357 190gr Lead bullet w/ L'il Gun

[Scorpionbowl]

Anyone have experience loading a heavy lead bullet using L'il Gun? I have a hunters supply 190gr lead round nose with no gas check rated for 1600fps. I've shot them ok with 296, but I'm concerned with the higher temp of L'il Gun.

Thanks,
Gary

 

[buck460XVR]

This from Bob Baker of Freedom Arms......

We have seen numerous barrels damaged by using Lil Gun. According to customers, some had as few as 30 rounds using Lil Gun through them, some had several hundred. Before we figured out what was happening one customer had sent his gun in for a new barrel. Then 600 rounds later it came back for another new barrel.

A couple years ago we did a test with a M83, .357 Mag. using Hornady 180 gr. bullets. We loaded 50 rds. of three different loads. One was a heavy H-110 load and the other two both used Lil Gun in different quantities.

We fired the H-110 loads first, then cut off the threaded end of the barrel. Rethreaded the barrel and shot one of the Lil Gun loads then rethreaded the barrel and shot the last Lil Gun load.

We found even the light load of Lil Gun caused the gun to get extremely hot. The heavy Lil Gun load had the gun so hot the only place we could touch the gun was on the grips and they were very hot.

Under magnification the surface appeared to have heated to a point of flowing using the Lil Gun loads and the heavy load was worse than the light load. This is probably due to Lil Gun having about 10% more nitro glycerin in it than H-110.

 

[ReloaderFred]

I've used it with great success with heavy cast bullets (180/185 grain) in .357 Magnum through my Marlin carbines. I haven't used it in any of my revolvers, but I can tell you that no powder touches it in the rifle. My average velocity over the Pact Professional Chronograph was 1,710 fps with the 185 gr. gas checked bullets, and no leading at all.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[GP100man]

I load Lil`Gun & noticed the barrel heating up , good powder just don`t shoot a bunch at the time.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I also won't use Lil'Gun in my revolvers but I really like it for heavy bullet .357 Magnum loads for my Marlin. With a 180gr Cast Performance bullet I generate 100 fps more velocity than with W296/H110 without loss of accuracy.

 

[Steelworker]

I was given a couple hundred of those Hunters Supply bullets and never did find any reloading data for them. Could anyone point me in the right direction?

 

[Scorpionbowl]

I was given a couple hundred of those Hunters Supply bullets and never did find any reloading data for them. Could anyone point me in the right direction?

I used a starting load for a 200 grain bullet using 296 and worked up from there and it shot nice in my gp100 and carbine.

 

[Scorpionbowl]

After reading all the internet hype, I loaded up some 158gr XTPs with L'il Gun and expected my GP100 to melt, but it shot quite nice and I didn't notice any excess heat on the barrel or revolver. I'm not going to target shoot with it but use it as a hunting or defensive load. I was near max load and it was stronger than 296 also near max. I also shot it in my Coonan and the cartridges were ejected about 20 feet. 1350 fps in gp100 and 1400 fps Coonan.

I think I'll just use 296 for the 190gr bullets and L'il Gun for the 170 & 180 jacketed loads. Thanks for the replies...

 

[ArchAngelCD]

After reading all the internet hype, I loaded up some 158gr XTPs with L'il Gun and expected my GP100 to melt, but it shot quite nice and I didn't notice any excess heat on the barrel or revolver. I'm not going to target shoot with it but use it as a hunting or defensive load. I was near max load and it was stronger than 296 also near max. I also shot it in my Coonan and the cartridges were ejected about 20 feet. 1350 fps in gp100 and 1400 fps Coonan.

I think I'll just use 296 for the 190gr bullets and L'il Gun for the 170 & 180 jacketed loads. Thanks for the replies...

I don't know what you read that you are calling Internet Hype but I can tell you from first hand experience, shoot several cylinders of ammo made with W296 and several made with Lil'Gun and the barrel will be noticeably hotter after shooting the Lil'Gun made ammo.

You can do as you please with your own revolver but don't ridicule people for trying to warn you about a heat problem with Lil'Gun. Trying to help people isn't hype IMO and no one said your darn gun was going to melt! Instead of wasting our time why didn't you just load up the ammo and give it a try like you did but without poking your finger in our eye?

 

[ohioshooter]

I too use Lil Gun in my Coonan and haven't noticed any problems but i keep all my loads right at the minimum for practice rounds.

 

[Recruit]

Did allot of reading last year on Lil'Gun for 357 Magnum. Granted the following is therefore based more on hearsay rather that my own experience.

Bottom line was Lil'Gun is OK in carbines/rifles but not in revolvers (I stick to 2400 in 357 revolvers)