Clays vs HS6

[5thSFGroup]

I would like some feed back....I am using 180 grain IDP#5 Missouri bullet with a Sig P226 .40 and Springfield XD-M 3.8 I am using 3.3 gr of Clays with no apparent problem in the .40. I was using 3.2 but 3.3 and 3.4 does better...much better than the 3.2. I will be switching to 165 SWC. I am using a Missouri Bullet 230 gr Soft Ball in My Kimber CD PRO Carry II with 4 gr of Clays and no problems. I will be trying the 200 grain Penn lead bullet.

Any thoughts of the desireablity in switching either or both loads to HS6?

 

[joneb]

I have had good results with HS-6 for 45 acp with 230gr jacketed bullets loaded at the upper end of the data, never tried it for cast bullets. I use mostly W-231 and AA#5 for 45acp with cast and jacketed bullets.
I don't load for 40 S&W, but HS-6 seems like a good choice for jacketed bullets, not sure about cast.

 

[noylj]

what is the use for the ammunition and what isn't Clays giving you?
Clays is a very fast powder that can give very sudden and sharp increases in pressure/recoil if you load to max or slightly beyond.
HS6 is a much slower powder that will not produce pressure spikes.
For light target or mid-range loads, I prefer AA5. I have not been getting really consistently accurate loads with powders any faster. I would like to try N320 and N340.
For loads closer to max, I find that Power Pistol and Silhouette perform very well and consistently. HS6 should be excellent also, but I haven't got the money to buy more powder and my container of HS6 has about 50 grains left.

 

[djboo4you]

I would like some feed back....I am using 180 grain IDP#5 Missouri bullet with a Sig P226 .40 and Springfield XD-M 3.8 I am using 3.3 gr of Clays with no apparent problem in the .40. I was using 3.2 but 3.3 and 3.4 does better...much better than the 3.2.

5thSFGroup....this is perfect. I just received my 1500 MB IDP#5 and have been looking for a load to use up my 6+ pounds of Clays! What OAL are you using. So 3.3, 3.4 did you notice any difference? Any leading? Any added info would be great. Thanks

 

[5thSFGroup]

I am at 1.125 for OAL...no ramping problems whatsoever in over 1,500 rounds. Well, one time and that was because my crimp was off. I did notice that at 3.2 grains the shots were a little low in grouping. 3.3 and 3.4 were fine...3.4 was the best. I stayed away from 3.5, which was the max for the exact reason that noylj mentioned....pressure spikes. If you look at Hodgdon's downloadable chart, Clays packs a punch. It is so VERY clean though. I had a little leading in the Springfield when it was first used...it was not broken in enough. My daughter fired several more boxes of jacketed rounds and then went back to cast bullets. I use a Lewis Lead remover kit and find little to no lead in my barrels.

Clays is doing fine, I just was being a little neurotic about the pressure spikes. Both of the pistols handle that fine though. I tested the 165 gr .40....a really nice load that has the same point of impact as the Remington personal defense round. It smacks like a .357 and has a reputation as being a one stop shot for putting down a threat.

I do know that the President of Penn bullets recommended HS-6 in his 165 grain cast rounds.

 

[tooltech]

I prefer AA5. I have not been getting really consistently accurate loads with powders any faster.

Have you tried #2? I love #5, but #2 is almost as good, and gives a lot more rounds to the pound. I get great accuracy as well. This was 9 shots of 45 ACP @ 30 feet:



The flier pissed me off

 

[gamestalker]

I load my 9mm, .40 cal., and 38 special with HS6 and just love the velocity and accuracy it delivers. But I don't load anything but jacketed bullets and HS6 may produce too high of a velocity for lead, so I've been told? I also use Longshot for those 3 cartridges with excellent, and simular results. I loaded some 155 gr. JHPs for the .40 cal with Longshot recently, and was getting better than 1200 fps throught he chronograph.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

HS-6 is better used when the pressures are higher so I don't recommend downloading it. Also, I highly suggest using a magnum primer. As for Clays, I'm not a fan. Clays is good for low velocity .38 Specials and .45 Auto ammo but IMO not much more. I would stick with Clays for the .45 Auto (or actually W231) but change over to HS-6 for the 40 S&W and 9mm since they are both high pressure calibers. As for HS-6 and Cast bullets, IMO a match made in heaven. HS-6 delivers high velocities with lower pressures than other powders in the same burn rate range. It's really an underrated powder and sometimes loaders will give up on it because they are trying to download it too much or don't use magnum primers.