Another Herco?

[Calamity Jake]

Is Herco load density sensitive????

The reason I ask is I loaded some 38sp with 3.0 gr and a 120 rn boolit. All loaded on a dillion 550 that I have used over 25 years.
We went to shoot some of the above the other day and had some of the rounds act like there was no powder in the case
and I know there was!!
Guns used were a uberti colt lightning copy, a 73 win. and S&W M 10. The only time the rounds acted like this was
when shot out of the revolvers they ran just as expected in the lever gun. Not every round failed, could shoot 2-3
then might have 1 act up, all came out of the same 100 round box, all brass and boolits were prepped the same.
The Herco came out of one of the older red metal cans but was good, no bad smell or clumps no rust in the can.
I'm scratchen my head over this one, never run into it before.

[farmerjim]

I have used it with 8 grains of herco under a 170 gr boolit in a 308 to make subsonic loads. I have never use it in mouse fart loads. All my 9mm herco loads are compressed charges and the 38s are fairly full cases. I use bullseye or 700x for very light loads.
Never any problems.

[mulespurs]

I have had a few weak loads when loading 5 gr red dot in 45 acp. I am trying to blame it on spraying my cases with Dillons lube and not giving the cases a chance to dry off the alcohol before loading.

Don't know if that is it. The other possibility is that I picked up cases off the ground and failed to clean and inspect for corruption inside the case.
I do know if I clean cases properly and let the case lube dry a few minutes I have no failures.

[fecmech]

That load is way too light. You are using a fairly slow shotshell powder with a very light for caliber bullet. You are right on the edge of squib loads. Unique which is a step faster than Herco shows start loads with 120 gr. bullets at 4.0 grs. I quit using Unique for my 120's at the 5 gr. level due to extreme spreads of 150FPS I can't imagine what the spread would be at 3 grs. BTW the pressure for 4 grs of Unique is only 9000CUP! If you are going to load light loads with 120's stick with Bullseye,Red Dot etc.

[dubber123]

Super light load, and Herco is not the best metering powder in the world, not surprised you had issues. Watch out for bridging in powder drops, it will stick in the nozzle on one giving you no powder, then dump it all in the next.

[Calamity Jake]

Thanks guys, I'll use the Herco for something else, If I can find some load data, maybe shotgun.

Been loaden ammo for 35+ years and never had this problem.

[fecmech]

Jake--Herco will work just fine in the .38 with 158's and Unique data. Herco loads about .1-.3 grs heavier than Unique for the same velocities in .38 and .357 loads.

[Calamity Jake]

Thanks

[Landy88]

Herco is happier as a +p powder than as a -p powder. Even the so versatile Unique will begin to balk at too reduced of loads.