Worst powder you have used

[LiveLife]

There's no shortage of best-all-around or great <insert your caliber/load> powders.

What about the powders that didn't work out or ones you didn't like?

Do you have any "worst-of-the-worst" powder you wouldn't recommend to any other reloader or tell them to avoid?

 

[bluetopper]

When you get out of the realm of a certain niche of caliber/calibers that a certain powder was designed for, they all can be bad.

 

[RustyFN]

I didn't like HS-6 in 45 auto.

 

[USSR]

H4831! Just doesn't measure up to RL22.

Don

 

[amlevin]

For me, HS-6 in my 9mm's was dirty. Big sooty cloud when fired and the cleanup was terrible. Had to use dental pics to scrape out the carbon.

Likewise H-335 in my AR-15's.

 

[NCsmitty]

Back 5 years or so, when Turk 8mm surplus ammo was selling for $60 a case for a thousand, I bought a couple cases and I broke down around 400 rounds. I sold the bullets and scraped the brass and salvaged the Turk powder.
It was common knowledge at the time that the powder had a similar burn rate to IMR3031, so I put together some 222 rem loads using the Turk powder, and when I tried them, the first 5 shots were great, just a bit smokey. By the eighth round the shots were starting to scatter, and checking the barrel after a dozen shots, the rifling had coked nearly solid. It took a lot of soaking to get it clean. I still have that surplus powder.
The Turk ammo had been dated early 40's, so it was at least 65 years old. It's still amazing that the 8mm Turk ammo produced around 2900fps in tests, according to TurkMauser.com.
I had shot some of it, and it is dirty and corrosive, but still potent. I still have a few hundred rounds left in stripper clips and bandoliers. Most of it looked like it was made yesterday and was still shiny.



NCsmitty

 

[armoredman]

700X. Worst stuff I ever tried to meter. I will say it worked just fine in 38 Special when I got the things loaded, but what a pain to meter. Traded it off for a pound of AA1680.

 

[Sport45]

Blue Dot. I never found a decent way to use it for anything I load for.

 

[P-32]

Blue Dot. I never found a decent way to use it for anything I load for.

B/D is my favorite 357 mag powder.

I can't add a powder I didn't like.......Herco might be close but it builds nice loads in the right combo too.

 

[samurai]

I have a hard time getting Unique to meter consistantly.

 

[zxcvbob]

I don't like Titegroup. But I haven't tried it in 9mm yet, so there's still a *little* hope for it. (I hated Blue Dot until I tried it in .45 Colt; it works great in that one cartridge)

 

[Kevin Rohrer]

WW748 in .223 because it is (or was) so dirty.

 

[Hondo 60]

zxcvbob,

So what was it about titegroup that you didn't like?
That's my favorite in .38spl, 9mm, & 357 mag.
=============================================
I don't have a powder I don't like.
I've stuck with the first few that I've tried because they work well for me.

 

[zxcvbob]

So what was it about titegroup that you didn't like?

I shoot almost nothing but cast bullets, and TG makes more smoke with cast bullets than most powders. Also it scorches the brass; leaves black stains on the outside that won't polish off. And because the powder is dark-colored and dense, it is very hard to see in a progressive press whether your case has powder or not. (and I ended up with several .38 Special squibs with bullets stuck in the barrel when the powder bridged in my powder measure and I didn't notice it. I pulled down most of that 100 cartridges)

Red Dot powder covers the same applications without any of the problems, and it's cheaper to use.

 

[Hondo 60]

Red Dot, huh? Hmmm think I might have to test that out.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

For me, HS-6 in my 9mm's was dirty. Big sooty cloud when fired and the cleanup was terrible. Had to use dental pics to scrape out the carbon.

I'm guessing your load was too light. HS-6 works much better at the high end of the pressure range and requires the use of a Magnum primer. It's not the powders fault if it's used incorrectly. It seems in most of the posts it's not the powders fault but the usage.

 

[1SOW]

It seems in most of the posts it's not the powders fault but the usage

Your undoubtably correct, but each poster said what they were using it for; and how else can anyone rate a powder except against there usage. XYZ powder stinks for this usage--good to know.

HS-6 will do nicely for 38 super or a hot 9mm, but stinks for light target loads.--Good to know.

 

[Seedtick]

I have accumulated around a dozen different pistol powders.
I have picked about 4 as my favorites and of those in my inventory I only have 2 that I don't like.

The reason that I don't like them is simple -
they flow through my powder measures like frosted corn flakes. :banghead:

And the winners are.....drum roll please.....Unique & 700 X.

I know, I know, a lot of folks like Unique and I am truly glad I have some because I could not be satisfied without trying it for myself. One of these days I am going to get a can of Universal to use for those times when I should want to use something like Unique but meters better.

And I do wish that 700 X had not been such an accurate powder in everything I've tried it in so far. For now though, I'm just keeping it turned around backward on the shelf with the rest of the powders so I can't see what it is.

Seedtick

 

[Walkalong]

TG makes more smoke with cast bullets than most powders. Also it scorches the brass; ....................................And because the powder is dark-colored and dense, it is very hard to see in a progressive press

Yep.

And I do wish that 700 X had not been such an accurate powder in everything I've tried it in so far

Yep. Meters poorly, shoots great. Burns real clean too.


Blue Dot. Very picky about what it likes. More recoil for the velocity than many powders in the same app.

N330. Very picky about what it likes, but can be very, very, good.

 

[243winxb]

IMR's 800X Meters poorly, and can bridge. This puts less powder in 1 case, extra in the next one. KABOOM

 

[Ky Larry]

Old Unique. AKA Flaming Dirt. Nasty. Very accurate but dirty.

 

[hancjamk]

Unique has been improved. Much cleaner than it used to be... All you old schoolers should give it a second chance...

 

[ranger335v]

I would never use IMR-4831 in a handgun. Nor Bullseye in a .300 magnum. But I've NEVER found any powder to be "bad" and I've used a lot of 'em in 46 years. ??

 

[788Ham]

Unique! Like posted earlier, flaming dirt. I tried several different loadings for a pistol I used to have, gave it away!

 

[788Ham]

USSR,

What is so much better about RL-22 than H4831? Just curious, I've used it for a long time, first time I've heard this. Might need to try the RL-22 to see, thanks.