Cast Lead Powder Choices

[SMLE]

Looking for some real world experience from cast lead shooters.

I currently use Unique behind 240 grain .44 cast lead bullets in my lever gun for short range fun shooting that works well, but I’m wondering whether a change to one of the Vihtavuori powders might be worth doing.

I hear good things about N340 and tin-star in cowboy action loads with cast loads, the data is rather limited from Vihtavuori so wondered if anyone out there is using these powders, how they find they behave, any leading issues etc.

My current load is 7.6 grains Unique with RNFP bullets in a 20” barrel Henry, just as a reference point for comparison.

[Catch-22]

I have a .44mag Rossi 92. Use Starline brass, Murom LP primers and 240gn RNFP lead bullet from Shellhouse.

I was using Vhit N340, around 10.6gn worked well - but it’s expensive. Up around £90kg.

Ive switched to Maxam CSB-5, a shotgun and pistol powder, which works a treat. 6.3gn is nice and mild and more accurate than me. It’s not a spherical or extruded powder, but slightly rounded flake. Metres perfectly in an Autotrickler or even manual Redding hand trickler.

Ive heard other people using Vectan GM3, but I can’t get any near me so haven’t tried it. But as CSB-5 works so well, I don’t need to bother now. 

[phaedra1106uk]

GM3 or CSB5

6gr of GM3 or 5.2gr of CSB5 in two Henry BigBoy's using Shellhouse 240gr cast RNFP.

[SMLE]

Thanks guys. Not sure I can get those powders locally but I’ll need to ask at my usual sources.