[mrerick]

The Hornady 10th Edition of their Reloading Handbook has an interesting offer going right now.

Note that my only association with Hornady is as a customer.

They offer the handbook as a IOS or Android App. Right now, if you setup a "subscription" for it (which will renew annually), and install the app, you will receive the printed copy of the 11th edition of the handbook. The 10th was published three years ago, so this is good timing. If you want to cancel the "annual subscription" after receiving the book, there is nothing to stop you. This offer for the free book is only included with the annual subscription, not the one year non-renewing option.

Once you setup your account with them, and pay their $20 subscription for unlimited access, the 11th Edition Handbook will show up in the app.

Obviously, they are marketing the convenience of the app. The printed book alone is usually about $34 plus shipping...

 

[MWAG]

I have the 10th ed. hardcover, and the app. The app is really good.

 

[SidecarFlip]

All the handloading books in the world are only good if you can obtain the components. Lately, that has been the sticking point for some.

I have the older editions of all of them which is good for my uses.

 

[mrerick]

A couple of years ago, I bought some of the newer powders, only to find few sources for reference loads. The new Hornady book includes those powders (BE-86 and CFE Pistol) which are both excellent.

Prior to that I had been using HP-38 (which is Winchester 231) and Titegroup.

Once the panic subsides and powder and components become available again at normal pricing it will be powder - primer - bullet bulk buy time again. Last time, a few of us at the club got together for a bulk buy, and that's kept me reloading through this shortage. Thankfully, I have thousands of pistol cartridge cases recovered from our club ranges. Many are once fired, thanks to competitive events and teaching classes.

Since these books are not recipe books, but rather documentation of controlled and measured experiments, it was important to get the 10th or 11th editions for the additional data on CFE Pistol and BE-86 and the Hornady bullets.

 

[SidecarFlip]

With 20 pounds of 335 and 20 pounds of 322 on hand, will be a while before I need any CFE, if ever. Candidly, never had an issue with copper fouling in jacketed bullets anyway.

 

[mrerick]

I do like Hodgdon powders...

Hodgdon H322®

This Extreme series powder has likely won more benchrest matches than all other propellants combined. H322 provides match-grade accuracy in small- and medium-capacity cartridges like the 223 Remington, 6mm PPC and the 7mm TCU. As a fine extruded powder, it flows through powder measures with...

shop.hodgdon.com

My god! Their factory online price is now $41 a pound... Even CFE Pistol is up to $34 a pound (50% over what I paid for it).

That probably reflects current demand, even if it remains out of stock...

 

[jonesy814]

A couple of years ago, I bought some of the newer powders, only to find few sources for reference loads. The new Hornady book includes those powders (BE-86 and CFE Pistol) which are both excellent.

Prior to that I had been using HP-38 (which is Winchester 231) and Titegroup.

Once the panic subsides and powder and components become available again at normal pricing it will be powder - primer - bullet bulk buy time again. Last time, a few of us at the club got together for a bulk buy, and that's kept me reloading through this shortage. Thankfully, I have thousands of pistol cartridge cases recovered from our club ranges. Many are once fired, thanks to competitive events and teaching classes.

Since these books are not recipe books, but rather documentation of controlled and measured experiments, it was important to get the 10th or 11th editions for the additional data on CFE Pistol and BE-86 and the Hornady bullets.

I have used both CFE Pistol and BE-86. The CFE Pistol is pretty good for midrange 357 loads. Its a bit slower than Power Pistol or Unique. BE86 is right between the 2. BE86 has quickly become my favorite 9mm powder. It is pretty much Power Pistol with an added flash suppressant so charge weights arent quite the same, but close

 

[mrerick]

From the name, I have always wondered if "BE-86" was a reformulation of "BullsEye" powder.

Both are made by Alliant Powder.

BullsEye and Hodgdon Titegroup have very similar burn rates. They are relatively fast pistol powders. W231 and BE-86 are slower and similar. CFE-Pistol is slower than W231.

Sometime, search for "smokeless gunpowder msds sheet" and you'll get some interesting information. For example:

https://www.alliantpowder.com/downloads/sds/30-40_Smokeless_Powders_SDS_NA_FINAL.pdf

https://hodgdon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/all-hodgdon-spherical-powders_02-11-14.pdf

https://winchesterle.com/-/media/Project/WinchesterLE/PDF/MSDS/msds_w64.ashx

https://winchesterpowder.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/winchestersmokelessballpowders5-23-18.pdf

https://imrpowder.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/2018-imr-single-base-sds.pdf

You'll notice some of these MSDS sheets cover a number of powders from a manufacturer. I'm not sure, but I suspect that the differences in the individual powders are based upon how they are physically milled. The shape, thickness and compression/packing characteristics.


This chart is recent (2019):