Herco Powder 45 ACP

[bouncer50]

I have a couple of pounds of Herco powder. I am going to reload a thousand plus rounds. I am using a Lee 230 grain round nose lead bullets. I am looking for a load like the factory JC 230 grain something like 850-900 fps. My reloading books have no data for herco i do know is slower burning then unique. In my area unique and 2400 are alway sold out. ! have 5 different 45 acp pistol to shoot.

[farmerjim]

From the 2010 Alliant reloaders guide
Cartridge/Bullet Powder Primer Case OAL Max Chg Velocity

230 gr Speer LRN Herco CCI 300 Speer 1.270" 6.4 845

I can send you the entire guide in pdf if you want

[OS OK]

Yes been using it since I had a surplus of it, old stuff in a cardboard drum and still pristine powder…used with PC'd cast 200 grain L-SWC and 213 grain L-RNFP and 200 grain X-T's plated SWC's.

167131167132

Got this drum at a local thrift shop for $25 … He was scared it was going to blow his shop up.

Hope this helps…OS OK

PS...With these light boolits it burns rather dirty.

[Mk42gunner]

OS OK,

I like the labels you have on your ammo boxes. What type of label maker or software did you use?

Robert

[OS OK]

167135

It's made by 'Brother' has 1/2 or 3/4" labels of every color you can imagine…the book says you can attach it to a computer and do way more than the fonts and sizes included with its software. It's more than I need but I like the plastic peel and stick labels, they stay stuck until you peel them off and they come off in a single piece and don't leave sticky goo behind, that I appreciate more than anything else.

charlie

Labels are expensive at local office supplies but someone told me that they are cheap on Evil-Bay.

[Tom W.]

Herco works well in the .45 I used the Lee .7 cc dipper and never worried about overcharge. I hope I can find some more, as my supply is both old and almost gone.

[MakeMineLead]

Herco is the only handgun powder for me!

I use it in .38, .357, ALL .44 & ALL .45 cartridges.

[farmerjim]

Herco is the only handgun powder for me!

I use it in .38, .357, ALL .44 & ALL .45 cartridges.

Pretty much The same here. 9mm, 38, 357, 44 mag, 45 acp.

[Lloyd Smale]

I use it a lot but for mid range 44 mag and 45colt loads. to me is a bit to slow for auto pistol rounds. Why would I want to use 8 grains of herco when I can use 5 grains of aa2 or 231 or 4 grains of bullseye to do the same thing. That and herco is a fairly dirty powder that will foul your gun a lot faster then aa2, bullseye or 231. I guess Id use it if I had a bunch and didn't have a 44 mag, 44spec, 357mag or a 45 colt to burn it up in but I sure wouldn't go buy it for that purpose.

[Hardcast416taylor]

I finally emptied out a 12 lb. metal Keg of Herco that I got a LOOOOOONG time ago. With the newer made Herco I`ve had to refigure my loads as it burns a bit differently.Robert

[farmerjim]

125 gr lead 9mm 6.2 grains herco (compressed) 1165 fps 25500 psi. Not only can you not double charge, you can't really even over charge. Only 4.4 grains of BE at 32100psi to do the same speed. 1.8 grains. $ 0.004 more per charge for a little extra safety.
And It does shoot great.

[jhaston]

I can't help you with a 45acp load but Herco works awesome with 44 mag, I use 10 gr of Herco with a 240 gr lead boolit, I don't have a chrono but my load data claims around 1000 fps.

[Bmi48219]

For my 9 mm's 5.0 grains Herco under a 125 RNL is an accurate plinking & 25 ft target load.
i load 5 in a magazine & shot them, the smoke usually clears by the time the clip is reloaded.
i've been using up a recently re-discovered 24 year old 2 lb. can for a while.

[farmerjim]

"the smoke usually clears by the time the clip is reloaded"

I do not get smoke with herco. However all my pistol boolets are either Hi-Tek or powder coated. It may be your lube causing the smoke.

[35remington]

With the heavier bullets Herco is quite clean burning in 45 ACP, as the pressure is about 70 percent higher than it's designed to run at, being primarily designed as a shotshell powder in the 10,000 psi range. Charges for "hardball equivalent" using lead bullets for economy run about 6.2-6.3 grains. It will do whatever Unique will do.

For velocities approximating the faster but not Plus P 230 HP's of about 880-900 fps from a 5 inch barrel when using 230 LRN, bump the charges up about 3-4 tenths of a grain. Said by a guy who does just that.

[Bmi48219]

Farmerjim
your're probably right, I have been using up a pile of old plated 125 rnl I bought a couple decades ago. Don't know what lube is on them but get a smoke haze with them no matter what powder I push them with. Only a couple hundred left, then will try something else.

[farmerjim]

Bmi48219
Try some powder coated or Hi-Tek Boolits. Powder coating is easier to master but Hi-Tek is much faster. Both work great.

[Lloyd Smale]

powder coated bullets with herco. Isnt that about like put air conditioning and power windows in a model T[smilie=l:

[farmerjim]

powder coated bullets with herco. Isnt that about like put air conditioning and power windows in a model T[smilie=l:
I would also add a supercharger and a automatic transmission.

[randyrat]

Loyd your exactly right! In addition to that, Putting a tilt steering wheel in a horse drawn buggy.

But I am a bit bias, I cut my teeth on bullet lube and sell it. I consider coating on boolits, JWORDS.
I've heard it said, coatings will put a twist in your barrel:kidding:

[Lloyd Smale]

Randy I'm as old school as they come but I have found a couple good uses for this coating thing.
Loyd your exactly right! In addition to that, Putting a tilt steering wheel in a horse drawn buggy.

But I am a bit bias, I cut my teeth on bullet lube and sell it. I consider coating on boolits, JWORDS.
I've heard it said, coatings will put a twist in your barrel:kidding: