MifflinKid
Member
700-X and Universal
What exactly is ZIP? I am totally not familiar with that powder. Could you explain its characteristics?
ZIP is Ramshot ZIP. It's the fastest of the pistol powders in the Ramshot line. The Reload Bench burn rate chart lists it next to W-231. It's a ball powder (meters like water) that's very good for reduced loads as well as medium power loads. The next slowest powder in the Ramshot line is Silhouette which is the old WAP. Silhouette would give me an additional 10% velocity or so much like Universal Clays or Unique or Longshot. But I'm not interested in that speed. I've got H-110 for a full house load to reach out and touch something with Dead Right Now force in the 357.
I got introduced to Ramshot when Powder Valley was selling TAC (Ramshot's ball powder equivalent to 4895) for $8.00/lb I've got 16lbs of TAC to power an M1 and M1A. I got 4 lbs of ZIP because small amounts meter like water unlike Bullseye & Unique. I developed a liking for it.
Right now I'm shooting 3.7 grains of ZIP behind a 125gr lead bullet in 38 Special and 4.9 grains in the 357. Ramshot gives a load range of 3.4-4.9 grains in 38 Special and 4.5-6.2 grains in 357 for CAS loads. At the low end of those ranges, you can see the bullets going downrange.
And of course my Lee Pro AutoDisk drops those loads with no variation I can see all day long. Ball powders meter like water. Plus ZIP burns very cleanly in reduced loads.
Joemyxplyx, what kind of velocities are you getting out of ZIP in .38 special CAS loads?