Home Forums Reloading Handgun Reloading New powders for me

Stopped at a LGS in Florence AL yesterday just to look. Left with two pounds each of Lil’Gun and Longshot. These are new to me, but Hodgdon shows some interesting loads in .38 and .44 Mag

I picked up a test bottle of Longshot a while back......10mm & 200's

Also trying it out in 9 carbine with cast 148's

Hate the way it meters even with my Redding BR powder measure

Have to always buy powder online....nuthin local to pick from at all

Bought some AA #7 to replace the L/S when its gone...have #5 & #9 too

I used Lil Gun in my 77/44. 300 grain WFN GCs just under 1600 fps, they was some killin' sumbishes.

Haven't used Longshot. Like Tikkanut, I'm using AA #7 in my 45 Super and 460 Rowland.

I’ve only tested Longshot a couple times, but it seems to produce very good accuracy. I plan to do a lot more testing with it.

Have more recently been loading LIL'Gun, Enforcer and IMR4227 and cast PB and GC in addition to my other .44 usual powders with very satisfying results.

I like Longshot for mid power loads in 44 and 38. It measures well in my Hornady progressive or from one of my rcbs or lee bench mounted powder dumps. Lilgun is great for full power 357 loads and 44mag loads.

Bb

I’ve used Longshot in 45acp+p loads.

I use Longshot in 45 Super and 10mm both with heavies. Lil Gun is my go to powder for 450 Bushmaster. I'm gonna start using it in 50 Beuwulf too

Didn't Lil Gun cause some problems in revolvers? I am thinking it burned hot and caused flame cutting on the frame. Anybody?

This is what Freedom Arms claimed with the 454 Casull.

Both lilgun and longshot are very erosive to your barrels. Don't shoot a lot of them. Strap cutting is not the only thing with these powders. Be very careful of the lilgun. When you see a vel drop, STOP!!!!!! Your about to blow the top off your gun.

I have never had such consistent velocity results as I have with longshot shooting a 10mm XDM Elite. I tried several others, and had good results accuracy wise, but the longshot would hardly have any variance in velocity over multiple strings. I was loading 180 Blue Bullets and 200 Brass Monkey Bullets. They are both NLG coated. I was not pushing them too hard. 180 at about 1225 and 200 at about 1175. Out of several strings of either 5 or ten, the velocity was only varying by about 10 - 15 fps from high to low. Needless to say, I was impressed. All were loaded on a Dillon 550 but using a RCBS Chargemaster light to drop powder. LiL Gun is impressive in my .45 Colt 16" Rossi Lever, but I usually stick with W296 or H110.

I order most all my powder or get it in Cullman, AL. We do have a new store here in Muscle Shoals that usually keeps a pretty good supply. Just curious as to where in Florence you may have been as it's just across the river from me. Southern Defense, Academy, or Cypress Creek?

Longshot is THE powder for 40sw if you want high velocity. It is also a great 20ga 7/8oz 1450fps powder. It is OK in 9mm, but it is too slow for standard 45acp. Excellent for 45 Super and 460 Rowland. A little too fast burning for 44mag if you want top velocity - might work OK for 44wussy loads.

I've only burned a pound of LilGun in 44mag. Gave the highest velocities and also warmed the revolver up faster than any other powder I've used. I did not see any forcing cone erosion.
LilGun is THE powder if you want high velocity 20ga steel loads.

Neither powder is suitable for 38spl imo. Both are way too slow for such low pressure cartridge.

Tennessee valley Armory, actually in Muscle Shoals. Nice place.

I really like Longshot powder for both pistols and shotgun. I've used a lot of it in fast 12 gauge money shoot loads. I know some guys are talking 9mm and 40S&W here and this is what I've been messing with the last couple days. Getting prepared for a bowling pin shoot in a couple weeks:


First time messing with the 180gr JHP Zero bullet's in my 40, but they will work. If I decide to use that pistol. I'll probably just run the CZ 9mm.. I also use Longshot in my 45 ACP 230gr XTP loads as well.

Yes TN Valley Armory is the new location I was referring to. One of the guys there, Gentry, used to manage the firearms and hunting portion of Shoals Outdoor Sports. He was there a long time, and they shifted away from the guns and hunting to mostly ATV's and side x sides. I was glad when he and his partners opened the new place.

Chris in AL

You should do well!

Is anyone having issues with Longshot like tommeboy posted? I'd like some proof on that one. I just bought another pound of Longshot yesterday. Even though it will take quite a while for me to burn up what I already have. Pistola's don't take much powder.

Anyway, I am interested to hear if Longshot is actually going to damage a pistol. In my experience, it has worked extremely well in the 9mm, 40 S&W, and 45 ACP. Thanks

I've never had issues with either of them, just never gotten either of them to shoot all that well in anything, especially LilGun. Buckshot looking groups is about all I have ever gotten with that stuff. 🤷‍♂️ Longshot wasn't bad, but just not as good as other powders.

Only handgun powder I recall really ever having "issues" with is HS6, and that was consistent ignition problems across several different cartridges.

I didn't say anything because I was trying to be polite. Just about everything he said is BS.

The only thing remotely true is that the high nitro content of LilGun raises the combustion temperature and it has been documented to erode forcing cones in 50-65k psi revolvers. If you don't load for that class of revolver, you won't have a problem.