[megaton]

I am currently using Bullseye for my 38sp and 9mm lead cast plinking loads. Its economical and accuracy has been good for me. The only gripe I really have is that it burns a whee bit dirty, not to bad but not as clean as factory ammo.

I recently purchased an xd 45 and thus will be reloading .45acp. I know that Bullseye is known as a go to powder for .45acp and since I have been happy with the results I have been getting in 9mm and 38sp the logical choice would be to continue to use Bullseye for my plinking needs.

Before I make a large purchase, I figured I would check with the folks around here to see if there is another powder that could fit my needs better? I am looking for a powder that will load light plinking loads in .38sp, 9mm, and .45acp.

[Lee Roder]

Clays

[Clark]

After 10 years of using 1 gr of Bullseye compressed in 45/70, I have switched to Red Dot for quiet loads.

I think it is a little faster and so gives me a little higher [peak pressure] / [muzzle pressure] ratio, so I get a little higher velocity and still stay quiet.

[rcmodel]

it burns a whee bit dirty, 38sp and 9mm lead cast plinking loads.How can you tell when shooting cast bullets?

The major mess is caused by bullet lube grease, not the powder you are using.

rc

[918v]

Bullseye meters better than Clays or Red Dot. Bullseye is more appropriate for 9mm than either. I run 3.2grs of Bullseye under a 125gr lead bullet.

[bds]

I used to use Bullseye for 9mm/45ACP target loads. Now I prefer W231/HP-38 or Promo using Red Dot load data (per Alliant). Loads are very accurate, less snappy recoil and fairly clean burning.

[Walkalong]

Bullseye meters better than Clays or Red Dot. Bullseye is more appropriate for 9mm than eitherI agree. As fast powders go, Bullseye seems more forgiving than Red Dot or Clays when the pressure gets up there. Not many powders meter any better.

[oldreloader]

I don't load for 38 spcl but for 9MM and 45ACP I use Bullseye,HP38,and AA #5

[Certaindeaf]

.not to bad but not as clean as factory ammo..
Who makes factory loaded lead in 9mm? I'd use Red Dot.

[J-Bar]

Cowboy Action shooters are experts on light loads!!

I like Titegroup in .38, .357, and .45 Colt cases. It was designed for small powder charges in big cases.

Try a pound and see for yourself.

[ArchAngelCD]

I load for the 38 Special, 9mm and 45 Auto and I use almost nothing other than W231/HP-38. It produces good accurate ammo for me and actually, I use it for almost all my handgun loading.

[thunderranch.45]

I've been pretty happy with hp38/231 for .45acp and .38 seem's to burn fairly clean and meters well. Also i use trailboss in my .38 cowboy action loads i like it, seem's clean but does'nt seem to meter quiet as well,but not bad.

[beatledog7]

I have dabbled in Titegroup, HS-6, W231, AutoComp, AA#5, Unique, IMR 4756 and others for light loads, but for my 9mm, .40S&W, .45ACP, and .38SPL plinkers, and some hotter loads, I keep coming back to Bullseye.

I'll keep experimenting, of course, but I will not let myself run out of Bullseye.

[parisite]

To truthfully answer your title question........no, not really.

[mitchz]

I use longshot for .357 and shotshell. I get allot more consistant powder drops with it.

[tightgroup tiger]

Your asking a pretty hard question, I agree with the other who said Bullseye and W231 are both more forgiving than Titegroup is.

I have been using Titegroup for years and it can be touchy up around max loads, not to mention is really heats up barrels fast.

The afor mentioned powders all burn farely clean when up around max loads. Nothing burns clean with lead, the powder isn't the problem.

[ljnowell]

I use AA#2 instead of bullseye everywhere I used to use bullseye. It meters better than bullseye, even.

[res7s]

Red Dot/Promo is my go to powder for most of my cast bullet plinking/practice loads. If I need more velocity I use AA#7 or Longshot.

[4895]

I think Win-231 burns cleaner than Bullseye.

For the price of cast bullets, you could buy FMJ 9mm for about $15-$20 more per thousand and forget all the mess and headache from lead and lube in the air/gun. That's not much money at today's prices.

If you can find them, Bear Creek Supply makes moly coated lead bullets, which I use frequently, and they don't seem to be as smoky or dirty as a plain based lead bullet with lube.

Other than that, I think the only way to eliminate the problems with lead bullets is to not use them.

[frankmako]

i use aa#5 for 9mm and 38sp.

[Marlin 45 carbine]

RDot for cast slugs is my go-to over BEye. I use a dipper to mete it out.
.32acp, .380acp, 9Mak, 9Para, .357 and .45acp
it's low flash and clean. a bear to meter though - that's why I use load-thru expander dies

[MutinousDoug]

I don't have anything profound to say other than to vote for W231 loads that burn cleaner than Bullseye in my .38 SPL and .45ACP lead bullet loads.
OK, maybe less smoke too, but that's subjective.
Dog

[sellersm]

WST is great for .45acp! WSF is a good choice in most of those as well...

[bds]

longshot? :eek:

I thought OP was asking for powders for "light plinking" loads.

I am looking for a powder that will load light plinking loads

[BBDartCA]

Power Pistol or Titegroup for both.

[918v]

As you can see, nothing is better than Bullseye.

[murf]

if it ain't broke, don't fix it! bullseye all the way.

murf

[Jeff H]

I used to use Bullseye in 38, 9 and 45 and reall liked it, but now I am on the Win 231 band wagon. It meters just as well as Bullseye but seems to have less smoke and soot when shooting the same cast bullets.

[Meta]

Lots of folks like Bullseye and it's works just fine. A bit dirtier than most powders, sure, but it'll get the job done. That being said, it's worth your time to try out some other powders. I've yet to find a better load for many of my 45's than 4.0 grains of Clays under a 200 grain LSWC, lasercast by Oregon Trail to be specific. If you shoot jacketed, give Noser 185 HP a try over either 4.7 WST or 4.4 Viht. N 310.

[Ky Larry]

AA#2 should meet your requirements. It take a smaller charge then most powders, burns clean, meters well, and it's accurate and consistant.


P.S. I've found using Alox on cast bullets to greatly decrease smoke, soot, and leading problems.

[ljnowell]

AA#2 should meet your requirements. It take a smaller charge then most powders, burns clean, meters well, and it's accurate and consistant.


AA#2 is my low velocity target load powder for 38/357, 45acp, 9mm, etc. Its a great powder.

[918v]

The most extreme example of Bullseye versatility in the 9mm:


http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a35/918v/158gr9mm2.jpg

[SlamFire1]

One of the issues with "clean" is that to get less powder residue the powder has to burn hot.

Titegroup burns "clean", or so I have been told, and I have also been told titegroup gives more leading, because it is running hotter.

I have used both Bullseye and W231 in 38 Special and 9mm and both are great.

[gunlaw]

Bullseye is pretty hard to beat. If you want something different try AA#2.

[megaton]

Thanks for all the replies! It sounds like Bullseye is the way to go for what I am wanting ie. light plinking loads.

In regards to the comment about bullseye being a bit dirtier than factory, I was referring to .38sp.


For the price of cast bullets, you could buy FMJ 9mm for about $15-$20 more per thousand and forget all the mess and headache from lead and lube in the air/gun. That's not much money at today's prices.



I am paying $56.50 shipped per 1k of 124g LRN 9mm bullets. I am usually seeing FMJ bullets going for double that or more. If I could get FMJ bullets for $75 shipped I would be all over it. Does anybody sell them that cheap?

[bds]

http://www.shop.rmrbullets.com/product.sc?productId=11

[CZ57]

I use Ramshot ZIP for .45 ACP handloads both cast lead and jacketed. It is very similar to W231 but burns much cleaner. It is also well suited to 9mm target loads and the .38 Special. It produced the most accurate load in SIERRA's testing with their 200 gr. Tournament Master (Match) bullet. I am getting very good accuracy and don't care to use a faster powder like Bullseye. ;)

[Walkalong]

It is very similar to W231

http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=6325632&postcount=20

[CZ57]

Thanks for the link, Walkalong. I forgot to mention that Ramshot ZIP is also less $ than many competing powders. ;)

[Cfish]

I'll second Clays.

[rsrocket1]

I agree that Clays shoots clean, even at low pressures which is almost impossible with metallic rounds (very possible with shotshells). But Clays and Red Dot are super fast powders which build up pressure quickly. They are excellent powders for low velocity/low recoil rounds because they expand the brass cases to seal off the gases. They are not good powders for medium or high velocity rounds because the peak pressures will exceed the SAAMI specs before you can get that bullet moving.

Bullseye is always listed as a fast powder, but it gets its quickness from a heavy dose of nitroglycerin. The rest of the powder burns similar to Unique and the resulting velocities are similar. You use about 10-20% less Bullseye powder for a similar peak pressure as Unique and you end up with almost the same velocity (within a few fps).

I also agree that Bullseye is more "sooty" than other powders, even at full pressures and complete burn loads (no unburned flakes). My stainless steel Ruger Sevice Six revolver looks like a blued revolver after 50 rounds using Bullseye. However, a couple of minutes with Hoppes #9 or CLP cleans it right off. On top of that, I have not found Bullseye to be a problem with auto-loading pistols, the soot does not appear to build up on the insides of my 1911 or M&P40 even after over many hundreds of rounds between cleanings.

If cleanliness is important, you might try Hodgdon Universal (or what was called "Universal Clays"). It is their competitor to Unique and allegedly meters better than Unique and burns cleanly like Clays.

My favorites are Clays/Red Dot for light loads, Bullseye/Unique for medium speed loads and Power Pistol for full speed loads with a nice light show (flash).

[Walkalong]

but it gets its quickness from a heavy dose of nitroglycerinMostly it gets energy from the Nitro. Burn speed is controlled by various means, and high Nitro content powders come in various speeds.

[4895]

montanagoldbullet.com

115 grain FMJ 4000 pieces for $305.00 free shipping = 76.25/1000

[mitchz]

rsrocket1 do you have any pictures of power pistols light show? If not I'll have to buy some to compare with longshot. These two pictures are of a 12 guage benelli and a .357 1911 coonan with longshot.

[ArchAngelCD]

Like I said, I'm a huge fan of W231/HP-38 but I'll add, I would rather use AA#2, Clays, Zip or a few others before I would use Bullseye. I know there are many Bullseye fans but I'm just not one of them.

I'm not too keen on Unique either but I do like 2400. My powder trinity is W231, W540 and W296. (HP-38, HS-6 and H110)

[ljnowell]

rsrocket1 do you have any pictures of power pistols light show? If not I'll have to buy some to compare with longshot. These two pictures are of a 12 guage benelli and a .357 1911 coonan with longshot.


View post #1. Thats my results using 185gr GDHP and Alliant Power Pistol. I would say that it has an impressive fireball.

[gpjoe]

The only pistol rounds I load are 9mm, 38 Sp, 357 Mag, and 45 ACP and have use Bullseye for all. It's sort of my 'old standby' powder which is why I always have some on the shelf.

[Gress]

+1 on Bullseye

[coalman]

I prefer Unique in 9mm and BE in .45acp. Unique in .45acp is nice, too.

[premier1]

I've been using Bullseye for handgun reloading for 30 years. I guess the question is, is there anything better. Over the years I've used others,in fact I have 800X and WSF and like them both, but are they decidedly better, Ireally don't think so.

[mineralman55]

+1 on AA#2. Use it for everything including soft .44Mag loads. Excellent all 'round powder.