Lee Loader

I was looking through a new to me Lee Loader (44 Mag) and it lists 4198 powder for the Pistol, the other powders it lists are H4227 and IMR 4227 for the rifle and pistol. This is a 1975 kit with the 108 powder dipper. I went and looked in my other 44 mag kit and it lists DuPont IMR 4227 for rifle and pistol and DuPont IMR 4198 for the pistol. I had heard of using 4227 for rifle and pistol but I have never heard of using 4198 for a pistol. I do believe the 4198 is a bit slower than the 4227. Anyone ever hear of using 4198 in a pistol?

I've never heard of anyone using 4198 in the 44 Mag. I've tried 4227, and it delivers some very poor velocities. The only place I've found for it in my reloading is 2.5" barrelled 38 Spl with a 125-grain bullet. There, the velocity loss is negligible compared to more appropriate powders like H110 or Lil'Gun.

I opened QuickLoad and ran the comparison between H4227 & the Lil'Gun that I'm using. H4227 was over 400 FPS slower with a 275-grain bullet.

Honestly, I've never figured out what 4227's claim to fame is.

410 ?
I think probably long barrels and heavy bullets .

RBHarter wrote:410 ?
I think probably long barrels and heavy bullets .

I've tried it with all kinds of stuff. I actually bought it for the 375 Win because I read about how someone was happy with it. That didn't work out and I've been trying to consume 4 lbs of it over 15 years. Accuracy and velocity are always better with another choice. I'm trying to burn it up in my 38 Spl carry gun.

Ranch Dog wrote:

RBHarter wrote:410 ?
I think probably long barrels and heavy bullets .

I've tried it with all kinds of stuff. I actually bought it for the 375 Win because I read about how someone was happy with it. That didn't work out and I've been trying to consume 4 lbs of it over 15 years. Accuracy and velocity are always better with another choice. I'm trying to burn it up in my 38 Spl carry gun.

I use 20-22 grains of H4227 in 45 colt (Ruger) and like it a lot. But as in most powder applications different powders can/will cross each other in performance. I can use about half as much Herco and get close to the same performance, a little more of Blue Dot (over the Herco load) and get the Herco performance. It goes on and on. I WILL say that Blue Dot powder at 13gr under a 250-260gr cast bullet is the most accurate 45 colt load I've shot. That is slightly over the standard loading for 45 colt by a bit over 1gr. I don't load or shoot much BD in the colt and I have absolutely no good reason not to, it's just one of those "I use this instead" things. Go figure...

edit: the old 18gr 2400 under a 250/260 gr cast is equaled with the 22gr H4227 load. Very close anyway.