SA Friday Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 N-320 is the cleanest Solo 1000 not far behind WST can be clean but there is no published data for it with 9mm jacketed or cast that I could find. IMO, you don't need to use really fast powders like N-310 or Clays in 9mm. Lead bullets already shoot very softly with N-320 or Solo 1000. Solo 1000 has the least amount of smoke. WST is next. N320 is next least. They are all clean enough for what you are shooting. N310 and Clays have caused more untimely deaths of firearms than anything else I've ever seen. They have their place, but IMO, that isn't in 9mm or 40 cal loaded OEM OALs. For the info you are looking for, moly and lead are pretty much the same as test results go. There are a dozen or so threads on this in the reloading section. More than a few are mine. I tested this stuff a lot and posted the results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCrane Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 I dont really understand how different powders act different when the only thing that changes is the gun they are leaving. IMR4756 is by FAR the cleanest powder I have run through my gun. It also is the least smokey, and the least 'flashy' Ive run 3n38, N105, N350, 3n37 and autocomp. 3n38 nearly burned my eyebrows off during a stage that required the gun to be shot while inside a tube/barrel. I found it weird since it's the powder most use for the type of gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noylj Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 I know that I just don't know much, but I have never really paid attention to smoke or cleanliness. I can say that I once loaded a whole series of powders in virgin 9x19 Win brass and the only cases that came out still looking like virgin brass were the one's fired with PB. I have NEVER seen such clean cases after firing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solaritx Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 OK, I know I am going to kick myself for already knowing the answer.....but which powder is PB? Garry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orangeman711 Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Any of the Vita Vouri's(105,320 340 or 350) all work fine for me with no smoking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Something else to factor in. I think I am safe in saying that All powders burn a lot cleaner when loaded to the upper areas of their pressure range. Solo 1000 loaded pretty "hot" burns extremely clean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noylj Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 PB is an IMR powder PB is great for Trap, Skeet, and Sporting Clays where heavy 1 ounce and 1-1/8 ounce loads are needed. In pistol it yields top performance in target and plinking loads for such cartridges as the 40 S&W, 45 Auto, etc. The small extruded grains deliver metering that is always super uniform. It is named for the "porous base" of the grains and, I though, simply had to be good with lead (Pb) bullets... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjb45 Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 I use VV320 for 9, 40, and 45. Burns cleans, easy cleanup. Zero bullets for the most part. No lead and no moly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Full mag Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Another vote for Solo 1000 for least smoke and best price. I shoot some lead but mostly moly's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe D Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Solo 1000 is a gun cotton based power = no nitro. Titegroup has a very percentage of nitro = not lead friendly. I use Solo for 9mm and Clays for .40 and .45. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill40718 Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 I agree completely with Full Mag. Clean and priced right! Great with Billy Bullets in my .38 Super and .40 S&W. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Keen Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 PB is very clean Peanut Butter? Packard Bell? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noylj Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 PB is very clean Peanut Butter? Packard Bell? IMR PB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19852 Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 VV N320 for me [9mm minor] I'll have to look at PB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sincityshooter Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I run N320 for production minor 9mm IMR 4650 for 38 super open major Both have zero smoke.. well at least I've never noticed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anilson Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Vith powder all seem to be cleaner then others. Match= n320 with jhp cheap = solo 1000 with lead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Got Juice? Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Another vote for WSF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tzahoy Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I've had great luck with PB as well. It seems to have a very progressive curve, it works well with 38 wadcutters as low as 2.9gr, light 9mm loads with 124 gr zeros at 4.4 gr with a light recoil spring in my Glock 17 are super accurate and very clean. In the big old 45 ACP using 230gr LRN I get a lot of unburned powder in my revolvers until I get close to major loads. In this application it doesn't seem suited to low velocity loads. Otherwise it's been very clean, even in my light wadcutter loads and some light 38 special loads. I think the 45 case just has too much air space for clean burning light loads. One issue I did have with it in my Hornady LNL measure was powder bridging giving inconsistent charges. The LnL pistol metering inserts have a pretty small diameter, and the PB was sometimes throwing half charges the bridging was so bad. I had already bought 8 lbs. Of it so I was determined to fix the problem. I tried the rifle metering insert which is much bigger diameter, but it was too big to adjust precisely and I coldn't get the lighter loads to meter well either. I ended up boring the pistol metering insert out to 7/16" and welding up the adjusting plug and turning it down to fit the oversized 7/16" bore perfectly. It works like a charm now, and meters every powder I use much better now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin c Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 My vote goes to N320. Just another thought. I have been using TiteGroup over moly for practice rounds. Less expensive, I figured. Problem is that the ammo smokes like a sonavagun. I can load the same round with the same charge of N320 and get very little smoke. True that N320 costs about half again as much as TG, but after I sat down and did the calculations, I found I was saving a half cent per round. Now, would I be willing to pay another dollar and a half to eliminate the smoke (and, BTW, reduce cleaning my gun afterwards) during a 300 round practice? Next purchase is N320. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cy Soto Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 True that N320 costs about half again as much as TG, but after I sat down and did the calculations, I found I was saving a half cent per round. Now, would I be willing to pay another dollar and a half to eliminate the smoke (and, BTW, reduce cleaning my gun afterwards) during a 300 round practice? I have never been much of a fan of Titegroup. I prefer Solo 1000 because it is a lot less smokey than TG. Having said this I will add that thought it's true that 1/2 of a cent doesn't sound like much, when you calculate this over the period of one year, in my case that's a little bit over $1,000. That's a few cases of bullets... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CeeZer Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 PB is very clean Peanut Butter? Packard Bell? Puking Beans... kidding... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin c Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 it's true that 1/2 of a cent doesn't sound like much, when you calculate this over the period of one year, in my case that's a little bit over $1,000. That's a few cases of bullets... Lordy, 200K rounds a year? Even including 22 LR, I don't shoot one tenth of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Guy Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Any of the Vita Vouri's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cy Soto Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 (edited) it's true that 1/2 of a cent doesn't sound like much, when you calculate this over the period of one year, in my case that's a little bit over $1,000. That's a few cases of bullets... Lordy, 200K rounds a year? Even including 22 LR, I don't shoot one tenth of that. 200K!!!!!!! Darn, not even close... Bad math on my part... The cost difference should only be about $100 in a year. I must admit that I am amazed that the difference is so minuscule. With the cost of VV N320 (compared to other powders) I thought that the cost per round would be more. Now if I could only find N320 locally... Edited February 4, 2011 by Cy Soto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noylj Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 TZahoy: I remember that when I bought a pound of PB back in the dark ages (before '90s). It was the first powder I bought that still reeked of MEK/MIBK and other solvents. I think the porous base lets if "hold" solvent better. It performed fairly well in 9x19 and .45ACP. And it was the first powder that left totally clean cases after firing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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