Alliants' BE-86

[Seeker]

Santa left me a pound of BE-86 under the tree, along with some AA#5 and Bullseye. I have some data so I'm just asking for your opinions on it, and experience with BE-86 and cast 300 grainers.

[RobS]

In what caliber?

[GRUMPA]

According to the burn rate chart it nestles right between Unique and Power Pistol.

[Seeker]

In what caliber?

45 Colt. Sorry, I've been having so much fun with this gun...I forget there are other calibers. My 45acp, .40 S/W and 9mms are being neglected terribly.

[RobS]

BE-86 is what I used for 230 grain boolits at top end in the 45 acp. Works very well for this application. I would think it would be about perfect for 40 S&W as well as 9mm. For the Ruger only 45 Colt loading I would think you could get yourself around 1000 fps with a 300 grain boolit. I do around 950 with a 310 grain using Herco and if I ever find another bottle of BE-86 I would like to work with it more. I really like the powder as it is very consistent even at lower pressures, velocities are single digit SD in the 45 acp. This is a clean powder, lower smoke and has a flash suppressant another reason I use it for self defense loads.

[Outpost75]

Has anybody tried it in rifle plainbase, gallery type loads, say 150-200-grain, without gascheck in .303 Brit., 7.62x54R or .30-'06?

What is the particle size like? Will it run through a Dillon or Star machine in .45 ACP? What charge are you running to make Major with 200 grain H&G68 in .45 ACP?

[runfiverun]

it's a fine grained flattened powder much like 231.
it'll meter in a Dillon like 231 or 2400.

I'm going to use it as a replacement in my Dillon 550 for herco on a grain to grain comparison.
7grs under a 158gr rnfp in the 357 magnum. [nothing outlandish but plenty enough oomph to get the boolit where I need it for small game/deer and target shooting in the lever guns]

the burn rate seems to flip flop back and forth between unique and herco depending on the case size and bullet weight used.
it looks to be about perfect for the 40 S&W and such, but would be a click on the slow side for my tastes in the 45 acp.
I wouldn't hesitate to try it in a rifle cartridge if I was looking for something to replace unique with [which I usually am]

[fecmech]

In my .38 and .357 BE86 seems to track Power pistol almost exactly as to grains per fps. It measures exactly the same as PP in my CH Auto Champ bushings and looks the same. I've wondered if it was not just flash suppressed PP.

[RobS]

In my .38 and .357 BE86 seems to track Power pistol almost exactly as to grains per fps. It measures exactly the same as PP in my CH Auto Champ bushings and looks the same. I've wondered if it was not just flash suppressed PP.

This is a pretty good description of the powder.

[Bonz]

BE-86 is similar to Power Pistol but is low flash. I have used it in 380, 9mm, 40 and 45acp and definately like it a lot.

[JeffG]

I've posted some chrony data for some BE-86 testing I've done. I love the powder.

This is the 9mm data I posted..

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...ograph-Results

For 45 Colt, I posted this...

Ruger New Vaquero 45 Colt, SS, 5.5 inch barrel
Starline Brass, Load 5
Federal LP Primer
Lee 452-255-RF, 258 gr, PB + 3% Tin
OAL 1.625, Roll crimp, not in crimp groove
85-90 degrees in sunny NC
Alliant BE-86 7.5 grain
Lube was White Label 50/50


HI = 860
LO = 809.1
AV = 838.3
ES = 50.94
SD = 13.78


1 = 836.7
2 = 836
3 = 844.4
4 = 841.9
5 = 859.3
6 = 830.3
7 = 825.7
8 = 833.3
9 = 809.1
10 = 840.9
11 = 841.7
12 = 860


These all felt really good, I think I like this load.

[bedbugbilly]

A few months back, a member had a bunch of this powder listed in the WTS/WTS section. At the time, I was thinking about buying a jug o fit from him but when I started looking for published data on it, I couldn't find much of anything. I found a lot of "I think" postings on some other sites but not much else. Is there mor published data available on this or is it still hit and miss?

[Outpost75]

Alliant has data on their web site: http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloade...px?powderid=38

.38 Special
http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloade...8&cartridge=26
.38 Special +P
http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloade...8&cartridge=27
.40 S&W
http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloade...8&cartridge=29
.44 Magnum
http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloade...8&cartridge=33
.45 ACP
http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloade...8&cartridge=35
.45 ACP +P
http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloade...&cartridge=183
.45 Colt
http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloade...8&cartridge=36

The .44 Magnum velocities track close to what I used to get with 11 grains of Herco back when I used it.

[6.5marinediesel]

I might be a little late on this post. I'v been using BE-86 for a little while now. 9mm .38 AND .45 I have notice that in 9mm mostly, the lighter the load (starting load) the least accurate it was. when I bumped up closer to max my groups got tighter. even at distance. 124 grain x-treme bullet with 5.8 BE-86 have become my favorite and most accurate pistol load iv got. Wish I had a chronograph but the felt recoil is that of a defense round.

[harley45]

I've had good luck with it in 10MM and 9MM I like the way it meters in my Hornady measure

[rsrocket1]

Are you fellas finding BE-86 in the local gun stores? I haven't seen the stuff at all out here behind the cannabis curtain in Kommiefornistan. The only Alliant pistol powders I've seen in the past 2 years have been Red Dot, and 1# bottles of Unique and about a year ago, a couple of 1# bottles of Bullseye. Lots of slow rifle powders gathering dust as well as VV powders at about $35/#.

[dragon813gt]

It was readily available for months on end. One of the few pistol powders you could get. Now that others are available BE-86 has tapered off but it's still on the shelf. They just aren't getting the quantity they used to.

[Chev. William]

Here is Alliant's answer to my inquiry:
"RE: Alliant Powder - Ask the Expert Form
Date: May 11, 2016 10:19 AM

William,
Alliant has no tested load data for the 25 Auto using the BE-86 propellant.
Thanks,
Shoot Straight
DuaneVB
CCI/Speer/Alliant
2299 Snake River Ave.
Lewiston, ID"

So it seems I, and other Experimenters, are in "Uncharted Territory" to use of BE-86 propellant.
I have a one lb. canister of BE-86 to experiment with IF i can find usable guidelines for its use in these small diameter cases. My Latest Update of "QuickLOAD" Software is dated 'Jan 2016' and did not include BE-86 in it list of propellants.

Best Regards,
Chev. William

[CHeatermk3]

In stock at powder valley 1's and 8's.

[Mk42gunner]

BE-86 is the powder covered in Handloader No 302's Propellant Profiles. I haven't read the article yet, just saw it while thumbing through the magazine.

Robert