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Cleaner Burning Powders-Link
- Thread starter hikingman
- Start date
I've spent a fair amount of time looking for clean burning powders. In GENERAL, IMR and Alliant TEND to be dirty. They work fine, and in some applications they're cleaner than in others. Sometimes the firmness of the crimp makes a difference.
My searching has been in .38/.357, so I can't help you with the .45 Colt....sorry.
So far, two brands have stood out. Hodgdon (http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp) has some that are very clean. I like Universal in particular. I've used it for training classes where hundreds of rounds were expended every day, and there were no problems with gunk building up in the gun. This does require using jacketed/semi-jacketed bullets rather than cast bullets, though. Clays is very clean, and I like it with .38 spl loads, as it is pretty fast burning. Universal is a bit slower, but too fast for high performance .357 mag loads. In .357, Universal is excellent for mid-range loads, and up to decent SD loads, which are below max. This is fine for me as I don't load max loads anyway. HS-6 with a tight crimp is fairly clean in .357 mag, but not as clean as the other two I mentioned. It does give higher performance, as it is slower burning than Universal and Clays. I use this a lot, anyway.
The other powder is Vihta Vouri. I'm just getting into this brand, and I must say it is pricey by comparison. Try N-340 for .357 mag. as a starting powder. This stuff almost cleans your gun for you. I'm still checking out others, but the reputation of this company for clean burning powders is pretty well established, judging by reloading publication reviews and comments by reloaders. I'm considering trying N-110 for rifle loads, but I'm starting to wind down my shooting and am selling off and giving away my guns, so I don't know how far I will go with the reloading. I'm sorry, but I lost my address for the V-V information site. If you cannot find what you need, PM me with your e-mail address, and I'll send you the V-V reloading manual in Adobe format.
twb
My searching has been in .38/.357, so I can't help you with the .45 Colt....sorry.
So far, two brands have stood out. Hodgdon (http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp) has some that are very clean. I like Universal in particular. I've used it for training classes where hundreds of rounds were expended every day, and there were no problems with gunk building up in the gun. This does require using jacketed/semi-jacketed bullets rather than cast bullets, though. Clays is very clean, and I like it with .38 spl loads, as it is pretty fast burning. Universal is a bit slower, but too fast for high performance .357 mag loads. In .357, Universal is excellent for mid-range loads, and up to decent SD loads, which are below max. This is fine for me as I don't load max loads anyway. HS-6 with a tight crimp is fairly clean in .357 mag, but not as clean as the other two I mentioned. It does give higher performance, as it is slower burning than Universal and Clays. I use this a lot, anyway.
The other powder is Vihta Vouri. I'm just getting into this brand, and I must say it is pricey by comparison. Try N-340 for .357 mag. as a starting powder. This stuff almost cleans your gun for you. I'm still checking out others, but the reputation of this company for clean burning powders is pretty well established, judging by reloading publication reviews and comments by reloaders. I'm considering trying N-110 for rifle loads, but I'm starting to wind down my shooting and am selling off and giving away my guns, so I don't know how far I will go with the reloading. I'm sorry, but I lost my address for the V-V information site. If you cannot find what you need, PM me with your e-mail address, and I'll send you the V-V reloading manual in Adobe format.
twb
Copper and brass jacketing materials are softer than the steel of the barrel and cylinder and there is no increase in wear. While both jacketed and lead bullets can leave their respective metals in the bore, in my experience, leading is sometimes/often a problem and jacketing material has never been a problem. Cast bullets often have characteristics which I do not tolerate. This is a matter of taste, and nothing else.
You made two points you desired: 1) clean, and 2) moderate loads. Jacketed bullets and clean powder will meet both your desires. Lead bullets MAY meet both your goals, depending on your choice of manufacturer.
Lead bullets will cause more smoke to be generated. Some of this is condensed/deposited in your gun. Depending on the heat of the powder charge, some of the bullet base may melt and be left behind....gas checks (made of copper) can be used to eliminate this. Then there is the lubricant which is often part or all of the problem, many of which leave a gummy crap that gets into everything. I have no doubt that there are cast bullet manufacturers who produce a product where these dislikes of mine are not a problem. The company I used in the past, which produced a product without these problems, is no longer in business. I used a bunch of other brands in a search for a good cast bullet replacement and finally gave up in disgust.
Cast bullets are significantly cheaper. They are cheaper to make.
twb
You made two points you desired: 1) clean, and 2) moderate loads. Jacketed bullets and clean powder will meet both your desires. Lead bullets MAY meet both your goals, depending on your choice of manufacturer.
Lead bullets will cause more smoke to be generated. Some of this is condensed/deposited in your gun. Depending on the heat of the powder charge, some of the bullet base may melt and be left behind....gas checks (made of copper) can be used to eliminate this. Then there is the lubricant which is often part or all of the problem, many of which leave a gummy crap that gets into everything. I have no doubt that there are cast bullet manufacturers who produce a product where these dislikes of mine are not a problem. The company I used in the past, which produced a product without these problems, is no longer in business. I used a bunch of other brands in a search for a good cast bullet replacement and finally gave up in disgust.
Cast bullets are significantly cheaper. They are cheaper to make.
twb
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