Clean Powder for .38 spl target loads

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flintlock.50

New member
I've used 3.0 gr of Bullseye to push 148 gr wadcutters for many years. Although Bullseye gives very good performance, man is it dirty! My gun and my hands leave the shooting range looking like they've been wallowing in a coal bin. Any recommendations for a clean burning powder for light to medium .38 spl loads?
 
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Nick_C_S

New member
Right up my alley

Bullseye is a fantastic propellant for your application. It is however, "residuey" as I phrase it. For that reason, I have phased out Bullseye from my inventory; but would use it again in a heartbeat, should the need arise.

The most common "clean substitute" - if that's a fair way to put it - for Bullseye is Winchester 231 (a.k.a. HP-38, in the Hodgdon label - same propellant). W231 is a fine powder and is well known for its clean burn. I bought my first # of W231 in 1984 and haven't been without it since. Yes, it's that good.

AA#2 is also another great choice. Runs really clean too. It's a super-fine powder and so its metering consistency is astounding - better than any other. I have gotten incredible Standard Deviations (and accuracy) using AA#2 to push my 148 DEWC's through my 4" Model 67. It's great stuff. If you turn it down too far, it'll leave behind a lot of grainy partially spent stuff - but it's not "dirty."

N-310 is really clean stuff too. But it is expensive - about twice that of other propellants. Also, it's super super fast. So it would only be suitable for your target wadcutters; and little else. I've never used N-320 but it's a little slower and thus, likely more versatile. Since it is also a single-base propellant (like N-310), I suspect it's a clean burner too.

Others may mention TiteGroup. It does run clean. But it also runs really hot and I believe it is much better suited for plated bullets than lead slugs. Lead prefers cool burners - like W231 ;)
 
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gwpercle

New member
The new improved and cleaner burning Red Dot , the new cap is red .
AA #2
700X
Titegroup
HP-38

If you are shooting conventionally lubricated bullets some of the dirt is the burning lubricant . It produces some " Gunsmoke " and coal soot . Give plated or coated bullets a try and see if that helps clean up the loads .

It may not be so much the powder but the bullet lubricant , especially a beeswax based lube...yes they are good lubes but that might be the culprit .
Gary
 
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NoSecondBest

New member
Win 231 is a very good choice. For target loads I prefer it above all others. Both of my Bill Davis guns would shoot "one holers" with 231 and a cast bullet at 25 yards.
 
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Unclenick

Staff
mikejonestkd said:
I'll second Unclenicks recommendation…
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I think you got me confused with Nick C S. You have to watch out about doing that or you may give him a fat head. :eek: ;)

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Flintlock.50,

Hands down, the cleanest powder I've ever fired in 45 Auto was Trail Boss. Since you cannot compress it without raising the pressure, you'll have to seat a DEWC148-grain wadcutter about a tenth to an eighth of an inch out of the case mouth and crimp into the bullet to fit about 3.4 grains in to get to around 750 fps with a 6" revolver. If you are going for a hollow base wadcutter, you'll have to go further out as you will have a hard time getting any powder up into the base cavity.

As a second approach, realizing that a lot of the mess made by Bullseye is its graphite coating flying around everywhere, try one of the non-graphited fast powders. I would look at Hodgdon Clays. About 2 to 2.2 grains is where I like target velocity (750 fps-ish). The max is just 2.5 grains with this very quick powder.
 
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zxcvbob

New member
American Select with 125 grain plated bullets is the cleanest powder I've ever tried. The spent cases looked unfired. But it might be a totally different story with exposed-lead bullets, I don't know. (I have used it with 158 grain lead bullets, but never shot many at a time and didn't notice whether it was dirty or not)
 
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Unclenick

Staff
Interesting to hear that. It's exactly what I experienced with Trail Boss. I was using new Starline brass and after firing the insides of the cases still looked shiny and new and without a trace of smoke, carbon, or anything else. Glad to know of another one.
 
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buckey

New member
Alliant Sport Pistol is a powder that I've been using for about a year and I am impressed with every aspect of it. Works well in .45 ACP, .40 S&W, 9mm and .38 Special and it is clean and priced right.
 
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wbbh

New member
While experimenting with lead free primers I discovered they can make even Uniqe powder shoot cleanly. The primers I use are Fiocchi lead free. They cost about one cent more per round in case you're concerned about the cost.
 
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Unclenick

Staff
Wbbh,

After reading this study, the ignition delays (see page 8) with lead-free primers pretty much discouraged me from using them. Since they exceeded lock time for many guns, it is plenty of time for a small disturbance in aim to change point of impact, especially if your follow-through isn't dead perfect. Have you noticed any grouping issues with them?
 
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azretired

New member
I'll stick with Bullseye. In a long range session I just use a rag I keep in my range bag to wipe off the cylinder and frame occasionally.
 
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Rifletom

New member
Unclenick mentions Hodgdon "Clays". That is a good, CLEAN powder for your .38 spl.
You don't need much.
On a side note; may have to try Trail Boss in my .45 Colt.
 
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T. O'Heir

New member
3.0 grains of Bullseye is hot for a 148 grain WC. .1 below max. I don't think that's causing the crud though. Bullseye is just dirty stuff.
Tried HP38 long ago. Didn't give the accuracy Bullseye does.
 
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pete2

New member
In my experience light loads of 231 do not burn cleanly. I currently use WST, Clays is also clean burning.
 
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Nick_C_S

New member
I think you got me confused with Nick C S. You have to watch out about doing that or you may give him a fat head.
Click to expand...

Heh :D

Life has handed me way too many humbling experiences over the years to get a fat head.
 
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m&p45acp10+1

New member
I am a huge fan of using Trail Boss in the .38 Special. It is a low pressure round. Most powders at low pressure burn dirty. So by nature .38 Special tends to be a dirty round to shoot. I found Trail Boss and with standard bullets it burns clean. Accuracy in several of my guns is very good. Point of aim,and point of impact line up.

I will advise against using Trail Boss with wad cutters. I have tried. The results scared me. Recoil is very low. In most of my guns you get no feel of the bullet leavign the end of the barrel. You have to see the hole in the target. Also I got squib after squib. I warn against using the powder for this application as it is jut not doable in most cases to fit enough powder in the case to get the bullets to leave the barrel. I was being watchful and checked after each shot. I had to beat a few bullets back into the cylinder to get the cylinder open. What was even more scary was the fact that over half of the squibs went far enough into the barrel that another shot would have been possible. Several jammed together could lead to a bent crane or frame from having to beat the cylinder open to get the stuck bullets out.

Take some hand wipes, and some gun wipes with you to the range. If what you have is working I would leave it alone.
 
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