N320 or Sport Pistol for .40 major

[OnceACowboy]

1 cent hazmat at Brownells.

[ttolliver]

I don't have any experience with Sport Pistol, but N320 is amazing stuff. You should be able to develop a fine shooting 40 Major load with N320 if you choose to pay the slightly higher price for it.

 

When I was working up my first 40 Major loads I tried 6 powders and found the best 2 to be N320 and CFE Pistol. I honestly couldn't find a performance difference between the two so I went with the cheaper one. And it never disappointed.

 

So here's the punchline -- it's a time vs money thing. You should be able to get a solid 40 Major competition load out of N320. If your main motivation is to get a competition load asap because the season is already here, go N320 with confidence. If you're not in a hurry then try a few powders and you'll likely save some money.

[Mcfoto]

I’m in the Sport Pistol fan club. Use  it for 180 gr Blues. No problem getting major at a factory gun OAL. A buddy loads long and had to go to max charge to make major PF. Shoots straight and clean and meters well.

[MikeRussell]

I was a big fan of N320, used it religiously in 9mm minor and 40 major loads...then I tried Sport Pistol. I'm actually using less of a cheaper powder to make major PF with 180gr RNFP in my Limited guns (made 172pf at MS Classic using 4.4gr @ 1.130in, at last years Gator Classic it took 4.7gr N320 to make 171pf at the same length and same gun). I get an extra 100rnds per pound out of the Sport Pistol over the N320. When I get done burning off my last 3lbs of TiteGroup, I'll be swapping my 9mm minor loads over to Sport Pistol as well.

[OnceACowboy]

Thanks for the input. I'm shooting 180 grain blue bullets at 1.14. With the 1 cent hazmat from Brownells I wanted to get away from Titegroup. Everything I read lead me to these two powders.

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[Novagunner]

I love n320 overall. The price per round isn’t that much more than other powders. I do use wst for my practice loads mainly because I still have 16 pounds of it.

[zzt]

You will like Sport Pistol.  At $77/4 lb vs $116/4 lb for N320, you'll be ahead..

Edited May 23, 2019 by zzt

[Khaot1c]

+1 for Sport Pistol

Have a load that easily makes major with 180gr Blue Bullets loaded to 1.200" and works equally well with jacketed. 

 

Also using it with 124/125 and 135gr 9mm.

 

Very clean and seems to be pretty temperature stable. 

For me, a more economical choice than N320. 

[Eman]

Sport pistol is great for 9mm loads with 147gr bullets. I just tried some the other day and thought the load wouldn’t make power factor till I chrono’d it. 131pf and it was super clean after the 200+ round day I put through the gun that session. 

 

In .40, my experience is limited by the glock 35 oal that I have to shoot at. 1.130 is short. Still, the powder burns clean and is slightly better than tightgroup on the sooty residue on the outside of the barrel. I would say SP is much better on the internals of the gun than TG. TG leaves a nasty soot inside that I didn’t notice with SP. 

[Superpipe9]

I had been using n320 with the blue bullets 180gr with great results other than the high price of n320 but and buddy kept telling me how great sport pistol was so I tried it and from my experience I would say it’s just as good as n320 almost identical in fact so from now on I will be using sport pistol. If you guys want to order some blue bullets you can use coupon code (Moser) for a discount. 

[MikeyScuba]

Give N310 a go.  4.3gr ibejhead 190gr 1.22 oal.

[OnceACowboy]

What's the difference between 310 and 320?

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[Ken6PPC]

31 minutes ago, OnceACowboy said:

What's the difference between 310 and 320?

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I know!  10!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Novagunner]

1 hour ago, OnceACowboy said:

What's the difference between 310 and 320?

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N310 is a faster powder. 

 

https://www.hodgdon.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/burn-rate-color.pdf

[OnceACowboy]

Thanks for the info.  Where does Sport Pistol fit on this chart?

Edited June 2, 2019 by OnceACowboy

[Novagunner]

It is supposedly a substitute for HP-38/W231 but I don’t see the actual burn rate. 

[OnceACowboy]

I couldn't find the burn rate either.  I did find a comment somewhere that said it was supposed to sub for VV N320.  

[zzt]

Sport Pistol is a tad slower than N320, but otherwise quite similar.

 

For those of you considering using N310 for 40 major, do yourself a favor and don't.  If you want a great fast powder with no temperature sensitivity, use Alliant e3.  3.7gr under a 180 poly coated bullet @ 1.126" makes 172PF in my Limited gun.

[Riley]

I like the Sport Pistol in the mid 4gr range and 180gr Blue Bullets, gives me 172pf in a CZ TSO 40 measured at 15’. 

 

Without going way below minimum, CFE P was too hot. Min charge was giving 185pf with the same setup. 

 

And i I think they, Alliant,  still have a $2 per pound rebate with a minimum 4lb purchase. 

[Sandbagger123]

On 6/3/2019 at 10:11 AM, zzt said:

Sport Pistol is a tad slower than N320, but otherwise quite similar.

 

For those of you considering using N310 for 40 major, do yourself a favor and don't.  If you want a great fast powder with no temperature sensitivity, use Alliant e3.  3.7gr under a 180 poly coated bullet @ 1.126" makes 172PF in my Limited gun.

i bought an 8# and have been testing it .  i found it to be slightly faster than n320.  it fits right in between TG and n320 in my experience. what i like is that it meters like water and the SD is excellent even with mixed brass.   one thing i wish it was is lighter in color. with 3.3 grains in 9mm its pretty hard to see without a light . 

[XDoctor]

I've been doing a lot of testing with N310 and Sport Pistol.  Had big problems with the N310 measuring correctly in my Dillon.  It kept sticking in the powder measure, then raining down on the plate, leaving me with a light load.  I went through 2k rounds with it before pulling the powder measure apart in a fit of rage, cleaning it out and refilling with Sport Pistol.  I'm making major at 4.7 grains, it's flake powder rather than stick and measures very accurately.  It's maybe not quite as clean as N310, but it's very not bad compared to most.  So it's cheaper, I use less of it, it's easier to work with and I can't tell the difference on the range.  Sport Pistol is exactly what I've been looking for. 

[Maksim]

On 6/10/2019 at 6:01 PM, XDoctor said:

I've been doing a lot of testing with N310 and Sport Pistol.  Had big problems with the N310 measuring correctly in my Dillon.  It kept sticking in the powder measure, then raining down on the plate, leaving me with a light load.  I went through 2k rounds with it before pulling the powder measure apart in a fit of rage, cleaning it out and refilling with Sport Pistol.  I'm making major at 4.7 grains, it's flake powder rather than stick and measures very accurately.  It's maybe not quite as clean as N310, but it's very not bad compared to most.  So it's cheaper, I use less of it, it's easier to work with and I can't tell the difference on the range.  Sport Pistol is exactly what I've been looking for. 

Interesting... in my Hornady powder measure, it is the alliant e3 that sometimes sticks and has issues throwing... at times throws light and I got to make sure to catch it.

Not sure how different N310 is from 320, but did not have issues with 320.

 

I will say, really liking the way e3 shoots though.  Have not tried 40 yet but in 9mm, yum.

[MikeyScuba]

No issues with n310 metering in my 650

[nomore606]

I have tried a lot of different powders including N320, N340, titegroup, and now Alliant E3. I love E3. I can make major PF (171) with only 4.2 loaded long under a 180 gr blue bullet. I also make 130 PF with 2.7 under a 147 gr blue bullet in 9mm. It's the cleanest powder I've shot as well.

[BryceA]

On 6/7/2019 at 8:32 PM, Sandbagger123 said:

i bought an 8# and have been testing it .  i found it to be slightly faster than n320.  it fits right in between TG and n320 in my experience. what i like is that it meters like water and the SD is excellent even with mixed brass.   one thing i wish it was is lighter in color. with 3.3 grains in 9mm its pretty hard to see without a light . 

Word on the internet is that Sport Pistol has a similar burn rate as American Select, which is consistent with these observations. https://www.shootingtimes.com/editorial/alliant-sport-pistol-powder/99181

 

I've been using Sport Pistol in 9mm and love it, if that helps. They have load data for polymer bullets, which isn't a big advantage but says what their priorities were when developing it, and they list lots of load data for any reasonably common caliber. It looks like it will easily make Major PF in 40 S&W. I have also tried Titegroup which will do but isn't great because it leaves a tough glaze like residue in brass that is more difficult to clean, heats up the gun fast, and made leading problems way worse. Another good one for heavier bullets is WSF which is pretty good for heavier loads but it's more expensive and not as good for 125's in my experience.

 

I don't have any experience with N320, though I hear it's good, although only slightly better or the same as Sport Pistol. I don't personally know anybody shooting it (most people are using Titegroup, Sport Pistol, or W231).