Lil' Gun, CB's and my SBH

[Maven]

I just returned from the range after a brief test of Lil' Gun in my Ruger SBH. My initial impression is that performs well, doesn't heat the barrel more than say Unique, but I think it needs to be approached, shall we say, judiciously? To wit, according to various burn rate charts, Lil' Gun is a mite slower than 2400 and faster than 4198, so I thought it might be of some use in my 10.5" bbl'd Ruger SBH. However, my latest Lyman reloading handbook doesn't list it for any CB loadings, and what it did list was a bit more than I wanted to start with (and for jacketed bullets at that). Thus, I didn't think that 15.5gr. would be "hot," even in this weather. As I had a small quantity of 1x fired PMC brass on hand, I decided to proceed.

Here's what I did: FL sized, belled, and annealed the brass and cleaned the primer pockets. I then weighed 12 charges of LG @ 15.5gr. and then seated 12 RCBS Keith CB's sized to .431". Six of those got a roll crimp while the remaining six got a taper crimp. The composite target shown below shows promise, but compared to my last ten shots with everything the same except the powder charge, I'd say I need to repeat my abbreviated test, which I will do, but I think 14.5 - 14.8 gr. would be more comfortable. Btw, with the 15.5gr. charge, the primers were nicely rounded and the fired cases dropped out of their chambers of their own weight.

P.S. I also got more scatter than I'd like with known performer, a B & M heavy WC, roll crimped over 7.5gr. of Unique; i.e., I need more practice! Lastly, none of the loads left much lead in the bore and only a negligible amount in the forcing cone.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

Im not a fan of Lil Gun Powder. Unique, now your talkin!!
Good shootin!

CW

 

[Tomme boy]

Lilgun speed depends on what cartridge it is in.

 

[david s]

I've used Lil'Gun as a magnum pistol powder in the past. I think the data came from the Hodgdon Annual Manual. It was used in a 44 Magnum with the RCBS 44-250-K. For some reason I didn't have my regular powder on hand but shoot a bunch of 22 Hornets and had Lil'Gun around. No horror stories but I don't remember it being a stand out load either. And with out any scientific data at all I'm of the opinion that Lil'Gun doesn't like cases with sharp shoulders. It does better in the factory Hornet than the K Hornet at least in limited comparisons. Your roll crimped sample looks promising.

 

[358156 hp]

I sandblasted the forcing cone pretty good with Lil Gun in 3-4 shooting sessions. I thought Freedom Arms was exaggerating a bit about this condition, but that wasn't the case. In my case, the forcing cone was salvageable, so no harm done. I still keep it around, and continue to use it.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

It burns quite hot. Ill never use in a semi auto. I have a dandy Hornet load with it and a good shooting hot 180/357mag carbine load. I dont shoot many hornets since re chambering my favorite to a K. I dont hunt with the 357 Carbine and if when I did... Wouldnt be alot of shooting.
Yes I also keep on hand. I recently have been using in my 410 Buck shot & slug loads with good success.

I tried it in the 350 Legend and saw spiking with some loads. No no no I dont mess with that!! Very erratic results delayed ignition and velocity spikes where the tells. Brass was also ravaged so much that some was t hseable. These where NOT tip top loads but near 100% density.
CW

 

[Bliksem]

Lil gun is a weird powder as it is very unpredictable outside of very narrow frames of reference, IMHO. The excessive heating of barrels compared to other powders and the larger muzzle flashes are not conducive to confidence as an appropriate powder for most applications that I have tried.

 

[RicinYakima]

I will use the last of the one pound I bought in my 22 Hornet, the only thing it works well in for me.

 

[Tomme boy]

350 Legend you have to use a small rifle mag primer or the 41 milspec using lilgun. It solves some of the erratic behaviour of it. Also with jacketed bullets it seems to show less pressure signs than lead of equivalent weight. I have a very scary accurate load with the hornady 165gr ftx bullet and Lilgun. But that is it. Not going to ruin any more brass from case head expansion because of erratic pressure spikes.

 

[Maven]

All, I'm using Lil' Gun only because I purchased 2 lb. of it a few years ago at a very good price. I venture to say many of us have done that when other "inappropriate" powders were available and cheap, e.g., WC 872 WC 872, WC 820, IMR 7383, et alia. In my very limited experience yesterday, it is OK with CB's at lower loading densities (but that could have been my shooting compared to the target in the 2nd pic). Btw, there was no muzzle flash and no excessive bbl. heating compared to Unique, but I waited one full minute between shots with each.

 

[Maven]

Got a chance to try Lil' Gun in my SBH again today, but this time only nine shots, taper crimped and with a red aiming spot. The 14.5gr. (weighed) load was more comfortable and gave me no problems with extraction or barrel heating.* Accuracy wasn't too bad, but I think I could have done better.

*If you want to experience barrel heating, try a full cylinder with each cartridge loaded with 32 -33gr. FFFg black powder and those Keith CB's!

 

[L Ross]

Got a chance to try Lil' Gun in my SBH again today, but this time only nine shots, taper crimped and with a red aiming spot. The 14.5gr. (weighed) load was more comfortable and gave me no problems with extraction or barrel heating.* Accuracy wasn't too bad, but I think I could have done better.

*If you want to experience barrel heating, try a full cylinder with each cartridge loaded with 32 -33gr. FFFg black powder and those Keith CB's!

Hot barrel with BP, you got that right! I was at a cowboy shoot that had a stage they let you solve the problem any way you wanted to. I chose a 12 ga. sawed off hammer gun and a tin bucket full of roll crimped paper, black powder shells. It was a target rich stage and I used 32 rounds of shot shells. I had a leather glove on my left hand and when I got done, every observer, scorer, timer, and the other competitors were choking. Grease was cooking out of the forearm. I counted myself lucky the barrels did not un-solder! It was awesome, just awesome!

 

[BBerguson]

I’ve only used it in my 450 Bushmaster bolt gun. Cast bullets didn’t shoot worth a darn, maybe the loads were too hot, but it shot well with 245 gr jacketed. Probably all I’ll use it for.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

I’ve only used it in my 450 Bushmaster bolt gun. Cast bullets didn’t shoot worth a darn, maybe the loads were too hot, but it shot well with 245 gr jacketed. Probably all I’ll use it for.

Me too! I was getting the oddest delayed ignition! Barely detectable but definite click bang delay, like a dirty muzzle Loader. Nope I trust my gut. No more lil gun.

CW