Bullseye - Why Not

J

Jeffm004

New member
I am pretty much a lone reloader in the wilderness so you get to enjoy my humor.
A friend bought his first gun, a Glock 17 and wanted to get to the range before the class he and his wife were taking. We went to the gun club Saturday morning and they had a good time. My second priority just under not getting anyone shot. A friend that was a non-gun owner 6 months ago showed up as well, he is now a member and on, shall we say, more guns than he acknowledges to anyone but me. I had done the same thing with him six months ago. I proselytize gun ownership pretty much like you are supposed to proselytize Christ, with better success.
I always check the club for powder. They never have much of a selection but they try and I’d really like some Trail Boss. I walked in after shooting and the place was a mad house. People are getting help to the door with 40 pounds of Green Dot. All they have are 8# kegs and they are flying out the door. They had several powders including Blue Dot, Green, Unique and Bullseye and A few others I didn’t recognize. I prefer 231/HP38 but no luck. I’m loading .357 on a 550 now with Unique and was all set to buy 8 lbs. but chatting with the manager he suggested Bullseye. I read it meters better and while I do not find Unique particularly problematic I was convinced to try it.
So, I have 8 pounds of Bullseye. I shoot mostly platted in .38, .357, 9mm, .45 and .41. I’ll search around for some loads but if you have a favorite I’d be interested.

It’s Christmas so I’ll add this. There is a God. Understanding what lies after is like understanding the world from the womb. Contrary to current mythology, you meet pretty good people when you go to Church. My wife is singing in the cantata (sp) in 10 minutes. I’m on kid Chauffeur duty in 5, we have a little grade trouble to help with.

Still clinging to my guns and my religion.

Merry Christmas,

Jeff

Shoot early, shoot often
 
The good news is that if a pistol caliber has ever been loaded with smokeless, it has been loaded with Bullseye, there is always data.

The bad news is that Bullseye is MUCH faster burning than Unique and you will not be able to get as high velocity with it at the maximum load.

The really bad news is that not only can you get a double charge of Bullseye in many cartridges, you get a double charge of a maximum load of Bullseye in .357 and a triple charge of a standard load in .38.
The only gun ever blown up on our range was demolished with what was probably a doubled .357 of Bullseye.

Do be careful in the loading and do be wary of storekeepers' recommendations that you buy what they have on hand instead of what you really want.
 
I've been using Bullseye for 40 years and have never had a problem with it.

My favorite load with 158 gr lead is 3.7 grains. This will meet the power factor needed for USPSA and ICORE, the type or competitions I shoot. It is very accurate and doesn't produce a lot of smoke.

As long as you take your time on the 550 you should never worry about a double charge although they have been known to happen. It's normally when you take your mind off of what you are doing and forget to advance the shell plate.
 
I do well with 3.8 grains of Bullseye and 125gr lead, or 4.0 grains under a 158gr SWC.
It'll leave about as much residue as Unique, but it is pretty accurate.

Just keep a very close eye on the powder measure, as Jim mentioned, it is easy to fit a double charge in a 357 case.

Mike
 
I load with Bullseye more than any other propellant.

It serves very well for target level (and a little beyond) loadings for 38, 9mm; and is even a little more versatile in 45 ACP. It can be a little tricky in your mag revolvers (357, 41, 44); but nothing careful load work-ups and practices can't handle. Jim Watson touched on this well.

Anyway, Bullseye is great stuff and serves its purpose well. It is quite a bit faster than Unique - as already mentioned. (I've always found it fascinating how Bullseye and Unique have this uncanny habit of being talked about hand-in-hand, when they're nothing alike in any way - other than being an Alliant product. But I digress.) Bullseye is even a little faster than W231. Bullseye is also quite energetic and so it doesn't play nice with the reckless loader. Forgiveness is not among its attributes.

Good consistent burns - shot after shot - is its best attribute.

I have tons of Bullseye load data. Especially for 38 Special.
 
So, I have 8 pounds of Bullseye. I shoot mostly platted in .38, .357, 9mm, .45 and .41.
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Bullseye is most of what I use.

.38, 3.7 grains bullseye, 157 grain LSWC

9mm, 3.7 grains bullssys, 125 grain cast lead whatever

.45 ACP, 4.7 grains is good for cast lead bullets weight between 180 and 230.

The really bad news is that not only can you get a double charge of Bullseye in many cartridges, you get a double charge of a maximum load of Bullseye in .357 and a triple charge of a standard load in .38.
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Yep. You do need to pay attention. I visually check all charged cases before seating a bullet. A normal charge of .38 seems like just a little whisper of powder at the bottom.
 
Thanks to everyone. I'll try not to blow myself up :cool:

Looks like Unique & H110 for the Magnums, Bullseye for the .45 & .38 and I'll keep using 231 for the 9mm.
 
As an aside I just went and weighed 100 .357 ranging from 242 to 248 gr.

I pulled both ends, the powder was the same in each, 7.4 gr. Not substantiating the Unique bridge mythology.
 
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Looks like Unique & H110 for the Magnums, Bullseye for the .45 & .38 and I'll keep using 231 for the 9mm.
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H110 is definitely for the full power magnums.

The Bullseye is good for your general range fodder for the 45 & 38.

And W231 is great for 9mm - especially for 115's. It'll work for 124's too, just don't try to crank them up too far.

So you got that part pretty good.

Unique is a bit of a wild card. I don't use it for 9mm because it doesn't meter well; and that makes me a bit nervy, loading into such a small case. But yes, its intermediate burn rate makes good rounds for magnum revolvers, but they won't be full-power. Good fun shooters though. And it will also make good potent rounds for your 45 & 38.
 
I have used Bullseye in 9mm, .45 ACP and 7.62 Nagant, the only bad thing I can say about it is that it is pretty dirty. Like front half of the slide covered in soot dirty.
 
Yes, but it is a fine soot; not the gritty residue some powders leave.
So clean the gun every once in a while.

I like W231/HP38 for standard loads in non-magnum calibers but I have been using Bullseye in powderpuff .45 ACP because it is less variable.
 
I use Bullseye in a ton of loads ranging in caliber from .9mm through my 41mag. I like it a lot even though it does require a little bit of clean up.

I like it because it seems to go forever and I like to shoot. Those two combined make it nice to have on the shelf. I load between 4.0 and 4.2grs in my 9mm depending on bullet and weight and get nice even velocities of between just over 1000 and 1100 again depending on which bullet and weight. I use almost he same load in my 45ACP with 185 and 200gr SWC's and get awesome accuracy out of both weights.

In both the 38 and 357 I use it under a 148gr DEWC for target loads and some 125gr cast HP's for picking off little critters with.

With the 41 I like to shoot some powder puff rounds on occasion just to keep the trigger finger active and to change things up a bit. It might not be the best but hey it works and pokes a hole in the paper which with those loads is about all I am looking for anyway.
 
I love Bullseye. I use it in 9 mm, 38 spl, 357 mag, 45 Autorim and 45 ACP.

I have even experimented with it in 30-30 and 30-06. I have gone as low as 2.7 gr in 38 spl for my grandkids. They shoot them in my rifle.

I have never understood people complaining about "dirty" powders. If you don't want to clean your guns then don't shoot them.
 
I have never understood people complaining about "dirty" powders. If you don't want to clean your guns then don't shoot them.
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Some people like shooting, some people like cleaning guns. Some people take their sports cars to the track, some people leave them in the garage and rub them with a diaper. Different strokes......

If I put 100 rounds through my 1911 loaded with Bullseye I have to clean it. If I put 100 rounds loaded with VV N340, I do not. Not is my preference.
 
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