Clean Powder

[bgfire]

Of the powders that you use in your reloading, what is the cleanest for you for loads that run the gammet of, say, light plinkers to full power rounds.

I have used Unique, Blue Dot, HS-7, and a couple others. I was just wondering what you guys liked. I load for 38 special, 357 mag, 40 S&W, 10mm, 45 acp, and 45 colt.

My brother likes AA#5 for 40 and 45 acp. I am looking for input on Accurate Arms, Alliant, Hodgdon, IMR, and Winchester powders.

Just curious, and it may lead me to some new powder choices to try.

Bill

[Sixgun]

I load for a Limited .40 and an Open .40.

I like Hodgdon Longshot or Vhit. N-350 for the Open.

For Limited my choice starts and ends with Hodgdon Titegroup.

Ray

[scooterj]

Tightgroup and 155 gr lrn for minor 40

V V n320 and 180 gr MG jhp for major 40

Win 231 and 124 gr jhp for 9mm Production

IMR 7625 and 124 MG jhp for 38 Super

[Jeeper]

I thought titegroup was dirty in my 40. I like N320 for it.

[Jasonub]

320

[Kevin Kline]

I used 320 for about 8 years and still LOVE it. I have recently switched to TG in the last 3 months. I like TG a lot and will continue to use it. I think it is a great powder. It gives good velocities with lower charges, is very fast, but you don't get the disadvantage of shooting fast powders with the lower charges. It's also a lot cheaper than VV N320. I think the 320 is definitely cleaner than TG, but a lot more expensive.

[kevin c]

What I've used/tried (in 40):

Herco - horribly dirty

AA5 and AA7 - sooty

Power Pistol - a little sooty

Action Pistol - a little sooty

Clays and Universal Clays - very clean

Vihtavouri N320 - very clean

These are for major PF loads in .40, using jacketed bullets. YRMV, depending on your exact load, especially if at lower pressures/velocities and using lead.

[Precision40]

Titegroup at 125pf 9mm loads is extremly dirty. On the flip-side, I've found that it's very clean at 165pf with .40 180gn.

[blkbrd]

320 for major straight Clays for minor in 40.

Straight Clays for everything in 45.

[bgfire]

Thanks all for the great information, and please keep it comming.

I really have enjoyed checking this board, and have come away with some really great information.

Thanks,

Bill

[MoNsTeR]

tie, 310 and 320

[reidry]

I shot AA5 for years in my Para P16 - it was dirty. When the soot mixes with the fresh oil on your slide rails you get a nice gritty polishing compound - not a good thing. Accurate powders work and are competitively priced, if you choose them you should expect to spend a little more time cleaning your pistol (every trip to the range would be a good idea).

I also tried a few of the H powders, cleaner but not perfect.

Shot bullseye in a .38 spl revolver for a while, a little smoky with lead bullets.

I much prefer the Vhit powders, currently using up some N350 in my .40 and looking to move to N320 like the rest of the crowd.

Ryan

[MikeFoley]

N320

[sfinney]

N320 for .40 major

3N37 for 38 Major

[.40AET]

How did I miss this???

VihtaVuori! It ain't cheap, ok...it's expensive. But it meters great and its the cleanest powder that I can find. I'm in agreement with sfinney on loads. Good luck finding a powder that's cleaner.

[cautery]

I use VV N340 under 180gr.

let me ask all you N320 users... Why N320? Is it because you can use a smaller charge vs. N340 or N350? Or what...

Seems to me that N320 would leave a fairly large void in the case. Loading N340 to make major would leave a smaller void wouldn't it?

[gino_aki]

I used to use WW Super Field before Winchester discontinued it previously in .40 S&W, haven't tried the reintroduced stuff yet. I'm wondering how it will burn though since the newer WST seems to burn hotter/faster than the older (circa mid-90's) Super Target.

Used to use Action Pistol in the interim but it's discontinued. Super Field was cleaner than Action Pistol in my open gun but both were very accurate under Hornady 155 XTP's.

Currently experimenting with HS-6 for .38 Super...seems to burn pretty clean, and also fairly accurate. Generic bullets, havent tried too much of the premium (Sierra-Hornady-Nosler) stuff yet.

Shooting buddy swears by IMR 7625 for .38 Super Comp.

[Ray_Z]

It seems like there is a lot of graphite in AA powders. They look durty but it's the graphite. I just started using Solo 1000 in my 40. 4.6gr behind a zero 180 @ 1.20 just makes major. No smoke and it's as clean as it can be. 9.4gr 3n37 behind a zero 115 in the 38 super is as good as it gets.

[.40AET]

let me ask all you N320 users... Why N320? Is it because you can use a smaller charge vs. N340 or N350? Or what...

I tried N330 and it was not burning completely. I changed to SR primers and it got better but I was still getting unburned powder all over my ams and hands. Same problem with WST. The advice that I got at the time was change to a faster powder.

Seems to me that N320 would leave a fairly large void in the case. Loading N340 to make major would leave a smaller void wouldn't it?

Yes it does. I have never been able to get a real tight extream spread at the chronograph and I feel it's due to the inconsistancy of the ignition. (IE, the powder is laying in the case in a different position for each shot) I would guess that the N340 would be a lot better.

What charge are you using with the N340, I have some around. It would be nice to carry one less powder. I have some N340 for open steel loads.

[GuildSF4]

N320 and Universal Clays are the cleanest I have used in .40.

Titegroup very dirty in my .40.

Dirtiest powder I have used has to be WW452 (not even sure they make it anymore).

[jmaass]

Of the powders that you use in your reloading, what is the cleanest for you for loads that run the gammet of, say, light plinkers to full power rounds.

I have used Unique, Blue Dot, HS-7, and a couple others. I was just wondering what you guys liked. I load for 38 special, 357 mag, 40 S&W, 10mm, 45 acp, and 45 colt.

My brother likes AA#5 for 40 and 45 acp. I am looking for input on Accurate Arms, Alliant, Hodgdon, IMR, and Winchester powders.

Just curious, and it may lead me to some new powder choices to try.

Bill

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've always been fairly unimpressed by discussions of "What powder is the cleanest", but I never spent any time trying to figure what in my psyche made thiese discussions unimportant to me. It hit me tonight: asking what powder is cleanest is akin to asking "what powder smells nicest in the can". The answer to both questions is: "It Just Doesn't Matter!"

I've shot my (tightly-fitted) 9x21 open guns with SP2 until the inside was black with the gooey crap that Vectan SP2 leaves over time (perhaps 1500 rounds). The guns showed no loss in reliablility and no change in accuracy, so why should I care whether SP2 is a "clean powder" or not?

The measure of a powder is primarily performance. Pick a powder by what works to give you least percieved recoil, suitable accuracy (for your use), and consistantly sufficient Power Factor (if you are shooting in a sport that requires that measure). If it runs without over-frequent cleaning, great. If not, clean the gun more often.

Pick a powder that provides the shooting performance you need, not some measure of good houskeeping!

BTW, SP2 smells great in the can!

[cautery]

.40AET - In my G22, I did some test loading using MG 180gr TC FMJ over 4.9-6.0gr of VVN340 in Winchester Brass and WSP primers to an OAl of 1.140" in a custom barrel with only 0.005 (+0.000"/-0.002") of bullet jump (reduced lead length et al.)

This test was primarily to check safety of the max published VV N340 charge with a reuced BJ.... no signs of pressure probs.

Unfortunately, I didn't have a chrono at the time, so I don't know what the velocities were. Subjectively, even the max loads were tamer than factory loads.

I still have 4lbs of N340, and now have a chrono, so I will be starting over to develop a load for the G35.... again with a short lead in the chamber. But this time, I'm goin to reduce the breech to headspace step from the standard 0.850" to something less than that, trim cases so that they will headspace on the step with minimal room to slap back on the breech face.

I'm also going to be using a new bullet... This time, i'll be using the new Precision Delta 180gr FMJ (not a TC... has a 22 degree noase radius and reduced flat tip).

I'll be building a db of the chrono and ballistic info for this setup from minimum to max+ to see where the PF breakovers are, where the best group sizes fall, e t al. This db will be used as the base data for tuning a load for my G35 limited pistol.

[kevin c]

Seems to me that N320 would leave a fairly large void in the case. Loading N340 to make major would leave a smaller void wouldn't it?

Yes it does. I have never been able to get a real tight extream spread at the chronograph and I feel it's due to the inconsistancy of the ignition. (IE, the powder is laying in the case in a different position for each shot) I would guess that the N340 would be a lot better.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hmm...

My experience w/ N320, loading 180 grain MGJHP's to major PF at an OAL of 1.200", is that I typically get very low ES, SD and AD readings (single digit for SD and AD most of the time). As for accuracy, it's a more accurate load than I can shoot.

What OAL are you loading to, and w/ what kind of bullet?

[.40AET]

What OAL are you loading to, and w/ what kind of bullet?

MG 180g CMJ

WSR Primers

1.200" oal

4.9g N320

ES=62

PF=170

The load has always been very accurate. When I buy all of the same headstamp brass for matches the ES goes down to 33. I'd still like to see it go down, what's your diagnosis Doc?

[Stumpnav]

Have you tried different types of primers? Back in my highpower days, a change in primer could make a huge difference in ES.

Try what you have on hand both pistol and rifle primers from different companies.