Best replacement for Bullseye

fiver

Well-Known Member
could be, I never used it for way over20 years, then I heard using it can make your blood pressure go down.
 

waco

Springfield, Oregon
I have an opened pound of RD and an unopened 8 pounder as well. Doubt I'll be running short anytime soon...
 

Brother_Love

Well-Known Member
Thanks for all the input. I finally decided to order more BE. That old saying got to me, "If it ain't broke don't fix it."
 

pokute

Active Member
Somebody who asked to remain nameless told me that when he was working up a truly awe-inspiring pistol cartridge once upon a time, that he could get Unique to act like BE, and 2400 to act like Unique, by compressing them strongly. Apparently BE, Unique, and 2400 should never be compressed. I would suspect that to be a more general rule about flake powders than something peculiarly specific to those three. Flake powders are the most extreme conformation geometrically, so more liable to get their burn pattern modified by compressing.

That said, I am a huge fan of BE, Unique, and 2400.
 

Pistolero

Well-Known Member
I have switched to Tite Group instead of BE for most loads that I have used BE for in the past. I have
one pound of BE left, may not replace it when it is done. TG works great for me.

Bill
 

Ian

Notorious member
Apparently BE, Unique, and 2400 should never be compressed

Except when used in SHOTGUN loads, where they MUST be compressed and heavily crimped to keep them that way, or bad things happen.

Unique is interesting stuff, I remember a test done years ago where it was loaded incrementally all the way up to something like 60K psi with a strain gauge attached, and pressures carefully plotted. It was one of the few pistol/shotgun powders that didn't spike at any particular point, just very predictable pressure increases as the charge weights went up.
 

Winelover

North Central Arkansas
I like BE and or Unique for the calibers, you listed. BE is more economical, but at the risk of double charging. Have tried 231, meters well, but I still prefer the latter.
 

USSR

Finger Lakes Region of NY
While I am a big fan of Bullseye, I will be trying some WST when the weather breaks. The Bullseye shooters (as in Bullseye Competition) rave about it for both light .38 and .45 loads. We will see.

Don
 

Winelover

North Central Arkansas
The reason I didn't include AA #7, a ball powder, I like for 9 mm and 44 SPl........was because the original OP wanted a powder to also load 38 Special. I use it for medium power loads in 357 and 44 Magnum.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
funny Ian should mention unique in various role's
one of my last Utah Deer was shot using a landowner tag.
the load was a 200gr speer bullet in the 8 mauser with a pretty good dose of unique under it.
it was probably clocking in at about 2,000 fps but I could hear an audible slap when the bullet hit the deer.
 

VZerone

Active Member
Hard to beat BE for 38 hollowbase wadcutter use. BE was used as factory loads in many early revolver cartridges.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
Bulls-eye predates red dot it.
hell it pre-dates Herculese it was produced by Lafflin before it was Lafflin and Rand.
I'd say it was put in a few smokeless rounds at the factory.
 

KHornet

Well-Known Member
There are so many shotgun/handgun powders on the
market, that choice is sort of a crap shoot. Pick one
you think will suit you and go with it.

Paul
 

Eutectic

Active Member
While I am a big fan of Bullseye, I will be trying some WST when the weather breaks. The Bullseye shooters (as in Bullseye Competition) rave about it for both light .38 and .45 loads. We will see.
I'll have to agree....... My Colt Gold Cup while extremely accurate with Bullseye will get beat every time WST loads are along for the outing!

WST is a little bulkier for a benefit....

Pete
 

pokute

Active Member
Except when used in SHOTGUN loads, where they MUST be compressed and heavily crimped to keep them that way, or bad things happen.

Unique is interesting stuff, I remember a test done years ago where it was loaded incrementally all the way up to something like 60K psi with a strain gauge attached, and pressures carefully plotted. It was one of the few pistol/shotgun powders that didn't spike at any particular point, just very predictable pressure increases as the charge weights went up.

It is likely that it behaves differently in pistol, rifle, and shotgun loads. Volume matters. PV-nRT. Hatcher found that Unique was fine in the 30-06. I did say pistol cartridge.
 

Creeker

Well-Known Member
Shot my last Bullseye several years ago. I've not replaced it & not because I don't like it, I do. But I came across Promo so cheap I couldn't pass it up. Shooting many pounds of it now.