|
 |

04-17-2017, 10:39 PM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Oklahoma City
Posts: 322
Likes: 68
Liked 115 Times in 89 Posts
|
|
Anyone else using 800X in handgun loads?
I finally clocked some 9mm 124gn Nosler JHP. 1225fps from 4" of bbl. I know that it meters poorly, but that may not matter to some. Accuracy and cleanliess is spot on with my hot load. Do any of you have any success stories to share concerning this powder, as I have some to use up.
|

04-18-2017, 01:19 AM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 8,477
Likes: 4
Liked 10,403 Times in 4,730 Posts
|
|
I haven't used any 800X in a while and won't be again because of poor metering. I've tried it with cast bullets in 9mm, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .44 Special, and .45 ACP and did develop some accurate loads in the latter. Otherwise, results were unremarkable.
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|

04-18-2017, 02:11 AM
|
 |
US Veteran
|
|
|
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Reno Nv
Posts: 13,750
Likes: 3,337
Liked 13,273 Times in 5,905 Posts
|
|
I had good loads in my 12 Ga. using it for steel loads for ducks and geese along with Bismuth pellets.
It gets major fps in a 38 and 357 in short or long barrels.
I actually had to back off a 125gr JHP in my J frame snub nose
that was clocking 978 over my chrony !
I don't mind how it meters vs the good accuracy that I received
however it is a bit bulkey and fills the case fast but I have yet to
load a compressed load.
It goes "Bang". A good thing.
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|

04-18-2017, 07:59 AM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Georgia
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
Liked 133 Times in 20 Posts
|
|
I've used it in "heavy" .38 spl, also in .357 Magnum loads. I did not throw those charges, so its notorious metering flaws were not part of the equation.
Shot well, great velocities, and burned relatively clean.
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|

04-18-2017, 12:52 PM
|
 |
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Kalif. usa
Posts: 6,836
Likes: 2,665
Liked 3,929 Times in 2,367 Posts
|
|
IT is the darling of the 10mm crowd for full power loads but I have never had great accuracy with it & prefer other powders. The poor metering is just another reason to skip it for me. In 9mm, many good powders that deliver +P loads safely with perfect metering.
__________________
NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|

04-18-2017, 01:23 PM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: North Texas
Posts: 804
Likes: 86
Liked 482 Times in 300 Posts
|
|
Quote:
Rogeronimo wrote:
Do any of you have any success stories to share concerning this powder, as I have some to use up.
|
Yes.
The 2004 IMR Handloader's Guide (long gone, but scanned copies still available on-line) shows the following as maximum loads:
115 gr JHP, 6.5 gr 800X, 1.110 col, 1150 fps @ 30300 fps
124 gr FMJ, 6.5 gr 800X (compressed), 1.125 col, 1115 fps @ 28600 fps
NOTE that in both cases, the guide shows a bullet diameter of 0.35 4, so use caution starting with 0.355 or 0.356 diameter bullets.
My own experience with 0.355 jacketed 115 gr bullets is that 5.7 grains of 800X produced an average velocity of 1,086 fps which functioned my Taurus PT111 flawlessly.
I also loaded some stray 0.355 jacketed 147 gr bullets under 3.7 gr 800X. The first round showed excessive pressures, so I brought the rest of them home and disassembled them. I will try a different powder.
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|

04-18-2017, 03:34 PM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 5,834
Likes: 5,161
Liked 5,249 Times in 2,484 Posts
|
|
There are two ways around 800X's poor metering consistency without weighing charges. It throws consistently through a Belding & Mull measure and, with practice, can be dipped consistently with a hand scoop.
The Belding & Mull measure has a powder chamber that slides horizontally from under the hopper to a dump hole. An adjustable cylindrical measure that is very much like a black powder measure is used to transfer powder to the cases. They are liked by bench rest shooters who do not mind that they are slow. It's also good to have a Belding & Mull as an extra measure for long stick rifles powders.
I make hand scoops by wrapping a piece of stiff wire around a case's extractor groove, twisting it for double the length of the handle then folding it back for a stiffer handle. The case is shorted to throw the desired charge. With a little practice dippers are as consistent as any measure.
I have not used 800X in a long time.
Last edited by k22fan; 04-18-2017 at 03:36 PM.
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|

04-18-2017, 07:05 PM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Oklahoma City
Posts: 322
Likes: 68
Liked 115 Times in 89 Posts
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by hdwhit
115 gr JHP, 6.5 gr 800X, 1.110 col, 1150 fps @ 30300 fps
124 gr FMJ, 6.5 gr 800X (compressed), 1.125 col, 1115 fps @ 28600 fps
|
I stopped short of max at 6.3gns, seated to 1.090" for flawless function. I am quite pleased with this. Perhaps the chrono was off, but my range was 1200 to 1262 fps, about 3' back. Thank you all for your replies.
|

04-18-2017, 08:50 PM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: East Coast
Posts: 599
Likes: 1,124
Liked 1,201 Times in 365 Posts
|
|
I haven't loaded 800X in nearly 40 years. Back then I used powder dippers, didn't own a chronograph, and just wanted something that went bang in my .38 to punch paper with. About 25 years ago I tried to load that clumpy bulky stuff with modern powder measures - an exercise in futility.
6.2 grains of Power Pistol hits 1225 fps with a 124 JHP, and meters like water through a garden hose.
800X makes good fertilizer. Spread it around your garden.
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|

04-18-2017, 10:27 PM
|
 |
US Veteran
|
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: WA.
Posts: 4,649
Likes: 4,729
Liked 4,708 Times in 2,296 Posts
|
|
It's just another flake shotgun powder that ended up being used for pistols when the powder shortage hit. I used to use it for heavy trap loads and it worked well. 700X is also another one that pistol loaders found that would work.
I had lots of American Select after I gave up trap shooting. I tried it in 45 ACP and found it did a great job. Then I tried it in 9mm and it works just fine there also although it fills the small case.
800X has about the same burn rate as Herco and HS-6 (both listed as acceptable for 124gr 9mm loads in the new Hornady manual) so I would think it would be a good substitute if you can meter it.
That sounds like a plus P load and I don't have any data on that. My load for AS is only 4 grns. but it's much faster powder than 800X.
__________________
That's just somebody talkin.
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|

04-18-2017, 10:44 PM
|
 |
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Northeast TX
Posts: 1,294
Likes: 642
Liked 1,059 Times in 423 Posts
|
|
800X works wonderful in 44 Magnum but I won't pay money for any unless it's a screaming deal.
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|

04-18-2017, 11:07 PM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: illinois, chicago burbs
Posts: 162
Likes: 347
Liked 156 Times in 71 Posts
|
|
i use it in 38spl double ended wadcutter loads for my snubbys, shoots great
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|

04-19-2017, 07:52 PM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Pacific NW
Posts: 2,416
Likes: 1,406
Liked 1,685 Times in 1,016 Posts
|
|
Hodgdons pistol data shows a plated 124gr bullet & 5.2gr 800-X @ over 1000fps and 5.7gr 800-X @ 1,114fps. I've loaded 380acp, 9mm, 38 S&W, 357mag, 40 S&W and 45acp with this powder.
Using LEE scoops (allows you to approximately confirm via volume as well as weight) & a RCBS powder trickler on an Ohaus scale makes it pretty hard to err or double the charge...!
Cheers!
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|
 |
Posting Rules
|
|
|
|
|