Just want to vent off my frustration, provided you guys don't mind me doing so.
I'm currently using this French stuff for reloading 9 mm (which is all I shoot). It used to be a great powder for this caliber. It comes in short stick, extruded form, and makes for easy and consistent charges with Lee and Dillon powder measures (just to mention two). Usually, 4'7 of it propelled a 124 gr projectile quick enough to make a 125 power factor (approx 1010 ft/sec).
But one day, someone at Vectan decided that they'd change the formulation of their very well sold BA-9, and didn't feel the need to tell their customers. Everyone complained that they needed almost 1 grain more to make factor and that the shot wasn't as comfortable as it used to be. Later on, it was ascertained that there were two different BA-9s, one with a slower burn rate than the other, and that there was no way to tell one from the other except for a slight variation in colour. The slower one is a greenish grey, the other (the good one) is plain grey.
I've been unlucky enough to get the slower one. I've needed 5'5 grains of it to reach 1012 ft/sec out of my STAR 30M. Shots feel snappier than with the Magtech stuff I used to shoot before I started reloading
.
The only alternative is a locally manufactured powder called Optima A, which is known for being faster, but the downside is that it comes in flakes, powder charges won't be as consistent. No VihtaVuori, and of course, no American powders imported over here. No other alternative.
Competition season over here is gone, so I've already decided I'll spend this pound of BA-9 on training, then get Optima A next time.
I can understand you guys when you complain about shortages, gun control, etc, but... I'm still jealous.
I'm currently using this French stuff for reloading 9 mm (which is all I shoot). It used to be a great powder for this caliber. It comes in short stick, extruded form, and makes for easy and consistent charges with Lee and Dillon powder measures (just to mention two). Usually, 4'7 of it propelled a 124 gr projectile quick enough to make a 125 power factor (approx 1010 ft/sec).
But one day, someone at Vectan decided that they'd change the formulation of their very well sold BA-9, and didn't feel the need to tell their customers. Everyone complained that they needed almost 1 grain more to make factor and that the shot wasn't as comfortable as it used to be. Later on, it was ascertained that there were two different BA-9s, one with a slower burn rate than the other, and that there was no way to tell one from the other except for a slight variation in colour. The slower one is a greenish grey, the other (the good one) is plain grey.
I've been unlucky enough to get the slower one. I've needed 5'5 grains of it to reach 1012 ft/sec out of my STAR 30M. Shots feel snappier than with the Magtech stuff I used to shoot before I started reloading
. The only alternative is a locally manufactured powder called Optima A, which is known for being faster, but the downside is that it comes in flakes, powder charges won't be as consistent. No VihtaVuori, and of course, no American powders imported over here. No other alternative.
Competition season over here is gone, so I've already decided I'll spend this pound of BA-9 on training, then get Optima A next time.
I can understand you guys when you complain about shortages, gun control, etc, but... I'm still jealous
.
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