Good Old Bullseye

[Grampa]

I revisited my first powder. Every now and then I'll go off on a tangent and try something different, but I always go back to the basics to check my zero, if you know what I mean.
Today it was Bullseye:
6.2 grains
Hornady XTP 185 grains
Came out to 950fps
Recoil felt a little snappy at first, but I haven't got to go shooting for awhile. Firmed up my grip a little and I got the whole eight shot magazine inside of four inches at 25 yards, off hand.
To be honest, I really don't shoot that well so I'll have to credit the recipe.

[sinclair]

Recoil felt a little snappy at first

I certainly agree with that. The pressure curve for Bullseye looks like this "/\". A sharp spike, no rounded area at all. When the spike is over, the "oomp" behind the bullet is gone, and I suspect the bullet begins to decelerate even in a short pistol barrel.

I have been a long time user of Bullseye but I use it now in only two applications. That snappy feel you are talking about is characteristic of fast burning pistol powders. They tend to be great for target shooting loads, like Bullseye under a 148 grain wad-cutter in a 38 special. Excellent for target competition accuracy at short range, and the wad cutter makes easy to score round holes in paper targets. The other great use for it is in semi-auto pistols which have light recoil springs, or older pistols which have worn/weakened springs. That spike is all the snap needed to cycle such springs. It is also the reason for the snap feel. The "oomp" given to the bullet is almost all in one, very quick pulse. And that is exactly how it feels.

Despite its great applications above, it is not a powder I would recommend for someone new to reloading. I consider it to be one of the more hazardous powders on the market due to its low volumetric properties. Using such powders is one of the considerations that led me towards hand weighing every powder charge and leaving automatic powder dispensers behind. Said in a more positive manner, a little bit of Bullseye goes a long way.

And I need to characterize what I mean by hazardous. Most pistol and rifle powders I use the most tend to be of a volumetric nature such that an accidental "double" charge of powder in an empty case would result in overflowing that case. With Bullseye, you can get up to an accidental "triple" powder charge in the case and not overflow the case with almost ALL pistol cases. It is just that easy to get "hand grenades" without safety precautions.

Like you, Bullseye was one of the first powders I used as a beginner. As I read and dug more into the hobby, I realized just how easy it would be to make a "Ka-Boom" load with Bullseye. So I credit that powder with being one of the main drivers in my techniques for reloading safety. With all that said, I still use it. But you will never see me put that stuff in a automatic powder dispenser of any make or manufacturer.

[Grampa]

You nailed it on that one, every Burn Rate Chart has Bullseye as one of the fastest powders. That's a good reason never load to the max, always keeping things a few levels lower and slower. It's easier on me and the equipment.