What powder does S&B use for its 7.62x25 Tokarev?

[anand]

Greetings fellow members,
Been trying to figure out what powder S&B uses for its 7.62x25 Tokarev cartridges. As far as I can tell from the velocity figures I have been getting from my own research and comparing these to the figures in the LEE reloading manual, I am guessing its identical to, or is infact Accurate #5.
The figures are close enough to about +/- 18 fps. I assume this variance may be due to factors other than powder charge itself, such as bullet seating depth, crimp etc.Can anyone verify this or give more information.
Thanks abunch,
Anand

 

[Mal H]

Rarely if ever does a major ammunition manufacturer use a "canister" powder in its loads. Canister powder being powder that the average consumer can buy off the shelf. The companies most often use a proprietary blend of 2 or more powders.

Even if they did use a commonly available powder, anyone, without the proper analysis equipment, would be foolhardy to make an assumption as to its make up and burn rate. In other words, don't guess. Use readily available information in various reloading manuals instead.

 

[Smokey Joe]

Duplicating factory loads

Anand--I was going to jump on this but Mal H beat me to it. Second what he said.

I'll add that if you are loading a similar bullet to the commercial load, you get similar velocities--and +/- 18 fps is as similar as you'll ever get--and a similar POI out of your firearm, you have essentially duplicated the factory ammo, even without duplicating the powder they use.

But in any case, don't go over the max load listed in published load manuals from reputable sources. That way lies trouble.