Jeff423
US Veteran
At the back of my powder shelf I found about 1/2lb of HS6. I don't remember why I bought it. Is there a "sweet spot" for it? I load .38 Spec., 357 Mag., 9mm, .44 Mag., and 45 ACP.
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HS6?
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DWalt
Member
I don't know about a sweet spot (and to an extent that sweet spot, if there is one, would be different for each gun), but the Hodgdon website has reloading data for HS-6.
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Jeff423
US Veteran
Thanks for the reply. I've been on Hodgdon's site and have looked at their data. My question was about personal experience - is there a particular load that that someone likes where HS6 is better than other powders? I realize this is highly subjective.
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I use HS-6 in 38/357 & 9mm loads and find that it is in the area of Unique powder for it's use for tartget and full loads.
In my 686 6" I got the following loads with HS-6 powder;
38 spl 158 Lwc at 989fps
357 magnum "..... 1108fps
With a C9 3.5" pistol;
115 fmj... 1020 to 1182fps
147 tcm ... 805 to 975fps.
Groups on paper can be good or bad, with this powder, in my 9mm's.
Good loading.
In my 686 6" I got the following loads with HS-6 powder;
38 spl 158 Lwc at 989fps
357 magnum "..... 1108fps
With a C9 3.5" pistol;
115 fmj... 1020 to 1182fps
147 tcm ... 805 to 975fps.
Groups on paper can be good or bad, with this powder, in my 9mm's.
Good loading.
I like to use HS6 in mid range 357 magnum loads, mild 44 magnum and top end 9mm loads. My experience with it shows that when loading minimum loads with it, it tends to burn dirty. Load it more toward max listed loads(higher pressures) and it burns much cleaner. Its one of those powders I intend to always have on hand; if I see it available in a store, I'll grab a pound of it.
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I'm almost finished with an 8lb. keg of HS-6. I'd call it a "niche" powder. I've developed some good accurate loads, all with cast bullets, in 9mm, .38 Special, and .45 Colt. Never got it to shoot well in .45 ACP with a variety of bullets. .44 Special - I can't remember but don't really recall any outstanding loads. .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum... nothing memorable there that I can remember. I think most of my loads in any cartridge that were accurate were below maximum.
In summation and based only on my experience: HS-6 works very well in a few instances but is not a particularly versatile powder. It's noticeably slower than Unique. Magnum primers are usually recommended for this powder, but I tried many loads with CCI-500s, CCI-550s, CCI-300s, and CCI-350s with virtually no difference in accuracy, ignition and powder burn, or anything else. It's probably true this powder shouldn't be loaded light, but it doesn't require maximum loads to work either. Again, my results were obtained using cast bullets but I don't expect them to be appreciably different with jacketed bullets.
In summation and based only on my experience: HS-6 works very well in a few instances but is not a particularly versatile powder. It's noticeably slower than Unique. Magnum primers are usually recommended for this powder, but I tried many loads with CCI-500s, CCI-550s, CCI-300s, and CCI-350s with virtually no difference in accuracy, ignition and powder burn, or anything else. It's probably true this powder shouldn't be loaded light, but it doesn't require maximum loads to work either. Again, my results were obtained using cast bullets but I don't expect them to be appreciably different with jacketed bullets.
cowboy4evr
Member
Using a 158 gr cast bullet : 38 special , 7.0 grs
357 magnum , 9.2 grs
44 magnum using 240gr cast swc : 13.0 grs .
These are my favorite loads using HS6 in the above calibers . YMMV , Regards Paul
357 magnum , 9.2 grs
44 magnum using 240gr cast swc : 13.0 grs .
These are my favorite loads using HS6 in the above calibers . YMMV , Regards Paul
I’ve used it as others have described. 9mm, 357 magnum, 44 magnum. Some success with 38+P.
Magnum primers in revolver rounds.
Magnum primers in revolver rounds.
Isn’t HS-6 just Hogdon’s designation for Winchester 572?
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I think it's Winchester 540.
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Jeff423
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I don't think it's either one. When I go to their reloading website and check .357 & .44 they don't list 540 at all and give different data for HS6 and 572.
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Hodgdon has the Winchester powders now and I don't believe it's been called Winchester 540 for a while, but I'm pretty sure that what was called 540 is the same powder as what Hodgdon markets as HS-6.
Back in the early 80's I loaded 12 gr. HS6 behind a 225 gr lead bullet (gas checked), in 44 mag and shot in 10 Inch barrel TC for Silhouette competition. Wasn't a "hot" load, comfortable to shoot and accurate enough for 200 meter rams.
HS-6
My favorite powder for 9mm.
My favorite powder for 9mm.
.38SuperMan
Member
No, HS6 is the same as old Winchester 540. I used 540 your years in 38 super / major loads for USPSA.
I currently use HS6 for 44mag, 357 and 45 Colt. Excellent powder for moderate loads. I does have a pretty good flash though.
Mine, too. Especially for S&W 3rd Gen. autos. HS6 has consistently outshot every other powder in the S&Ws, and it seems to work well in my SIGs too, though they are not as persnickety as the S&Ws. My 92F favors Unique, which is a powder I wouldn’t normally use in 9mm, but…
Mine, too. Especially for S&W 3rd Gen. autos. HS6 has consistently outshot every other powder in the S&Ws, and it seems to work well in my SIGs too, though they are not as persnickety as the S&Ws. My 92F favors Unique, which is a powder I wouldn’t normally use in 9mm, but…
Have you tried BE-86 vs HS-6 in your 9mm pistols ?
You do shoot the 147 gr bullets, right ??
novalty
Member
Just started trying HS-6 recently, when I put together several loads in a variety of powders for 9mm using cast bullets. It gave me the best accuracy at max load, when compared against: Titegroup, HP-38, 700x, Bullseye, and AutoComp.
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