Hodgdon International

There are some guys around here looking for powder.  I was near a local gun store today and stopped in to see what they had.  The only thing anywhere close to being usable for bullseye was Hodgdon International (clays?).  Looking on the burn rate it is between Bullseye and 231, closer to 231 but between.  Has anybody tried this stuff?   Just wondering if I could direct some guys in the right direction to keep them shooting.

Scott

https://www.hodgdon.com/burn-rate.html  or http://www.reloadersnest.com/burnrates.asp

...as you can see this powder will work, but is best with heavier bullets.

http://www.adi-powders.com.au/handloaders/equivalents.asp

problem with the hodgon chart is it lists in a column and makes it look like powders are faster or slower according to where they are on the chart and the truth is many powders have the same burn rate, this is a better chart to use if looking for comparative powders, the clays international is the same rate as 700x and wst both excellent bullseye powders. Also some say wst is the same powder as international, being Winchester does not produce powder and is just a licensed name hodgon uses, just like hp-38 is w-231 just packaged different.

http://www.adi-powders.com.au/handloaders/equivalents.asp

DavidR wrote:problem with the hodgon chart is it lists in a column and makes it look like powders are faster or slower according to where they are on the chart and the truth is many powders have the same burn rate, this is a better chart to use if looking for comparative powders, the clays international is the same rate as 700x and wst both excellent bullseye powders. Also some say wst is the same powder as international, being Winchester does not produce powder and is just a licensed name hodgon uses, just like hp-38 is w-231 just packaged different.

http://www.adi-powders.com.au/handloaders/equivalents.asp

That chart puts W231 faster than WST and Clays as slower than Bullseye. 
I have always thought it was the other way around for both. 

Kurt

Which is why charts can be dangerous. Call Hodgdon.

james r chapman wrote:Which is why charts can be dangerous. Call Hodgson....

Burn rate charts are confusing, people that use them as a reference to reload instead of a reloading manual are dangerous. 

Kurt

Let's be serious here.  The loads we are making for bullseye are well below maximum pressures and these charts are for shits and grins.  Lets step back from the "everything is dangerous" rhetoric and just take these charts with a grain of salt...or powder.

True. I once loaded some 9mm 115gr using Winchester Super Handicap. It went. "BANG".

Of course,  it's designed for 38000 psi?

SMBeyer wrote:There are some guys around here looking for powder. 

There may be some hope on the horizon.. One of my early professions in life was welding.. I still maintain two portable machines, two tig units,  and a mig.. I have always enjoyed welding and it paid a lot of bills in my early days...
I recently did a job for a contractor who is building a regulation powder magazine for a reloading company which is in the  very early stages of growth.. The magazine became a priority,  in preparation of receiving a shipment of 1000 lbs. of Bullseye Powder in the next few weeks.....let's see..@ 3.5 gr per round..that equals.....
Jerry

Not discussed here is my personal suspicion fueled both by personal experience and some vague published reference(s) I don't remember from whence they came...

generally saying that "burn rates" in situ vary in ordinal-scale placement according to variables like bullet weight and chamber pressure of the specific loading.

Specific experience:  Unique vs. Herco in .357 Magnum using 125-gr bullets (including boolits). I think it was Herco is supposed to be "slower" than Unique, but with the lighter bullets it was acting as being a touch above max at lower velocities than the Unique was.

Another one--Bullseye is supposed to be way fast, but a friend of mine tested hot loads in 9mm with it and 90-gr bullets and got some screaming speeds far, far below the commencement of "pressure signs". Some reloading data seems to show that BE powder can come within 50 fps or closer to max velocities with some bullets in some calibers as almost any powder other than the Magnum powders (296, H110, 2400 and barely Blue Dot).

So I'm with Mr. Kovach on this one--LOTS of non-"classic" powders will work just fine for BE pistol loads, and regardless of bullet weight for that matter. Just stay away from trying light loads using those powders that the manufacturer recommends heavy, heavy starting loads for.

Heck, I think they were going about 850 fps, but I stumbled upon a rather accurate load with Power Pistol in .38 Special using 148-ish grain LSWCs. And without Magnum primers I can also bump the charges up and "make Major" for IPSC with a 6-inch barrel for that class that allows longer round guns.