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So where do we stand on this fast rifle/slow pistol powder?

I like it in my 20" carbine single shot rifle, still doubting its usefulness in my big bore revolvers due to the high temperatures & flame cutting possibly on the forcing cones.

The lower pressure & good velocity as well as accuracy are tempting me to take another look into .41 & .44 magnum handgun loads.

Any thoughts?

42

I’ve been meaning to try it for .357 carbine loads. Finally found a pound to try last week. We’ll see.

I'm using 17.5 grns under 158 xtp's. Shoots great out of a Marlin 1894 & Ruger 77/357.

They say it was designed for the .410 and 28 ga....but, it makes the angels sing in .22 Hornet.

I don't use it much in handguns, but I use it a lot in rifles.

There are applications for it, the Hornet and .357 mag are two, where it gives both high velocity and much lower pressure than just about anything else. Elsewhere, there are other powders that are as good or better in those regards. Good stuff.

I use CCI 550s in the .357 and at JB’s suggestion, 450s in the Hornet.

41Rem: The ONLY cartridge I load with Lil Gun powder is a formerly very finicky Ruger #1-B in 22 Hornet. After a few years of trying quite a few different powders and bullets I just could NOT get this, then brand new and beautifully stocked Ruger #1-B, to shoot any better than 1.75" groups (5 shots at 100 yards) and most were at and just above 2.00"!
So some years ago on this forum a fellow CampFirer suggested Lil Gun powder and nickel plated Hornet cases (solving a neck tension situation???) and voila that Rifle saved its place in my arsenal and now makes groups (5 shots at 100 yards) right at 1.00" and its best group to date with these components is .778"!
So it "helped" perk up a previously unperkable (finicky!) 22 Hornet for me.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

It rocks in the Hornet, K-Hornet and my 77/44. It does well in the .30 Sneezer and .30 Carbine also.

The .44 load is a LPP, 18.0 gr of LG and 300 gr paper patched lead. Lot of splat with that load and it runs sub MOA most days.

It’s giving me 3000 with the 35 gr. Hornady in my 10” .221 Fireball, with great accuracy, and I use it under a Lyman 358156 HP in my 357. Works great.

Old70

Seems to work fine in 450 Bushmaster...my Iowa deer load.

Yep, K- Hornet, too.

Almost as good as 300 MP.

DF

I use it in the .22 Hornet and the 25/20-the latter with cast bullets.

Evening! Use it in the Rossi 454 casull. Ok, good accuracy, had heard of the flame cutting & wondered if it matters in a rifle??? Was thinking of changing. .??? Bill out. 👣🐾👣🐾🇨🇦

Brian Pierce wrote a few articles in Handloader about it years ago & in standard magnum revolvers it was picking up some popularity.
But then I think it’s fallen out of favor due to the competition Silhouette shooters damaging their FA revolvers with it. The back strap flame cutting and forcing cone Erosion and high working temperatures were its downfall.

Used it in my 500 S&W Magnum. Received high velocities compared to other powders, but made the cylinder VERY hot to the touch and the forcing cone area would burn skin, this after 10 rounds. After some discussion with one of my shooting/reloading buddies, Mark C. from Baden, PA, who mentioned several of the points brought up in this thread, I discontinued its use.

There's now cylinder gap or forcing cone in chambered rifle barrel, so no flame-cutting to worry about.

This is a fact

I used it in a 77/44 with 300 grain LBTs without a problem, well, it was a problem for deer.

Has anyone experimented with this powder in larger capacity cases for creating low velocity reduced loads? Presuming its burn rate is roughly in the class of 2400, 4227, etc.and is safe for applications that involve those powders could be erroneous I know. I also assume that since the large outfits that assemble load data don't list Lil Gun for said applications that there's something about it that gives wonky pressure curves in medium/large capacity cartridges- but it also could be that they just don't have the time to include every powder known to man for every cartridge known to man, and that's what has sown my curiosity.

Up until now I've only used it in .22Hornet and K-Hornet, not being a magnum pistol shooter. Recently I was gifted a four pound jug of it which added to what I already had gives me enough for a helluva long time of Hornet shooting, so naturally I've been casting sidelong glances at it when contemplating yet more cast bullet loads for .30-30, .32-40, .250-3000, etc.

I had a very scary incident with Lil Gun in 300 Blk. Used Hodgdon data. Subbed a 125 SST in for the 125 Nosler or whatever they published for. Just as velocity was starting to exceed H110, but well under published max, it went from totally normal to expanded primer pocket and case extruded into the ejector with a .2 grain change. I'm sure the bullet sub had some effects, but they are very similar bullets. And I may have screwed up, but I don't think so, the max listed load fills the case to the base of the neck. My hog hunt got cancelled anyway and I stopped there so who knows.