Has anyone had any experience using the Hodgdon 700-X reloading 357 Mag and 38 Spl? Would you recommend this powder.

I have used it in .38 special and loved it for target loads. Absolutely despise the way it won't meeter though. It burns really clean but I just can't trust it in any of my powder measures.

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Trucks and guns.

700X is fine for light to medium 38 special but is too fast for 357mag.

It is my favorite powder for 12ga skeet loads, hands down, and has been for 40 years. Since I always had it around, I tried it in all the calibers I loaded for which manuals had recipes. Meh. It goes bang and the bullet goes out. Never was the most accurate or most consistent load in any pistol cartridge I loaded. Could get by with it if I had too, but HP38 is better in .38 and puny to midrange .357, and 2400 or H110 is better in powerful .357.

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Science plus Art

I can see where it would make a good skeet load. It probably meeters better in a big shotshell bushing. Those big flakes fill the base up nicely too I bet.

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Trucks and guns.

+1 with post #4;

700-x was one of the five powders that I used for all of my 12 Ga. trap and skeet loads.

I tried it in my 38 special, where it did good with starting to medium heavy loads.
However the slower 800-x powder was needed to the top loads and +P loads, that had
safe pressures, in my weapons, with the IMR powders.

I would not recommend it for any kind of a small-charge load. It's acceptable in .45 ACP, but frankly, it does nothing that better-metering don't. And some of them do it better.

My favorite .38 Spl powders are WST and Bullseye. I've only just begun to experiment with HP-38, but it's done well so far, and I already like it very much.

Never tried Hodgdon 700x, but have had a lot of luck with IMR 700X. Let's not forget it isn't a Hodgdon powder, its a DuPont powder, and Hodgodn, let's not forget who cut the beloved SR line, have shamelessly scrubbed the real name and glued their own on it. I don't like the people who run it, not one tiny bit.

In any case, I've had very good luck with IMR 700-x with light target loads in 38 Special, especially with 195 grain Lyman bullets, got a low velocity and very accurate target load out of it using 2.4 grains. As said, metering is an issue, so I don't use it in my progressive, and tend to go back to Bullseye anyways, but it certainly is a viable choice for light loads.

Speaking of skeet loads, IMR 700-X is the go to powder for my 10 gauge 15 pellet 00buckshot loads, works flawlessly, and I just hand scoop and weigh those charges and forgo the whole auto metering for IMR's Hi Skor 700-X.

I second post #7 . WST and Bullseye are my powders of choice for the lower pressure rounds, 38spl , 45acp . 44spl and 45 LC are also calibers of low pressure but I like a powder providing a little more " case fill " in those 2 cartridges .

It has worked well for me in .38 Spl with lead HBWC and lighter (125gr LRN) cast bullets. Difficult to meter, but I strapped an aquarium pump to my powder measure and that kept it flowing consistently.

I'd rather use W231, but when I couldn't find any 700X filled the need quite nicely with a bit of added inconvenience. I still use it for the 125gr LRN as I found that a very accurate combination.

Yes. It's a fast powder in the Bullseye , Red Dot , HP-38 burning range.
Back in the day it was the darling of the 45 acp target loads with cast bullets. It works very well with cast bullets. I've used it with in 9mm Luger , 38 special, 357 magnum , 41 magnum , and 45 acp all with cast bullets.
During the last powder shortage I dug out a can left over from my NRA Bullseye shooting days and rediscovered how useful it was. Found and bought 3 more pounds since then. Most of the other handgun powders had disappeared from the dealers shelf, but 700X was sitting there and I scooped them up. And I will buy more because I shoot cast bullets at low to moderate velocities.
For jacketed bullets at full blown magnum loads it's not right. there are better powders for that application.
Gary

When Unique was in the unobtainium category 700X was readily available....

So, I used what WAS available and shot LOTS of .38 spl's in SASS with 700x that replicated my standard Unique load.

I have NO issues with 700x....got me out of a jam and would use anytime.

Sort of like the waitress in the diner the other day when she said," Don't tell me what you WANT, this what we GOT!"

Randy

Like other stated I used it when my go to powders were unavailable. That being said I did not have very good results. Metered poorly which might account for the poor accuracy. Maybe if I played with the load more it might improve the accuracy. I prefer unique for my 38 loads. I only use 2400 for my 357 mag loads.

I use 700X with 158 gr LSWC bullets for 357 magnum loads. I have very good results using 700X with lead bullets out of all my Smith and Wesson revolvers (4" 13-2,6" 586,4" 66-8),no leading problems and very clean burning powder. I have no problems with metering this powder out of both my old and new Lyman 55 powder measures.

Here is one of my favorite 357 mag loads using 700X
Bullet =158 gr. Missouri Bullet Co. .38 Match
Primer = CCI 500
Powder = 4.7 gr. 700X
Brass= Starline

I also had good results upping powder charge to 4.9 grs. 700X and have used 158 gr. Laser Cast LSWC bullets with great results. Give 700X a try and I think you will be happy with performance of this great powder , don't let the bad rap this powder gets in the metering department stop you from trying it.

I use it exclusively in my practice target loads, can hold a 4" 20 shot group at 88 yards, 122 gr tc lead bullet through my 952-1. Shoot 1,000 rounds a year and love the 700 X powder, most of the time it is all we can get locally.

A couple of my friends use it at ISU target shooting,one in his .38Spl and the other in his .32S&W Long.They both love it.So,when I came across a deal for a 12#can of IMR 700X a couple years ago,I snatched it.
I am now in the process of emptying a 8# of promo and will try it in my .38.But I've tried some in my .44 with 6gr under a 185gr wadcutter.It cuts clover leafs at 20yards handheld.Looks promising !I can't believe that not a single one of my .38s will love it!
Metering problems:as long as the variation is being kept at around .1gr,I don't mind.That small a difference won't make much of a change at 20 or 25 yards.50yds is another story though!
Qc

You can consider 700-X to be tolerably close to Bullseye to use Bullseye loading data. The Hodgdon website has handgun loading data for it. I am currently using 700-X for light-bullet (100 grain) loads in .38 Super, works fine. It's probably at its best in .38 Special and 9mm. I also use it for lighter lead bullet loads in .44 Special, .44 Magnum, and .45 Colt. Seems to meter OK through my Lyman 55 powder measure for me.

Back in my clay bird shooting days, I used it for 12 gauge trap and skeet loads, I went through a lot of it back then.

I use it in 44 special with hornady swaged bullets with great success. I also use it in 38 with no name plated bullets i got from PSA for cheap. They are good because they are super mild, but the accuracy isn't great.

This will be similar to what most have already said. I tried it when I couldn't find any Bullseye or Red Dot, and found that for a .38 target load, I like it better than either of those. After BE and RD became readily available, I loaded three different batches, with the only variable being the powder. My Colt Officer's Model Match grouped better with the 700x than the other two. I realize that's not scientific data, and there are lots of other things to consider when testing load against load, but it did show me that it's a decent target powder.

I don't have problems with the metering, but I use Lee dippers, and don't get too much variation between charges, at least not enough to make a difference at 10 yards. I could see where it might be a problem with a different type of measure. Checking those tiny charges by peering in the cases works for me, since I only load blocks of 50 at a time.

Loading on my Dillon square deal B 9mm cast lead 122 grain bullets, 3.6 g of 700X and I shot a 100 round group less than 12" in diameter @ 88 yards using my S&W 952-1. Plenty good enough for me!

I am working through several pounds of 700x and of Trail Boss. The 700x is consistent, clean, and accurate in .38 spl. It does not meter well for me, at least compared to the Trail Boss. I suggest weighing each charge of 700x if using in a similar handgun charge.

700x was one of few powders available when powder was short generally. It works well for .38 spl, but keep an eye on each charge.

Years ago a friend of mine turned me on to my pet 44 magnum load. 7gr. 700X and a 240gr cast bullet. Out of a 6-6.5" barrel 29 I get about 985fps. Easy load to remember and it gets you 1000 rounds per pound. More of a manly 44spl load, but I have shot 1000's of rounds of that load and killed plenty of deer with it.


I use the same load in 45 Colt, I drop back to 6gr in 44spl, and 5gr in 357. The 44sp and 357 load may be a dab over listed but still safe.

I like it but I load slow 38's for indoor fifty-foot shooting. I accept +/- 0.1 grain. Does not seem to matter and pressures are low. In the 357 there are powders that give more velocity with lower pressures - I never found a listed 357 load that I couldn't do with lower pressure by using some other powder. My 45 ACP also loves 700x.

I've used 700-X. Great for .38 spec. 158gr LSWC. MUST LOAD EACH LOAD USING A SCALE. Try it-you will be happy with it

Probably one of the most versatile, available & economical powders out there. I've loaded 380ACP, 9mm Parabellum, 9mm Makarov, 38 S&W Special, 357 Magnum, 40 S&W, 45ACP, 45 Colt & 44 Magnum with it, all with success.

I weigh each powder charge individually, so metering is not a problem for me. An accurate scale is a must as some loads are pretty small, as in under 3 GR. I can see where to spectre of a double charge could cause concern for some using an automated drop.

This is also not to say that it is the "best" powder for all these calibers: just that there are published loads for these calibers that work. Magnum loads at true magnum velocities are often beyond the reach of 700-X.

Because many loads with similar velocities typically use between 1/4 & 1/3 less powder once you find a "sweet spot" for a caliber it is hard to ignore the potential $avings, especially for "target velocity loads", or even higher, i.e., 4.2 GR 700-X vs. 5.4 GR Auto-Comp for an approximately 1,100 fps load with a 115 GR GDHP 9mm Parabellum.

Cheers!

Totally ok; 148gr. HBWC in my Model 52. Use data published by manufacturer. Only measure I use is RCBS l'il Dandy powder measure. Tap the hopper each time. Run a ground wire to a water pipe. Too messy in Dillon 650 ( bloopers ). It's really economical, too.

Last weekend, I loaded and fired about 100 rounds of .38 Super using 100 grain West Coast frangible copper bullets and 5.5 grains of 700-X. It produced perfect functioning and very good grouping in my Colt 1911 using the lightest recoil spring I had. Tried some of the same in my EAA Witness, but I didn't have a light enough recoil spring to get reliable ejection. I'm going up to 6.5 grains of 700-X for use in the Witness.