Better powder than Bullseye for 9mm and 45acp.

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MikeInOr

MikeInOr

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About 20 years ago or so I bought four 8lb jugs of Bullseye powder for reloading 9mm and .45acp. I have just run out. Are there any new fancy powders that I should consider? Cleaner burning would be nice. So would cheaper... ha! I prefer to limit the number of powders I stock so one powder that will do both 9mm and 45acp is what I am looking for.

I am happy with the accuracy I get from the loads I worked up with Bullseye... I was just wondering if there is something better? I think the newest reloading book I have is the Lyman 47th ed. which doesn't even list the majority of the powder that I see on the shelves these days. Is there a reloading manual that has loads for all these fancy new powders that I should buy?... or should I just download the data from the powder manufactures?
 
MikeInOr said:
I am happy with the accuracy I get from the loads I worked up with Bullseye... I was just wondering if there is something better
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There are a lot of Bullseye shooters still using Bullseye powder for their 1911's. When Bullseye got hard to find, (I think sales to the Government were a lot more profitable than to the public), a number of those guys walked over to Titegroup. It is an excellent powder. I have seen some shoot WST in their 1911's.

But better? At least for the 45 ACP, you are going to have to identify better down to a granular level, and then nit pick.
 
Better? No. There are powders that accentuate one particular aspect better, BE is lower flash, AA#5 is cheaper but you use more, Titegroup is a good accurate powder. Bullseye is good all around, economical, a little dirty, but far from the worst.
 
So Bullseye is $160 for 8lbs. Titegroup is $155 for 8lbs. Is Titegroup cleaner burning than Bullseye? Would I be giving up anything changing to Titegroup from Bullseye? If there is no advantage to Titegroup I will probably just stay with Bullseye.

Vihtavuori N320 is $320 for 8lbs locally... it would have to have an auto-guidance system built in to be worth double to me. :) (Does it?)
 
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You might look at BE-86....I have used it in 9mm and 40. It's a good all around pistol powder and is related to Power Pistol, but I'm a Titegroup and Power Pistol kinda guy.
 
For years I have heard about this local handoader, sort of a legend in these parts, as his skills at the bench are well known. Finally got to meet the feller. Was surprised to find that he consumes about a pound of handgun powder a year. For powder he only uses Promo or in a pinch, American Select. Sez he... "it's the cheapest powder I can find and I use up a whole pound in a year!" I asked him if he ever used X700 or Hi-Skor? He said no.
 
Titegroup (Despite not being a fan), N320 & WST are all worth a try. Do you like to experiment? Buy a pound of all three.
 
MikeInOr said:
So Bullseye is $160 for 8lbs. Titegroup is $155 for 8lbs. Is Titegroup cleaner burning than Bullseye? Would I be giving up anything changing to Titegroup from Bullseye? If there is no advantage to Titegroup I will probably just stay with Bullseye.

Vihtavuori N320 is $320 for 8lbs locally... it would have to have an auto-guidance system built in to be worth double to me. :) (Does it?)
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$160? I just bought some through my gun club for $125/8# of BE; guess I got a decent price
 
Loading 45acp, 9mm and 380acp I have been using HP-38, AA#5, Ramshot Silhouette and now AA#2 in all three. The one I find works the best in all three would be the Silhouette. Might not be as popular as many of the others but I have found loadings that really work well in all three calibers, from low starting loads to full max loads. I just wish it was more available. I can find it in 1# containers easily but the 4# or 8# are much harder to find.

Good luck with your quest!
 
MikeInOr said:
So Bullseye is $160 for 8lbs. Titegroup is $155 for 8lbs. Is Titegroup cleaner burning than Bullseye? Would I be giving up anything changing to Titegroup from Bullseye? If there is no advantage to Titegroup I will probably just stay with Bullseye.

Vihtavuori N320 is $320 for 8lbs locally... it would have to have an auto-guidance system built in to be worth double to me. :) (Does it?)
Click to expand...

I have found that Titegroup is not much cleaner than Bullseye in 45 ACP. 45 ACP does not generate the pressure/temperature needed to make Titegroup burn clean. Now in 9mm where you're running the pressure up higher Titegroup is pretty clean. Titegroup will probably require a bit less powder to get to the same velocity as Bullseye so the price saved is magnified by that efficiency. Titegroup has a high flame temperature, compared to other powders, and I have found that it dumps more heat into the handgun. A mag dump of Titegroup would make the gun noticeable hotter than say the same number of round of N320.

N320 is not going to turn you handgun into a guided missile or anything but I think it's worth it. Do that math, double the cost of your propellant makes only a marginal change to the price per round since you use so little powder in pistol ammo. The biggest cost driver is the cost of the bullet. I ran over 1200 rds through my XD-40 without cleaning it running N320 and the feed ramp was still shiny after that many rounds. No doubt its pricey but it equally clean burning and easy metering.
 
kmw1954 said:
Loading 45acp, 9mm and 380acp I have been using HP-38, AA#5, Ramshot Silhouette and now AA#2 in all three. The one I find works the best in all three would be the Silhouette. Might not be as popular as many of the others but I have found loadings that really work well in all three calibers, from low starting loads to full max loads. I just wish it was more available. I can find it in 1# containers easily but the 4# or 8# are much harder to find.

Good luck with your quest!
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Good to know, got 5 lbs of Silhouette on my shelf from bullets.com when they were closing for about 15 a lb and some longshot.
 
I just finished loading nearly four hundred rounds of 45 ACP using Bullseye. It's just hard to beat. I don't see a dirty factor. Home cast bullets with 50/50 lube leaved debris plus the powder residue does make a mess. Will it stop the gun. No. Is it accurate. Yes. I've experimented with 231 and AAC #2. Both worked good but not as good as BE. YMMV For 9mm the preference here for ordinary loads is AAC #5. This powder will work for medium and heavy loads in 9mm. Usually, do not load heavy for 9mm. EDC is a G23 with OEM 357 SIG barrel. My 45 ACP loads work very well in my HK compact.
 
I like Bullseye powder. If I had used 32 pounds of BE and was happy, I certainly wouldn't be looking to go to something else.

Have a blessed day,

Leon
 
Four grains of Bullseye is easily visible in a 45ACP case. A double charge nearly fills the case. This small change in the bottom a case can be a problem. In the case of 45 ACP it is less so. If we have a pet load stick with it. This does not mean the other guy is doing wrong. Reading these post help me look for better solutions. Despite evidence to the contrary, I have been know to change my mind. :)
 
You're happy with Bullseye, stick with it. HP 38/W231 might be one to try. I've used it extensively in 9mm with loads ranging from heavy 147 JHP to 115 grain cast that barely cycle the action and have been quite pleased. Haven't loaded .45, but I hear it is one of the old favorites. Data is available for nearly every HG cartridge. It meters very, very well. Don't know if it would be cheaper (also consider the charge weights). If you are absolutely concerned with cost of the powder in such light charges, TG is about as light as they go. Try a pound and see if you like it. I tried TG. Got good loads but somewhat dirtier, especially with slower cast bullet loads vs HP 38. I also like HS-6 for full powered loads, but it will be neither cleaner nor more economical for 9mm or .45, I just like the performance with jacketed loads near maximum velocity and I use it for shotgun field loads and in my .357 so I always have some lying about.
 
This is not meant to be off topic. It does show a problem with any fast powder. One of the traditional target loads for 38 Special is a minimum charge of Bullseye with 148gr. WC bullet. Try to see this charge in 38 Special case in a 550B. Need to go slow loading that one.

Addendum: If I recall correctly two of the oldest power we currently use are Bullseye and Unique. Yes, there have been changes over the years. Years of use may have to do with so many pet loads.
 
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