incorporating powders, trying new ones.

Status
Not open for further replies.
C

caz223

Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2002
Messages
1,742
Location
SW Michigan
Well, my powder selection is getting out of hand.
I decided to start loading for more calibers, so it's going to get worse, unless I do something.
Well, here goes.
I currently load for 9mm, .40, .41 mag, .45 acp.
I ordered all the stuff to load for 357SIG, 10mm, .357mag, .44 mag, .45 colt, .223 rem.
Now, I gotta mention that I loaded for all of them in the past, and prioritized them out, temporarily.
I currently have these powders in stock...
unique, bullseye, blue dot, 2400, H110, HS-6, HS-7, titegroup, H4198, and WSF.
I'd like to phase out at least 3 or 4 of those.

I'm not opposed to trying something new and better, like maybe longshot or power pistol.
OK, bullseye is gone. (Never did like it.)
HS-7 is gone. (Tried it once, just didn't get the point.)
Have to keep titegroup for .45 colt lead light loads. (Haven't tried it yet, been encouraged to the point where everyone says it will work.)
I suspect that longshot (Or power pistol, haven't tried either.) could replace WSF, HS-6, and blue dot.
Need to keep H4198 for .223 rem.
I have a few favorite loads that I'm gonna hate getting rid of, but I can't justify keeping around a powder for just one caliber anymore. (Except for .223, it's a rifle.)
Longshot will work for 9mm, .40, .357 magnum and 357SIG.
Titegroup will work for .45 acp, and .45 colt lite loads. (Will it work for .45acp +P?)
I have to choose between 2400 and H110 for .41 and .44 mag. I'll prolly use H110.
So, I guess that unique, 2400, blue dot, HS-6, HS-7, WSF, and bullseye are gone.
Down to H110, longshot, titegroup, and H4198.
Anybody have any corrections?
What would you do differently?
 
I just absolutely hate saying all that, I've made some GOOD loads with those powders.
I'm incorporating bullets, too.
9mm and 357SIG are going to share rainier 124HP.
.40 and 10mm are going to share rainier 165HP.
Again, all is subject to opinion, and unless otherwise directed...
10mm looks like the weak link right now.
The published data I have shows longshot to be weak in 10mm.
Maybe I'll use up the 3 pounds of blue dot I got left in 10mm, unless anybody thinks that power pistol would be a better choice for 9mm/357SIG/.40/10mm...
 
This is easy. Get rid of the calibers.

Keep the .45ACP and the Bullseye. You can go from poof loads to hot loads with it. There's no reason to have so many calibers. I know a guy who gets the loads so light it feels like a .22.
 
I guess the question is, what powder is better all around for (In order of priority) 10mm, 9mm, .357 mag, 357SIG, and .40?
Longshot? Power pistol? Or something else?
Bullet weights, respectively, 165HP, 124HP, 140HP, 124HP, and 165HP...
 
I once asked my automotive sciences prof, "what is the single thing that you could do to a car to improve the safety to the greatest degree?"
He answered 'Yank out the engine'.

It's all about convenience, man.
The things you'd never do, to get something done .
 
Thanks for the suggestion.
I have 2 concerns with 800x at the moment.
1. Most of the loads listed are compressed, or near compressed.
Because of that, 800x's performance in 9mm is somewhat limited, compared to oh, say WSF, HS-6, power pistol, etc.
2. I hear that it has some metering problems in progressive machines powder measures, is this true?

You can tell that it is being held back by its own bulk when looking at it's pressure numbers. It's not at the top, unless there's a lot of room in the case, like in 10mm and 357SIG.
Even when it's in a close second place, it's pressure is way lower, like 10,000 PSI lower, because they couldn't stuff enough of it in the case.
Or am I looking at bad load data?
 
800X is very good in 10mm, though.
Man, decisions, decisions.
The problem is that I'm perfectly happy with blue dot in 10mm, and 357SIG, even though it would, in theory, meter like poop.
I guess it's gonna take more time to find more all-purpose powders.
 
That sounds familiar. I've also tried a powder reduction quest. Rifle powders were a bit easier since everything from 223 to 30-06 can use one or two powders. But you already covered that end.

For handguns I thought I was going to rely on Titegroup and 110, and indeed that would provide decent reliable loads for most of my handguns. But the problem comes in the overlaps. For instance Titegroup in 9mm gives nice consistent loads, but if velocity is important that caliber wants something closer to Power Pistol. (I haven't tried Longshot but it sounds similar) So I end up with these powders that are perfect for the application and I don't want to give them up. Lil'gun is awesome for heavy bullet 357 rifle loads, the new "cowboy" powder will be a must, 7.62X39 is between the pistol/rifle gap, it just goes on and on.

So I decided to slack off the idea of buying large quantites of a few powders and buy single pounds of different ones. It cost a little more and is a nuisance, but I enjoy it more and that's why I reload.

Good luck with your choices, they sound reasonable to me.
 
I thought almost the same as you....until I decided that it was impossible...

I use the following....

231, 748, 296, varget,HS-6, HS-7,H335, H322, H110, BLC2, IMR4198, 4350, SR7625, 4895, 2400, Unique, RL7, RL15, Blue Dot...I know I am forgetting somthing...but I also reload for 12 diffrent calibers...and I like to experiment....so again, I say you are in a situation that demands that you not incorporate calibers with certain powders....

You must also realize that said powders will be diffrent with each bottle, potentially...batch diffrences can lead to variations in groups...its possible.

I know for a fact that I am not done getting MORE powders, either...because I am wanting to try Vihtavouri and some Norma powders...

Darrell
 
Yeah, I think I'm giving up.
I am going to make a few changes, though.
9mm-- WSF
40 WSF
357SIG blue dot
.357 mag blue dot
10mm blue dot
.41 mag H110
.44 mag H110
.45 colt Titegroup
and I'll give .45 acp and WSF a try, too. Maybe titegroup, if that doesn't work.
 
look at Lil' Gun for your magnum revolvers , can be used for downloaded loads much better than H110 , which is really more suited for full on loads. Very good pressure to velocity ratio with lil gun.

Also look at power pistol for 9mm and 40 unless you're really liking what WSF is doing for you.

Ray
 
Was considering the switch back to 2400 to economize.
I remember having no accuracy problems shooting 17.6 grains of 2400 with a 210 grain XTP-HP. Versus 21.6 grains of H110. That's a difference of 70 more loads in a pound. 'Lil gun takes even more than H110, from what I see in the data.
Anyway, I got at least 3 pounds of H-110 in stock, and at least 3 pounds of 2400. Won't take long to use 'em up, but I really have no reason to switch.
Hot load .41? Why? I got a couple of .44s I can shoot anytime.

I was considering the switch to power pistol/longshot, but after using WSF for a year or so, I can't really say there's a reason to switch.
PP, longshot and WSF all use about the same amount of powder, and I can't really say I'm interested in a 9mm 124 grain bullet over 1200 FPS or a 165 grain .40 over 1200 FPS, so velocity is a moot point.
What I'm interested in is accuracy, and I can't really say one way or the other that longshot or power pistol is more accurate than WSF....
 
Blue Dot works fine in the .41 and .44 magnums...takes less powder than H110 too. You don't need the H110 if you have Blue Dot. If you go to Alliant's website you will see the data for blue dot in the magnum revolver loads. I found blue dot burns cleaner than H110 too. Also....I would keep Unique, I load everything from .40 s&w to .500 mag with it. Midpower loads though...not max with Unique.
 
Quote - "Well, my powder selection is getting out of hand."

I don't think that is possible. Kind of like saying I don't want anymore guns, I have to many.

Quote - "What would you do differently?"

I think I would buy some different powders to try. I tried to condense my powders down one time (didn't work). I think I have more than ever.
 
Well, the answer to my magnum powder problem just presented itself.
Use up my H110.
Use up my 2400.
Use blue dot.
Only need 13.5 grains to do what it took over 21 grains of H110, or over 17 grains of 2400 to do....
I guess I'll stamp out a hundred rounds of each to do in a comparo, if I don't see an accuracy difference, the choice is clear....

Thanks, mbartel.

I *do* love unique in .45 acp, I'd really, really like to keep it.
 
I have 38 powers:
Red Dot, Bullseye, Herter's 164, SR7625, Unique, AA#5, Power Pistol,
HS-6, Blue Dot, 2400, 3N37, 800-X, AA#7, N105, Long Shot, STEEL,
Enforcer, AA#9, N110, H110, W296, LIL'GUN, XMP5744, RL-7, V-133,
IMR30-31, RL-10, W748, H335, RL-12, IMR4895, RL-15, Varget, IMR4320, H414, IMR4350, RL22, and H4831SC.

But I only use about 6 of them:
.223 IMR4895, Blue Dot, H335
.222 IMR4895
.243 IMR4895
25acp Power Pistol
257 RAI IMR4895
6.5x55mm IMR4895
7x57mm IMR4895
32acp Power Pistol
32sw Unique
32swlong LIL'GUN or 800X
32-20 H110
7.62x25mm Power Pistol
7.62x39mm H110
7.62x51mm IMR4895
7.5 Swiss IMR4895
30-06 IMR4895
303 Sav IMR4895
303 Brit IMR4895
7.62x54R IMR4895
8x57mm IMR4895
.380 Power Pistol
9x19mm Power Pistol
9x23mm Power Pistol
357 Sig Power Pistol
38 sp LIL'GUN
357 mag LIL'GUN
38sw Unique
40sw Power Pistol or 800X
10mm Power Pistol or 800X
11mm H110
44 mag H110
45acp Power Pistol
45Colt H110
.410 H110
45/70 IMR4895
 
Power Pistol in a 25 ACP? Is that one of those.....unmentionable loads ;) , or is it actually suited to that tiny case? I really don't know, I've never tried reloading a 25.
 
Well, after much thought, I decided on a powder lineup for this summer.
It consists of power pistol and blue dot.
I haven't made up my mind for .223, but I haven't set up my progressive for it yet.
One of these days I'll run out of .223 that I reloaded, and I'll have to figure it out.
9mm Power pistol.
357SIG power pistol or blue dot, not sure yet.
.357 mag Blue dot.
.40 power pistol.
10mm power pistol or blue dot, not sure yet.
.41 mag Blue dot.
.44 mag Blue dot.
.45 acp power pistol.
.45 colt I think I'm gonna shoot up the titegroup and have a .45 acp cylinder made for my vaquero. I'll shoot full power jacketed in .45c rarely, and the cost will be prohibitive.
.223 rem Guess I'll figure that out when I get there.
Thanks for all your help, guys.
(I may keep a pound or two of unique, just in case.)

The main reason I'm doing this is to get $$$ savings from buying in kegs, and I really, really don't feel like storing more than 20 pounds of powder AND 20,000 primers in my house.
Man, the stuff ya gotta do for price breaks.
 
I use 2 powders mainly. I load for .223, .45 acp, and 9mm. I use AA2230 for .223, and AA#5 for 9mm and .45 acp. I also have a pound each of Clays, and Unique. I really like the Clays for light recoiling loads in .45 acp.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

C
  • Locked
Optimum powder for 10mm
Replies
23
Views
7K
Match10
M
LiveLife
  • Locked
Promo sighting - Powder update from gun show
Replies
24
Views
2K
LiveLife
LiveLife
vaalpens
  • Locked
Please help me select my next powder
2
Replies
32
Views
3K
vaalpens
vaalpens
Potatohead
  • Locked
Name That Powder
2
Replies
43
Views
1K
bluetopper
bluetopper
jmorris
  • Locked
Anyone have 458 socom data using 2400?
Replies
2
Views
1K
jmorris
jmorris
Back
Top