Hodgdon HS-6

[Kevin]

I was at the local gun store today, they had a good selection of powders. I find myself lately buying more powders and bullets rather than factory ammo. I try telling my wife it's just cheaper! Anyway it came down to a pound of Win 296 and the HS-6. I wanted one powder I could use for 327, 38, 357, and 41.

I loaded up some test rounds of 327. Going by the book. 6.6 grains with a max of 7.6. I never load to the max though so I did just some with 6.6 grains. Interestingly enough my Hornaday book gave me these numbers 6.6 to max 7.6. But the Hodgdon online manual says 7 to 7.6 the feet per second are similar between both sources though.

But how do others like HS-6? It seemed to meter very well, which is important really...

 

[Kevin]

And just as an aside. They had a nice selection of gun. Related to the thread in the lounge about Cabelas being expensive on gun prices. This place was right inline with the prices at Cabelas.

I think gun prices in general have gone up considerably, and those who think a particular store is expensive might just not have shopped around lately. Just my opinion though, I suppose there are still regional differences.

 

[Jim Puke]

I like HS-6 a lot...works very well in my 44 special.

When I was shooting 45colt...it worked well there, also.

 

[sixshot]

HS6 is a very useful powder in many different calibers from small to big. Recently several shooters have found it to be a very good powder in the new 480's from Lipseys for medium rangle loading. Goo accuracy, meters well & a lb. goes a long way.

Dick

 

[tookalisten]

I've been using HS-6 in 44 mag, 45 Colt, and about to try some in .357 for rifle.
Meters well, great results.

 

[Kevin]

Well good thanks for the input. You know another thing I've noticed lately is when I buy powder of components, primers or whatever. The employee at whatever store tells me they know nothing of reloading. It's happened at so many different places I'm beginning to wonder if they want to avoid any potential liability, afraid I might hurt myself and come back and blame them.

 

[Mtneer]

Well good thanks for the input. You know another thing I've noticed lately is when I buy powder of components, primers or whatever. The employee at whatever store tells me they know nothing of reloading. It's happened at so many different places I'm beginning to wonder if they want to avoid any potential liability, afraid I might hurt myself and come back and blame them.

Hmm, that's funny. :lol: You could be right. I haven't noticed it around here yet though. I bought a couple of pounds of HS-6 at Cabela's in Idaho Falls last weekend. I like it for medium, or slightly warmer than medium, loads in .357 Magnums. I didn't care for it very much a while back when I tried to use it for .45ACP loads - my velocities were all over the place. Someone right here on this forum suggested I jack my .45ACP loads up just a bit because HS-6 works better at higher pressures. I don't know. I never did try it. I just found a different powder for my .45ACP.

 

[contender]

For general purposes like you mentioned,,, I'd say the HS-6 was a better choice than the 296. As with all reloading,,, check all the data, start at the lower end of things & work up a load YOUR gun likes.

 

[powder smoke]

I've been using it for a while now a substitute for Unique which proves almost
impossible to get in these parts. Very happy with it, 41, 44 and 45 all good. ps

 

[Rick Courtright]

Hi,

I'm a bit late to this thread, and have never used HS-6. Or maybe I have? According to Hodgdon's, today's HS-6 is identical to the discontinued Winchester 540, which I used a lot! It was a good powder for me in 9mm, .38 Spl, both std and +p, .44 Spl and Mag, plus several shotgun loadings. Kinda like Unique, it covered a lot of ground, and being a ball powder, it metered well. A bit slower burning than some other powders I liked, it was a bit dirty in a couple of my applications.

As for employees saying they know nothing about reloading, they probably don't! However, even if they did, I remember the "company policy" from my range manager days which said even though we sold loading machines and all the components, we were not to give out any reloading data that wasn't accompanied by a flyer or other printed material from a reliable source to back it up. Didn't matter how well we were versed in the endeavor, nor how well we thought the customer was. And that goes back over 30 years... CYA is nothing new in a litigious society!

Rick C

 

[Kevin]

Yes I believe you are right I too just read somewhere today HS-6 is a replacement for the discontinued Win 540.

I also got back from the range and took some really good notes between shots. The HS-6 powder seems to be pretty accurate stuff. I liked it a lot. In both 41 magnum and 327 magnum.

It's amazing too see how group size will change just based on plus or minus a half a grain of powder. I don't have the specifics in front of me but with the 41 magnum my group shrunk in half by increasing the powder just a half grain.

I was very pleased. Both with the HS-6 as well as the CFE, which was another somewhat new powder I've been trying to develop into some accurate loads.

Definitely a good day at the range

 

[454PB]

My main use for HS6 is 9mm, but I have also used it for mid range .357 and .44 magnum. In my experience, it becomes less efficient at pressures below 20KPSI and displays a lot of unburned powder. Keep pressure above that range and it really shines.

 

[Cumminsdood]

I like hs6 for 9mm and mid range 357 loads a lot. Does much better at the top end of the load range.

 

[Cheesewhiz]

The last two posts are right on the money. HS-6 in 9mm runs very well and cleanly at the higher ends of the loading data. You are wasting your time with starting out at the low end of the data when reloading it at those starting weights. Actually that is true for almost all 9mm loadings, some may get a complete burn with some powders but the velocity deviation will be greater at starting end of the load data. I not saying you shouldn't be careful, you should always be, especially when loading a bullet that works out with a short finished OAL.

...but remember, the round was designed to be a high pressure round and it will function better in a semi-auto pistol at mid to higher end loadings in those pistols.

 

[Rclark]

I use it for my woods load in .45 Colt. 13.0g HS-6 under 255g SWC. I always keep a bottle of it around. Meters well.

 

[rattlegun]

Hodgdon HS-6 is one of my three handgun powders. I use it in shotgun for buckshot loads, midrange 44 mag loads and top-end 9mm. I have several pounds on hand all the time.

 

[PO2Hammer]

Just bought another pound of HS-6 today. In 357, 8.4 grains under a 158 plated FP is a great practice load, not wimpy but not an ear splitter either.
I like magnum primers anytime I use HS-6. I get a cleaner burn and more consistent velocities.

I could live with just HS-6 and Bullseye for handguns.

 

[Kevin]

Yes that is a god load, 8.4 grains with the 158 grain bullet. I tried 8 grains up to 8.8. I think the mid range like 8.4 worked best.

It's also a pretty good powder for the 41 magnum. I tried this HS-6 and CFE powder also. I liked the HS-6 slightly better, although the CFE had it's moments where it performed better...

 

[CLAYPOOL]

I keep reading about all the discontinued powders and realize that I have most of them in large amounts. All brand new and keep indoors. Reloading info to match ..

 

[Kevin]

Claypool:
Are you saying HS-6 is a discontinued powder? I had heard H110 was discontinued but not sure if that was just Internet rumor or not. I did go back to the store and they didn't have any more HS-6. But the shelves were stuffed with every other powder.

Well no 2400. You guys talk and talk about 2400, but I've never seen it in stores. Or bus dot. Not once, and I look too, everytime.

 

[Rclark]

This load is almost identical to one I flat out stole from Linebaugh for my Blackhawk .45 Colt. Same charge for
Keith bullets even going up to 280 grains or a bit more in bullet weight. A Winny Large Pistol and 13.0 grains
of HS-6 is one of the all time mid-range loads for .45 Colt.

Yep. Also, Brian Pearce lists it as a Tier 2 load up to 13.5g under the 280g bullet. So with that info, I can use my 13.0g load under my 255s in my medium frame .45s as well as the large frames. Win Win.

 

[PO2Hammer]

I don't think HS-6 is being discontinued, just another rumor like W231/HP-38. HS-6 is finally back at my LGS after ~2 years, so maybe it's headed your way too.

 

[rattlegun]

I don't think HS-6 is being discontinued, just another rumor like W231/HP-38. HS-6 is finally back at my LGS after ~2 years, so maybe it's headed your way too.

The Cabela's here in WA gets shelves full in at a time of HS-6, W231, Titegroup and Varget along with many others frequently if that tells you anything.

 

[powder smoke]

Cabelas is expensive for powder I stay outta there for powder. ps

 

[rattlegun]

Cabelas is expensive for powder I stay outta there for powder. ps

Not now a days, $20 a lb. for Titegroup, yes $20 can't beat that. No LGS around here has been less than them powder and Cabela's discounts apply too.

 

[contender]

Powder prices are per can,,, & SOME of them are not full pounds.
Titewad, Clays, 700x, Intl Clays & PB are listed at 14 ounces. That's 2 ounces shy of a pound.
Trail Boss is listed at 9 ounces.

One pound cans of powder can range from around $20 a can to as much as $28 a can at places they buy in bulk & pass along the savings. Looking at my wholesale catalog I see that Titegroup is among the cheapest,,, while many of the rifle powders are the more expensive ones. HS-6 is priced in-between that.

It pays to shop around,,, and while Cabelas can be high on many things,,, if you are an aware shopper,,, use discount coupons or codes,,, as well as military discounts etc,,, you can often pay a very reasonable price.
Besides,,, remember,,, it wasn't that long ago,,, NO powder, primers were easily available. And in some places,,, there is still a shortage. By what you can, at a fair price, realizing all businesses do have to make money to stay in business. I avoid the gougers at some gun shops, gun shows etc.
Shop smart,,, and back on track with the OP,,, HS-6 is just one of many good powders out there.