Anybody still using Bullseye? Here it is.

Like I wrote in some other posts,I work part time in a reloading components business.Powder is now coming in more regularly but Bullseye must be in great demand because I have yet to see any come in for the last 3 years or so!I have seen and stocked H110 and Unique,seen W231(I don't use much of it),2400 and other such popular brands but Bullseye......not much of it.Demand must still be pretty strong!
Qc
 
I have quite a bit of powder in my stash. One person's "quite a bit" is a mere trace amount to another's "quite a bit" but by any measure I still have "quite a bit" of pistol powder. But I have not a drop of Bullseye. I've been handloading almost 4 years and since starting this hobby my consumption of ammo has dramatically increased. So I need to keep components on hand.

I can say truthfully that all during the shortage of late I could find 1# of Bullseye but I could find a higher quantities of powders such as Titegroup, WST and HP-38. So for me adding another fast powder and developing new loads doesn't make much sense. I shoot with a bunch of competition minded shooters and I would be hard pressed to name any who use BE although I'm sure some do.

So my advice to those who love BE or want to make BE their main powder is buy a bunch now as almost all powders are becoming available at this time. If I were to decide to take the BE plunge, that would mean purchasing about 24 pounds of it and that I don't want to do. We handloaders can get quite a few powders to perform excellent in our handguns with a little work. My attitude is find one that works and then try many different combinations of powder charge, bullet, primer and coal to get your gun to perform to the best of it's ability. Once you find that combo shoot a lot.
 
Actually I am down to 3 lbs of BE, got plenty 231, Red Dot, Autocomp, Titegroup, unless of course.....
 
imakmst said:
Whatcha sayin' Wise_A, you need more right?
Click to expand...

I got near a full pound of WST I can supplement into the .38 Spl stream (lovely stuff). And I'm burning off my last half-pound of 700-X (huge disappointment. And I have to shoot more 180-gr .44 Mags to use up my supply of Universally Unsuited.

But--need me some Unique for real .44. And some HP-38/WW-231 to try, and Titegroup.
 
I don't want to post the powder weight, but I worked up a plinking load for my 303 Brit, using .32 S&W bullets and Bullseye powder loaded into .303 brass. All lead bullets, slow enough that they don't lead the bore, and less report than a .22, fun to plink with at about 50 yards. Have not tried at longer ranges, but someday I will. Just another use for Bullseye.

Got the idea when I bought the rifle, and wanted to measure the bore. Used a .32 lead bullet driven through the bore, then measured. Then a light went off in my head, why not work up a load with this bullet? It is a perfect fit!!

Best Regards, Les
 
Went to the outdoor range to get some Unique and there on the shelve was Bullseye. It grabbed a pound and would have took more but it's one pound of powder a day. I will be back tomorrow and Monday. This is the firsat Bullseye I have seen in town in a year and a half.
 
I limped along for a while on the 1lb jug that I bought before I even started reloading...I'd bought it because I was planning to start and knew from reading that-at the time-it was getting hard to get.

That first pound loaded a lot of 38 Specials. I've since switched to Titegroup for a lot of general purpose 38 special loads, but IMO Bullseye has no equal under hollow base wadcutters.

I've managed to put back about 4lbs, which is a LOT of Bullseye at 2.7gr per throw, but will still grab an 8lb keg this summer if I find one.
 
Ben_hutcherson said:
I limped along for a while on the 1lb jug that I bought before I even started reloading...I'd bought it because I was planning to start and knew from reading that-at the time-it was getting hard to get.

That first pound loaded a lot of 38 Specials. I've since switched to Titegroup for a lot of general purpose 38 special loads, but IMO Bullseye has no equal under hollow base wadcutters.

I've managed to put back about 4lbs, which is a LOT of Bullseye at 2.7gr per throw, but will still grab an 8lb keg this summer if I find one.
Click to expand...

Check out the link in post #1

Best Regards, Les
 
Took my son along today so was able to get 2 one pound jugs. Going back tomorrow for a jug of Unique. I can make a lot of trips for what the Hazmat fee is.
 
It's not just money, it's peace of mind. An 8# jug of bullseye ( or any versatile powder) will keep most handgun shooters worry free when the next two year drought of powder hits . We all know it will come again.

p.s. Now all you need is 20K of pistol primers :-)
 
Last edited:
snubbert said:
38 special is also my fave. Where'd you find the Bullseye?
Click to expand...

I got the BE from the company that Fishslayer linked to in the 1st post of this thread.

I've since posted that same link in another local group forum and a lot of members there said they have been seeing the powder available lately in some local retailers. So it looks like the powder is coming back on the market more widely available. That is good, I guess, as it's obviously an old favorite of loaders and most I've talked to have been saying it's been hard to get. I'm glad I'll be able to try it, as it's been the one most commonly recommended for what I want to load.
 
Bullseye is excellent powder. However, it is very old technology. I used to like Unique better. Now I like Titegroup better than both.

Power Pistol is good powder as well, but I've used it with only low end target loads. It is supposedly good for 9MM +P loads, but I don't own a 9MM. It works very well with low end .45 ACP target loads.

Longshot is a powder that I need to give a closer look. From what I've read to date, it gives low pressure at low end and meters well. For those of you who need velocity, Longshot might be the way to go. I don't need velocity to punch holes in paper; however, I do like low pressure loads.
 
We used to use IMR 4756 a lot in revolvers and then the 40 cal s&w . It was famous for lower pressure and high velocity . But today I use HS-6 as a replacement for IMR 4756 (discontinued ) . I have enough of HS-6 to not think about trying Longshot although I have read good reports about it .
The original question was about Bullseye , and I have posted above it is still a popular powder with me in 45acp and some 38spl loads . I even use it in 45LC when I want a good / fun / easy to shoot target practice load . I also have used it when " fire lapping " a barrel using a very small charge .
I don't worry about double charges . I reload on a single stage press , use a loading block for a visual check before seating the cast bullet . Been doing it this way for years . It works for me .
 
An all round powder

I use it in almost every caliber, was lucky enough to pick up 8 lbs at a gun show in PA. Reasonable 169.00 no tax no shipping no hazmat. I have to go to PA to get all my needs NJ does not have shows any more
 
When the powder crunch got real bad, I happened to stumble upon a source for Hodgdon Titegroup at a reasonable price; enough for all my needs. I have since grown very fond of it and have loaded thousands of rounds with it. I believe it is hodgdon's answer to Alliant Bullseye. It meters great, it is economical and it is cleaner than BE.
 
RG686 said:
I take it you don't care for Universal so much? I was considering trying it until I saw this thread and the source given to get some Bullseye.
Click to expand...

Universal is good at what it wants to do. You really can load almost anything with it. But it's kind of a useless talent.

While you can use it load so many different cartridges at so many different pressures, it's never really good at any of them. It leaves huge amounts of unburned--literally untouched--powder in .38 Spl and .44 Special loadings. I never found it satisfactory in .44 Magnum. It kept doing the same thing, and didn't produce accuracy anywhere near what Unique accomplished.

Since it did marginally better at Magnum pressures, I would venture to say it's probably not as bad in 9mm (I don't own a 9...I once wanted a 929, but decided that a 610 would do everything I wanted the 929 to do) as it is in .38, but there are so many better powders to work with. I would dislike it on grain size alone.

And really, there's probably been more new powders developed for 9mm/.40S&W in recent times than any other sect of cartridges.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

chief38
My experience & opinion as to costs of reloading now days.
5 6 7
Replies
131
Views
7K
TaxPhd
T
J
What has happened to QC at Smith and Wesson?
3 4 5
Replies
83
Views
3K
JimW
JimW
F
pc'd bullets vs traditional/lubed bullet velocities
Replies
9
Views
1K
Lance Boyle
L
S
OK: here is the 10mm from Hi-Point
Replies
12
Views
1K
AJ
AJ
M
THE Story of a S&W 1917 in .45LC the "Wimer vs Jinks" Controversy:
Replies
19
Views
2K
Bill Bates
Bill Bates

Latest posts

Back
Top