High(er) volume powder for .357 Magnum?

mtbore

mtbore

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I load with Titegroup right now. I like it. Has not disappointed me but then I have nothing to compare it to. I load on a Dillon 550B and consider myself a fairly slow and careful loader.

So please share your ideas for a different powder. Important:
1) Accuracy/consistency (no complaints of TG, though)
2) Cleanliness (have nothing to compare TG to)
3) Higher volume so it is really obvious if I double charge (plus, I'd like to see what another end of the powder spectrum "feels" like to shoot)

I generally plan to shoot & load a few hundred rounds a week. The two things I like to do are some light target shooting (e.g. SA, accurate, light recoil, LSWC) but primarily major IPSC practice (e.g. with plated/jacketed 158 gr bullets).

Experiences? Thanks!
 
"...some light target shooting..." .357 brass loaded to .38 Special velocities with a 148 grain WC works well. 2.5 to 2.8 grains of Bullseye with the WC has been the .38 Special target load for eons.
If you're going to practice for IPSC, use the ammo you intend using for that.
 
I like L'il Gun with the 158 Jacketed bullets in my Ruger Blackhawk. Very clean and consistent, with very good velocities at lower pressures than some of the more common propellants. As for light lead loads, try IMR Trail Boss. It is quite bulky and is very clean. Regards, Eagleye.
 
Thanks. Just checked the Hodgdon data for L'il Gun. What an interesting powder! Starting load of 16.0 gr (!). And that's in the ballpark of 1500 fps (!). And at much less pressure than Titegroup. And you say it's cleaner. That power factor would actually be overkill for IPSC. But it's interesting so it sounds like it's on my shortlist. At the very least, 6 gr of Titegroup versus 16 gr of L'il Gun must feel and sound different...

I shoot a 6" Ruger GP100. Federal SPP. What's your L'il Gun 158 gr jacketed recipe for your Blackhawk? Thanks!
 
mtbore said:
6 gr of Titegroup versus 16 gr of L'il Gun must feel and sound different...
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Yep, it's the sound of 2.5 times more money in powder going downrange with each trigger pull... I stick with titegroup to minimize cost and powder inventory. Having said that, AA No.9 likes .357, burns cleanly at normal pressures, flows very well, and gives high velocity.
 
mtbore said:
Thanks. Just checked the Hodgdon data for L'il Gun. What an interesting powder! Starting load of 16.0 gr (!). And that's in the ballpark of 1500 fps (!). And at much less pressure than Titegroup. And you say it's cleaner. That power factor would actually be overkill for IPSC. But it's interesting so it sounds like it's on my shortlist. At the very least, 6 gr of Titegroup versus 16 gr of L'il Gun must feel and sound different...

I shoot a 6" Ruger GP100. Federal SPP. What's your L'il Gun 158 gr jacketed recipe for your Blackhawk? Thanks!
Click to expand...

My pet load with my blackhawk is 17.2 grains of L'il Gun with a 158 jacketed fired by a wsp primer. Great groups, and lots of muscle!! Regards Eagleye.
 
The only powder that is bulky that would meet your needs is Trail Boss. It is designed to be very bulky to fill large capacity cases with light loads, fairly clean burning, and best suited for light to moderate loads. Approximately in the same burning speed category as Titegroup.

Trail Boss is a bit more expensive that Titegroup but charge weights are approx the same. If you are only loading/shooting a couple hundred rounds a week you won't notice the price difference.

Example from Higginsons Powders, 2 lbs Titegroup = $44 and 2 lbs Trail Boss = $52. For moderate loads you will be getting around 1200+ rounds per pound.
 
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My go to powders for most handgun loads are Unique and H-110. Unique is dirty, so you probably don't want it, but 4.5 grs with a cast 158 gr SWC is a good .38 Special load, and it cannot be double charged in .38 brass. With H-110 you won't get a double charge either, but it is not suitable for light target loads.
 
Sorry for the semi-hijack, but does anyone have a load suggestion for 105gr cast bullets? It'll be a light plinking load. Can't seem to find much data for the 105's.
 
Cool. Lots of good ideas. Mostly on the light target load side of things. Which I appreciate. I should have emphasized the IPSC activity more in my original post. Still... good ideas. I think L'il Gun looks interesting. Worth a try. H-110... maybe, but when I look at the data, H-110's pressure levels start pretty high, even for a minimum load) and get higher. Clearly it has a "fill the case" advantage over Titegroup though.
 
mtbore said:
Cool. Lots of good ideas. Mostly on the light target load side of things. Which I appreciate. I should have emphasized the IPSC activity more in my original post. Still... good ideas. I think L'il Gun looks interesting. Worth a try. H-110... maybe, but when I look at the data, H-110's pressure levels start pretty high, even for a minimum load) and get higher. Clearly it has a "fill the case" advantage over Titegroup though.
Click to expand...

H-110 shouldn't be loaded down as per manufacturer's warnings. That is why the starting loads are high.

L'il Gun is a slow burning powder (in handguns) and best suited for max loads. Light loads will not create enough pressure for the powder to burn cleanly.

Another way of looking at appropriate powders it to determine what bullet weight/velocity range you want, and then chose powders that will give you reasonably high pressures so that they burn cleanly. This will also give you powders that are reasonably efficient (ie, low charge weights)

Lighter loads with a bulky powder is exactly why Trail Boss powder was designed. If you remove the requirement for a bulky powder, then lots of powders will be suitable.
 
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