Ramshot powder

K

kmw1954

New member
Looking for feedback from anyone that has used or is using Ramshot in 9mm and or 380.

Not interested in suggestions for other powders, already using HP-38 and am looking to try another powder so if we could please keep this to a discussion of Ramshot powders I would really appreciate it.

The two I am currently looking at are Silhouette and True Blue as Cabela's locally has both in stock. There is an old thread here about True Blue dated back to 2006 but it was kind of limited.
 
I've had good results with both True Blue and Silhouette.
I load 115, 124, 147gr jacketed bullets.

Favorite carry load is 115gr Sierra HP over True Blue.

For my 115gr lead bullets i do use a different powder to slow velocity below 1000fps.
 
One of my questions is how do they react at mid-range levels? Do they get dirty like Power Pistol and HS-6? Most will be done with plated bullets.
 
I just loaded some .45 Colt rounds with True Blue. The stuff meters very well.

I haven't shot the rounds yet, I just loaded them this afternoon.
 
Silhouette is top notch in the 9mm, as well as 45acp. Highly accurate, clean burning, feeds like water. You can't go wrong with it.
 
Picked up a pound of Silhouette and have started loading with it. It's pretty fine grained but measures well in both the Auto Disk and Auto Drum measures. Also has been very consistent with the powder drops in both.

I'm really excited about using this in the 380 as it appears to fill the case nicely at both the start level and the max level. I've got a start load of 3.7gr another load at 4.0gr and one more at max load of 4.4gr. All three of those are filled with the auto disk So I'm very interested in seeing how the middle load performs.
 
I've been wanting to give Silhouette a try, but I just can't get myself to do it.

I ran some True Blue about seven years ago, and it was extremely finicky, unpredictable, and sketchy.
I had one series of load attempts in .327 Federal and 9mm with a couple different bullets, for example, where I was using the exact load combination and COAL in the Western Powders load data, and blew primers with their starting loads.

I won't touch True Blue again, and it left a bad aftertaste for all of their handgun powders. :(
 
Ah Franken, something was amiss there somewhere.
I have'nt tried it in 327. But with 9mm and 45ACP they have both worked like a dream for me.

From my experience with the 9mm though, i will tell you i load with the bullet manufacturers data, not Westerns. The 115gr. Sierra HP is 1.050" in Sierra, 1.070" in Western. Bullets kept getting hung up in the lands. Really hard to eject a non fired round.
 
Well I will certainly post up some results once I get to test fire these. Aside from the three 380 loads I also have two 9mm loads set to test fire.

The 380 are with 100gr XTreme FP and the 9mm are with 115gr Berry's RN.
 
Ah Franken, something was amiss there somewhere.
Click to expand...
Absolutely.
But all variables were eliminated, except for the powder itself.
And since Western has one of the best seals on their containers, it was assumed that the powder wasn't contaminated or tampered with.

Definitely something amiss. But it wasn't on my end.
(My brother, Crankylove here, later tried the same canister of True Blue and had the same results. :()
 
I like True Blue in all the cartridges I shoot. Really like it. Found accurate loads for all... Including .357. Keep in mind it is a medium burn powder, so you won't get magnum velocities. Perfect for me as I like to stay below 1100fps in them all. I shoot heavy bullets (158g for .357, 240g .44s, and 250+ in .45 Colt). Meters great. Love it. I don't shoot .327 so no comment there, but found good loads in .32 H&R (100g and 115g bullets).

Can't help with 9mm and .380... Tested Silhouette in .45 ACP and found a decent load.
 
rclark, that's half the fun in playing with new powders or bullets. Finding what works. Otherwise we'd all be shooting the same loads with the same powders and bullets!

Some boys must just tinker!
 
(My brother, Crankylove here, later tried the same canister of True Blue and had the same results. )
__________________
Click to expand...

Yep.

Results were scary. My load data was from Ramshot, using the same pistol they stated was used during their development, using the same primers, and brass, and same weight/style/profile bullet.

Two different loads, by two different people, on different equipment, shot through two different guns (both loads through both guns)..........got the same results. Maybe it was just a bad lot\can of powder, but I ended up pulling the unfired ammo down to dump powder, and haven't touched true blue since.
 
I have went through about 1000 rounds with Silhouette, mid to light loads 115g plated, for my Shield. I had nice accuracy. I then tried them in my new Glock 34 and was also really happy with the groups. I have not tryed in 380 yet but I will be.
Can I ask you how you liked HP-38 in 9m and 380? I was planing on trying that next sence I'm sitting on about 18 pounds.
 
ka9fax I like using the HP-38 in the 9mm. It has been burning very clean, meters well and fills the case nicely making it easy to see the charge in the case. Haven't noticed a difference between starting loads and high mid-range loads. Just starting with the 380 so that is still an unknown. What I did notice with the HP-38 and the 380 with a 100gr bullet is the charge is smaller than I can throw with a Lee Disk measure at 2.8gr. But I did get some loaded to test.

I load 3 different bullets in 9mm using HP-38 so I will most probably continue to do so as the load I use most is 1.5gr less than with the Ramshot start load. If I had 18# I would certainly be loading it and lots of it! If I had some AA#2 I would try a few hundred rounds with it as it seems to be a little more forgiving than Titegroup.
 
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