ZackJones Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Fast forward a few weeks, decided to give E3 another chance in 9mm. Loaded up 20 each starting at 2.9 gr, 3.1 gr, and 3.3 gr. By the time I got to the 3.3 gr load, the powder measure seemed to be far more consistent. Best part is how they shot, virtually the same light recoil but the groups tightened up quite a bit, and the cases were cleaner. Am going to tweak a little more but I can see where E3 may become the only powder I need. Please keep us posted on your progress with e3 in 9mm. That's one load I will probably work up for my son that just bought a Glock 19. As soon as I can get some more .38 Special projectiles I'm going to start working up a load for my revolvers with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZackJones Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 the load master is a great press. Perhaps by the time I finish buying more bullets and match fees and stuff like that I can eventually get a Loadmaster this year. It's all about priorities I suppose. I've loaded with Dillons (SDB, 650 and 550) and they are great presses but for my current needs the Lee product line meets it just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZackJones Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Where are you getting E3 ? I bought 2 lbs of it, like it, now can't find any. What are you guys paying for 4lb and 8lb containers. Look for it on gunbot.net and as soon as you see it in stock some place order it ASAP. I bought mine from 3rd Generation Shooting Supply. I bought a case of it so I'm set for this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeerBaron Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 the load master is a great press. Perhaps by the time I finish buying more bullets and match fees and stuff like that I can eventually get a Loadmaster this year. It's all about priorities I suppose. I've loaded with Dillons (SDB, 650 and 550) and they are great presses but for my current needs the Lee product line meets it just fine. for sure. SDB is a great press for the money. but having had (even the rudimentary lee) a case feeder I wouldn't want a progressive without one. a case feeder is part of what makes progressive so fast. 650's are a beautiful thing too, but they have their own quirks as well and in some areas the lee is a smarter design (and of course in many areas the dillon is smarter). I will agree the dillon feels better made. in my country a 650 with case feeder is basically a $1000 proposition. a lee load master is half that. sadly some lee products really are rubbish or not fit for purpose and that lets their brand down. some of their stuff though is fantastic AND still great value. My loadmaster was third hand when I got it and I had to piece it together from bits. it runs like a top now with very little money spent and just some time on ensuring everything was set right and adjusted right. for example I've never had a case come out from the casefeeder. I do get the odd case come down upside down, but it's super easy to spot and just as easy to correct. maybe 1 in 300 if I'm just throwing them in the top. if I do it carefully I get none. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDA Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 I load on a progressive (Lee Pro 1000) and I look in every case before I put a projectile on top. Loading with E3 in .45 I have never had a problem with the pro auto disc's not being consistent but when I first tried E3 in 9mm I started with 2.9 gr under a 147gr boolit and if I didnt tap the side of the powder hopper on every round I often got a mostly empty case. That loading shot ok but wasnt anything special so I quit E3 for 9mm since the actual loading was more iffy. Fast forward a few weeks, decided to give E3 another chance in 9mm. Loaded up 20 each starting at 2.9 gr, 3.1 gr, and 3.3 gr. By the time I got to the 3.3 gr load, the powder measure seemed to be far more consistent. Best part is how they shot, virtually the same light recoil but the groups tightened up quite a bit, and the cases were cleaner. Am going to tweak a little more but I can see where E3 may become the only powder I need. How slow was your 2.9 gr E3 load? At 20 yards, you could probably get off a second round before the first one contacted the target... ;-) On a serious note, I was shooting a suppressed Sig 522 with a good friend at 100 yards on a steel target. The game was to see how many rounds we could fire before the first one made contact with the steel and all shots had to hit the target. Good times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve RA Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Now that it has been pretty well covered for 9mm, how is it for .45 ACP compared to Clays ??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZackJones Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 (edited) Now that it has been pretty well covered for 9mm, how is it for .45 ACP compared to Clays ??? Instead of telling you to search for it: http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=185531 Edited January 23, 2014 by ZackJones Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkCO Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 It's terrible, you won't like it at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClintDismore Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Just to be sure. This is the e3 12 Guage powder? I saw some yesterday and it confused me a little but I'm very new to this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave33 Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Just to be sure. This is the e3 12 Guage powder? I saw some yesterday and it confused me a little but I'm very new to this Yes. There is no published load data for pistols from the manufacturer, but it has a bit of a following here. If you are very new to reloading E3 may not be for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowenbuilt Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 (edited) Now that it has been pretty well covered for 9mm, how is it for .45 ACP compared to Clays ??? Again it is very similar in .45 ACP. Use the loads you would normally load for Clays and adjust accordingly. I found that 4.2 to 4.4 for plated or jacketed made Major. Very clean with Clays type recoil. 3.6 to 3.9 for coated bullets made Major for me and very soft and smoke free. All of the above was using 230 grain bullets @ 1.240 OAL. Take your favorite Clays load, add a tenth or 2 and Bob's your Uncle. I got one hole groups using plated RMR 230 HP's and 4.4 grns of e3 out of my Gann Custom 1911 at 25 yards. Edited January 24, 2014 by bowenbuilt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkCO Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Now that it has been pretty well covered for 9mm, how is it for .45 ACP compared to Clays ??? Again it is very similar in .45 ACP. Use the loads you would normally load for Clays and adjust accordingly. I found that 4.2 to 4.4 for plated or jacketed made Major. Very clean with Clays type recoil. 3.6 to 3.9 for coated bullets made Major for me and very soft and smoke free. All of the above was using 230 grain bullets @ 1.240 OAL. Take your favorite Clays load, add a tenth or 2 and Bob's your Uncle. I got one hole groups using plated RMR 230 HP's and 4.4 grns of e3 out of my Gann Custom 1911 at 25 yards. And when I need more E3, I'll be over for a re-supply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowenbuilt Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 (edited) I will meet you in Arkansas with a keg......... Psssst....Bruno's shooters Supply has 1 LB. bottles in stock but don't tell anyone. Edited January 24, 2014 by bowenbuilt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClintDismore Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 May have to get some of this and load it up. S pound goes a long ways with these charge weights Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowrider Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I don't have the dates or the exact amount, but when I started looking into this powder the supplier had well over 500lbs of it in 1lb bottles according to their website. No 4's or 8's. They now show ZERO. It's been about a 7 weeks. Glad I got what I did. I should be good for a year or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justsomeguy Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I don't have the dates or the exact amount, but when I started looking into this powder the supplier had well over 500lbs of it in 1lb bottles according to their website. No 4's or 8's. They now show ZERO. It's been about a 7 weeks. Glad I got what I did. I should be good for a year or so. Errp... maybe we should have kept this stuff on the "down low". Another decent powder out of stock! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave33 Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 (edited) How slow was your 2.9 gr E3 load? At 20 yards, you could probably get off a second round before the first one contacted the target... ;-) After firing I was able to walk downrange and wait for the impact. Edited January 24, 2014 by dave33 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VIPERONE Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 38 Special Loads I have not started working with e3 in 38 Special yet, but I did find some loading information. 158/160 grain Round Nose Lead Federal Primers 3.0 grains = 777 fps 3.5 grains = 850 fps I would work in this area and see how it works out. My 40 S&W ICORE Load is very clean burning. I am expecting it to be very clean burning in 38 Special. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parisite Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Just chrono'd some E3 38 loads yesterday. 3.0gr E3 behind a 148gr solid double end wadcutter averaged 815fps. That was out of my model 14-3, six inch barrel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowenbuilt Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 What kind of accuracy did you get out of that load? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parisite Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Been shooting E3 for a while in 38 and 45acp. It's as accurate as anything I've ever tried. Been afraid to push it very hard as I've been leary of spikeyness, but after reading this thread, I'm getting more of it if I run across some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnurlingTurtle Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 38 Special Loads I have not started working with e3 in 38 Special yet, but I did find some loading information. 158/160 grain Round Nose Lead Federal Primers 3.0 grains = 777 fps 3.5 grains = 850 fps I would work in this area and see how it works out. My 40 S&W ICORE Load is very clean burning. I am expecting it to be very clean burning in 38 Special. Bob Just chrono'd some E3 38 loads yesterday. 3.0gr E3 behind a 148gr solid double end wadcutter averaged 815fps. That was out of my model 14-3, six inch barrel. I won't be able to chrono until next weekend but... I'm starting at 3.0gn and taking it to 4.0gn at .2 increments with 158g plated flat nose bullets and OAL of 1.480. Also, I'll be working up a 160g round nose poly bayou bullet to see how those do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azgoose Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 Bruno's does not have any E3. I was there yesterday since it is right down the street from me. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Only thing that stuck out to me was 8# jugs of Ramshot Comp and 8# jugs of Green Dot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowenbuilt Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 They had it on the 23rd but you didn't expect it to still be there yesterday I hope. Especially since it was posted here that they had it. They only had 1 lb. bottles everything else was out of stock. I will have to admit it was a lot easier to find before we started talking about it but I can still find it locally at most of the LGS's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve RA Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 I'm going to try it, whenever I can get some , in 9mm and .45ACP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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