H110 or Lil' Gun??

ok guys i need some advice....loading 158gr. JSP( deer) and 180gr. hardcast( piggies). what powder would you use? looking at hodgons data, it seems like lil' gun has higher velocities and less pressure?? i would choose some unique but all the velocities look rather puny on the data sheet.

Try both if you have them and see witch shoots the best for ya. Both are good powders IMO.

There have been concerns of Lil Gun causing forcing cone erosion in revolvers.

If you are looking for top-end loads, you really can't go wrong with H110.

Think i will go with the H110....dont want my GP100 getting any forcing cone erosion! im confused though...i have always pictured a powder that causes forcing cone wear/erosion to be a high pressure/ fast burning powder.

btw- is H110 best used at near max?

yes it is best used near max, it seems to be at it's best when you get to the top end. I don't use any other powder for my revolvers with the exception of HS6 for reduced power loads. W296 is basicly it's twin but H110 is normally a buck or two cheaper a pound.

Use H-110 / 296 and Magnum pistol primers.

that was my next question....if magnum primers were required with H110

I use Win Sm Pistol Magnum primers in the 357, 16 grains H110 and a 158 JHP or JSP. Not max, but comfortable and accurate.

I use 17 gr of H110, 158xtp and federal match mag primer. With H110 you must use a firm crimp and a mag primer.

I sure would like to hear a straight story on Lil Gun. Freedom Arms came out with a warning on using Lil Gun and since then others have chimed in. However, I haven't heard anything that seems to be very factual.

My interest stems from having several pounds of it that I used in small varmint rifle calibers. Now that I can't get out in the field much I would like to use it in my 44M and 41M; however, if it truly is a problem I don't want to ruin a couple of nice revolvers either.

Claim,

Its probably going to be hard to get good data for anything definative. The issue with FA's boiled down to heat. Lil Gun was causing accelerated erosion on the forcing cone due to the gun's being fired rapidly with the powder. The forcing cone on my FA gun looks pretty ugly due to my use of Lil Gun years ago. The gun still shoots fine, so I am living with it for now.

I suspect a lot of folks are like me, not even recognizing what acclerated erosion looks like. Personally, no way I am using more of it in my FA gun, but I would not go as far as saying everyone will have the issue with any caliber or make of gun. And I too like the idea of using one type of powder for multiple applications, but realistically buying a pound of powder is buying a pound of powder (or 4 or 8) for me ;^)

Craig

I tried Lil Gun in both the 357 and 44m and I refuse to use it anymore because it was too hot in my guns a gp100 and srh. The brass in the 44 was so hot it changed colors similar to annealing.

claimbuster

I am a senior member over on the Handloads.com forum, and there has been more than a little talk about the flame temps., of Li'l Gun powder. I would suggest that you "cruise" around on the internet and see what else you can find out. Hodgdon claims better velocity and lower pressures. But at what cost??

H110 also has some issues, there is a lot of "talk" about top strap erosion with H110, something I have witnessed that seems to be more prevalent with S&W guns than with the Rugers.

There are prices to be paid with any type of propellant, even black powder.

Anything negative about accurate#9? I've used it in my casull, and plan to use it in my 475.I would hate to damage my guns over a foolish mistake..

linebaugh

Probably no help but: Bulls Eye, Unique and 2400...!

I have no experience with the AA#9, but Jamesfromjersey has used it quite a bit in some of his FA's. I'm sure he'll enlighten you on all the the loads he uses.

That said, H110 is hard to beat in any magnum straight walls. It's my go to powder; I usually buy it by the 8lb cans.

I've used AA #9 for years in all of my magnums and maximums without issue. Cast and jacketed loads.

Doc

My hunting loads for my FA`s model 83 in 42 mag use AA#9. You would be amazed at the 100yd accuracy of a 210XTP when pushed by AA#9. I also have a accurate load for my 475 using LilGun. And I have accurate loads using H-110 and 296.
Accuracy is most important with my handloads. Find a good powder,
use it.... photo of 100 yard group from 41 using AA#9.

now that's a tack driver...

Impressive group James. I actually tried use the Acc.#9 in my 44mag contender. She didn't like Acc. powder very well, but my SRH in 454 Casull loves it.

Ok guys, I found this by googling Lil Gun and on Graybeard Outdoors forum
Mr. Bob Baker, I believe this to be the same Bob Baker as in President of Freedom Arms had this to say: 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 H-110."

I'm now looking for a new powder for mid vel loads for .45 colt(Ruger) and .475

I bought a can of Lil' last year, have probably not fired 20 loads, I do believe that it will make a nice fire..

I love the info you guys give out. Helping a newbie for sure.

You can't go wrong with WW-296 or H-110....I use both, but can achieve about a 40 fps increase with 296. So, stuff your best brass with a CCI 550 Mag Primer, dump 17.3 grains of WW-296 in the case, and seat that Speer 158 gr JSP to the middle of the cannelure & crimp hard. You should achieve a muzzle velocity of 1300-1312 fps out of a 6 inch barrel. By carefully marking your cylinder barrel, you will find which setting has the least cylinder gap and loss of pressure, thus producing the greatest velocity & probably the best closest to center hit of the six or seven available each & every time. Orient that position for your first shot! You will also find that a "dirty barrel" is more accurate on the first shot than one that is "clean", and be sure if you are hunting in cold weather to keep the ammo as close to body temp as possible before loading the cylinder....you can lose up to 75-100 fps in extremely cold weather!