HS6?

[dogdoc]

Great for midrange 44 mag loads. Meters well

 

[rockquarry]

Have you tried BE-86 vs HS-6 in your 9mm pistols ?

You do shoot the 147 gr bullets, right ??

I've tried many powders and many cast bullets of different weights and designs in several 9mm pistols since I became interested in 9mm cast bullet loads over thirty years ago. The best and most accurate bullet design I've found has been the Lyman #358212, a 150 grain round nose .38 Special bullet sized to .358".

Surprisingly, my best load has been with Bullseye powder, with the oddball HS-6 not far behind. I've never been too impressed with the 9mm cartridge, but the cast bullet experiments became more of a quest than anything really useful. Regardless, these loads shoot very well in a Beretta 92F, A Sig P226, and a Walther P4, the only 9mm pistols I have left.

 

[USSR]

My question was about personal experience - is there a particular load that that someone likes where HS6 is better than other powders?

HS-6 makes for the ultimate .38 Special +P load, also known as "the FBI Load". Use Winchester load data, not the current Hodgdon load data which is loaded down. Winchester, original manufacturer of the powder, calls HS-6 W540.

Don

 

[Hasbeen1945]

With the components being hard to find. A reloader’s best friend is a powder burn rate chart. If for instance you like unique, power pistol or HS6 should be ok.

 

[Hasbeen1945]

Better yet accurate #5 . Should be ok in place of HS6.

 

[Nevada Ed]

Just got back from a vist to Cabela's.

Dave, from behind the counter, told me today, that he uses HS-6
to load 12 Ga, shotgun loads with a 1 1/4 oz payload that will do 1300fps !!
This was news to me but he told me that the bottle had a load on the label for 12 Ga.

You learn someting new every day.

 

[Huskerguy]

I have almost a full lb of it sitting on my shelf. I tried it for 9mm, I believe but it has been a long time. I do recall that I started low and it was not accurate at all until it the higher end. Now I use W231 and Titegroup for most everything.

 

[BCR#1]

Better yet accurate #5 . Should be ok in place of HS6.

That's the reason I bought 4 bottles, comparable to #5.


Bill

 

[Hasbeen1945]

That's the reason I bought 4 bottles, comparable to #5.


Bill

A friend tells me he loves HS6 in his 9mm. He only uses magnum primers. Said it made all the difference in the world with accuracy.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Isn’t HS-6 just Hogdon’s designation for Winchester 572?

W540 is the same as HS-6
W571 is the same as HS-7 (both discontinued)

W572 is a newer powder from Hodgdon/Winchester and is different from both of those older powders.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I agree with USSR above, HS-6 is great to replicate the FBI Load.

I use HS-6 for high end .38 Special +P loads, midrange .357 Magnum loads, especially with cast bullets, high speed 9mm SD loads and in the 45 Colt. I think there are others but I can't remember right now. (don't get old lol)

Yes, use a magnum primer, HS-6 performance goes way up using them.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

Just got back from a vist to Cabela's.

Dave, from behind the counter, told me today, that he uses HS-6
to load 12 Ga, shotgun loads with a 1 1/4 oz payload that will do 1300fps !!
This was news to me but he told me that the bottle had a load on the label for 12 Ga.

You learn someting new every day.

It's odd, I looked in my 1978 Winchester load data pamphlet & they only listed shotgun load data for W540, no pistol data.

.

 

[rockquarry]

It's odd, I looked in my 1978 Winchester load data pamphlet & they only listed shotgun load data for W540, no pistol data.

.

It would be necessary to research old data from a variety of sources for the best answer, but I suspect Winchester 540 shotgun powder gained popularity as a handgun cartridge powder under the Hodgdon HS-6 designation. Winchester data promoting 540 for handgun cartridges probably came later. Possibly the experts here would know if this is a correct summation.

 

[USSR]

Better yet accurate #5 . Should be ok in place of HS6.

AA#5 is okay, but you will not get the velocity you will with HS-6. Did extensive testing of the FBI Load using both powders in my 2.5 inch snubbie. Max load of AA#5 got me 845 fps, while HS-6 produced 940 fps.

Don

 

[Rogeronimo]

If you get around to it, HS-6 in 40 S&W. Hornady data, magnum primers.

 

[.38SuperMan]

It would be necessary to research old data from a variety of sources for the best answer, but I suspect Winchester 540 shotgun powder gained popularity as a handgun cartridge powder under the Hodgdon HS-6 designation. Winchester data promoting 540 for handgun cartridges probably came later. Possibly the experts here would know if this is a correct summation.

Thirty years ago when I got into shooting USPSA with a 38 super race gun 540 was very popular in my area to make major. I still use it in some cartridges but use CFE pistol in 38 super now. I’m not trying to make major and in an uncompensated 1911 it has a lot less flash than HS6. It’s still a great powder though.

 

[Engineer1911]

1911 45 ACP load with 24# recoil spring. I loaded 250 rounds of HS-6 with a 255 grain SWC in 45 ACP cases. Brisk recoil, published Hodgdon load data (1980), and really moved bowling pins off the table. I don't believe I would shoot 10,000 rounds but it worked great for a season of pin shooting. I used the same powder and bullet weight in my 44 mag Ruger Redhawk, also brisk recoil.

 

[WR Moore]

I doubt anyone is interested but HS6 will let you safely make major power factor in .38 Spl with 200 grain bullets. POI is a bit startling, I recall something like 5-6 inches high at 25 yards.

 

[Nevada Ed]

I agree that HS-6 and all the other slower burning powders are great for full loads in a 38 special revolver but..........

I have found out that if you shoot these loads, it is a lot nicer on the hand
if the revolver is at least a K frame, that tames down the load a little.

 

[BillBro]

HS-6 is my favorite 9mm powder. 6.6gr under a 124gr HST gives me outstanding accuracy and 1160fps, low SDs and single digit ES numbers. I've tested the load 3 times and got very similar numbers, and group sizes, all 3 times. Burns clean(ish) at those levels too. No pressure signs. Just cant ask for any better from my CZ P-01 and this load.