from the smaller ported box will not be as 'booming' but will be 'tight' and sound more crisp as bass notes go. The length/diameter/taper of cone for a base reflex port will also determine the frequency of the bass note.  Many of the same concepts and laws of physics apply to the explosion or 'expelsion' of pressure in a rifle cartridge, audible cannon, or bomb.

If you're not confused yet, Look up http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoichiometry .  You'll see that there are many variables that determine how a fuel is burned.  Type of fuel, amount of oxygen or other stimulating gas available, temperature and pressure all contribute to how well a fuel will burn. The point where a fuel burn is most complete, be it in an engine cylinder, the confines of a metalic cartridge or even a 'bomb' is the objective. Excess waste of fuel does nothing to the experience. Not enough fuel or enough contributing stimulants may not get the job done.

-Steve

[Heredoggydoggy]

If you must know, I'm building a lawn mower

With the price of gasoline so high, it might be cheaper to mow with a Smokeless Powder powered lawn mower! 

[JackOfAllTrades]

Using gun powder as a fuel additive is only going to gum up the carburator venturies.   

Be specific as to why you need to know the 'hottest' powder, for the biggest boom, as relative to rifle or pistol cartridges, or this thread gets locked. There will be no talk of home made lawn mowers that go 'Boom' here..

-Steve

[JimmyHoffa]

I believe this would be what the reloading books always tell you not to do................mix powders.  If you mix the smallest grain available (typically the fastest burning, but smallest pressure change) with a large grain (slow burning, big change in pressure); then you usually the best of both worlds....fast burning with large pressure change.  The powder is unpredictable for use in accurate shooting.  The only times I really see it advocated are for some of the really big African Game guns.  The primers alone are still too slow to get a timely ignition, so they add a whole whopping one grain of a fine pistol powder to the 120 plus grains of slow burning (like H-50 ?) to give it a boost.

[DoubleJ]

Go ahead and lock it.  It has nothing to do with ammunition reloading

[grundy53]

sounds like someone wants to make a pipe bomb...

[elkinrutdrivemenuts]

I really hope someone is not asking for advice on making a pipe bomb on a forum?! If you wanna take that risk go for it, but I would also find out what works best as a butt plug cause your gonna need it after you are released!