44 Mag + LilGun

[saz]

Had a good time at the range today and got some shootin in with my 4 5/8" SBH in 44 Mag. Started with starline brass, cci350, lee 310 gc in air cooled WW, and used my home lube which was VERY clean and zero leading. Started with 17.5grs of LilGun and worked all the way up to 21.5. In that entire range the MV's started at 1060 and ended up at 1240 at 21.5 grs. The load that showed the most promise was at 18.5. MV's were 1108, 1105 and 1099. Nice little cloverleaf group at 25 yards, burned clean and just felt good. Not exactly a huge accomplishment but I just love it when a good load shows up! :smile:

Also burned up 50 rounds of my lighter load of 9.5 grs Unique under a saeco 441 Kieth boolit. FUN FUN FUN!!!

[44man]

Did the .44 get real hot from Lil Gun?

[saz]

not at all. it was 10 degrees outside and i ran 12 rounds through pretty fast and it didnt get even remotely hot. i have not had the problem with heat a lot of people have talked about before. i love the powder- accurate and way cleaner than h110 or 296. i use it in my 454 puma also with wonderful results too.

[44man]

I heard they made a change to the powder. I shot 12 rounds in a .357 with what I have and could have soldered with the barrel. That scares me for barrel damage.

[felix]

There is no need going over 30 percent nitroglycerin even for the most hard-to-ignite-pistol powder in any high volume case instance. That is the chief component generating useless heat after that critical amount has been exceeded in a powder's composition. If extreme gas volume is needed for special applications the best solution would be going to a triple base powder. That is what LilGun should have been from the getgo. If the powder has been reformulated, I bet just the nitroglycerin composition has been placed back into line, and that's all. Maybe the only advantage would be its inclusion of some generic cleanliness component. ... felix

[JudgeBAC]

I tried Lil Gun in a .44 with 340 gr. boolits. The barrel got so hot you couldn't touch it. This was only after 5 rounds. I promptly quit using it for any application.

[BCB]

I have not noted that problem of excessive heating either…

As a matter of fact, I took my 45 LC Blackhawk to my shooting range earlier the past fall and done a bit of a crude experiment. CRUDE is the word!...

I shot a full cylinder of 20 grains of Lil’Gun and the 45-270-SAA and put a laboratory grade mercury thermometer down the barrel to the forcing cone. I had the thermometer marked with tape so I got it to the same place each time…

I would shoot 6 and check the temperature. I then set the gun on the bench and let it cool to the approximate ambient temperature and done the shooting again with Lil’Gun…

I then too a 9 grain charge of Unique and did the same test. There was virtually no difference in temperatures. As a matter of fact, one of the 6-shoot tests with Unique was a few degrees higher than the Lil’Gun…

I don’t know if this proves anything or not as the instantaneous heat of Lil’Gun may be the thing that counts and it might be intense at one location for a brief period and not transfer lots of heat to the surrounding metals—I don’t know…

I get the same velocity with Lil’Gun using 2 grains less than H-110. And although it might be subjective, I don’t think the recoil is a vicious…

I don’t use it much really, but I did give it a try and it was good velocity and accuracy wise in the 45 LC as well as the 357 Magnum and the 358429 boolit…

Who knows?...

Good-luck…BCB

[felix]

I have read where there are several lots out there, each formulated differently. Yeah, who knows what anyone has in their hands. It appears from folks have indicated by the number of grains used, the burn rate has been regulated closely for each lot, and so there should be no problems using it no matter the lot number. ... felix

[Lloyd Smale]

From what i understand there has been two forulations. The second and the one used now was formulated for less muzzle flash. It is the one everyone has boughten for quite a few years and its the same one that is giving problems with forcing cones (high heat) Its not that it cant be used in moderation in a sixgun but years of it or even shot use of it allowing the gun to get hot (fast shooting) will wear on your gun. I quit using it in sixguns and about the only place i use it is small rifles such as the 22 hornet and 3220. I was using it in the beowolf but found that it makes that gun extreamly hot on days i get the notion to open up on a charging rock. It is also a powder that acts very odd with pressures when your loading top end loads. I used alot of it years ago but anymore ive gone back to powders like 110/296. They will get you within a few fps of what lilgun will do without all the pitfalls of lilgun and cost the same so to me its a no brainer.