I have seen a supply of PB powder for sale at a reasonable price. My impression is that it is a fairly fast bulky powder and I wonder if it could be useful for loading a 45 ACP or light loads for a 30/30. Any experience out there? Thank You .
I have seen a supply of PB powder for sale at a reasonable price. My impression is that it is a fairly fast bulky powder and I wonder if it could be useful for loading a 45 ACP or light loads for a 30/30. Any experience out there? Thank You .
PM 357Maximum. I know he uses it for 357 mag plinker loads as a substitute for WW 231. Not the same weight mind you, but similar burn rate IIRC. He had good luck with it.
PB is one of the almost forgotten powders, despite its usefulness and good qualities.
It is the sole survivor of a line of powders DuPont created. PB stands for Porous Base, and the idea was that a porous powder could easily be tailored for burn rate by the use or lack of selected coatings that would fill those pores in various degrees. It was a very good idea and worked well - better than the other powders that were based on it.
Many burn rate charts do rank it very near W231/HP38. It is useful in cartridges as small as the .380 through midrange loads in large revolver rounds, reduced loads in some rifle rounds - and with cast bullets.
I ran into an Estate Sale at a Gunshop and bought several pounds of PB, 7625, and Blue Dot for a VERY good price.
Those are NOT the powders that I was using regularly. Right now, I working my way through PB in my .45 ACP for target loads. I am shooting 5.1grs with a MiHec #68 200 gr SWC cast of WW+2% tin. The load shoots VERY well. It is not as dirty as Bullseye but does leave a bit of "debris" in the barrel. It is NOT accumulative and "makes no nevermind". The carbon wipes out quite easily with a solvent soaked patch. I clean every three-five hundred rounds whether it needs it or not.
Dupont listed data for it in their reloading booklet.
It should work just as well in the .38/.357, .44 Special/Magnum, and .45 Colt for light target loads.
FWIW
Dale53
PB is also a good shotgun powder. It's the one I started with when I began loading shotshells 35+ years ago.
I use it's "brother" powder, SR 7625, for my midrange loads in .41 Magnum, .32 H&R and a j-bullet load for the .223 I use for squirrel hunting. I've also gone to 7625 for my 12 ga loads.
Regards,
Stew
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I have seen it for $7.50 per can which I believe is 1/2 lb. Thank you all, I will grab some.
One of the hottest loads I've ever shot in my Browning High Power was loaded with PB. Shoots real good, but I'm out of it right now.
I also agree that it's great for loading your trap shells, inexpensively BTW.
Regards,
WE
I swear by Unique or Universal. From 32 long to 45-70 to 12gu slugs..The name "Unique" sums it up for me.
PB could be thought of as the Unique by IMR. I've always liked it for mid range shotshell data and for backup for a lot of pistol calibers.. The PB meand "Pourus based", not really knowing exactly what that means
Well, I looked in my old Lyman manual and there are a bunch of loads listed for all weights of cast boolits. My newer Lyman only shows it being used on one of their 200 gr SWC with two lube grooves. I should have just looked . But on the other hand now I know that some have had good experience with it. Thank You
I used PB a lot when I was shooting my 20-gauge - still have some, and would not hesitate to use it for any pistol round up to mid-levels.
Echo
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I have used it for 38 special and 45 acp. no problems.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |