Less Used Powders

Old Grumpy

Old Grumpy

Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2009
Messages
195
Location
Central Illinois
I have a fairly well stocked powder locker with 35 different powders. The ones I use a lot make up about 10 of those. Over the years I picked up some powders just to give them a try. If the results were not outstanding, I'd move along to another one. The result is several powders I just don't grab first off. AA#7 is one of those powders. A couple years ago while ordering some AA#9 to replenish my stockpile, I added a couple pounds of AA#5 and AA#7 to my cart. Seems I have used more of the #5 than the #7. So today I built some 9mm loads and used the AA#7. According to Lyman's 51st Edition, using Sierra's 125gr Sports Master, 7.8gr gave them the best accuracy and/or possibly the lowest SDs and ESs. So, I used their data and built 100-rounds. 7.7gr of AA#7, 125gr Sierra Sports Master JHP, CCI SPP, mixed brass, seated to an OAL of 1.074". I load on a single-stage Rock Chucker and each charge was weighed on my Chargemaster 1500. (Lee .5cc dipper and trickled up). Every fourth round was gaged. I intend to shoot these through my SIG P226 Legion and my FN9C. All in all, the 100-rounds took about 120-minutes to run off (brass was already sized, expanded, and primed). Now I need some "me time" at the range.

Grumpy

AA #7 (01).jpg AA #7 (02).jpg AA #7 (03).jpg
 
Yep, I love AA#7 for 9mm +P. I've also used it successfully for jacketed 125 grain .357 mag loads, as well as 10mm (165 and 180 grain jacketed).

I haven't found anything that confirms it, but the story is that the OEM powder that AA#7 comes from was specifically developed for European 9mm +P ammo.
 
Old Grumpy said:
I have a fairly well stocked powder locker with 35 different powders. The ones I use a lot make up about 10 of those. Over the years I picked up some powders just to give them a try. If the results were not outstanding, I'd move along to another one. The result is several powders I just don't grab first off. AA#7 is one of those powders. A couple years ago while ordering some AA#9 to replenish my stockpile, I added a couple pounds of AA#5 and AA#7 to my cart. Seems I have used more of the #5 than the #7. So today I built some 9mm loads and used the AA#7. According to Lyman's 51st Edition, using Sierra's 125gr Sports Master, 7.8gr gave them the best accuracy and/or possibly the lowest SDs and ESs. So, I used their data and built 100-rounds. 7.7gr of AA#7, 125gr Sierra Sports Master JHP, CCI SPP, mixed brass, seated to an OAL of 1.074". I load on a single-stage Rock Chucker and each charge was weighed on my Chargemaster 1500. (Lee .5cc dipper and trickled up). Every fourth round was gaged. I intend to shoot these through my SIG P226 Legion and my FN9C. All in all, the 100-rounds took about 120-minutes to run off (brass was already sized, expanded, and primed). Now I need some "me time" at the range.

Grumpy

View attachment 1176306View attachment 1176307View attachment 1176308
Click to expand...
7.7gr of No.7 is what I use for 180gr plated RN in .40S&W. It’s a good longer range load and flat accurate even with cheap bullets.
 
GeoDudeFlorida said:
7.7gr of No.7 is what I use for 180gr plated RN in .40S&W. It’s a good longer range load and flat accurate even with cheap bullets.
Click to expand...
I've used AA#9 for years in my .357 and .44 magnums. Solid performance, repeatable performance. That is why I thought I'd try out some #5 and #7. Honestly, I've had great success with my 9mm loads using Power Pistol, BE-86, and HS-6. A fourth powder that works well will not hurt.

Grumpy
 
Old Grumpy said:
7.7gr of AA#7, 125gr Sierra Sports Master JHP
Click to expand...
Hodgdon has 6.5 grs as maximum. Their +P is 6.9 grs. What am i missing? Different bullet?

Speer has 9.0 maximum for their 124 gr bullets.

Me thinks Accurate has had many different manufactures over the years. Large variation in burn rates, like No 9 powder?

Old Lyman - Screenshot_20231018-193759_Chrome.jpg
 
Last edited:
243winxb said:
Hodgdon has 6.5 grs as maximum. Their +P is 6.9 grs. What am i missing? Different bullet?

Speer has 9.0 maximum for their 124 gr bullets.

Me thinks Accurate has had many different manufactures over the years. Large variation in burn rates, like No 9 powder?

Old Lyman - View attachment 1176354
Click to expand...
I'm using data out of Lyman's 51st Edition. It is data for the 125gr Sportsmaster specifically. It does list 7.8gr as max with the same OAL. What is interesting, Lyman does list +P loads for the .38 Special but does not list any +P lads for the 9mm.

Grumpy
 
Sometimes auto comp sits on shelves around here and I use it in 45 colt, 38sp,and 40S&W when I had them. Works but not popular
 
I'm not much of a powder adventurer... I like what I use, so I buy a bunch of it. I tried to find a different powder for both the 9mm and .45ACP, in doing so I wound up with 4 powders I have no use for... because in the end, they didn't do anything better than my old standby... Unique. I also don't like things on my bench I don't use... so I'm down to loading these odd powders up to get rid of them, or dumping them in the flowerbed. So far, I've gotten rid of 2 of them, BE-86 and, more recently, SportPistol. I've still got a pound of TiteGroup, and 2 partial containers of W231 and W244 to burn up.

On the other side of the stick, however, one of the 'weirdo' powders I bought during the last component shortage... IMR4227... has become a permanent member on the bench, in fact, I just bought another 8#er of it recently... so you never know!
 
I'd bet that most old/experienced handloaders have a good stock of powders they don't really plan to use. I have dusty old cans of stuff I don't remember buying and can't imagine what I had intended to do with them. I should probably figure out some purpose, but realistically, it's just more stuff the kids will have to sort through some day.

I do have a few pounds of #7 from 25 or 30 years ago, which was for use in the .38 Super - I found a load that did everything I could have hoped for, so layed in a stock. And then the gun got stolen and that was that. Of course, I am sure that I can find another cartridge which would benefit from the stuff, but at this point, I already have enough "best" powders for my "best" loads, so the #7 probably will get sorted through by my kids too...
 
Old Grumpy said:
I'm using data out of Lyman's 51st Edition. It is data for the 125gr Sportsmaster specifically. It does list 7.8gr as max with the same OAL. What is interesting, Lyman does list +P loads for the .38 Special but does not list any +P lads for the 9mm.

Grumpy
Click to expand...
It’s always better in my opinion if you can find loading information specific to your bullet.
If you can, download the Sierra app and check their loading information.
 
If Grumpy is looking at same load data in Lyman I am, Lyman seems to be the only load data source there is that uses anything other that 1.035 COAL for that bullet. They also stick more powder in the case than any other load data source there is.

One more thing about AA#7, it is rare to find a load data source for 9mm that does not include AA#7 in it. Load data from Nosler, Sierra, Hornady, Speer, and all other general books like Lee, etc. all include AA#7. About the only one that does not is load data from competing powder companies.

A few others that show up almost everywhere are AA#5, Power Pistol or BE-86 (or both), HS6, N340, Unique and Blue Dot.

Yet another big plus for AA#7, aside from being widely available, it is cheap. Still selling for around $35 per pound vs. nearly $50 per pound for some other choices.
 
Last edited:
Charlie98 said:
I'm not much of a powder adventurer... I like what I use, so I buy a bunch of it. I tried to find a different powder for both the 9mm and .45ACP, in doing so I wound up with 4 powders I have no use for... because in the end, they didn't do anything better than my old standby... Unique. I also don't like things on my bench I don't use... so I'm down to loading these odd powders up to get rid of them, or dumping them in the flowerbed. So far, I've gotten rid of 2 of them, BE-86 and, more recently, SportPistol. I've still got a pound of TiteGroup, and 2 partial containers of W231 and W244 to burn up.

On the other side of the stick, however, one of the 'weirdo' powders I bought during the last component shortage... IMR4227... has become a permanent member on the bench, in fact, I just bought another 8#er of it recently... so you never know!
Click to expand...
What is it about BE-86 you didn't care for? Thanks.
 
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