one powder

[zito1553]

Just curious to hear from those with a lot of 10mm experience. If you could only have one powder to use what would it be and why.

[tommac919]

If only one powder for 10mm?

I would pick Blue Dot as it seems to burn better at warm to hot levels where I run it. Some very consistent/accurate rounds @ about 10.2-10.4gr with a 180. And, still low from max of 11gr, ... enough that a powder drop +/- .2 doesn't matter

[sqlbullet]

Blue dot.  Hands down.  Not the very best 10mm powder but a very versatile powder.

[The_Shadow]

I have found uses for it in everything I shoot to include reduced rifle loads...It has served me well over the years.


But I will say that in the past few years I have tried many other powders to learn how they perform and I can say that the LongShot, IMR800X, Power Pistol, CFE Pistol, AutoComp have shown some good loadings.  And BE-86 still eludes me!

[gandog56]

Yep, Blue Dot for me too. Or HP38 if I can't find Blue Dot.

[my_old_glock]

Just curious to hear from those with a lot of 10mm experience. If you could only have one powder to use what would it be and why.

I have very little 10mm experience.

Longshot seems to be a good powder for higher velocity loads.



.

[P33v3]

For me it is 800x.  It makes some smokin' 10mm loads.I use 9.2 grains of it over 180 grain HST's for a very accurate load pushing 1300 fps.

[Dieselman]

For me it is 800x.  It makes some smokin' 10mm loads.I use 9.2 grains of it over 180 grain HST's for a very accurate load pushing 1300 fps.

P33v3,  Would you mind sharing some details about your HST load?   I have been curious about it ever since you mentioned you ordered some back in November.  I ordered some the same week and worked up some loads that work well for me.  What COL did you settle on? What primers? Also what gun did you test these out of? 

[Geeman]

It gets cold in Wisconsin, and Blue Dot gets inconsistent in really cold weather.

800X is a favorite, but you don't want a load pushing maximum in normal temps to be chambered when the ambient temperatures get really warm.  I don't like magnum primers with the stuff either.

Longshot is good with heavy bullets, less so with light ones.

Power Pistol is good for lighter bullets, a bit too hot for maximum heavies.

BE-86 is showing some promise, but I'm a long way from knowing much about the extremes of the performance envelope.

CFE Pistol seems to be fairly solid too, but likely the same exceptions as PP.

Going to make me choose ONE... Likely 800X, but my RCBS Chargemaster weighs each and every load.  If I was using a powder drop, that wouldn't be the one.

Greg

[Taterhead]

This is a tough one. My favorite 10mm powder is Accurate no. 9. But it is inefficient, so I don't know that I'd like to live with JUST that since I shoot 10mm in a decent volume. And I don't always run at full tilt where A9 likes to operate.

Longshot can pretty much do it all, with better efficiency, but not quite as respectable performance all around (in my gun) as A9.

Then I also like to load some light loads using WSF for gaming and stuff so I like that too!

THENNNNN there's good old Blue Dot that just flat makes whatever bullets go where I aim. I've used more of it than anything else. If there ever was a gun powder with a personality, then Blue Dot is it. Could Blue Dot be my one powder?

There's also the superb metering Accurate no. 7. Clean burning, low flash, and versatile. A7 is kind of like a Honda. Does the job. No fuss. Not exciting. Sort of the opposite of Blue Dot. Hmmmmm.

I've found good use for Unique, A5, and 800-X. Power Pistol is in the cabinet, but I haven't tried it. I'm sure it will be great! Heck, I've even loaded some testers from 1970s era Win 452AA (superseded by WST) to see how slow can I go.

Please don't make me choose.   

[Taterhead]

It gets cold in Wisconsin, and Blue Dot gets inconsistent in really cold weather.

...
Greg

I'm curious about your experience with BD and cold weather. Do you mind sharing the types of inconsistencies that you experienced? Groups? Velocities? Hot loads? Modest loads? etc.?

I have shot BD in temps down to +5F, but I know that the upper Midwest can get pretty danged cold. At 5+ I didn't notice any issues, but am wondering about colder than that.

[Geeman]

I'm curious about your experience with BD and cold weather. Do you mind sharing the types of inconsistencies that you experienced? Groups? Velocities? Hot loads? Modest loads? etc.?

I have shot BD in temps down to +5F, but I know that the upper Midwest can get pretty danged cold. At 5+ I didn't notice any issues, but am wondering about colder than that.

I have seen some loadings that vary shot to shot big time.  At an extreme, almost muzzle loader type delay in ignition.  it wasn't 10mm, but I've been wary of the powder since that.  It just doesn't like to light the same from shot to shot.

Greg

[445 supermag]

800x or longshot.

if you twisted my arm it would be longshot. 

I have had good results with even the lighter bullets but mostly shoot 180 or 200 grainers