BE-86

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I have to look tomorrow at my LGS to see if they have any. They have CFE something or they did have it, I don't remember which though.

I saw BDS's reference to CFE pistol earlier in this thread but I hadn't heard of it before.
 
I've read all 4 pages of this thread so far and the results have definitely piqued my interest for my .45acp, 9mm and .38/357 loads. I will be on the lookout for BE-86.

I am curious though Paul from Alliant Powder, if there is any intent by Alliant to work up shotgun data with this powder. It seems a natural, seeing as it's so close to Unique's performance.
 
I just tried it in .327fed mag at a reduced load and it was again as accurate as my standard load but I missed the math on it and loaded it way to light.
The gun itself was normal from shooting 50 lead rounds, the cases were cleaner than I thought they would be from such a low powered load, but the cylinder was really smoked up.

Again I need to load it up a little more, maybe in this case a lot. They felt like I was shooting 32 S&Ws. At least my barrel wasn't all leaded up, good thing it's only a 3". I loaded these with 5.0 gr and they were waaaay to light.

I'll load these next.

.327 Fed Mag
90 gr lead SWC Lee mold, WW lead
5.5 gr of BE-86 (my new starting load)
WSP
SP101

I bump these up to 5.5 for a starting load and work up from there.
I'll have targets to post next time. I shot over these targets with another caliber. I'm really interested in .327FM caliber because it seems to be inherently accurate like the 41 mag. I'll be really excited to try these out once I get them loaded up.
 
Good to see that you are giving the BE-86 additional testing. Looking forward to the posting of the targets and your initial impressions with the .327 Fed Mag.
 
I just took two revolvers to the range with me. My SP101 in 327mag, and a brand new GP100 4"blued I just bought yesterday, and BE-86 loads for both.

My results were totally opposite with these two calibers.

I used the same mid range .357mag loads I shot the killer group with, and the results from the first experience repeated it's self.


The GP100 surprised the living heck out me with excellent groups (new to me) and it confirmed to me that the BE-86 in .357mag is a winner for sure. The target below is the second six shots I took with the 4" GP100 after I knew what to expect.
This group is my personal best, probably for all time, and I couldn't have had a better way to start a love affair with this new magnum. I put the first three threw the same hole with witnesses watching.


The picture below is that second group, the sights almost were dead on out of the box.

I put the first three through the same hole, one beside it, and of course choked on the 5 shot then sucked it up for the sixth.

This new powder is super in ,357 mag for mid range loads and I still can't believe how clean it is in .357 mag and 9mm.

Notice I only said .357mag and 9mm. I also took my Sp101 in .327 fed mag.

It's notoriously accurate and I had work done on the trigger assy, I shoot it very well at 25yds.

I loaded BE-86 in it for the second time and found it is still a miserable failure with my loads. I shot the worst groups I've ever shot with this pistol using this BE-86 with the same bullets I have always used in it, since I bought it. It was all I could do to keep 4 of the 6 rounds in the 7 ring at 7 yds.

OK THEN! Back to Universal and 231 for midrange loads with lead bullets in the .327FM.

After I got home and looked closely at the Sp101, it was the filthiest I had ever seen, after just 50 rounds. Terrible load!

It was 5.3 gr of BE-86 with lee tumble lube mold, 90gr lead SWC, and no crimp. This bullet has always shot well for me in this caliber with any other powder. :what:

I have to be fair about this powder and my tests. This stuff is terrible in my .327FM. :cuss:

Sorry Alliant but I have to be honest.
 
I like shooting mid-range and reduced power loads in .357. Too many cool .357 revolvers not to have a couple. I am going to have to try some BE-86 one of these days. I have some accurate loads in that range, but the position sensitivity could be better.

attachment.php
 
Too many cool .357 revolvers not to have a couple
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That's some good shooting, and you have way more than a couple. You have some real beauties.

I'll be very happy when you experts can get ahold of this powder and give it proper tests and look forward to the proper results.
 
I have developed good loads for the calibers I shoot (9mm,.38/.357,.40S&W, .44 mag, .45ACP) using AA#5. It's clean burning,accurate, and meters like water. I have several pounds of it. Is there a reason I should switch to BE-86 if/when it becomes available? What can it do that AA#5 can't? Just curious?
 
If you have exceptional loads already worked up, that work for you then there's no reason to switch powders unless your board with the same old thing like me.
We're just testing this new powder that was supposed to come out two years ago and is just now showing up.

It definitely has some potential. Is it a cure all? No.
 
Oh but I do, I do,. Naturally those are hand picked targets. We don't save all the bad ones. Some days I can't hit the barn. :)
 
That is a nice revolver Walkalong, it's funny, my wife thinks those are the only "real" guns. When I brought her home a brand spankin new p238, she laughed. Said it looked like a little fake G.I.joe gun.:banghead:
 
We don't save all the bad ones. Some days I can't hit the barn.
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Boy, isn't that the truth. I've walked into the range and walked out 10 minutes later. Some days it's just not worth wasting the ammo.

Those days that we do really well is what keeps us going back.
 
Some days it seems like the target has a force field around it. Those kind of days are indeed frustrating, and yes, the days we can't miss keep us going though.
 
It doesn't seem to be. It has a softer report instead of that sharp crack like upper level Power Pistol loads have.

It doesn't make the velocity Power Pistol makes according to Alliants web site. Although I could swear that they changed the data right after I started this thread. I thought the max power pistol was at 1200 something fps and BE-86 was only 1000fps. I made a comment to that affect somewhere at the beginning of this thread and next thing I know the Power Pistol data is the same as BE-86 data. :confused:

Am I cracking up?
 
Recently did some reloading, 9mm with x-treme 124 gr. RN bullets, 50 of each variety.

I used the subject powder here, 50 rounds of BE-86. Also did 50 in Bullseye, 50 in Titegroup, and 50 in Accurate No.5.

Obviously, the OAL varied for the various powders, none were hot, none were weak, middle of the road loads. Having loaded tons with Unique in the past, I can say without reservation that the BE-86 metered better than the Unique. That said, it was not perfect...a little inconsistency...not as great as I have seen with Unique, but some. It would drop, drop, drop, then one would look a little full. Dumping it out onto the scale (Lee Classic Turret Press) they were high, by 2-3 tenths or so, heavy. Once in a while, slightly higher. Still loads better than the unique IN THE SAME Lee Pro Powder Disc I usually use. Just had to keep an eye on it...

The No5 metered to perfection. Titegroup was very good with little if any inconsistency. Similarly, the Bullseye, which appeared to be a similar consistency as the BE-86, metered better, with little or no variation on drops check on the scale.

Don't take this a s a BE-86 bashing, I would like more, but fact is I had more inconsistency than I did with the others....far less than with Unique...and it wasn't that far off.
 
I can believe you had some discrepancies with your charge weights, I did the first time I used it because it seemed to be more static prone then Titegroup.

After I started getting variations I dumped my powder out and gave the hopper a shot of static guard and it straightened it right out.

Have you done any comparisons with the loads?
 
tightgroup tiger said:
I can believe you had some discrepancies with your charge weights, I did the first time I used it because it seemed to be more static prone then Titegroup.

After I started getting variations I dumped my powder out and gave the hopper a shot of static guard and it straightened it right out.

Have you done any comparisons with the loads?
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No TT, it will maybe have to wait until Sunday. Tomorrow I have an all day, 8-4 CCW class. If I get an opportunity to try some at their range I will, otherwise Sunday. Again, not bashing the BE-86, will get more at first opportunity. What brand of static guard did you use? Havent tried that trick yet. The BE-86 really looks close to the Bullseye, but the Bullseye was way consistent for me. The BE-86 wasnt terrible, dont misunderstand my comment. Just not AS consistent as the others. The No.5 was a dream! Metering anyway....

Russellc
 
Static Guard is the brand name. Just drift some down in the hopper and let it dry for about 10 minutes. It works really well.

Again, not bashing the BE-86, will get more at first opportunity.
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I don't have a dime in this stuff, comments about how it metered for you are what we want to hear. It's new to all of us and it will be put through it's paces and picked apart to find it's strengths and weaknesses. That's what we do.

I'll be glad when more of us can get it and test it properly. I'm very limited in how I can test it but that may change in the near future.
 

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tightgroup tiger said:
Static Guard is the brand name. Just drift some down in the hopper and let it dry for about 10 minutes. It works really well.



I don't have a dime in this stuff, comments about how it metered for you are what we want to hear. It's new to all of us and it will be put through it's paces and picked apart to find it's strengths and weaknesses. That's what we do.

I'll be glad when more of us can get it and test it properly. I'm very limited in how I can test it but that may change in the near future.
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Thanks, me too. I am setting my sights on a chrono, and I believe that will help in various stages of evaluation.
 
OK, had a rather long range session today with the loads I mentioned a few posts back. All the loads used the same bullet, 9mm 124 grain X-treme plated RN. First was 5.1 grains Unique, a nice round that will take increases well, I have used 5.4 with this and would feel fine going a little higher. The OAL was 1.160. This is my load I used to compare the others against.

I also used 3.9 grains Bullseye at 1.160, first time I used Bullseye. Also did Accurate No 5, 1.160 as well, 6 grains powder. 3.8 grains Titegroup, at 1.150.

And of course, the BE-86. I used 5.5 grains at 1.120 OAl. All of these are published loads, no where near max, but a bump ot 2 off the start level.

All of the rounds shot well, Bullseye loads doing the worse. I know this powder can work well, seemed like they could use a little more juice.

I am pleased to say that the BE-86 rounds performed the best, perhaps the No 5 just as well. I made 50 rounds of each and fired them out of 2 different 9 mm pistols, the S&W Shield, and the Glock 17.

The BE-86 rounds were very consistent, and extremely accurate at this load level and OAL. Sure wish I had a chono to measure speed...
 
RussellC, thanks for posting your results with BE-86.

The BE-86 rounds were very consistent, and extremely accurate at this load level
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Encouraging report; looking forward to trying some if I can find it ...... still looking
 
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