Alliant Powder, Bullseye: for 9mm, 40s&w, .45acp and .38/357

[zombiehunter]

While there versitile powders , the idea of one poder for everthing sounds better than it really is. "Dirty burning" is overblow issue.

Bullseye has been around since the beginning of consumer smokless powder. At some point it has been used for every possable application, handgun or rifle. It is commonly available, and will be so forever.

All that said , there are lots of other similar powders that work well also. I once used a lb of Nitro100 (N100) , and thought it was better than sliced bread , but it is now a trivia question. Red Dot also good choice for similar uses.

But my personal preference is for WW231 . Also lots of published data. Great accuracy in light loads , more versatile for also doing medium loads, doesn't spike prrssure as quickly.

Since two powder inventories were also mentioned in passing , I will point to IMR4227 as the other. Slightly lower vels than 2400 , but better consistancy at more moderate pressures , and really hand to potentially reach dangerous pressures in a magnum revolver. I have a go to rule of thumb loading that seems to alway give at least decent accuraccy in different cal and bullet combos, while 2400 seems to require specific load developement for decent accuracy.

Mostly, I'm just trying to match factory ammo as best I can with velocity and accuracy. If I get into bullseye shooting then I'll bounce up to specific powders etc. Right now I'm more concerned about plinking and increasing my anti-zombie stash.

 

[trickg]

But my personal preference is for WW231 . Also lots of published data. Great accuracy in light loads , more versatile for also doing medium loads, doesn't spike pressure as quickly.

I've used a lot of that as well, but for the stuff I reload - pretty much all target loadings in terms of power, I think I like Bullseye just as well. I don't know - it's kind of a wash, I've used them both of them a lot but I've probably used more Bullseye. Then again, I probably load more .45 ACP than anything else.

 

[pcfixer]

JMHO. cleaner powder is Hodgdon Titegroup. Works in all above calibers.
I shot in 45 acp and 45 LC. Clays is a target powder in 45 LC. very clean

 

[zombiehunter]

How dirty are we talking with the Bullseye?

 

[trickg]

How dirty are we talking with the Bullseye?

You'll wind up with some powder residue on your hands and on the gun, but not so dirty that it impedes function of the gun. IMO, it's about twice as bad with Unique, and Unique, in my experience with it, tends to be greasy-dirty, where Bullseye is more dry-sooty dirty.

 

[smoothoperator]

unfortunately, there is not much you can do about the powder burning dirty. but unique does fire well in most calibers mentioned. my experience is mostly .45, but no matter how good the load, it fires dirty.
but the assurance that it will work right is worth it.

 

[A. Wayne]

How dirty are we talking with the Bullseye?

Depends how many rounds- I can shoot 200 or so .38's and 9x18 and see residue if I look.This is nothing that affects function of a revolvers action, or Makarov. It is not unsightly, and definately not even a consideration in what I load. I have used HP38,bluedot, and universal clays through the years, trying different loads, but for me, basic plinking and target shooting I just like the way bullseye comes through my measure, and shoots very consistant in my guns. I am sure my guns, and my ammo are way more capable than I am...

Choot em' Elizabeth!

 

[Cowboy T]

Titegroup burns cleanly if you use enough of it. This is especially true in .45 Colt. But even though lighter loads of it do soot up the cases a little, the powder gives me good results in this round. It also does well in .38 Spl.

I'm not sure why some people say Bullseye is "dirty". In my experience, it's been pretty clean. Matter of fact, my light .357M load leaves the cases so clean that they don't have to be tumbled! Yes, *that* clean. They can go straight back into the resizing die after use. This load is about the 20K PSI level.

My "powder-puff" .38 Special load, which also uses Bullseye, is just that, a powder-puff load. It's a nice little marksmanship practice load. Pressure is likely in the 13,000 PSI range, if that. But the cases certainly aren't "dirty" any more than loads with W231 have been.

Whether or not the powder is "dirty" means very little, if anything, to me. What matters is how well the round with that load in it shoots out of that gun. If the gun shoots that load well, we're good. If not, then we just need further load development, that's all.

 

[tdt91]

I believe Hp-38 will work well for them all. IIRC. However it is dirty. I now use tite group for 9mm. 4.5 grns and its fairly clean

 

[Warpspasm]

I agree with Cowboy T on needing to use enough Titegroup to make it clean. If you don't shoot a relatively hot round it will soot up like the rest of them (greasy too). After a couple of pounds of it I changed to Power Pistol and Win231. I use the Power Pistol in my 9mm and Win231 in 45ACP. I found that Clays works best in my .38 loads. I'm buying a pound of Bullseye next, to try in my 45ACP

 

[TripleChris]

I love Bullseye for .45 ACP.

For 9mm, not so much. There are many better offerings.

IMO its not a "do all" caliber.

 

[10mmnut]

I used to be a bullseye powder nut. Shot all those claibers in it for years and even noticed a few years back that the sootiness of that powder was lessened for cleaner burn in recent years. Ran short on it during a powder shortage a few years back and I tried a pound of STD clays powder. That powder is awsome. clean, and no residuals at all.
I have switched and not looked back for all my 45acp and 10mm loading.
Works really well for hard cast lead bullets shooting at medium speeds up to 1200fps.

 

[fisunshine]

Try Win. WST for .40, great powder. less felt recoil (to me) than some of the other powders.
one of the big questions you need to ask yourself is this for competitive shooting or just to have fun with.
try clays if it is for competitive 9mm. softest and fastest, but not applicable in all calibers

 

[Baumer]

Personally I've tried to accomplish a similar goal, although I dont shoot .40, with Bullseye, Unique, Titegroup, WW231, AA5, and VV N320. For me the winner was VV N320. If I were stack ranking them:

1. VV N320
2. WW231
3. Bullseye and Titegroup
4. AA5
5. Unique

Of course there are trade offs no matter which way you go. I found N320 to be clean and accurate but it's expensive and you're unlikely to find it stocked locally. I'd give WW231 the accuracy edge in .45 but N320 the edge in 9mm and 231 is slightly dirtier than N320. Bullseye and TG are both fine powders, good accuracy but dirtier than 320 or 231. AA5 is probably the most versatile of the bunch (can even be used with my 41mag) but I couldn't get the same type of accuracy that I could with the others. Unique shoots fine but it was just filthy and became fertilizer.

 

[zombiehunter]

Personally I've tried to accomplish a similar goal, although I dont shoot .40, with Bullseye, Unique, Titegroup, WW231, AA5, and VV N320. For me the winner was VV N320. If I were stack ranking them:

1. VV N320
2. WW231
3. Bullseye and Titegroup
4. AA5
5. Unique

Of course there are trade offs no matter which way you go. I found N320 to be clean and accurate but it's expensive and you're unlikely to find it stocked locally. I'd give WW231 the accuracy edge in .45 but N320 the edge in 9mm and 231 is slightly dirtier than N320. Bullseye and TG are both fine powders, good accuracy but dirtier than 320 or 231. AA5 is probably the most versatile of the bunch (can even be used with my 41mag) but I couldn't get the same type of accuracy that I could with the others. Unique shoots fine but it was just filthy and became fertilizer.

That reminds me of one of those Sam is taller than Jane but shorter than Tim who is taller than Eric math problems.

I'm waiting for my calipers so I can measure length, then I'm going to load up 100 .38spl!

 

[Topher]

Personally I've tried to accomplish a similar goal, although I dont shoot .40, with Bullseye, Unique, Titegroup, WW231, AA5, and VV N320. For me the winner was VV N320. If I were stack ranking them:

1. VV N320
2. WW231
3. Bullseye and Titegroup
4. AA5
5. Unique

Of course there are trade offs no matter which way you go. I found N320 to be clean and accurate but it's expensive and you're unlikely to find it stocked locally. I'd give WW231 the accuracy edge in .45 but N320 the edge in 9mm and 231 is slightly dirtier than N320. Bullseye and TG are both fine powders, good accuracy but dirtier than 320 or 231. AA5 is probably the most versatile of the bunch (can even be used with my 41mag) but I couldn't get the same type of accuracy that I could with the others. Unique shoots fine but it was just filthy and became fertilizer.

I have heard the same feedback about N320.
For me... the price and availability makes learly to start using it.

Chris

 

[Baumer]

That reminds me of one of those Sam is taller than Jane but shorter than Tim who is taller than Eric math problems.

I'm waiting for my calipers so I can measure length, then I'm going to load up 100 .38spl!

It gets worse when you start considering even more variables such as muzzle flash, felt recoil, and metering through a progressive.

 

[pcfixer]

I used to be a bullseye powder nut. Shot all those claibers in it for years and even noticed a few years back that the sootiness of that powder was lessened for cleaner burn in recent years. Ran short on it during a powder shortage a few years back and I tried a pound of STD clays powder. That powder is awsome. clean, and no residuals at all.
I have switched and not looked back for all my 45acp and 10mm loading.
Works really well for hard cast lead bullets shooting at medium speeds up to 1200fps.

I use Clays and Titegroup both in 45 ACP 45 LC. JMHO both seem to be cleaner burns than Ultramax purchased ammo.

Clays comes now in 14 oz container.

 

[Warpspasm]

I just loaded some 45 ACP rounds in Clays and was very happy with the results. Enough so that it may become my powder of choice for this caliber. It's the one I use for .38 as well.

 

[pcfixer]

I just loaded some 45 ACP rounds in Clays and was very happy with the results. Enough so that it may become my powder of choice for this caliber. It's the one I use for .38 as well.

Great. Look here....
http://www.hodgdon.com/shotpist.html