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  #1  
Old 10-15-2016, 09:11 PM
Qc Pistolero Qc Pistolero is offline
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Default Power Pistol in .44

When I got my 629-1(8 3/8'')I decided I'd only shoot moderate loads in it.I know Unique is the king of the hill for such loads but I was kind of wanting to reinvent the wheel(well,at least,I admit it...please guys don't throw any rock at me!).Was looking for 215gr launched at around 1350fps.
At first,I tried my own cast bullets sized .430 and surface lubed with Alox from White lab product over 14.0gr Power Pistol.The load clocked well over 1400fps and belched smoke almost like a black powder load(guys at the range took turn telling me.....when they could say a few words between their laughing!).Went back to the casting bench and lubed them with my regular lube(which normally even full .44Mag loads doesn't bring any humiliating comment from my shooting fellows).Still,with a reduced load(13.5gr)of PP,there is some smoke that,while my friends do not use as a giggling matter anymore,seems to me as being excessive.Question is,is Power Pistol a powder that is smoky or am I still loading to hot for the capacity of the bullet lube?
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Old 10-15-2016, 10:19 PM
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I've never tried PP so I don't know how smoky it is. But 1350 sounds seems a bit on the hot side for cast lead.
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Old 10-15-2016, 10:38 PM
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Never used PP for the Mag but it is my go to powder these days for the .44 Special. With eight gr PP, standard primer with a 250 #429421 lubed with SPG its good for just under 1,000 fps with a 4 5/8th barrel. "That load should only be used in modern made revolvers". No unreasonable amount of smoke noted. I never thought that I would use anything else but Unique with these kinds of loads but PP won me over.
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Old 10-16-2016, 01:01 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Qc Pistolero View Post
Question is,is Power Pistol a powder that is smoky or am I still loading to hot for the capacity of the bullet lube?
It's the lube. Try it with some plated/jacketed bullets; no smoke, especially at that power level.

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Old 10-16-2016, 03:02 AM
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l shoot Power Pistol when l can find it.. Great powder for my
mid-range loads... Your smoke is coming from your bullet lube..
Try some jkt or swaged bullets w/PP... NO SMOKE
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Old 10-16-2016, 07:16 AM
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Another reason to powder coat bullets.

No smoke with pp and cast/coated bullets in the calibers I've shot them in. Namely the 38spl/357/44spl/44mag/45acp/2223rem/308/30-06.
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Old 10-16-2016, 02:05 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BLUEDOT37 View Post
It's the lube. Try it with some plated/jacketed bullets; no smoke, especially at that power level.

.
I guess you are right.What puzzles me is that the same lube doesn't smoke much when loaded with a full charge of H110.I guess that PP burns much hotter.
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Old 10-16-2016, 06:45 PM
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My fiancé shoots a lot of 38 spl . I use the Lee tumble lube 158 gr round nose bullet on top of 4.5 grs of Ramshot Zip . We get a lot of smoke . I shoot a lot of WSF with my cast loads in 357 , 41 and 44 magnum , again quite a bit of smoke . i can see the reason for powder coated bullets . I have an RCBS lube/sizer so to change to powder coating is more expense for so little gain . It seems that the slower burning magnum powders have much less smoke . Anyway , I just live with the smoke .

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Old 10-16-2016, 07:30 PM
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Smoke or no smoke, still get more flash with PP than any other powder I've used, still like it in 44spl though.
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Old 10-17-2016, 12:08 PM
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I used Unique for years, throughout the 80s and 90s. In the 357 Magnum I'd load 6 Gr under a 158 LSWC for most of my 357 shooting. It was extremely accurate and a nice medium load for small game. The only downside is it meters terribly. I am starting to like Power Pistol because it meters great, very consistent, and makes some good medium level revolver loads. Got to try it in 44 Special, it should do well.
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Old 10-18-2016, 01:00 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cowboy4evr View Post
It seems that the slower burning magnum powders have much less smoke . Anyway , I just live with the smoke .
I too can live with the smoke...it's the joking of my fellow shooters I've got problems with.Anyway,I guess I'll have to learn to live with it;I got 4#of the stuff to burn.After that,it's going to be back to Unique!
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Old 10-18-2016, 01:02 PM
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[QUOTE=thomasinaz;139295794 I am starting to like Power Pistol because it meters great, very consistent, and makes some good medium level revolver loads. Got to try it in 44 Special, it should do well.[/QUOTE]

From what I read,PP is a great powder to use for .38Spl +P and for .44Spl.Looks like it is well ''balanced''for the size of the brass it is used in.
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Old 10-19-2016, 12:12 AM
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I think it's at it's best in semi-auto cases: 9mm, 40 S&W, 10mm, & 45ACP. However I also use it in large case revolver cartridges, even reduced loads in the 460 & 500 Mags as it's not position sensitive.

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Old 10-20-2016, 12:38 AM
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Brian Pearce has done a lot of work with 44 Special loads, see Handloader magazine. The 429421 with 8.0 of Power Pistol, standard primer was only producing 17K pressure and in a 4" 44 Spl producing just shy of 1,000fps.

It's one of the most accurate 44 Spl loads I have ever shot. Been shooting 44 Spls since 1973.
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Old 10-20-2016, 12:42 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bronco45 View Post
Brian Pearce has done a lot of work with 44 Special loads, see Handloader magazine. The 429421 with 8.0 of Power Pistol, standard primer was only producing 17K pressure and in a 4" 44 Spl producing just shy of 1,000fps.

It's one of the most accurate 44 Spl loads I have ever shot. Been shooting 44 Spls since 1973.
That's a 250gr LSWC at 1000fps, right? That ought to pack a punch! How is it for recoil? Seems like a 240gr LSWC with the same charge ought to move out even a tad quicker and have a little less kick.
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Old 10-20-2016, 01:23 AM
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I like it with Hornady's 180gr XTP in my light weight 396 Night Guard.

They really reduce the recoil, but the POI is lower.

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Old 10-20-2016, 07:48 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BC38 View Post
That's a 250gr LSWC at 1000fps, right? That ought to pack a punch! How is it for recoil? Seems like a 240gr LSWC with the same charge ought to move out even a tad quicker and have a little less kick.
Recoil with that load is a bit stiff but not heavy. To qualify that a bit is compared to that speed with Unique (7.5gr, the Skeeter load) with PP the recoil seems a bit softer. I think that as PP has a bit slower burn rate it "spreads out" the recoil impulse just enough to notice. I feel the same thing with PP in the .45 Colt. Now that's just be my take on it and as always different folk perceive things differently.
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Last edited by Vulcan Bob; 10-20-2016 at 07:50 PM.
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