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American Select


tomjerry1

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I've used it in 45ACP and it is terrific.  Alliant's data shows a max load of AM Sel under a 180gr lead bullet at just under 165PF with a 4" barrel and a 1.125" OAL.  Pressure given is 33,200psi with a WSP primer.  Interestingly, a 180JHP makes 930fps using 4.7gr. @ 32,400psi.

In 45 I've always found it to chronos slower than what Alliant's data shows.  So if you are going to try some, buy a pound and see if it works for you.

 

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I've been using Bullseye, works great, but have been influenced to try VIT 320. Everyone who uses it, says it has less recoil? Well, I bought a pound and will try it out, but 40$ a lb.???

Alliant manual says American Select has a less felt recoil, it is on the same burn rate as VIT 320? I know every powder is different, but as soon as I find a lb., I'm going to try it.

180 grain HAP and CCI SPP, load to 1.18"  

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  • 2 weeks later...

AS 5 grs makes PF 170 with polymer HiTek coating 180gr, with copper washed use 4.7 makes PF 170ish. Very mild recoil impulse. Have use AS for 10 yrs now in Glock, Para and 2011 Edge. Work up your load and chrono, your results may vary..

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  • 1 month later...

Tried American Select and N320, both shoot well, but think AS is better. It shoots more accurate, is very stable, and when randomly shot, I always(as did others) picked AS as softer shooting. Not done yet, still working the loads.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I have been doing some testing with American Select. I settled on 4.8gr with a 1.165 OAL using 180gr plated bullets. Shot through a 5 inch 2011. This produces an average of 950fps.

I have been using Winchester Super Target (WST) for years in 40 major but have been looking for an alternative that is less temperature sensitive. The American Select powder is very temperature resistant compared to WST. I tested loads from 32 deg to 100 deg and the only variance I found was a 10 - 15 fps velocity loss when the ammo was really really cold. Once the ammo temp gets above 45 degrees then the velocity stays the same all the way up to 100 degrees. I haven't tested ammo hotter than 100 degrees so I am not sure if the velocity will change beyond that point but I doubt it will make much of a difference.

Another benefit that I found with the American Select verses WST is that the American Select powder burns cleaner than WST. It gets the gun about half as dirty with the same amount of ammo shot through it. To me, this isn't a big deal but something to note.

While observing the primers on the spent cases the primer flatness is the same between the two powders as well so there does not seem to be an overall pressure difference.

When shooting the WST and American Select ammo back to back I can't feel any difference in the recoil. They both have an identical felt recoil which is nice. I have shot VV N320 in the past and it tends to have a slightly more harsh felt recoil than WST so that is probably what you are feeling as well.

I have a boat load of WST still so I will continue to use it for local matches and practice, but I will be switching to American Select for my major match ammo due to its resistance to velocity change in different temperatures.

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Cha-lee, while you are experimenting, try some Alliant e3.  It is super clean, meters well and has no temperature sensitivity at all.  I load 3.6gr e3 in mixed cases with a CCI500 and a 180gr bullet to 1.126".  It makes 172PF with single digit SDs.

Also, if you love Am Sel, try some Solo 1000 when it comes back on the market.  I've used both, but I think Solo 1000 is a little better in both 40sw and 45.

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E3 is a little too fast for my liking. Really fast burning powders usually shoot clean and have low SD. But they also like to blow up and cause case head separations at the worst times. 

I use to shoot Clays and loved how it shot but got tired of the Kaboom events every 10k or so.

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Cha-lee, so far about 17,000 major and 2000 minor (2.8gr).  I test every batch and they are consistent.  The best SD so far was 4.8.  The worst was 7.15.  There are no pressure signs, flattened primers or the like.  I've reloaded my practice brass nine times so far, and they are the same size as once-fired.  I know this load is not near max pressure because of testing done at ATK.  There, loads were tested well into the 4gr range with no pressure spikes.  I have forgotten what the max load is, but the guy who had them tested personally shoots 4.2gr under a 180 an he isn't at max.

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I tried some AS this weekend.

Meters terrible. Shoots ok, seemed real boomy like Power Pistol, nothing notable about the recoil.

4.4gr pushed a 190gr coated bullet @1.17 to an average of 930fps out of a 4.25" M&P. ES and SD were bad, but dropped to single digits at 4.8gr.

Guess maybe I'll try dropping the charge lower, but what I'm seeing it's a non starter for me in 40.

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

Well, I've opted to use the VIT 320, A.S. is not very stabile. Maybe if I used a scale to weight the loads it might be more consistent. I'm using a Dillon, worked for everything else, just think the flaked powder doesn't meter well creating the inconsistency.

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  • 2 years later...

Tried American Select with 180gr bear creek moly coated lead fp. Using small rifle primers, 4.5gr at 1.175” OAL got me 954.4fps avg velocity. Standard deviation of 14fps and extreme spread of 34fps. 4.7gr got me up to avg of 990fps. I was using mixed brass. Temperature for me was 45° today. 

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