Are hand loads always dirty?

[Lovesbeer99]

My guns get much dirtier much quicker than with factory loaded rounds. I assume this is normal, but does anyone have any suggestions? I like to shoot a lot so putting 300 rounds down range per gun is common. Since I started handloading I can only get 250 or so before it gets so dirty it starts to jam.

Thanks
Lovesbeer99

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Much of the fouling depends on the powder you use. Some powders are notorious for fouling. If that's more important to you than cost, velocity, and so on, choose cleaner-buring powders.

 

[RecoilRob]

If you would give us the loads you are using, the collective wisdom of THR will surely help clean things up!

 

[ilbob]

It is if you use Unique. Its why I switched to Bullseye.

 

[robertbank]

If you are shooting lead boolits then I would suggest the lube in the boolits is the major culprit for the gunk you get from shooting reloads. Try reloading 50 acketed and 50 lead boolits and you will notice the difference immediately.

Take Care

Bob

 

[redneck2]

As above...IMO, Unique is filthy. Old, new...doesn't matter much.

Lead bullets with the blue crayola lube smoke like crazy. I use Laser Cast with the clear lube with Universal Clays or AA5 and they're fine.

The higher you load them, the less residue you have.

HTH

 

[xsquidgator]

Live and learn... I'm almost through my first pound of Unique and went and got another 4# to last until at least the next gun show.

Does Winchester 231 burn any cleaner than Unique? I like the Unique despite its dirtiness, but I've heard ok things about 231.

 

[Steve C]

As above...IMO, Unique is filthy. Old, new...doesn't matter much.

Depends upon how much of it you put in the load. Bump the pressure up to 20K psi or more and its as clean as any. I agree with Bob that the bullet lube on lead bullets is responsible for the vast majority of how filthy a reload is.

 

[Idano]

Steve C is 100% correct in medium to high loads Unique is absolutely clean. However, in low loads it is a filthy beast.

 

[redneck2]

Could be. I used it in .45 acp and .45 Colt. Both were a mess.

In the same exact application the Universal and AA are great. YMMV

 

[Lovesbeer99]

Good guess, I am using Unique in my 38spl loads and they are low pressure and, very dirty. Would 231 be any better?

I also noticed that my 8mm mauser and .223 were dirty too. I used IMR4895, and H322 respectively. My AR jammed with every round after about 150 rounds. And I mean jammed. With factory ammo I usually start seeing problems at about 500 rounds.

 

[JDGray]

Use some Clays in them 38 loads, they'll be clean!

 

[Walkalong]

700X works well in the .38 Spl. as well and burns very clean it it. AA# 2 does pretty well also.

 

[bakert]

I think too many people worry about dirty. You're going to get a certain amount of residue regardless. If a gun and certain load performs the way I want, a bit of soot or residue is not a big deal to me. Some reloaders have a problem by using a powder/bullet combination that is not really ideal for that caliber, or a load that could be much improved by changing the power levels of a certain powder.

 

[BBQJOE]

I was using unique in my .38 loads.
I had to switch to win 231 due to an availability problem.
Even though the amount of powder with 231 is a grain less, it is still as dirty.

 

[eastwood44mag]

Hodgdon Universal Clays. Hundreds of rounds and almost no trace of powder. Love that stuff.

 

[redneck2]

I think too many people worry about dirty. You're going to get a certain amount of residue regardless. If a gun and certain load performs the way I want, a bit of soot or residue is not a big deal to me.

If you used a cleaner powder, you'd probably understand. There's no reason to put up with the mess if you can get something else that will do as well or better without the problems.

Do yourself a favor and buy one pound of Universal Clays or Accurate #5. You'll wonder why you put up with the other stuff so long.

FWW....I've read that VV powders are even cleaner, but I've never tried them.

 

[Walkalong]

I shoot Universal and AA# 5 and yes they are clean, especially AA# 5. The Vit. powders are even cleaner. N310 and N320 just do not leave residue. N320 can leave a tiny bit of unburned granules if the pressure is real low, but they just fall off the gun or out of the case.

AA# 2 does the same thing as N320, but it's granules stay put more. It is an excellent, and I think, overlooked powder.

There are other powders I use and would miss, but I could do just fine with nothing but AA# 2, AA# 5, & AA# 9.

 

[bakert]

redneck2 Quote> "If you used a cleaner powder, you'd probably understand. There's no reason to put up with the mess if you can get something else that will do as well or better."

It just so happens I use Universal Clays, AA 5 and some of the other cleaner powders but regardless, you will still get a certan amount of stuff from any powder. I'm not talking about mess, I'm talking about normal.
Also there's still places where the so called dirtier powders work very well if loaded right.

 

[klcmschlesinger]

Titegroup

I just picked up a pound of titegroup. I heard it was pretty clean?

 

[BigG]

Smokeless powder dirty? Don't try black powder!

Seriously though, either Win 231 or Bullseye will work very cleanly in light loads and Unique is among the best in medium to heavy loads. The word about the bullet lube on lead bullets is true.

 

[strat81]

I'm having good results with Universal and Titegroup being clean with my 9mm. Dirtiest powder I've used so far was Power Pistol, but even that was cleaner than factory Blazer.

 

[IDriveB5]

I use W231 for .38spl and my .357mag target/plinking loads with berry's 158gr round nose. Very clean, very accurate, relatively cheap.

 

[Deavis]

Its why I switched to Bullseye.

Its why I switched to VV

 

[atomd]

It is if you use Unique. Its why I switched to Bullseye.

Bullseye is cleaner than Unique but I still think Bullseye is pretty dirty. Works well for me though!

Lead bullets with the blue crayola lube smoke like crazy

That might be part of the problem too! hehe