Thread: Myth? - shorter barrel = use faster powder?

Originally Posted by stagstalker

My experience has been that the “use fast burning powders for a short barrel” isn’t really a thing. Certain powders in certain configurations just tend to give better velocities then others and is completely subject to a much larger range of considerations. I think burn rate is more associated to cartridge size and projectile weight with barrel length not really being a consideration. At the end of the day some just go better then others in different setups. Just gotta look at others results and go try. Classic example I have with the fast powder short barrel argument is my 260. It has a 19” barrel and gets the best velocity using Rel 26 which is marketed as a magnum powder due to being right up there for slow burning. Had the guy tell me I was wasting my time when I went to buy the stuff for a 260 as “all the powder will be burning outside the barrel and it will be shit”, boy was he wrong and I enjoyed passing on that it went awesome hahaha.

Yeh I think the level of overbore seems to be a huge factor that and obviously physical case capacity for the some Bulkier powders. Like H1000 in the likes of the 243, 7mm Mag, and 300 Win one doesnt quite fit when talking case capacity. But I could be wrong thats just something i seem to have noticed.