44 mag loads w/ Lil Gun powder- works well for me.

[GJgo]

I have a S&W 629 with the power ported barrel. I highly recommend this model BTW- it shoots much flatter and with far less kick than I imagined.

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/...d=10001&productId=14781&langId=-1&isFirearm=Y

I've been working on a handlload using mixed brass, Federal magnum pistol match primers, and Hornady 240gr XTP bullets. After trying H110, W296, and Lil Gun I have settled on the latter. It burns cleaner and shows no pressure signs up to the velocity I'm looking for. Shoots good, too..

In my gun, I can see increases in velocity with increases in powder charge up to 23gr. At that charge I'm shooting 1400fps, and seeing no pressure signs at all. As I step up from there the velocity does not appreciably increase however muzzle blast does- indicating I've hit the charge "wall". Even so, I get no pressure signs and the brass is as easy to extract as it was to put in. Regardless, I don't feel the need to push my 6.5" S&W any faster.

Anyone else experiment with this powder in their magnum revolvers?

 

[MarshallDodge]

I have not but now you've got me thinking about it. We reload my sons .410 with Lil Gun so I have a pound on the shelf ready to go. I wonder how it is in 357?

 

[GJgo]

I never tried LG in a .357, but I did in my .460 mag w/ a 14" barrel and it wasn't good. The max speed I could get was less than published speeds out of shorter barrels, and more powder slowed the loads down. 296 worked better in that gun. Heck, a fast rifle powder may have been better...

 

[pinkymingeo]

22.5gr gives me 1279fps in a 6" 629 with WLP under a 240lswc. Above that, velocities drop. I've always been underwhelmed by LilGun, though I haven't tried it with heavy bullets. Next time I shoot it in 44mag it'll be under a 280-300gr.

 

[ReloaderFred]

I've been loading Lil'Gun in .357 Magnum under 185 grain cast GC bullets for use in my Marlin Carbines with great success. Lil'Gun works best with heavy bullets, just like Winchester 296 and Hodgdon H-110, only better. There is a lot of potential with this powder, but it's limited to heavy bullets in Magnum calibers, from what I've seen.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[GJgo]

pinkymingeo- are you using a crimp? I am. At 22.5gr you're about 100 fps slower than me, so I wonder if it is the crimp, the bullet, the extra .5", or just the gun..

I also tried Lil Gun with the 270gr Speer GDFP in the same gun. I liked it, but it wasn't as accurate for me. I decided to stick wth the 240gr XTP after getting 1000 of them with my LnL AP

 

[pinkymingeo]

I'm crimping pretty heavy. Like you, I'll be shooting a bunch of 240XTPs. Differences in the guns can account for 100fps. So can different bullets. Tell the truth, I think 240gr at 1250 will take care of anything I'll ever shoot with a handgun. 2400 is a great powder for that job. I'm starting to think in terms of a 300gr cast bullet somewhere close to 1000fps. LilGun should be the ticket for that.

 

[GJgo]

Yea, I probably don't need 1400 fps, however 22.5, 23.0, and 23.5 shot good groups while 22.0 and less really opened for me up at 25 yds. When I weighed the variables, I decided on 23.0 so that I could maintain accuracy, safety, and consistency.