IMR PB SMOKELESS POWDER LOAD DATA FMJ HELP!

[AveragEd]

I really like PB in .38 under a 158 gr LSWC. It is accurate and very low recoil. It is, however, very dirty.

PB might be dirty for you because like all slow-burning powders, it requires a lot of heat and pressure to burn completely. Load it near maximum charges and it will be very clean. However, in a revolver, the barrel-cylinder gap automatically lowers pressure, so you may never get it to burn cleanly in one.

Like Perazzi, I have used more of it in trap loads than I can calculate. Nothing shoots quite like it with the closest thing being Alliant Green Dot.

Ed

 

[marathonrunner]

OK I CALLED IMR AND THEY TOLD ME FOR HORNADY 115GR 9MM, TO USE SPEER DOT LOAD DATA SO 3.6 TO 4.0 MAX OF PB. I PLAN ON STATING WITH 3.7 AND LEAVE IT AT THAT. CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG BUT I FEEL LESS POWDER MEANS EACH 1LB I BUY, IT WILL LAST LONGER THAN SAY POWER PISTOL THAT REQUIRES 4.7GR OF POWDER MINIMUM. I LOAD IT WITH 5.3GR

 

[Ben_hutcherson]

OK I CALLED IMR AND THEY TOLD ME FOR HORNADY 115GR 9MM, TO USE SPEER DOT LOAD DATA SO 3.6 TO 4.0 MAX OF PB. I PLAN ON STATING WITH 3.7 AND LEAVE IT AT THAT. CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG BUT I FEEL LESS POWDER MEANS EACH 1LB I BUY, IT WILL LAST LONGER THAN SAY POWER PISTOL THAT REQUIRES 4.7GR OF POWDER MINIMUM. I LOAD IT WITH 5.3GR

Here's some quick math for you.

A pound is equal to 7000 grains. That means that(assuming you don't spill any, which you will) if you are loading 5.3gr of power pistol, you will get about 1,320 rounds per pound. When I find them, the going rate for Alliant powders seems to be about $24/lb. This means that you're putting about 1.8¢ worth of powder in each cartridge with Power Pistol.

1 "pound" of PB is actually only 6125 grains(remember, it's 14 oz, not 1 lb). This means that at 3.7gr PB per round, you're going to get 1655 rounds per can. At $28 per can(the usual retail price I see for PB around here) that translates to about 1.7¢ per round. So, it's a little bit cheaper than Power Pistol, but the savings is about $1 per 1000 rounds. Personally, at that small difference, I'd pick the powder that worked better, and not necessary the more economical one.