Alliant BE-86
- Thread starter 300BLK
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Hawk
Well-Known Member
A good high energy, flash suppressed hand gun powder.
Top velocity in 9mm, 40 S&W and 10mm.
It eats the bejesus out of powder coating and powder measures, so I have to use gas checks or traditional lubed bullets.
Eating powder coating may not make a difference, but I figure anything that alters the chemistry inside the case has to be detrimental to performance somehow.
Top velocity in 9mm, 40 S&W and 10mm.
It eats the bejesus out of powder coating and powder measures, so I have to use gas checks or traditional lubed bullets.
Eating powder coating may not make a difference, but I figure anything that alters the chemistry inside the case has to be detrimental to performance somehow.
I see that Alliant has data for pretty stout loads, so was curious if it might be a suitable alternative to Unique and Universal in bottleneck rifle cartridges. It IS available, and more reasonably priced than some powders.
It seems that ALL of the more reasonably priced powders are double based, and many or most are ball powders. AA5744 is high nitro content, and doesn't seem to have affected the PC on the bullets I have in it in a jar.
It seems that ALL of the more reasonably priced powders are double based, and many or most are ball powders. AA5744 is high nitro content, and doesn't seem to have affected the PC on the bullets I have in it in a jar.
I'm not married to PC myself, so I'd be fine with it if it worked with plain-based, tumble-lubed bullets. I use gas checks sometimes, but not at the velocities Alliant shows in their data.
I just looked at their data for 44 Special and 357 Mag. The velocities they show for 240 grain and 158 grain bullets (respectively) correspond to velocities which work well for my needs in both. I shoot mostly 250s in the 44 Special and 180s in the 357 Mag, so I'd be interested to see how those do and how well BE86 responds to reducing charges - at least to what degree is still workable.
BIG factor for me would be, as mentioned by @300BLK , how well does it work in bottleneck cases. If I'm going to invest in 8# of something, it would either need to be VERY good at something specific or at least versatile enough to spread around - like Unique. I'm down to TWO bottleneck cartridges I support these days - the 222 Remington and the 30/30. Either is pretty amenable to a wide range of material and means when it comes to hand-loading.
I'm hoping for some more experienced input on this thread. I've wondered about this powder but know vitually nothing about it.
I just looked at their data for 44 Special and 357 Mag. The velocities they show for 240 grain and 158 grain bullets (respectively) correspond to velocities which work well for my needs in both. I shoot mostly 250s in the 44 Special and 180s in the 357 Mag, so I'd be interested to see how those do and how well BE86 responds to reducing charges - at least to what degree is still workable.
BIG factor for me would be, as mentioned by @300BLK , how well does it work in bottleneck cases. If I'm going to invest in 8# of something, it would either need to be VERY good at something specific or at least versatile enough to spread around - like Unique. I'm down to TWO bottleneck cartridges I support these days - the 222 Remington and the 30/30. Either is pretty amenable to a wide range of material and means when it comes to hand-loading.
I'm hoping for some more experienced input on this thread. I've wondered about this powder but know vitually nothing about it.
I like Herco!
I like it more for the upper end of moderate in both the 44 Special and the 357 Mag. On their site, the velocities look like what I get from my Herco loads in both.
Appreciate that experience, fiver. Thank you.
fiver
Well-Known Member
you'll like it i bet.
it's flash suppressed and meters pretty darn good.
ouch on the price though, i walked away quickly when i seen bulls-eye at $47 a LB.
suckily i went through and burned up a bunch of my odds and ends a while back and i'm now kind of stuck to using my regulars without the i want to more than the i'm gonna on the ones i found i really liked better than the standby's in some instances.
it's flash suppressed and meters pretty darn good.
ouch on the price though, i walked away quickly when i seen bulls-eye at $47 a LB.
suckily i went through and burned up a bunch of my odds and ends a while back and i'm now kind of stuck to using my regulars without the i want to more than the i'm gonna on the ones i found i really liked better than the standby's in some instances.
I'm exploring alternative powders so as to conserve my remaining Unique. I have similar quantities of Hodgdon Universal, Herco, and Green Dot. Winchester Super Target is supposed to be similar in burn rate to Green Dot, but (at this point) I don't know how it will react in bottleneck cartridges. Longshot is in the Blue Dot burn rate, but again, another flattened ball with no data in bottleneck rifle cartridges. A jug of AA#7 will go a long way IF it will play nice.
These discussions are very valuable to all of us. I've taken a lot of notes regarding what is similar to what else, etc. I've contributed what I've found as well and hope it helps someone as much as I've been helped.
I think you and I discussed 300MP in the 300 BLK on a forum specific to the 300 BLK a few years ago. I bought 8# because it was pretty cheap and it looked like a decent alternative to H110 or WC820 in magnum handgun rounds. That it worked so well in the 300 BLK was a boon, because I was shooting that at the time also. If not for these discussions, I'd have had to buy three other powders, spent hundreds of primers and projectiles to find what I needed.
Now, spending all those primers and projectiles is USUALLY fun and not an "issue," but these days, we just don't have that luxury.
"Exploring" is a good way to put it. I'm happy we have you and so many others with the diverse experiences in this powder or that. It's funny too because this exploration, the exchange of intel, the focus and concentration on how to get more out of what we have is actually its own kind of fun. We've lost the fun of expending a lot of ammo in our experimentation, but replaced it with an exercise in determination - we
re gonna shoot, dammit! Whether we can afford to buy every new powder or not!
Eric
I use AA#7, 12-12.4 in a .32 Larry Thompson design, Breech-seated 170 gr Bullet,
velocity is 1350-1400, shoots good at 100 and 200.
if you have any WW571 or HS-7, 12 grains, in my 30-40 Krag, No.3 Ruger, fixed ammo, using a plain base bullet about 196grains, similar to the Pope bullet, 311408?, the groups are 1"-1 1/2" 100yds, 10 shots
The Schuetzen guys are using 300MP, I'm on my second 8#, in my 32-40 Ruger No.1
I use AA#7, 12-12.4 in a .32 Larry Thompson design, Breech-seated 170 gr Bullet,
velocity is 1350-1400, shoots good at 100 and 200.
if you have any WW571 or HS-7, 12 grains, in my 30-40 Krag, No.3 Ruger, fixed ammo, using a plain base bullet about 196grains, similar to the Pope bullet, 311408?, the groups are 1"-1 1/2" 100yds, 10 shots
The Schuetzen guys are using 300MP, I'm on my second 8#, in my 32-40 Ruger No.1
Glaciers
Alaska Land of the Midnight Sun
I’m curious about powder pricing.
In December I bought from Powder Valley one 8 pound jug of 2400 and a pound of 231. Paid $270 delivered to my son’s house in Oregon. It was $28.95 per for 2400 and $34 something for the 231.
Now PV has 2400 for $48.95 per pound.
Bullseye is $48.95 as well. I just bought 3 pounds here in Alaska, I’m embarrassed to say I paid 42.95 each at Sportsman. I wouldn’t pay that but it fills out my needs.
Accurate is $34
The only reason I was willing to pay $43 for Bullseye was I haven’t seen it on any shelf in the interior of Alaska for maybe 8 years. But now I feel I have enough various powders for the rest of my tenure on this planet.
Good on unique, 231, 2400, H110, bullseye, and a few others.
If I need more I’m going to look at Accurate powders as long as they are reasonable.
Still have a couple cardboard 4 pounder’s of unique so I’m good.
In December I bought from Powder Valley one 8 pound jug of 2400 and a pound of 231. Paid $270 delivered to my son’s house in Oregon. It was $28.95 per for 2400 and $34 something for the 231.
Now PV has 2400 for $48.95 per pound.
Bullseye is $48.95 as well. I just bought 3 pounds here in Alaska, I’m embarrassed to say I paid 42.95 each at Sportsman. I wouldn’t pay that but it fills out my needs.
Accurate is $34
The only reason I was willing to pay $43 for Bullseye was I haven’t seen it on any shelf in the interior of Alaska for maybe 8 years. But now I feel I have enough various powders for the rest of my tenure on this planet.
Good on unique, 231, 2400, H110, bullseye, and a few others.
If I need more I’m going to look at Accurate powders as long as they are reasonable.
Still have a couple cardboard 4 pounder’s of unique so I’m good.
My local source who was ALWAYS less than PV has 8# 2400 for $329.99. Yes, it has gone up again!
Bullseye is $309.99/8# and $47.99/1#
IMR 4227 is $303.99, so $20 less than I paid for a jug fro PV back in February.
Clays and Universal were $199 and $219 respectively, but out of stock, so I'll be cuurious as to how much they go up.
Bullseye is $309.99/8# and $47.99/1#
IMR 4227 is $303.99, so $20 less than I paid for a jug fro PV back in February.
Clays and Universal were $199 and $219 respectively, but out of stock, so I'll be cuurious as to how much they go up.
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Glaciers
Alaska Land of the Midnight Sun
Yeah I just ran across the receipt for the bullseye and I paid $47.99 a pound not $42.99. I glad I have it and as Jeff says it goes a long ways. Actually it was the only deficiency in my stash.
Almost $50 a pound, wow.
I still have some 4831 I paid $1 per pound.
Almost $50 a pound, wow.
I still have some 4831 I paid $1 per pound.