Solo 1000 vs VV320N for 40cal

[rugerp89ipsc]

Switching over to Solo 1000 for 40 and trying to get to where I don't need so many powders. Love this powder so far, went to chrono some 40 loads today I worked up, starting at 3.6 grns thru 4.8 grns, OAL 1 9/64ths with a precision 185 grn RFN bullet.

I averaged the following:

3.6 grns - 876 fps

3.8 grns - 893 fps

4.0 grns - 911.5 fps.

To contrast, the VV320N that I was loading minor for my wife to practice with was showing:

3.6 grns - 837 fps,

with all other factors the same.

Is this similar to what everyone else is getting? I guess I am just surprised at the lack of powder needed. I stopped shooting after 4.0 grns because I did not want to push my glock at any higher a charge. I have an el cheapo chrono, but it seemed to be pretty consistent in its read out and I did a 15 shot sample per powder weight. Seems like 3.9 might be the magic number; however, I was not able to find too many loads online with Solo 1000 and 40cal. Shot very well, accurate and the recoil felt softer than the same powder charge on the VV powder.

[dsmw5142]

Hi,

I have loaded thousands of 180gr Black Bullets International (Poly-M coated) with 4.6gr of Solo 1000 with great results. I usually get around 950-960fps at 1.135 oal out of a Glock 35 KKM barrel. It's a pretty reliable 172-174pf. The moly bullets make a big difference and straight lead will run even faster. With jacketed zero's, I need 5.0gr of Solo to get the same results.

Solo varies quite a bit from jug to jug though. Always start at the lower end and work up. I love Solo for almost everything, but it's a pretty fast powder, and fast powders can be unforgiving.

Good luck and have fun.

Edited September 21, 2010 by dsmw5142

[rugerp89ipsc]

thanks for the reply. I was a little surprised to be hitting the velocities I was so soon. Good to get some experience checking in. Thank you.

[BR]

Is this similar to what everyone else is getting? I guess I am just surprised at the lack of powder needed.

....

Shot very well, accurate and the recoil felt softer than the same powder charge on the VV powder.

ruger89-

What is the lot number and date on the bottom of your jug of Solo, and when/where did you buy it? I have some from lot 1624, dated 02/10/09, which is faster and softer than than the same grain load of n320. I love that Solo, but I understand that batches of Solo vary, and that some more recent lots run a bit slower (needing from .3 to .7 grains more) than the batch I have. I would love to find some more of the 1624 lot, or equally fast, which sounds like what you have. Cheers.

-br

[Will_M]

I'm using S1000 for my practice loads. I like it. I'll have to continue using it through winter before I can comment on it's temperature sensitivity (or lack thereof).

I'm going to chrono a load of 4.7 this week. 4.5grains, 180gr BBI, and 1.180" was giving me 920 fps average through a 6" Scheumann Ultimatch.

[aztecdriver]

I switched to Solo 1000 for everything (I don't shoot open) and I've been VERY happy with the results. I concur with the 4.6 gr load 185 Precision out of a Lone Wolf, and I've been running 5.4 gr at 1.200 with MG 180 for my STI. I chrono'd the same batch back to back majors with 172pf @ 60 deg. and 171pf in 92 and sun.

[BigGabe]

Don't want to change the thread, but I've never tried N320 or Solo 1000. Is it a fairly clean burning powder in the charge weights your using?

[GForceLizard]

Switching over to Solo 1000 for 40 and trying to get to where I don't need so many powders. Love this powder so far, went to chrono some 40 loads today I worked up, starting at 3.6 grns thru 4.8 grns, OAL 1 9/64ths with a precision 185 grn RFN bullet.

I averaged the following:

3.6 grns - 876 fps

3.8 grns - 893 fps

4.0 grns - 911.5 fps.

Looks like your sweet spot is 4.2gr I load a little shorter 1.135 for my Glock 22.

[dsmw5142]

Don't want to change the thread, but I've never tried N320 or Solo 1000. Is it a fairly clean burning powder in the charge weights your using?

I haven't tried N320, but Solo is pretty darn clean for me.

[Classic_jon]

I like solo 1000 but I also like the fact that N320 is more constant lot to lot and N320 seems to burn just a little cleaner and be less temp sensitive.

Overall my opinion is this:

Solo 1000 is a good powder if you realize that you may have to tweak your load with a new lot of powder and it is more temp sensitive than N320 that everyone compares it to.

N320 is a great powder, very consistent and predictable but it does cost more than some other powders and can be hard to find at times.

I have a 4lb jug of N320 so I am sticking with it for a while now but I have a load for titegroup and solo 1000 in my files in case I can not find some N320.

[Bob DuBois]

Thanks for the input, been very pleased with Solo 1000 in 9mm and was going to try it in my next reloading session with 40S@W.

[rugerp89ipsc]

Is this similar to what everyone else is getting? I guess I am just surprised at the lack of powder needed.

....

Shot very well, accurate and the recoil felt softer than the same powder charge on the VV powder.

ruger89-

What is the lot number and date on the bottom of your jug of Solo, and when/where did you buy it? I have some from lot 1624, dated 02/10/09, which is faster and softer than than the same grain load of n320. I love that Solo, but I understand that batches of Solo vary, and that some more recent lots run a bit slower (needing from .3 to .7 grains more) than the batch I have. I would love to find some more of the 1624 lot, or equally fast, which sounds like what you have. Cheers.

-br

02/02/10 1930

[rugerp89ipsc]

If the bullet I am using is 185 grn, I thought the fps I needed to make major would be 892. Can someone give me a yah or nah on that?

I am shooting it out of a LWD threaded barrel, which I believe is a 1/2 longer than the stock barrels.

I like both powders for being clean burning. The combination of the solo and the precision moly coated bullet seems to be cleaner and less smokey than the VV320N and the same bullet.

[rugerp89ipsc]

I have now used Solo in 9mm, 38 spl and 40. I am pleased with how it shoots for all these calibers. The 38spl I am using casted bullets and the smoke isn't nearly what I thought it was going to be.

I was just amazed when I started chronoing the 40 cal and was already hitting the higher velocities with such a small amount of powder. I thought maybe I had a chrono issue until I ran a few known rounds through the chrono.

[ncboiler]

If the bullet I am using is 185 grn, I thought the fps I needed to make major would be 892. Can someone give me a yah or nah on that?

I am shooting it out of a LWD threaded barrel, which I believe is a 1/2 longer than the stock barrels.

I like both powders for being clean burning. The combination of the solo and the precision moly coated bullet seems to be cleaner and less smokey than the VV320N and the same bullet.

You are correct on the 892 fps, but that gets your right at 165pf. I would suggest that you will want to be at 925 fps, which will put you at 171 pf and give yourself some cushion for chrono variation.

[MARKAVELI]

I might be off the solo powder subject, but I like and use power pistol, it measures and works well with loads that I have wiped up!

[rugerp89ipsc]

Thanks for all the responses guys. At 4.0 grns I didn't see any pressure signs and with as bad as I am about sloshing powder when loading in a hurry, I think I will go ahead and try 3.9 or stick with 4.0. Trying to decide if I should bother pulling 45 bullets for the 4.2,4.4,4.8 I worked up or just throw them away . . .

Thanks again for all the responses.

[G-ManBart]

If the bullet I am using is 185 grn, I thought the fps I needed to make major would be 892. Can someone give me a yah or nah on that?

The answer is more of a "not exactly". Yes, 892fps makes Major (165PF), but you need to be well over that in case you go to a match where they chrono. In other words, you want to have an average more like 930-940fps (everyone wants a slightly different buffer) to give you a buffer since all chronos are different, and conditions always vary. To make it more complicated, Solo 1K gives higher velocity with lower temps, and lower velocity with higher temps (reverse temperature sensitivity). So, if you work up a load and chrono it a 80*F, and it's making only 165PF, then go to a match where it's 95*F when they chrono, you're probably going to go Minor, which will cost you a lot of points. R,

[rugerp89ipsc]

If the bullet I am using is 185 grn, I thought the fps I needed to make major would be 892. Can someone give me a yah or nah on that?

The answer is more of a "not exactly". Yes, 892fps makes Major (165PF), but you need to be well over that in case you go to a match where they chrono. In other words, you want to have an average more like 930-940fps (everyone wants a slightly different buffer) to give you a buffer since all chronos are different, and conditions always vary. To make it more complicated, Solo 1K gives higher velocity with lower temps, and lower velocity with higher temps (reverse temperature sensitivity). So, if you work up a load and chrono it a 80*F, and it's making only 165PF, then go to a match where it's 95*F when they chrono, you're probably going to go Minor, which will cost you a lot of points. R,

I am sure this isn't the case, but from what I chrono'd, it looks like velocity is linear. That isn't the case is it? It seemed that .2 grns netted 20 fps pretty much across the board. I still need to do a bit of work and a lot more chrono'ing to feel comfortable for this load; however, I just wanted to check in a make sure I wasn't going to see a sharp spike in velocity at an unknown point. Life would be much simpler if I knew that adding .02 grains would end up going to a predictable rise of 20 fps. that would put my 4.2 grns at about 940fps.

[noylj]

For applications of Solo 1000, which I would have assumed is too fast for the .40S&W, I would also look at Accurate Nitro 100 and VV N310. They are all very fast powders.

[Graham Smith]

I guess I am just surprised at the lack of powder needed.

I'm not sure that comparing two powders based on how many grains it takes tells you that much. I will say that for some powders, having too small a volume can lead to inconsistent burns depending on the position of the powder in the case. For example, one of the big selling points for Titegroup for 9mm minor is that it is supposed to not be position sensitive, which is important given the low powder volume.

[Robert Snyder]

I found that if I was shooting Limited Major with a 40 that the best combination I found was 4 grains of N310 with a 165gr flat nose truncated bullet. It shot very soft but made major with no problem although when the temperature goes cold you may have to add .2 to .3 grains more. I also used small rifle primers to be on the safe side and they seem to have a better flash to burn the powder better as I had a Standard deviation of only 9 and was running 1080 give or take.

Robert