Tried Bullseye today. WOW!!!

[FieroCDSP]

I picked up a can of Bullseye to support some 380 loads I'm going to be working up, as well as the 40S&W, 9mm Mak and 9mm luger I currently load for.

The first thing I noticed was the fine grain. Once I got it into the dispenser, I was instantly impressed. Exact charges, and above all, consistancy. I've been missing out on this stuff.

I threw caution to the wind and loaded starter loads for fifty 40's and 100 lugers (the Loadmaster was cruisin yesterday). The range trip was great. Lonely, mid-30's, partly cloudy. I set up two IDPA targets at 12 feet and loaded the first 40cal round into the M&P. The noise was appreciably different from the other powders I've been using. Given Bullseye's burn-rate, the sharp crack was understandable.
Best of all, the bullet went where I wanted it to. Maybe I'm improving. I know, 12feet isn't exactly Competition level status, but it's a nice defensive practice range.
It seemed to burn clean. Not nearly as clean as Clays, but certainly a lot better than Unique.

I finished off the targets by emptying 200 or so Unique loads so I can replace them with Bullseye.

For anyone who hasn't tried it, you're missing out. Or am I the only one?

 

[LexDiamonds]

If you like Bullseye, you would love Power Pistol.

 

[ftierson]

You're not the only one.

I really like Bullseye for several pistol rounds in small/short cases, including .380 ACP, 9x19mmP, 9x18mm Mak., .38 Special and .45 ACP.

It performs well and is economical to use to boot...

Forrest

 

[pinkymingeo]

Bullseye is the original 45acp powder, and pretty much the standard for 38spl range use. A pound goes a long, long way. Only disadvantage is it's very sooty with lead bullets. Your gun and hand will be black after a while. Wipes right off, though.

 

[redneck2]

It seemed to burn clean. Not nearly as clean as Clays, but certainly a lot better than Unique.

I can't understand why guys use Unique when there are better alternatives. Guess it's still a free country.

You might also try AA#2. In the same general burn range, meters super well, and burns clean. Thing is, the Bullseye will last a long, long time.

 

[harmonic]

I can't understand why guys use Unique

Several reasons.

a. It's versatile. I use it for handgun loads and can switch to reloading shotgun shells with the same powder.
b. It's fast enough to get consistent velocities with lightweight, midrange loads.
c. Unlike Bullseye, a double charge is easier to spot.
http://sigforum.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/840601935/m/5351051011

 

[Marlin 45 carbine]

BE is all I use in my .32acp and .380 acp loads, does good. I use it 9mm and .45acp for plinking loads. economical and accurate.

 

[ReloaderFred]

Not bad for a powder that's over 100 years old, is it? I've burned enough Bullseye over the years to sink a battleship. When all else fails in the accuracy department, try Bullseye. Sure, it's a little sooty, but you're going to have to clean the gun anyway, so it's no big deal. It's also not going to get you the fastest velocity in some cases, but it's generally going to put the bullet where you want it to be. That's hard to beat.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[BAT1]

Glad to hear you like it. I've been using Tite Group, Clays and Unique, with unique having a slight edge. I'm going to try Bullseye. I've been trying to find the perfect powder for my Loaded Champ. It's faster burning than T/G, ought to have a sharp report. They say its the classic 1911 load.

 

[saltydog452]

Nostalga...the smell of BE and, later, Hoppes #9.

It is difficult to improve on certain benchmarks.

salty.

 

[Cougfan2]

I still have some old Hodgdon Trap 100. It was repackaged Win 452AA. 3.2 grs behind a Hornady 148 gr. HBWC was an extremely accurate .38 spl target load. I was getting 5 shot groups the size of a .50 cent piece at 25 yds from a rest.

 

[cmidkiff]

I like Bullseye, but I'm afraid of it. I'm fairly new to reloading, and that little bitty spot of powder in the bottom of my .38 and .357 cases really bothers me.

I try to pay attention to what I'm doing, and I always follow the same routine when loading, but it seems that it would be so easy to overlook a double charge... and I see so many reports of people blowing up their guns, probably due to a double charge... It just doesn't feel right.

Most of what I load are less than max pressure with LRN or SWC lead. Any of these other powders that would give similar results, with a charge level of over half case volume? I haven't tried Clays, Power Pistol, Titegroup, or AA#2 yet. I've tried H110, wasn't real happy with it... 2400 is great in .44, but doesn't seem to burn completely at lower pressures. Trail Boss seems to be ideal for low pressure .44 plinking loads, but I haven't tried it in the .38/.357's yet. I picked up some Win296 to try, but haven't gotten any to the range yet.

 

[Mr.Revolverguy]

A good load that I like to use in 44 is HS-6 wow what a discovery for me in 44mag.

 

[redneck2]

I picked up some Win296 to try, but haven't gotten any to the range yet.

H-110 and WW-296 are the same, as in exactly the same, powder.

Fast powders are cheap because of low volume per load, and burn clean

With slow powders, the upside is that they fill the case more, burn clean if pushed, and give greater velocity with lower pressure spikes.

With most any powder, the slow it is, the harder it has to be pushed to give consistent velocities and clean burn.

 

[FieroCDSP]

Cmidkiff, the "flashlight" method is one of the surest ways to catch a double. Keep a small flashlight next to your press and if in doubt, check your cases. Obviously a completed round would require pulling, but better safe than sorry.
In my 40 loads, a double charge is easily noticible, but I can see how a longer case can prevent the easy ID of one.

 

[zxcvbob]

Most of what I load are less than max pressure with LRN or SWC lead. Any of these other powders that would give similar results, with a charge level of over half case volume? I haven't tried Clays, Power Pistol, Titegroup, or AA#2 yet. I've tried H110, wasn't real happy with it... 2400 is great in .44, but doesn't seem to burn completely at lower pressures. Trail Boss seems to be ideal for low pressure .44 plinking loads, but I haven't tried it in the .38/.357's yet. I picked up some Win296 to try, but haven't gotten any to the range yet.

Try Red Dot or Promo. Cheap, meters OK (not great), and fills the case well enough that you can see it. Burns very clean at moderate-to-high pressures.

 

[Walkalong]

arrrrrghhh........

 

[Walkalong]

the "flashlight" method is one of the surest ways to catch a double

I drilled a 2 stage hole in my Projector between the third station (powder drop) and the 4th (seater). I put a Fenix E1 flashlight in it and it lights up the case extremely well.

Ditto on Red Dot, as well as American Select, for fast powders that are bulky and clean burning.

 

[tasco 74]

bullseye is all i've used to reload .38spl and .357 magnum loads for years... i've done a few hundred 9mms too i guess... i love the stuff! glad you found it!

MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL!!!!!!!!!

 

[FM12]

Well, lets see, I use it for .380, 9mm, 40S&W, .38, .357, .45 ACP and for lead bullet loads in .44 SPL and .44 Mag, and 12 gage reloads.

Yep, I LOVE me some Bullseye!

I even sprinkle it on my 'taters instead of pepper!

 

[Lazuris]

I'm an Unique guy because it is larger then the other powers I have tried. I've had both a double load and a squib happen to me in the past and i've eliminated both of those possible major issues by switching to Alliant. For the few extra bucks I spend on powder its worth it for me to keep my fingers.

 

[Galil5.56]

Love the stuff, and have not found anything that is better in my experience in a similar burning rate as far as accurate, good quality loads are concerned.

Is it the cleanest... Maybe not, but great lot-to-lot variation has been good for me, as has Unique. I guess I'm an old fuddy-duddy, but what works, works, and I know more than a few people who cursed off Bullseye and Unique, and after awhile come back to roost in the BE/Unique roost once again.

 

[Bronson7]

Yeah, Bulls Eye is hard to beat. I've tried others, looking for the magic round, but always come back to BE. Great stuff for the 45ACP.
Bronson7

 

[Slamfire]

I try to pay attention to what I'm doing, and I always follow the same routine when loading, but it seems that it would be so easy to overlook a double charge... and I see so many reports of people blowing up their guns, probably due to a double charge... It just doesn't feel right.

Before I got my progressive I used to be scared of powders like Bullseye where a double charge would blow the pistol. Not any more. I have successfully loaded so many case loads of 38 Specials with bullseye powder on progressives that the fear has gone away. Bullseye is now my favorite powder in 32 S&W long, 9mm, 38 Spl, 45 ACP. I just have to pay attention to my process, and double check when I am interrupted

Double charging is most likely to happen when using a single stage. Instead of a continuous process, such as the progressive gives you, you have this batch process. And it is in the charging of the cases where you have the greatest chance of error. I used to examine each and every case in the loading block with a Maglite flashlight, and on occasion I would find an empty. It is easy to get out of sequence when using scoops, or even the little Dandy powder measure. It is also easy to go into La La land and day dream. I think it is good practice to use bulky powders when using a single stage press. Trail Boss sounds like the ideal powder for dreamers.

Where another chance for a double charge occurs is when you get interrupted. When interruptions happen, and that includes phones and friends, you have got to teach yourself to double check everything. Regardless of what you remember doing when you were interrupted. Allow doubt in your ability to remember, and follow a process, not your memory.

 

[cherryriver]

Bullseye- still love it after 35 years.
I don't use it as much any more, since discovering WST was almost as good, but quieter, than Bullseye in the .45, but the 1911 was designed for Bullseye, and 1911s love Bullseye more than anything else.
.38s do, too. I even once made up a couple of hundred of .357s with 158gr round-nose Berry's and something near the Alliant book-max of Bullseye. It gave a solid 1080fps in a four-incher and a pretty good pop- while making a tiny extreme velocity spread. Fun.
After trying dozens of propellants over the years, I like lots of them, but I would never feel right if there weren't bottles of Bullseye and Unique sitting there on the shelf.
Bill