HERCO, Is It Under Rated??

[azrednek]

One of my favorite powders is Herco but it really does not seem to be very popular among handgun shooters. Rarely when somebody gets on the board asking for load suggestions have I see Herco listed except 41 Mag.

I got hooked on Herco back in the 70's using it for 12 ga shotgun after my then favorite Alcan AL-7 disappeared. After running dry one night of the forever popular Unique I reached into my shotshell powders and started using Herco.

The only time Herco has simply let me down with real dismal results was using it in 30 Carbine. Following gun rag suggestions the 30 Carbine loads I worked up were superb in my Ruger revolver but were all over the target at 100+ yards and unreliable in a M-1 Carbine rifle. Herco has performed for me as well as anything else accuracy wise on paper in everything except light 38 SPL and medium 45ACP where Bullseye has been better.

If I used a crony and maximum FPS were my goal. I'm sure Herco would paint a different story. Obviously I'm not after maximum velocity or I wouldn't be a Cast Boolit member and constantly scrounging lead. As long as what I've seen on paper is satisfactory and tin cans continue to roll over and die. Herco will continue to be my go-to handgun powder. There a very few handgun cartridges I haven't loaded since I started in the early 70's with good results using Herco.

Whatcha think!! Am I just being a stubborn ol’fogie being typically reluctant to change or is Herco under rated??

[littlejack]

az:
I started using Herco when I aquired my Uberti "evil Roy" saa. I wanted a powder that would take up a lot of space in the large 45 Colt case and get things to a good velocity without a sharp pressure curve.
I had used Unique for my medium/target loads ( 8 grains/220 grain Keith) in my .41 magnum S&W for 40 years. I even took two deer with that load in that revolver. I have switched to Universal for a few recent years to get better metering and a some cleaner burn than the Unique.
The Herco metered a lot better than the Unique. In my revolvers, it burns cleaner than Unique, and it does take up a lot of space, which I like. My load for the 45 Colt cartridge is 9 grains of Herco under a 250 to 260 grain boolit. This clocks at 900 fps, plenty for the light SAA revolver.
I will probably switch totally to the Herco for these two cartridges, (.41 magnum and 45 Colt)
I will be a content and happy shooter.
I do believe that the Herco is one of the better powders that has been untried by shooters that would appreciate it, if given a chance.
Jack

[crabo]

I generally use it instead of Unique in 357 and 44, but for upper midrange I like HS6 better.

[geargnasher]

HS6, Longshot, or Power Pistol for me. Herco's always been too dirty and difficult to meter in the few things I've tried it in.

Gear

[9.3X62AL]

Herco does a lot of my Magnum revolver plain-base boolit loadings, from 950-1200 FPS. It also does my game load (1-1/4 oz) 12 gauge loading and 3/4 oz 28 gauge loading. Very useful fuel.

[JRR]

Herco is almost the perfect choice for the 40 S&W. It's only problem is that it is crunchy like Unique through the powder measure.
Jeff

[Johnch]

Herco works well for some loadings ,if you can deal with the metering

But for me at least it's usefullness seems to be in load range

It seems to need more pressure than Unique to not be nasty dirty
And not have the versitality other powders have

Also as many of my powders in this range are used both for pistol and shotgun
It lacks usfullness in the shotgun

John

[Bret4207]

The are a lot of powders out there that are under rated. How many people do you know using SR-7625? Back when we only had a dozen powders or so guys figured out how to make them work. Now with 50-60 powders on the market most people don;t even try the "odd" ones.

[zomby woof]

I've ended up with several pounds of Herco in the old square tins. I'm using it in 30.06 and my K31.

[redneckdan]

SR-7625 works great for plinking loads in 357 and 38 special. Burns really clean in my experience.

[Shiloh]

It never metered well for me. Haven't used it in years. Used AA #7 in it's place.

Shiloh

[shooting on a shoestring]

I've burned one and about 2/3s Eight pound jugs of Herco through .357, .45Colt and some light 30/30s. I switched away from Unique to Herco after I had a bridging episode with Unique. I found Herco's grain size being larger does not bridge, and it does fill cases better making it less position sensitive. Like Unique, its not for top velocities, nor for slowest. It does fill the majority of straight case revolver mid range needs very well.

Under rated? Not by me.

[Reload3006]

one of my all time favorite 44 loads is 9gr herco under a RCBS kieth 255 Boolit and wwLP primer. it works equally well in special brass as mag brass and has a nice mild recoil you could shoot that load all day.

[MT Gianni]

It is an unsung powder in the 9mm.

[Newtire]

I too used Herco in 12 gauge when I was a kid. Now I use alot of it in 20 gauge.

I use it in 10 ga. 2-7/8" loads of 1-1/4oz. for a real impressive clay pigeon smoker without too much recoil.

It is a little fast in .30 carbine-I use the RCBS cast bullet book load of 8.5 gr. BlueDot but with a Lee 120 gr for the carbine, accurate and reliable.

[Kraschenbirn]

For me, Herco has produced best results in larger capacity cases. I've been using it in my .44s...both Spl. and Mag...and .45 LC for quite a few years.

Bill

[rhbrink]

Anybody ever use Herco for a light load in the .444 Marlin? I have a friend that has a whole bunch of it on hand and we have been working up some light plinking loads for various lever action rifles, I have a great one for the .35 Marlin using a 200 grain LBT pistol boolit and Red Dot, he is working with the 429421 in the 444 Marlin. Red Dot is working and so is Unique and I notice that Herco appears to be a bit slower that Unique. We have found a lot of pistol loads for Herco but very few if any rifle loads, any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

Richard

[DLCTEX]

I haven't used Herco in years, but do use SR 7625 in 45 ACP, 8 pounder just keeps on giving at 6 gr.

[williamwaco]

Herco has been my favorite powder for the .357 and .44 magnums since about 1965.

I rarely load maximum loads, but when I do, I prefer 2400.


.

[rintinglen]

8.5 grains herco under a 311-245 sized .310 in a 30-30 works great as a chicken load at the silhouette range--kills ground squirrels pretty well out to 50 yards as well.

[Ronbo256]

I use herco in the .45 ACP and .40 smith because my local powder monger is out of almost everything else, and it fills the case nicely, no chance of a double charge. It burns clean as long as you use a proper amount at least in those 2 cartridges. Also it meters nicely in my Lee autodisk for a large flake powder.

[RobS]

Herco is one of those powders that is over looked because it's been shadowed by it's close brother, Unique. I use it in the 45colt/454 Casull for mid house loads and I can pull a bit more velocity while keeping similar pressures as Unique. It does take almost 8 tenths to a full grain more of Herco in those cartridges to manage what I want to do. It also does well in my 45 auto loads when I push around 230 grain boolits at the upper end.

[mpmarty]

Way back in the sixties or seventies I had a 38/45 Clerk barrel in a 1911 and shot 125gr swaged half jackets in it using Herco. It was one hot wildcat. Haven't used Herco since but may try it again someday. The powder I miss most is Hi-Vel #2

[390ish]

Think I used to use it for mid-range loads for 38 super. I loaded some 45acp with it not too long ago and was not very impressed.

[alamogunr]

Check posts by Lloyd Smale. As I recall, he likes Herco and is one of the more knowledgeable handgun shooters on this board. The next time I order powder for my large caliber handguns, it will either be Herco or HS-6

[theperfessor]

Herco may be a powder I might try again. Hercules/Alliant powders have always been available locally and over the years I've used a lot of them, mostly Bullseye, Unique, Blue Dot, and 2400. Those four powders cover every handgun I own across a range of calibers, bullet weights, purposes and power levels. I tried Herco once - it didn't seem to do anything that I couldn't do with other powders. Not a bad powder really, just not "special" in anything I tried it in.

But I might put it on the Christmas list. Thanks to this forum I'm a little more sophisticated(?) now about this whole boolits thing, and have a couple of handguns I haven't worked up really good loads for yet. I try to keep an open mind, and Herco would be worth a try.

[TCFAN]

I like Herco in my Ruger Super Blackhawk 44 mag. used with a Lyman Keith 429421 at 1200 fps. it has always been very accurate for me...............Terry

[Cherokee]

I have used Herco for years in 38 Special high end loads. Good performance and accuracy with 358477. Also use it in my best 41 mag mid range load with 200 fn cast.

[softpoint]

Herco has been a more useful powder for me than Unique over the years.:castmine:

[big dale]

I have been using Herco in my 41 and 44 mags since the mid 60's. I prefer to use it mainly with heavy cast boolits in those two calibers. I only move up to 2400 for heavier loads than I shoot most of the time. I like to shoot two or three cylinders full of heavier loads as I finish each range session, but I have lost count of how many kegs of Herco I have used in my 41 and 44s. I do tend to load my 45acp a little too high with blue dot.

I do miss those Sunday morning shopping trips to the local Furrs grocery stores in the 70's in Lubbock for eggs, bacon, milk and a pound of 2400.

Have fun with this stuff.

Big Dale

[Olevern]

Ever since I bought two 8 lb kegs of Herco (about three years ago) on clearance for $57.00 a keg it has been my 'go to' powder for 38 spl, 45 colt, and 44 mag mid range loads. Has performed well.

Wish I could find some more for that price. It had been marked down several times, I think they were trying to get rid of it because of the outdated paper kegs, hasn't hurt the performance any.

[zxcvbob]

I really like Herco with cast boolits in .357 Magnum and .45 Colt +P. (in 9mm and .40S&W, I'm surprised anyone gets it to work; the burn rate is good but it's too bulky) It measures just fine for me, but I use pretty big charges and that makes a difference.

It did OK for me in .30 Carbine, but I was loading for a Ruger Blackhawk.

If you like Herco but your powder measure doesn't, try WSF. They seem to be interchangeable, but WSF is fine grained like 231.

[warf73]

Herco is king in my reloading room I normaly go threw 8lbs a year. In years past when my wife and I shot Sporting Clays we could empty 3 8lbs kegs a year but the lead shot crazy (over $35 per 25lb bag) stopped that.
Herco is a great powder for cast boolits because of its bulk, its near impossbile to get a double charge without powder over flowing the case.

[Lloyd Smale]

i use alot of it for midrange 44 mag and 45 colt loads. Dirty and doesnt dump well out of a measure but the results are good enough to live with its idiosynracys.

[fecmech]

If you like Herco but your powder measure doesn't, try WSF. They seem to be interchangeable, but WSF is fine grained like 231.

+1 In the .38/.357 and 9mm the identical charge of WSF and Herco give identical velocities.

[chuckbuster]

Glad to see this thread. Seems to me that it is hard to find published data for HERCO in any cartridge. Alliant even has minimal on their website. I don't mind experimenting but like a little reliable guidance to start. Ken Waters in Pet Loads has as much as anywhere it seems.

Based on his data I loaded some in .41 mag last night. Would like to try in .45 Colt but not sure where to start.

Kevin

[zxcvbob]

Try this:
http://glarp.atk.com/2004/2004Catalogs/2004AlliantPowderSM.pdf

[Ronbo256]

Glad to see this thread. Seems to me that it is hard to find published data for HERCO in any cartridge. Alliant even has minimal on their website. I don't mind experimenting but like a little reliable guidance to start. Ken Waters in Pet Loads has as much as anywhere it seems.

Based on his data I loaded some in .41 mag last night. Would like to try in .45 Colt but not sure where to start.

Kevin

Email Alliant through their website, they have always given me a load when I give them the powder of theirs I want to use, the bullet and caliber, unless they don't recommend it, then they tell me that powder/bullet/cartridge combo is a no go.

Thanks for the link zxcvbob!

[BarryinIN]

I like Herco.
I was looking through my old copy of Dean Grennell's 9mm Gun Digest book and he praised it, so I tried some. I liked it, and buy it 8lbs at a time mostly for 9mm loading. At IDPA matches, people look at my ammo box and say "You're loading yours with what?".

It works great in my Ruger 44 Spl too.
It does well in some other things, but 9mm and 44 Spl is where I've really liked it.

Has anyone seen this:
One thing I've noticed is that it takes less than the manuals and articles say to reach the claimed velocity. For example, the manuals or Alliant might say a particular cartridge-bullet combination calls for 5.0 grains to make X FPS, but as I work up, I hit the claimed velocity at maybe 4.0 grains. This has been the case with a few calibers and bullet weights.
It's not a chrono error because I don't see that with other loads/powders.
I've never pushed it to see if I could get to the listed charge since it's usually enough right there.
Anyone seen this?

I once read that powders primarily intended for shotguns (like Herco) are tested in shotgun loads, so our handgun loads might need more adjusting from powder lot to powder lot. I had forgot about reading that until I ran into this.

[sargenv]

Just before switching to 10 gauge for waterfowling this season, I rediscovered a load utilizing Herco in the venerable old and now discontinued Activ 2 3/4" hull. 7/8 of 2's at 1450 fps was more than adequate for taking waterfowl up to the larger ducks out to about 40 yards. I found that it patterned better than the much faster 1 1/8 oz Kent fast steels that I'd been shooting for the early part of last season.

If it weren't for me purchasing the Gold 10 gauge, I'd likely have shot up most of the Activs.. and I may yet take it back to the blind before the season ends just to conserve my stash of Alliant Steel that has been burning up quickly in the 10 gauge.. 41-44 gr per load eats up a 4 pound can really quickly... My Herco load is in the realm of 26.5 gr pushing a BPI BPGS-BP12 wad with buffered 2's or 3's..

[Dannix]

If you like Herco but your powder measure doesn't, try WSF. They seem to be interchangeable, but WSF is fine grained like 231.
+1 In the .38/.357 and 9mm the identical charge of WSF and Herco give identical velocities.
I just wanted to comment that this is an interesting observe. It seems Herco is often listed with an OAL on the longer side of the spectrum while WSF is crippled with a much lower OAL.

I had tried WSF for middlin 9mm, but didn't like the results. Now that my Silhouette can has run dry, and I'm waiting for more to arrive, I may try WSF for top-end results with Herco OAL and charges.

[JLDickmon]

hmm.
I have used it for handicap trap loads in 12 gauge.. and for heavier hunting loads in same (pheasant).. but seeing as I don't shoot trap anymore and haven't seen a pheasant in a couple years..

[Reg]

You don't happen to remember what that load was do you ?

[smilie=s:



Way back in the sixties or seventies I had a 38/45 Clerk barrel in a 1911 and shot 125gr swaged half jackets in it using Herco. It was one hot wildcat. Haven't used Herco since but may try it again someday. The powder I miss most is Hi-Vel #2

[Alan in Vermont]

FWIW, Midsouth Shooters Supply has 4 lb Herco in their clearance section for $41.77. Why does this always happen when I'm low on funds?

I can't make the link work so here's the URL, http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/clearancesales.asp?dept=&dept2=&dept3=&dept4=&vendors=ALLIANT+POWDER

[captaint]

Another SR7625 fan here. I've just replaced what would be Unique loads with the 7625. I hate the way Unique meters. Not just the crunching, I can live with that, it's the inconsistency I have a problem with. The 7625, on the other hand, meters like a happy powder should. enjoy Mike

[9.3X62AL]

No issues with metering Herco or Unique through my ancient (1978) RCBS Duo-Measure. Larger-grain "stick" powders (4350, 4831) are the only real bugbears for me, and those get trickled up to weight.

[runfiverun]

i like that Al.
i too have an old rcbs set up to drop unique/herco it's just keeps on ticking the same number over and over.
i have a plastic shakey lee that drops 4198 like water.
stuff like rl-19 goes through the lyman dpms i gave up on even trying with those big stick powders.
i save the Herco for my 357 levergun with 158 rnfp's.

[zxcvbob]

FWIW, Midsouth Shooters Supply has 4 lb Herco in their clearance section for $41.77. Why does this always happen when I'm low on funds?


Midsouth's web site seems to be down; also I got a trojan warning from my antivirus software when I tried to go there.

[Dannix]

Midsouth's web site seems to be down; also I got a trojan warning from my antivirus software when I tried to go there.
Did you by any chance Google midsouth and click on the Google link?

I work in IT and twice over the past few links I found I could go to a particular webpage directly, and I could click on duckduckgo.com search result for it, but click on the Google search result for it, it resulted in trojans. It's as if Google's middleman stuff is compromised.

Just checking. I'm finding myself using duckduckgo.com primarily, for other reasons too (http://vimeo.com/51181384).

Here's the direct url:
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/

[Lloyd Smale]

probably my favorite powder for 1000 fps 45 colt and 44 mag loads.

[zxcvbob]

I tried going there direct. I got the trojan warning when I tried Internet Explorer instead of Chrome browser, because it didn't really look like a "not found" error to start with; it said something about "HTML 1.1" It's working just fine now.

[williamwaco]

Herco is my favorite powder for .44 and .357 Mag.

Since I don't seek warp speed, it gives me maximum velocity and better accuracy.

Check this post to see why:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?152007-Comment-on-40-year-old-ammo&highlight=old+ammo


.

[Newtire]

I have found my new favorite load in my .357 GP100. 8.0 gr. Herco with a 158 gr. NEI P/C boolit and CCI srp. Your mileage may vary.