Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns LOAD DATA CAST 41cal 265gr WLNGC LBT CAST BULLET

This is what Bob Baker of Freedom Arms has to say about Lill,gun.


"We have seen numerous barrels damaged by using Lil'Gun. According to customers, some had as few as 30 rounds using Lil Gun through them, some had several hundred. Before we figured out what was happening one customer had sent his gun in for a new barrel. Then 600 rounds later it came back for another new barrel.

A couple years ago we did a test with a M83, .357 Mag. using Hornady 180 gr. bullets. We loaded 50 rds. of three different loads. One was a heavy H-110 load and the other two both used Lil Gun in different quantities.

We fired the H-110 loads first, then cut off the threaded end of the barrel. Rethreaded the barrel and shot one of the Lil Gun loads then rethreaded the barrel and shot the last Lil Gun load.

We found even the light load of Lil Gun caused the gun to get extremely hot. The heavy Lil Gun load had the gun so hot the only place we could touch the gun was on the grips and they were very hot.

Under magnification the surface appeared to have heated to a point of flowing using the Lil Gun loads and the heavy load was worse than the light load. This is probably due to Lil Gun having about 10% more nitro glycerin in it than H-110."

Unique....I run 8.0 with everything jacketed or cast I have tried but don't think I have run any bullet over 230 grains with it. It makes a great light to mid-range powder but I don't really like pushing the upper end. It is pretty fast burning and if you push it in a Smith the cases start to bind rear quick. 8.0 with a 200-230 will run 950 fps from a 4" barrel. I have seen people using up to 10.0 but once up into the 1200s much prefer SR4756..

I also looked at Lill'Gun as it is supposed to out run H110/296...but I have also read some comments that it starts to get squirrelly when pushed hard...which I have never seen H110 do...even compressed.

Bob

Well, that's certainly disconcerting as I've new 3 lb can of the stuff. And it's strange too as HB told me they've replaced H-110 in their big caliber loads with it. This was in the last two years or so. You'd also think with the volume of work Bowen does he'd have seen this too.

Well, I don't shoot high volume (though the thirty rounds referenced above is hardly high volume) nor do I shoot red-line loads. Guess I'll continue on and watch for accuracy issues. I certainly haven't ever noticed that my RRH got that hot.

I might contact HB about this.

Thanks much for that reference.

I'm having good results with Alliant 300mp since H110/W296 has been scarce. It is available from more than a few sources currently and probably is worth a try in .41 mag.

It is reported to be a hair slower than H110/W296 and that is so far consistent with my experience. In heavy .45 Colt (30ksi) and near Casull .45 Colt loads in my Bowen .45 colt it gives similar performance to W296 within a grain using 325 gr. LFN's & 360 gr. LFN's. Likewise in .44 magnum its also within a grain of the loads where I use W296 and 300 gr. WFN's.

RJM, thanks for the info on Blue Dot. For .41 Magnum I've been using 2400, H110, and Unique for years, but thought I'd give the one pound of Blue Dot a try in my .41 Mag. I did not know if the "Don't use Blue Dot in .41 mag," from Alliant still existed. I got no response from Alliant.

Maybe I'll give it a try in my Ruger NMBH .45 Colt and 255 grains SWC cast bullets.

L.W.

H110 supposedly created the demise of the Ruger Maximum and Dan Wesson sending two barrels with each 357 Max they made. Yes, over time and rounds, even H110 will erode a forcing cone. See the 22 Remington Jet.
Its kinda been the nature of slow burning magnum pistol powders.

Odd thing is, I've a Colt Python and a King Cobra here that have each digested 1,000 or more 17 gr./180 gr loads loaded with Lil'Gun.
A DW 357 Max eats 21 grs, with the same bullet; none of which are jacketed. The round count for that "victim" is around 500.


Under a Hawkeye Borescope, I haven't noticed any flowing of metal or any more than normal erosion to date. Even the top strap of the Maximum seems to be holding up just fine, which to me would be more noticeable to the average shooter's bare eyes than would forcing cone or barrel erosion.

I noticed Baker threw the "30 round" comment under the requisite "customer" bus...

As so far as heat, I'll do a test. But I've never experienced "hot grips", even with range sessions of 200 rounds.

Shoot 50 rounds as fast as you can load and fire them, like Bob Baker did and report back.

I fail to see the great advantage of Lil'gun over H-110/296.

Over at LoadData.com, which is part of HANDLOADER Magazine, they had removed all the Blue Dot loads for not only .41 Magnum but some .357 also. I then noticed that some of the recent .41 load data from Brian Pearce included Blue Dot. When I inquired I was told that there is a "new" Blue Dot and the loads have been approved...

Bob

Lil'gun is the cat's meow for the .500 S&W. I have shot a few hundred of 42gr loads in the Smith. No problems what so ever. I have always liked H110/296 in magnum loads,but in this case Lil'gun out performs. I would not be afraid to use it in other cartridges. It is good powder. As far as the nitroglycerin content, most of the most popular target powders have much more nitro in their formulations. They are shot at a much higher volume than magnum loads. I do not buy it.

BULLET WEIGHT440 GR. CPB LGC
ManufacturerHodgdon
PowderH110
Bullet Diameter.500"
C.O.L.2.025"
Starting Load
Grains34.0
Velocity (ft/s)1,509
Pressure40,700 PSI
Maximum Load
Grains38.0
Velocity (ft/s)1,654
Pressure49,900 PSI


440 GR. CPB LGC
ManufacturerHodgdon
PowderLil'Gun
Bullet Diameter.500"
C.O.L.2.025"
Starting Load
Grains30.0
Velocity (ft/s)1,483
Pressure40,200 PSI
Maximum Load
Grains35.0
Velocity (ft/s)1,653Pressure
50,500 PSI

Still don't see the suppiriority of Lil'gun over H-110/296

I use the Barnes 325gr XPB. That is the only bullet I want to use. My Notes (Real world testing in my gun). The Lil'gun out performs in all respects. Especially in accuracy. It also had less muzzle flash. That is important in a gun like mine with a ported barrel. I have more confidence in my own notes.

According to Hogdon Lil'gun will do about 51 fps more than H-110/296 with 325 grain bullets.

Lil'Gun has given excellent accuracy in a wide variety of guns, and small rifle cases like the Bee & Hornet.

one thing that nobody seems to comment on other than me with H110 or 296 is the very narrow spread in load amounts between minimum and maximum amounts. I have never liked that. I have shot very few real heavy .41magnum loads, heavy as to bullet weight, but something rjm said to me is unique seems to work for most normal operations. I have used that and 2400 for most of the stuff i do. This thread cost me 35bucks yesterday, I finally signed on to handloader's online load website, i think i can waste a lot of time on there.

Exactly.
There would be no .17 HMR or CCI Velocitors without Lil'Gun

According to Gibby, it is about 135 fps in his test weapon.

Scored some 110. So for my 265gr hardhats, what is a good load to match that Buffalo Bore @ 1350 and do I use mag primers?

Start at 19.5 grains H-110 and work up to about 21 grain

thanks! primer?

Magnum, your choice. I use Federal but any magnum primer should work The Winchester LP is suitable as well.