Handgun/Shotgun Powder Applications

[bluetopper]

I've been noticing where Alliant and Hodgdon are now for the most part marketing their handgun/shotgun powders for one application and not the other. And not disclosing data for the other application. Alliant has stopped publishing handgun data for my favorite pistol powder, only shotgun data....just one example.

Has anyone else noticed this?

 

[oneounceload]

Which powder? MOST are usable for both and recipes abound - Unique, Universal, 700X, and on and on

 

[243winxb]

Yes, i noticed. Some old loads are gone from publications. I would guess there is a reason, i hope, like poor performance ?? Old data here > http://castpics.net

 

[bluetopper]

Just one striking example to me is many decades old powders like Red Dot and Green Dot there is no longer current handgun data published. They have been superb handgun powders for the better part of a century.

And my favorite handgun powder of all, American Select, no handgun data for it is now published that I have found.

And like the new CFE Pistol powder by Hodgdon, is any shotgun data for it published?

 

[rsrocket1]

For years, Bullseye was a powder used in published Alliant loads. Is it still viable? Yes, but there are allegedly "better suited" powders being pushed by Alliant even though you might not be able to find most of them on today's shelves.

If you see old publications with load data for powders no longer recommended by Hodgdon or Alliant etc., it doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't use them. Just remember that the load data probably wasn't "lawyer'ed down" by the publishers of the day so it's always smart to start lower and work up. A lot of that data is still out there.

 

[bluetopper]

But my point being......I think the powder marketers are only currently publishing one specific usage (handgun or shotgun) per powder. Used to, current data abounded with dual usage.

 

[Twiki357]

Presumably the manufactures promoting newer or better powders for specific applications. Also, they can sell more powder if it’s this specific powder for pistols and that one for shotguns. That means they sell two containers (one for each) instead of one container for both. That’s why my “Primary” manual is Lyman because it’s not manufacturer specific.