My hands were really filthy today...

I'm thinking it was the burnt grease bullet lube off the lead bullets you were shooting.

Bullseye is no dirtier then anything else when shooting jacketed bullets.

rc

All or my lead loads are smokey. I carry some baby butt wipes in my range bag and don't worry about it.

I hate to tell you this now, but you missed a great opportunity to have your wife feed you pizza and beer. "But Honey...my hands are covered in lead...can't you just feed me a slice and help me wash it down with some cerveza?"

Bullseye is sootier than most powders, even when loaded to pressures where it likes to burn. I typically turn my stainless revolver into a "blued" revolver in about 50 shots. No big deal, I'm cleaning it any way. The upside of Bullseye is that it meters very nicely and always delivers what I expect.

I'm thinking it was the burnt grease bullet lube off the lead bullets you were shooting.

Bullseye is no dirtier then anything else when shooting jacketed bullets.

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+1

I really like Bullseye too...I never took to Titegroup. I just never got Bullseye accuracy out of my attempts with it. Is it just me, or have others noticed that your steel pistol seems hotter shooting 'N' rounds with Titegroup, than other powders?

Titegroup does seem to burn hotter and will smoke lube on cast bullets. It also seems to lead bores more than the faster burning powders with lead bullets. No doubt from higher flame temperatures.
Bullseye and unique both burned dirty is all my guns and was all over my hands also. I stopped using them years ago. I've read that they are reformulated to be cleaner burning but dont know that from first hand experience. They do seem to get better at near max loads though, at least in my experience years ago with them. One of the cleanest and most accurate powders i've shot in my 45 acp is Universal. It does well with lead bullets but you will always get some smoke with lead bullets no matter what you put behind them. Hope this helps

Ken

I know people say BE is no dirtier than anything else but it seem like I see quite a bit of soot around when I use it. Love the powder though.

My experience with Bullseye in a pistol, is similar to my experience with Varget in a rifle.

When load data for the cartridge and intended velocity range indicates applicability, both have almost without exception given decent to excellent accuracy.

I certainly haven't found that with some powders, like Trail Boss, or IMR 4895. In those cases, diligent efforts with applicable cartridges in published ranges all lead to mediocre results.

I've considered there could have been a bias, due to my level of confidence, yet further efforts seem to reinforce the experience.

Maybe some powders are inherently more accurate.

I've considered there could have been a bias, due to my level of confidence, yet further efforts seem to reinforce the experience.

Maybe some powders are inherently more accurate.

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Interesting thoughts. And I'm trying to find out the answer to the "inherently more accurate" part constantly!

And I'm trying to find out the answer to the "inherently more accurate" part constantly!

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Aren't we all! Although that is a two-edged sword, in my opinion.

To me: There are two kinds of shooting. Shooting as a sport, and shooting as a way to find an ideal load.

When shooting 'as a sport', I like using a known standard favorite load. You know what it does, and that you can count on it, for that purpose. Say you're shooting Highpower. I'm never there with a 'new' load.

Load development is another thing entirely. You're proving whether you have a new candidate 'standard' load. I enjoy it, even if I'm ruling out a load attempt. If you find a 'new standard load', from some trials, that's great...and the time to stock up on those components, and build up a stock of that new load.

In terms of 'inherently accurate'...maybe that is really a powder that works well in a case of a specific volume, with a specific bullet weight...and it might be a sweet spot in the range of suitability for that powder. (It might be easier to make that case for Varget, than Bullseye.)

Sorry, just rambling...

I shoot a lot of Bullseye. I don't think it's any dirtier but the soot is coal black.

BE has been used by the BE crowd for decades. It's very consistent but does burn dirty. Unique was reformulated about a decade ago to try to clean it up. The new formula is cleaner than the older formula at the top end. But if your loading mid range it's dirty too. BE does meter very well in most all dispensers. Can't say that about Unique and it's large flakes. I have found that WST is about 100 time cleaner burning than BE even at very reduced loads. It's also a popular powder in the BE crowd.

I was at the range early this year when a shooter asked how come my gun was so clean. He new I had put >100 rounds through it (still shooting) and it was cleaner than his BE loads with only 1 mag through his. Once you try WST you may never go back to BE.

Bah .... that's just guntan lotion

Dirty

I would venture to say it's the Titegroup. I use Titegroup on all my handgun loads. The accuracy is amazing but it is a very sootyand/or scorchy powder in all my loads. It is worse in my mild target loads but all loads are rather dirty. I'm on my third 8lb. Jug and when I find it available I'll pickup two more.

It is my opinion that the smokey residue is due to the nitroglycerin in the powder.

If I shoot single based powders, they do not leave that on the pistol.

They also do not discolor the bin on my powder measures.

The only ones I know are single based are a few of the VV and Solo 1000.