HS-6 loads for 45, 41, 44 and 38, feedback needed

[ArchAngelCD]

I have loaded a lot of HS-6 and I highly recommend using a magnum primer. 2400 is a totally different powder and performs better with a standard primer but not HS-6.

I use HS-6 for loading .38 Special +P ammo, 45 Colt, midrange .357 Magnum and the 9mm.

I can load all my handgun ammo with 3 powders, W231/HP-38, W540/HS-6 and W296/H110 and do it very well. I do use other powders but I only need those 3.

 

[m657]

I've never developed much fondness for HS6. Currently loaded some upper end 41 mags, haven't run group paper target yet, but at least I'm on the falling plate rack at 50' now.

 

[S&WIowegan]

I have nearly 30 yrs. experience handloading cartridges for handguns. HS6/HS7 (Win 540/571) is a medium slow powder. It has found great favor with people handloading their ammo to achieve major power factor in USPSA/IPSC compensated race guns using 9mm ammo. To make major power factor 125gr jacketed 9mm bullet must chrono at a minimum of 1,320 fps. This is a VERY high pressure compressed load which will occasionally blow up a gun. I have personally witnessed a shooter's gun blow up during a competition(no one was hurt; gun was toast).

HS6 performs very well as a full case load under high pressure and not nearly as well with light and medium loads. It does not burn efficiently in a cartridge with lots of air space.

 

[Bugkiller99]

I have loaded a lot of HS-6 and I highly recommend using a magnum primer. 2400 is a totally different powder and performs better with a standard primer but not HS-6.

I use HS-6 for loading .38 Special +P ammo, 45 Colt, midrange .357 Magnum and the 9mm.

I can load all my handgun ammo with 3 powders, W231/HP-38, W540/HS-6 and W296/H110 and do it very well. I do use other powders but I only need those 3.

ArchAngel is VERY knowledgeable about HS-6. His statements on HS-6 should be given serious consideration.

Rumor has it he sprinkles it on his Cheerios every morning.

 

[dogdoc]

Brian Pearce of handloader magazine has published some good loads with hs6 in some articles on loading 44 mag. Do a google search or load data .com search. I shot some yesterday in on of my 44s and they shot well with a 250 grain Keith . Can't remember the exact charge , I would have to look.

 

[HKSmith]

I chose that stuff because it was recommended by a factory technician who loads factory ammo. It seems to have a wide envelope. As you said. I would be on the upper spectrum on the 38 (shooting in a 357 magnum gun) and lower end in the 41 and 44 mags. The 45 I have is a special case. The gun has large cylinder throats and I use a 0.454 cast bullet. That builds up pressure too high I feel with the fast burners so I wanted to dial in a mid burner to get the bullet out and speed it up right.

If your gun has oversize cylinder throats I don't know why you think the 0.454 bullets would "build up pressure too fast with fast burning powders". The bullets are the correct size.

 

[oysterer]

size down

If your gun has oversize cylinder throats I don't know why you think the 0.454 bullets would "build up pressure too fast with fast burning powders". The bullets are the correct size.

On older smiths with so called oversized throats, those throats are bigger than the inside barrel.
The bullet needs to fit the cylinder diameter precisely for accuracy to enter the forcing cone and then needs to get swagged down to the barrel diameter which takes time and force and in my mind (and I can feel it in my hand as well) build a pressure spike. More so on a fast burner I would expected compared to a medium/slow powder which keeps building pressure while the bullet is already well in the barrel.

 

[HKSmith]

On older smiths with so called oversized throats, those throats are bigger than the inside barrel.
The bullet needs to fit the cylinder diameter precisely for accuracy to enter the forcing cone and then needs to get swagged down to the barrel diameter which takes time and force and in my mind (and I can feel it in my hand as well) build a pressure spike. More so on a fast burner I would expected compared to a medium/slow powder which keeps building pressure while the bullet is already well in the barrel.

In revolvers, peak pressure is reached when the the bullet is still in the cylinder with both fast and slow burning powders. The pressure required to swage a bullet down a couple of thousandths of an inch in the forcing cone and barrel is trivial compared to the total pressure. Although the powder is still burning and the bullet is still accelerating, the volume of the expanding gas behind the bullet is rapidly increasing and the pressure is falling as the bullet moves down the barrel.

An early Speer manual tested the effects of bullet diameter on pressure in the .38 Special and found no significant difference in pressure going from 0.352 to 0.362 inch diameter bullets.

 

[oysterer]

In revolvers, peak pressure is reached when the the bullet is still in the cylinder with both fast and slow burning powders. The pressure required to swage a bullet down a couple of thousandths of an inch in the forcing cone and barrel is trivial compared to the total pressure. Although the powder is still burning and the bullet is still accelerating, the volume of the expanding gas behind the bullet is rapidly increasing and the pressure is falling as the bullet moves down the barrel.

An early Speer manual tested the effects of bullet diameter on pressure in the .38 Special and found no significant difference in pressure going from 0.352 to 0.362 inch diameter bullets.

Very insightful. Thank you.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I have loaded a lot if HS-6, it is one if my three favorite powders. Together two are W231 and W296.

No matter what you hear HS-6 performers best at the upper end of the pressure range. It also should be used with a magnum primer. I feel its required but that's me and my personal experience.

I do not like it for the 45 ACP or standard pressure .38 Special. I do use it for the 45 Colt, .38 Special +P, .357 Magnum and a few others. It will also work well with the .41 and .44 Magnum.

 

[cowboy4evr]

I just finished up a shooting session of several days . I had decided to make it a " HS-6 " shooting session as i have quite a bit and really hadn't given it a good thorough trial in multiple calibers . In the 357 magnum , 41 & 44 magnum I used cast bullets I cast myself . In the 357 using a 158 gr swc cast bullet 9.0 grs worked well . In the 41 mag using 220 gr swc cast bullet I used 11.0 , in the 44 magnum using 245 gr swc cast bullet I used 13.0 . I was very satisfied with all 3 loads in their respective fire arm , S&W 28 , 57 , 29 . I used " full " magnum primers for all 3 calibers , none of the " in betweens " like winchester LPP in the 41 and 44 . I don't have a chronograph but feel I have great upper mid range magnum loads . So there you have it , 357 , 41 , 44 magnums ---9-11-13 grs respectively . Regards , Paul

 

[cowboy4evr]

I'm not trying to change the topic here but I want to digress a bit for a moment . I also tried 15 grs of Blue Dot with the actual " Keith " bullet , H&G 503 . It has a shorter shank than your std 240 gr swc . That load in a 4" 29 has quite a bit of power . It was down to freezing and below so I had to keep them in my pocket because of the " inverse temp/pressure " problem Blue Dot has . I have shot 44's for many a yr but never loaded the actual Elmer Keith load using his bullet and 22.0 grs of 2400 powder . I just never felt that I needed that much power . I will tell you that it was substantial recoil . I chose to use my S&W 29 with a 4" barrel just like Elmer Keith used . After about a half dozen rounds I was becoming accustom to it . I will state that I would not feed my 29 a steady diet of that load . It's just too much for even the newer Smiths in my opinion . I would use a Ruger . I'm not speaking poorly of a Ruger , I have 2 . They will take a steady diet of that load for a long time before requiring servicing . Regards , Paul

 

[Rogeronimo]

Sounds like you've done well. I tried HS-6 in a variety of cartridges ... low pressure/high pressure ... never got the accuracy I was after. If you want to run it in your .45, go for it ... there's certainly published data for it. I push 250 gn XTPs with Longshot from a 4" XD, light 'em off with WLP primers, and they reign supreme, so slow powders can and do work. Best of luck!

 

[Paul105]

Never found accuracy to be a problem with HS6. Shot a LOT of HS6 in the .475 Linebaugh -- much cleaner than A2400 with loads in the 1,100 + fps range.

Keep working on load development with each cartridge.

Also in the 500 JRH -- here is a target I shot at about 52 yards, rested over the toneau of my truck with a 5" Freedom Arms 500 JRH conversion using a 4x Leupold. Only 3 shots with each bullet to minimize recoil induced fatigue and target clutter.

This is the gun:

FWIW,

Paul

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I just finished up a shooting session of several days . I had decided to make it a " HS-6 " shooting session as i have quite a bit and really hadn't given it a good thorough trial in multiple calibers . In the 357 magnum , 41 & 44 magnum I used cast bullets I cast myself . In the 357 using a 158 gr swc cast bullet 9.0 grs worked well . In the 41 mag using 220 gr swc cast bullet I used 11.0 , in the 44 magnum using 245 gr swc cast bullet I used 13.0 . I was very satisfied with all 3 loads in their respective fire arm , S&W 28 , 57 , 29 . I used " full " magnum primers for all 3 calibers , none of the " in betweens " like winchester LPP in the 41 and 44 . I don't have a chronograph but feel I have great upper mid range magnum loads . So there you have it , 357 , 41 , 44 magnums ---9-11-13 grs respectively . Regards , Paul

Just one thing, that 158gr LSWC .357 Magnum load, I got great results with 9.2gr HS-6. I'm not telling you what to shoot, only what I found to work well.

 

[daniel lawecki]

Not HS6 but I loaded some Titegroup in the .44 mag. If it hits the high of 11 . I test the 12 rounds that are loaded 250 grain SWC standard primer and 6 grains of powder. This is a real powder puff load we'll see later today.

 

[cowboy4evr]

AA , I appreciate the input . I might give that 9.2gr load a try next time out . I wonder if .2gr would make much difference . All loads (357-41-44) gave great accuracy . It got me up into magnum territory and had " zero " signs of over pressure . I actually bought it yrs ago because of your many posts . Thanks for the recommendation .
I am very pleased with the performance and accuracy . HS-6 will definitely be a powder I will keep around . Regards , Paul

 

[M29since14]

It's been years since I used HS6 in anything except 9mm and 10mm, where it is my favorite for most guns. I did experiment with it some in .44 Magnum and I didn't have much luck with it in target-level loads. I am not a ballistician and I have no pressure testing equipment, but I remember having the impression that HS6 seemed to work best in the .44 when loaded above 20,000 PSI, and 25,000 might be a better number. Of course we all know how much "impressions" can be worth.

I have never found a midrange .44 load that shot as well as I think it should - and the chronograph seems to agree with me, even though extreme spreads a bit above 50 FPS may not be all that critical in short-range handgun shooting.

 

[oysterer]

9mm

thank you, M29, what load do you use for 9mm, 5.8 grains sound about right?