H110 vs ???

[Ranger J]

I have been using H110 for my heavy loads in both my .357 and .44 rifles. I get real good results in both but have a slight problem with the loading process. I have a lee powder measure and it dribbles the fine H110 all over the place. From other lines I have heard this is a standard thing with the lee loader. I don't want to change loaders so is there a comparable powder with larger grains that will give me the same consistent results that H110 does? I have tried 2400 and it doesn't do as well in the .44s. One of my rifles is a Ruger Deerfield and it takes a full power charge to cycle properly.

RJ

 

[zxcvbob]

If you like H110 and 2400 doesn't do it for you, I think you're pretty much out of luck. You can try Blue Dot, but it won't quite give the performance of 2400.

You can make a dipper for your favorite load of H110 and use that instead of the powder measure. Solder a copper wire to a spent case (with the old primer still in it) and trim the case until it just holds the amount of powder you like.

 

[Ben Shepherd]

Vit N110. Burns VERY clean, a big plus in the deerfield. Downside? Kinda spendy.

 

[Walkalong]

Ditto.

Very good stuff, won't leak through gaps (unless they are huge), burns super clean, meters well (Not great like the fine ball powders, but well), and has proven very accurate in my limited use of it. (I just tried it in .44 Mag.)

 

[rcmodel]

One of my rifles is a Ruger Deerfield and it takes a full power charge to cycle properly.

Are you saying a full charge of 2400 won't cycle your gun?

Something mighty odd about that!
It was the powder used in all .44 Mag factory loads for about a 1/4 century after it was introduced in 1955.

rc

 

[Ranger J]

No, that's not what I meant. It (2400) will cycle the gun but the accuracy doesn't seem as good as with H110. Blue dot can not be safely loaded heavy enough to cycle the gun regularly. I have used AA#9 but that too is kind of small grained. What does lil gun look line and has anyone used it in a rifle, either a Deerfield or a 1894 Marlin.

RJ

 

[Ben Shepherd]

Unless you shoot high volume on a very short budget, try the vit N110. Seriously.

It preforms wonderfully for me in every 44 I've tried it in, and that's better than a dozen including 3 rifles.........

 

[Walkalong]

What does lil gun look line

AA #9.....Lil' Gun.....N 110.....W-296

 

[USSR]

RJ,

Don't know how it will work in your Lee powder measure, but IMR4227 should be worth trying in your rifles.

Don

 

[Walkalong]

It (4227) shot well for me way back when I first got my Winchester 94 .44 Mag. I have no idea of the velocities, but it shot well. My son has that rifle now.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I know what you mean, 2400 is a good Magnum powder but it doesn't match W296/H110 for top velocities and performance. Blue Dot will deliver even less velocity than 2400. IMO Lil'Gun and IMR4227 are worth a try, both will perform well with Lil'Gun probably being the best of the two.

I load 2400, W296/H110 and Lil'Gun for the .357 Magnum and I like all of them for different applications. For my .357 Magnum Carbine I use W296 and Lil'Gun with Lil'Gun being used for 180gr bullets...

 

[Maj Dad]

RJ, you can pick up a used good quality powder measure on ebay or Gunbroker (or this site's for sale page) for what a pound of powder costs nowadays. Unless you have a system that requires the Lee, I would accomodate the rifles instead of the powder measure. I used the Lee scoops when I started out, then a few years later acquired a bunch of stuff in an estate sale which included a Lyman Mod 55 measure. That was 1970 or 71, and it is still my main measure (the RL 550 uses the Dillon measure). Just my 2 cents...
Regards,
Maj Dad

 

[buck460XVR]

I have yet to find any powder that pushes my 158s in .357 and my 240s in .44 as accurately as H110/W296 at magnum velocities. I too would consider a better measure and load for the guns.

IMO Lil'Gun and IMR4227 are worth a try, both will perform well with Lil'Gun probably being the best of the two.

Altho I never had good results with Lil' Gun in .44mag, I did like it with heavy bullets in both .357 and .460 S&W. But after experiencing how hot my barrels got so quickly and the new info regarding damage done to firearms due to the high temperatures it produces, I have quit using it till I get more facts. I have had good results with IMR4227 in both .357 and the .460 and altho it doesn't achieve, the velocities of H11/W296, it has proven to be quite accurate and has become my go to powder for the 300 grainers in .460........and since it tends to be a little less sensitive to extreme temps, should work good late in the season when temps drop below zero.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

buck460XVR,
I didn't notice my barrel getting very hot when using Lil'Gun for my .357 Magnum but that might be because I usually use it for my 180gr Carbine ammo. I usually don't shoot many rounds at a time, maybe 3 or 4 so I guess that isn't enough to build the temps up. I will look for it in the future, thanks for the info...

 

[buck460XVR]

this is a post from another forum from Bob Baker of Freedom Arms.......

We have seen numerous barrels damaged by using Lil Gun. According to customers, some had as few as 30 rounds using Lil Gun through them, some had several hundred. Before we figured out what was happening one customer had sent his gun in for a new barrel. Then 600 rounds later it came back for another new barrel.

A couple years ago we did a test with a M83, .357 Mag. using Hornady 180 gr. bullets. We loaded 50 rds. of three different loads. One was a heavy H-110 load and the other two both used Lil Gun in different quantities.

We fired the H-110 loads first, then cut off the threaded end of the barrel. Rethreaded the barrel and shot one of the Lil Gun loads then rethreaded the barrel and shot the last Lil Gun load.

We found even the light load of Lil Gun caused the gun to get extremely hot. The heavy Lil Gun load had the gun so hot the only place we could touch the gun was on the grips and they were very hot.

Under magnification the surface appeared to have heated to a point of flowing using the Lil Gun loads and the heavy load was worse than the light load. This is probably due to Lil Gun having about 10% more nitro glycerin in it than H110