Had a man offer me some 800X powder as he doesn't reload anymore. I believe this is a shotgun powder, but wondered if it could be used in pistols. Have searched some websites , but not getting anywhere. Anyone got some help?



Jim

Yes, I use it in my 40, 44 spl and 44 mags. Load data is available in both Lyman 49th and Lee 2nd manual. IMRs website also lists data.

Yup... I use it in 45 colt-light loads with a magnum primer...works great.

It's a great handgun powder!

Last year I tried it for the first time. It has become my "go to" powder for .44 Magnum target ammo.

I like it a lot. Use it in .38 +P, .44 Special, moderate .357 and .44 Mag, 9mm, and .357 Sig.

You can find load data in manuals like Hornady or Lymans, and also the Hodgdon reloading data center has data for it. There's also an older IMR book, much of which is online but not easily organized. You can either search for the caliber in Google and add or post up the cartridges and I'll give you a link to it.

I use for 10mm max velocity. Easy on the brass.

Thanks! I knew I could count on y'all to come thru.
By the way, are y'all getting the **** on the left side of the screen or is just mine?

Not getting it here.
Most shotgun powders are pretty good to go for pistol.
I see a lot of 700X loads for pistol. That's good, as I have a LOT of 700X because I shoot a lot of trap. WSF too.

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Fight socialism. Never stop.

RV4,

I use a lot of 700X and have for several years. It is one of my favorite powders. I just was not familiar with the use of 800. Guess I will be now.



Jim

800x has a lot of published recipes.

I use 800X in 9mm, 38, 45ACP, 44spl. 45 Colt.

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Carpriver.

800-x is one powder that will give a 38 snub nose a +P loading with a 158 lead bullet without any problems........ and a heavy dose can get a 125gr Jhp up to 952 fps which may be too much for
non-steel J frame.

I did use it in my 9mm many years ago but that data is long gone.....sorry.

If you do end up with some, it will work in a lot of pistol loadings, quite well.

I've never used it, but I think it falls in the medium to slow burn rate powders, sort of around Herco. I'm not suggesting you use Herco data, I think there is 800-x data out there for pistols.

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Common sense isn't so common.

Jim, I have used 800X for over thirty years in ALL my handgun hunting loads, except the 500 -- I have some older IMR books with loads listed and would be glad to send you one-- my 10MM load is listed no where else-- when they stopped listing this load I called them about it and was told it was a safe load in revolvers, and my ALONGSIDE, but many other guns would give up the ghost-- Anyway, if you want one, let me know-- I use 800X for all serious loads for 32 MAG to 44 MAG. Meters great with my RCBS Charge master.

great powder, i use it for shooting 148gr. DEWC's in a 38spl. you can actually get an honest 900fps from a 2'' bbl w/it, shoots w/good accuracy too

I use it in 10 mm loadings. MY 610 and witness match love it . A lot of people do not like it because they say it does not meter well. I use a RCBS unit and my target loads are well below max and most of the time, it measures what I have set it for. If i am at max and it gives too much, I just throw it back in the canister and get another charge. If you look at the psi, it is much lower than other powders sometimes as much as 4,000-5,000 psi lower. So as already pointed out, it is easier on the brass.

It's a useful powder, but meters poorly, so I look for others when I want a powder in that burn range. It's the darling of the 10mm guys, but I've gotten better accuracy with aa#9 or Bluedot.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

Also of the 41 mag gang, which is when I first started using it 30 some years ago-- Has it been THAT long??

OK, would you be so kind as to please advise about the .38 snub nose +P loading with a 158 GR lead bullet? OAL suggestions for this loading would also be much appreciated.

The IMR-sourced published .357 Magnum load is 8.9 GR 800-X, for a LSWC, BTW.

STORMINORMIN;

correct, the 357 158 lead with 8.9g 800x at 36k cup is a listed data.

the 38 158 swc list "x" amount of 800x for 880fps at 16,000cup....
but they also list 9.7gr of 4227 at 825 fps at 15,700 cup.

In my 6" 686 with a 38 spl. case, a 158 lead needed not 9.7 grains of powder, but 11.0 grains to get 888 fps.

One reason I can not post my load, since it is over the IMR data, with the 800-X powder.

16,000 cup is a long way from 18,500 cup or 20,000 psi ......
but without the tools, or more data, you will have to settle with a "Standard load".

Hornady #9 had 38 and +P data for 800x with their jacketed bullets

Ed: Yep, the book load for a 158GR LSWC is 5.9GR 800-X for 880fps @ 16,000 cup and an COL of 1.550". Your 4227 load example indicates an increase of another 10%+ to get a small increase in fps, but hardly in the range of typical(?) +P velocities (i.e., North of 1,000 fps).

Recognizing that these are different powders is an initial 10% increase in 800-X a ballpark starting point vis-a-vis developing a +P loading, using a .357 Magnum (BlackHawk) as the test weapon?

Yes I hate it when the company stops at 17,000 pressures for the 38 special.
Safe is nice but a lot of newer weapons can take 18,400 all day long but I do understand
why it has to be that way.

I am just glad I have a 686 and a chrony to test all my heavy 38 loads before they end up in my J frame.
Taking in the fact that fast and slow powders give out different pressures during the fps gains.

I loaded 43 years without a chrony, just let the weapons talk back to me. Now, with a chrony, fear has almost left me with high pressure loads but a load going to another weapon does add a little rise in my heart beats, until they prove themselves.

Stay safe.

It meters just fine in my Dillon. I was initially worried about using it but not anymore. Works well enough in 45ACP with 230 ball.

I just shot 50 rounds of 9mm using 5.5g 800-X under a powder coatet Lee TL356-124-2R through my M&P 40 with a 9mm barrel and mag. Excellent performance. Good recoil, no wimpy case ejections hitting me in the head and clean, non-sooty cases with no signs of over pressure.

I last tested this 11 months ago and with the 120g Lee TC bullet, I was getting 1070 fps with the same charge. The temp that day was 72F and the temp today was 87F so the speed was probably very close. The RN bullets were seated to a COL of 1.149" or a seat depth of 0.195". The top tumble lube band was above the case rim and the bullets were sized to 0.356". I found that if I lift and snap the powder measure rotor meter while the cavity is pointing into the powder, I can get the drops to be consistent to within +/- 0.1g. If I didn't do this, sometimes the powder bridged and I would see a very low charge in the case (as low as 2-3g).

Here is a picture of what 5.5g 800X looks like next to a 9mm case. Yes the flakes are almost as big as the primer hole.

Works well but loads have to be fairly stout or there is a lot of unburned powder left behind.