My reloading supply shop has it about half the time I stop in. It is out there on retail shelves. I'll gladly pay him his modest mark-up over shipping and hazmat from a purchase on-line. Just need reasonably priced primers consistently available.
Pistol powders
- Thread starter leemar28
- Start date
My reloading supply shop has it about half the time I stop in. It is out there on retail shelves. I'll gladly pay him his modest mark-up over shipping and hazmat from a purchase on-line. Just need reasonably priced primers consistently available.
TexasViking
Member
2nd post
Following my 1st post in new member introductions, I'll introduce myself to fellow handloaders here.
I wrote articles for the Western Powders Emag until they were bought by Hodgdon. Western Powders are not the only brand I use, but I do have fairly extensive experience with them. And as mentioned by others previously, AA No 2 is a very good alternative. Although not a particularly dense flattened spherical, it meters just fine. One often overlooked quality of No 2 is that it is not powder position sensitive, more comparable to Titegroup and well suited to target loads with low chargeweights. No 7 is a very good powder for heavier bullets in 9 x 19mm and works very well in .357 Magnum when you don't need max velocity. Similar in 10mm and .357 SIG. Ramshot Enforcer/AA 4100 is an excellent magnum revolver powder, but you may have to experiment with primers. I've found that it sometimes works better with standard primers. And if you run across it, True Blue deserves the name! Silhouette is a top choice for 9 x 19mm defense type loads.
Following my 1st post in new member introductions, I'll introduce myself to fellow handloaders here.
I wrote articles for the Western Powders Emag until they were bought by Hodgdon. Western Powders are not the only brand I use, but I do have fairly extensive experience with them. And as mentioned by others previously, AA No 2 is a very good alternative. Although not a particularly dense flattened spherical, it meters just fine. One often overlooked quality of No 2 is that it is not powder position sensitive, more comparable to Titegroup and well suited to target loads with low chargeweights. No 7 is a very good powder for heavier bullets in 9 x 19mm and works very well in .357 Magnum when you don't need max velocity. Similar in 10mm and .357 SIG. Ramshot Enforcer/AA 4100 is an excellent magnum revolver powder, but you may have to experiment with primers. I've found that it sometimes works better with standard primers. And if you run across it, True Blue deserves the name! Silhouette is a top choice for 9 x 19mm defense type loads.
Off topic - 4198 powders.
You said, "i have no idea what's going on. " (4198). Your correct on that, and only that.
Let me see if I can say this without being too confusing.
From what I read:
Hodgdon discontinued IMR 4198. Actually what they really discontinued was H4198. What they did was eliminate the H4198 powder but use the IMR 4198 formulation rebranded as H4198 and eliminated the IMR 4198 name.
Sorry if I made that confusing but I tried to explain it well.
What really confuses me is why both are still on the Hodgdon WEB site when this was supposed to happen at least a Decade ago? I have no idea what's going on or even if both powders are now the same or not. In the past they were slightly different not like W231 and HP-38.
You said, "i have no idea what's going on. " (4198). Your correct on that, and only that.
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2400 powder in 357 magnum has increased pressure when using some magnum primers, like WSPM.
Measured PSI- Test of Hercules vs Alliant 2400 in the 357 Magnum with 6 different primers
Measured PSI- Test of Hercules vs Alliant 2400 in the 357 Magnum with 6 different primers
I inherited about 7 lbs of Silhoutte and was pleased with the results shown in the Western Manual with 38 special. That is the only place I have seen use in print since this powder was Winchester Action Pistol. Good stuff.
Let me see if I can say this without being too confusing.
From what I read:
Hodgdon discontinued IMR 4198. Actually what they really discontinued was H4198. What they did was eliminate the H4198 powder but use the IMR 4198 formulation rebranded as H4198 and eliminated the IMR 4198 name.
Sorry if I made that confusing but I tried to explain it well.
What really confuses me is why both are still on the Hodgdon WEB site when this was supposed to happen at least a Decade ago? I have no idea what's going on or even if both powders are now the same or not. In the past they were slightly different not like W231 and HP-38.
Discontinued;
and rightly so, since this powder was only used in the old
22 Hornet, 256 Winchester and the 30/30 and a few other large bore loads
with a host of other powders that could match it and even, better its fps and give lower pressures.
I miss a lot of old powders, that have been discontinued but 4198, is not one of them.
TexasViking
Member
I've been using SIL for a number of years and did direct comparisons with another great 9 x 19mm performance powder, V-V 3N37. As you know, SIL is a flattened spherical and has a flash inhibitor. Usually powder charges for equal velocity to 3N37 are only .1 or .2 grs. lower with very good standard deviations. I load longer to match chamber length and lately testing the 124 gr. V-Crown from 1125 FPS to 1255 FPS from a 4.5" CZ clone and a 4" Mod 2 Compact. A few months back I found that it worked better with a 147 gr. XTP than I had estimated with loads up to 1122 FPS from a 5" Mod 2. I wasn't sure pressure wouldn't max out before then, but the primers looked like they had been used for standard pressure loads. Hope to test the 147 gr. V-Crown soon, and at +P velocity, 147 gr. JHPs in 9mm really excel. Haven't had great luck with SIL in .38 Special until near the top of +P. SIL likes pressure. Same with .45 ACP, or rather, .45 +P.
Been testing W572 also, and it's better than the Hodgdon data, but will be out soon. True Blue for accuracy loads with the capability of +P. By its nature, True Blue has low flash and stands out in .357 Mag loads fired from 2 1/2" and 3" barrels with less velocity loss than slower burning powders.
ArchAngelCD
Moderator, SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
Did I hurt your feeling somehow? Just wondering what I did to deserve that?
TexasViking
Member
Not sure about the copyright laws and haven't seen that it's out of print officially, but Rob Behr sent me a copy of the Western manual by email to read before it was released. Still have it on the PC. I also have the No 8 load guide should anyone need it. Shouldn't be any issues regarding the latter.
To be on the safe side and keep things legal, let's hold that to the No 8 Load Guide for now please. The data is the same, anyway.
And while No 2 is a good one, not sensitive to powder positioning. As we've talked about in other threads, Shooter's World Clean Shot is the original No 2 before Western/Accurate switched to manufacturing by St Marks in Florida. Another, and I haven't used, but an internet buddy in FLA has been raving about Ulimate Pistol for several years now. Hope to get some eventually. It's a little faster burning than True Blue or Silhouette but seems to have pretty good range and burns clean.
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