Ramshot Zip

[brewer12345]

Anyone have experience with this powder? I shoot a lot of 38 special, 9MM and 45ACP with target loads. Nothing crazy on velocity or power, just an accurate load that cycles actions and burns reasonably clean. I usually use HP38, bullseye or titegroup for this sort of thing, but they are tough to source these days. Ramshot zip does seem to show up more often. Is this a reasonable substitute for my usual chosen powders?

 

[AJC1]

I would download the ramshot 8.0 manual before it's gone. I love ramshot powders but zip and competition are fast for my tastes.
Silhouette or true blue if available are good choices.

 

[snowman357]

Its like win 231/hp38 I buy a lot of win231 and zip is my new goto since it is in stock more often.

 

[kalielkslayer]

It was my 1st handgun powder for .380.

probably not the best, but it was all I could get at the time. Shooting out of a Ruger LCP, my SD was all over the place, but it went bang every time.

As I said, it was my first venture into pistol reloading so the deviation could have been me.

When I get back around to loading .380, I’ll try some different powders this time although I have at least 3 lbs left.

 

[brewer12345]

I would download the ramshot 8.0 manual before it's gone. I love ramshot powders but zip and competition are fast for my tastes.
Silhouette or true blue if available are good choices.

True blue looks a bit more like a "be all you can be" powder. That is great for getting full powder loads, but for the bulk of what I shoot I am interested in a faster powder. You usually get accuracy, clean burns, modest recoil, and a LOT of shots per pound. For high volume target shooting, that is ideal.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Its like win 231/hp38 I buy a lot of win231 and zip is my new goto since it is in stock more often.

I agree, Zip is a lot like W231/HP-38. It can be used as a substitute. I bought a pound a few years ago to try and was surprised how much like W231 is really is.

It should work well for you in the .38 Special, 38 S&W, 9mm, 45 ACP, the 45 Colt, the 32 ACP and the 380 Auto too.

 

[WeekendReloader]

I bought some ZIP last year and worked up some loads. It is very similar to Win231/HP-38.
It worked well for me. I would buy it again.

 

[AJC1]

True blue looks a bit more like a "be all you can be" powder. That is great for getting full powder loads, but for the bulk of what I shoot I am interested in a faster powder. You usually get accuracy, clean burns, modest recoil, and a LOT of shots per pound. For high volume target shooting, that is ideal.

I load a lot of tightgroup rounds for my son to plink in 38 so I get it. One could easily accuse me of continuing to migrate to the middle of the burn rate windows.

 

[Dudedog]

I haven't used a lot of Zip and while the load data is not the same to me it was a lot like HP38/W231.

From one burn rate chart
26 Accurate Arms No. 2
27 Ramshot Zip
28 Hodgdon HP-38
29 Winchester 231
30 Alliant 20/28
31 Alliant Unique
32 Hodgdon UNIVERSAL

If you like HP38 and it works well for you I would say go ahead and give ZIP a try.