Herco in 38 cal.

[mag_01]

:coffee: ----- Shot some 148 wad cutters to day with 3.5 Herco---groups where excellent and clay pigeons at 35yrds was fun. Its a nice easy load and fun to shoot. I noticed the gun was clean and everything went well --- I look for leading and there was very little--nothing like the high power loads..Shot rifle also K-31 with 200gr. g/c boolits powered by 29grs. of 3031---also shot the Swede M38 with J bullets---120gr. powered by 37grs. of 3031--all in all it was a good day---Mag

[beagle]

Herco's one of the forgotten powders these days. I use it in a lot of different pistol calibers and some rifle calibers. It's greta in high speed .38 Special loads in the .38/44 load (+P) category./beagle

[fecmech]

It's a sleeper in the 9mm along with Blue Dot. I've been able get to 1200 fps with 120 gr bullets with little to no leading and exellent accuracy with both powders. Thats using stock 1/10 twist barrels. I don't know if it's the "bulkyness" of the powder protecting the bases or what. Thats another item for testing in the snow this winter.

[Beau Cassidy]

I have gotten some phenomal groups with it in the 1.0 to 1.1K range. Don't remember data off the top of my head.

[9.3X62AL]

Herco had no place at my loading bench until 4-5 year ago, when I acquired an eight-pounder of the stuff for the right price--next to nothing, during a divorce fire sale. Boy, I didn't know what I was missing! It is a superb fuel for revolver and pistol loads, kind of a "Unique with attitude". It excels in 12-28 gauge shotshells for field loads, too--the 1-1/4 oz.\3-3/4 dram 12 gauge loads made with this powder are likely the best I've been able to assemble over the 35 years I've re-stuffed AA hulls. Good stuff.

[OLPDon]

Herco had no place at my loading bench until 4-5 year ago, when I acquired an eight-pounder of the stuff for the right price--next to nothing, during a divorce fire sale. Boy, I didn't know what I was missing! It is a superb fuel for revolver and pistol loads, kind of a "Unique with attitude". It excels in 12-28 gauge shotshells for field loads, too--the 1-1/4 oz.\3-3/4 dram 12 gauge loads made with this powder are likely the best I've been able to assemble over the 35 years I've re-stuffed AA hulls. Good stuff.
Al : I have been reloadind shotshell more years then I would like to remember at any rate. I have been sticking to grs. as per the books state, my question is this can I deveate on powder weights plus or minus if so by how much % wise in perticular 28 ga. and be on safe side within I won't distroy shotgun and or self.
Input from others more then welcome and appr.
Don

[9.3X62AL]

I stick pretty close to "book recommendations" on charge weights, no need to gild the lily velocity-wise. Using 14.0 grains of Herco under 3/4 oz. of #9's and a Win 209 primer in AA hulls, the book shows 8400 LUP and a velocity of 1200 FPS. This load drops doves and quail as well as the 12 gauge does to 35 yards or so. The 28 gauge has a "pattern efficiency" with this skeet-level load that belies its light shotload weight.

If I need more "performance"--range, power, shotload, or a shot size upgrade--I shift to the larger bores. #6 shot or larger in a 28 gauge gun is a waste of time, too many holes in the pattern past 20 yards or so. There are 7/8 oz. and 1-ounce loads available for the 28, but those loads also come in 20, 16, and 12 bores. I also shoot the 410 in an 870, but I mostly use that to piss off the trapsnots at our gun club.

[Mk42gunner]

Al, if you really want to get thier nose out of joint, show up with either an old Iver Johnson Champion, or a new H&R from Walmart.


Robert

[JRR]

Herco is one of the very best powders for the 40 S&W. With the RCBS 180 flat point lead bullet, my CZ75BSA gets 900 fps with 5.5 grs. and 950 fps with 5.8 grs.. OAL 1.140". EXCELLENT accuracy in my gun.

[drinks]

I have some Herco cans, empty now, that held 11oz, square and green with a metal pop top, one still has a price tag of $1.59.
Only thing I have used in 20ga, this since about 63-64.
Use it for .45ACP, .38sp. .44-40, .44 sp loads in .44 mag. cases, the 113gr soupcan in .303 Savage, .30-30, .308 and 7.5x55 SR and used it with the little 1/2 jacket plinker someone made for .30 carbine in a .30-30 and the .303 Savage.
Even in small weights, I still use over a pound a year.
I am about to try 9mm parabellum, for the first time, intend to use cast bullets and Herco.

[swheeler]

I have used it in 38, 30/06 with 200 gr cast and excellent accuracy, and still use it in 12 ga slug loads with the 1 oz Lee slug.
And forgot the old 7.62x38R Nagant Revolver(edit)

[9.3X62AL]

Mk 42--

At the club Buckshot and I shoot at on Tuesdays, all it takes to make eyes roll on the trap fields is a Rem 870--that I trounce them with it in 410 bore Express is just icing on the cake.