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Thread: Herco powder

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
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    Herco powder

    I have some Herco powder, but having trouble finding load data even Alliant doesn't list much,
    I load for .38 .357 .44/40 .44 mag .45 ACP .45 Colt
    My supplier has a good quantity at a fair price would like to receive him of his burden
    if I can find some loads.
    Cheers
    Robert.

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master Nobade's Avatar
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    I treat it like slow Unique. I'll use mid level Unique loads to start, and work up over the chronograph until the velocity equals what I'd be seeing with a safe load of Unique. Not a whole lot of published load data out there in recently published books, but you can find it in older ones.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master


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    Lots of data in older manuals. I'm not where I can get to my books right now, but it is a good powder.

  4. #4
    Boolit Buddy
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    https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho....php?p=3943649

    Link to older manuals post

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  5. #5
    Boolit Master
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    lots of loads with herco for cast bullets in Lyman 50th ed manual. 357, 44 mag, plus much more in cast bullet manual. I'm sure there is lots more at castpics.net

  6. #6
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  7. #7
    Boolit Master
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    Loads very much like Unique,maybe a tic slower, Unique loads would be good starting point. Older manuals have the data. I always liked Herco better than Unique for most purposes.

  8. #8
    Boolit Man
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    Agree with the other replies,works great with cast loads for the 38-55.

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  9. #9
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    Alliant has decided that their shotgun powders are shotgun powders not handgun powders. If you go to their site, click on Herco and "list all recipes" or something like that it shows you 3 or 4 handgun loads. Get a Lyman 45 or Speer #8 and you will see it's use in a lot more.
    [The Montana Gianni] Front sight and squeeze

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master


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    Quote Originally Posted by MT Gianni View Post
    Alliant has decided that their shotgun powders are shotgun powders not handgun powders. If you go to their site, click on Herco and "list all recipes" or something like that it shows you 3 or 4 handgun loads. Get a Lyman 45 or Speer #8 and you will see it's use in a lot more.
    Even the year 2000 Alliant manual shows a ton of Herco, but it's really just a reprint of earlier Hercules manuals. This is a phenomenon that has been happening with Ballistic Products too. They print the data, it's safe and effective, but they delete it in future manuals anyway. Why? I can only guess. My guess is they are pushing products most people normally wouldn't consider. In Alliant's case, it is sport-pistol, which nobody would have ever bought if they kept posting data for Herco.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master


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    Great powder. I use it in 45 acp with heavy slugs, .41 magnum for mid to upper mid loads , and 9 grains for my Uberti 45 Colt with 250-260 grain slugs. There is data out there.
    If a 41 won't stop it, I wouldn't bet my life on a 44.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master
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    Maybe they don't make it anymore? I had not used it until recently.

    44 Magnum 240 lead 11 gr Herco is not a max load but it does make you say Ooof!

    Wow! The link to Castpics works! Can anyone get to the Case capacity section?

    I can move around a little from this link but going to the main page leaves me with a dead end that l can't return from.

    Thanks
    Last edited by Martin Luber; 03-04-2022 at 09:59 AM.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master
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    my reloading room would not be complete without a jug of herco, yes its still made, in fact Alliant has been bragging about new improved cleaner burning and improved flow with same burn rate

    https://www.alliantpowder.com/whats_..._products.aspx

  14. #14
    Boolit Master

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    I use it in .38 S&W with 110 and 135 grain Gold Dot's . Puts some thump in my model 32 .
    Grumpy Old Man With A Gun....... Do Not Touch !!

  15. #15
    Boolit Master
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    I use it in 45 Colt. I use 8.5 grains of Unique and about 9 grains of Herco under a 250ish swc and both are very accurate out of a Bisley with 7 1/2” barrel

  16. #16
    Boolit Man
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    I bought an 8# jug of Herco over a year ago as everything was drying up. It is nice in a 44 special. I have been working on rifle loads since I have the 8#, and only have partial 1# cans of suitable slower stuff. I obtained good results over the crono in 30-30. It is looking promising in my Miroku high wall 38-55 also. Only looking for 1250 FPS in that one.

  17. #17
    Boolit Buddy
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    I use it a lot. In the 30-06 I like 13.5 grains. With a 200 grain Bullet. I shot a lot of reduced loads with it in 44 mag handguns.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Adk Mike View Post
    I use it a lot. In the 30-06 I like 13.5 grains. With a 200 grain Bullet. I shot a lot of reduced loads with it in 44 mag handguns.
    Not far from ADKs myself, but back to your 44 loads , what do you call reduced? PM if you wish

  19. #19
    Boolit Buddy
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    In a older Lyman reloading manual I found these loads for some of the rounds you
    load for.
    38 special 5.5 grs Herco for all bullet wts.
    357 mag 7.0 grs for all bullet wts. Except 195 gr which is 6.0 grs.
    44 mag 11.0 grs for all bullet wts, and 10.0 grs for 250 gr bullet.
    These were for cast bullets. I didn't find any loads for Herco listed
    in this manuel for 45 acp or 45 LC. The loads above are starting loads.
    For other pistol calibers I would use Unique starting loads and work from
    there.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

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