I'm sure it is a reasonable choice for this and I have tried it. There are several reasonable choices. HS-6, with a similar burn rate, is a better one! I happen to feel that this forum is a tool to help us make better choices and there are better choices for this type of load than PP. Also, ar15 mentioned keeping powder inventory down and using PP in the 9mm also. Again, there are several choices that are better and I believe ar15 can accomplish his goal, if I am understanding the intent of all implications here. Specifically, with the .357, there are other considerations than flash; Load density and Velocity Uniformity or Standard Deviation, are also worth considering and PP doesn't exactly shine in any of these categories. The same performance could be achieved, better in my oppinion with Blue Dot. Because it is also a flasher and since we are considering defense load potential, at least to some degree, I wouldn't recommend it in this case. Ball powders with low flash signatures are far superior for the purpose than extruded flake. There are many newer ball powders like 3N37 and Ramshot True Blue (which is also one of the least expensive) that would better cover the needs of the original poster as compared to PP. For Target loads up to factory .357 Magnum velocity, there are few powders better than AA#7 and since it was developed for high velocity/pressure 9mm, well you can see the implication.
Saturday night, I loaded 200 rounds of 9mm with Alliant Blue Dot. I know they will flash and they were loaded strictly for the range. They will never see a defense application. When I started reloading, it was considered almost absurd to use Blue Dot in 9mm. No one even spoke of flash being detrimental to defense loading. The accepted practices came mainly from the W-231/Unique crowd. I have developed some of the most accurate loads in 9mm, using Blue Dot that I wouldn't have ever loaded if I had listened to advice that was nothing more than a carry over from the Bullseye/231/Unique mentality. After a period of time, I have seen the same mentality applied on reloading forums and it is nothing more than a continuance of conventional wisdom and the old grapevine. Yeah, it will get you acceptable or reasonable ammo, but if you want exceptional ammo, sometimes you have to step out of the box and explore possibilities instead of cliches'. What I find troubling is when someone reverts back to the mentality for the sole purpose of disagreeing with an idea that wasn't their own. Anyone that has been at this for any reasonable length of time should be looking at more than one area of performance when choosing a powder. PP will get you high velocity, but will it do it with low standard deviation? With Low Flash? with good load density?
I might be wrong, but I think that ar15 was looking for something better than a suggestion to go ahead and keep using PP, so that he would in turn show gratification to boost someones ego. Not that he shouldn't use his existing inventory. But, Maybe he now has a clearer idea of the implications and possibly a more suitable powder he might want to look at in the future. I have found many good powders in the past, but I never decided to marry any of 'em. Chemistry is like any other technology. Engineers don't quit developing ideas because they believe thay developed a perfect powder, yet for the first half of my reloading life, most handgunners were using Bullseye/W-231 or Unique for the vast majority of their handloads with the occasional use of 2400, H-110, or W-296 for pure magnum loads without much consideration for all the powders in-between. Convenience is a lazy mans perspective and not a reason for selecting gun powder. If someone tells me of a new powder with some knowledge of it's characteristics, I can guarantee you, I will be paying close attention. If they are continuing on with cliches, I will tune them out. When they recommend them to people that have not had the time they have had, to learn all of the parameters and do it on this forum, I will wade in.
Let me leave you with information that hasn't been covered to this point. I will also point out that it has been unmentioned by those that are recommending Power Pistol. PP is larger cut flake variation of Bullseye. It gets it's slower burning rate from the larger diameter flake. Don't take my word for it, call Alliant and after you get past their sales propoganda about why PP is such a great powder, they will admit the same. The sales literature boasts millions of rounds loaded for the 9mm NATO to our military. But, is it the same cannister powder you are buying? Might want to ask them that, while your at it! Or call Cor-Bon. Alliant technicians once told me that C-B used it for the 115 gr. +P JHP load that is very popular. They didn't tell me that it was a different PP than you or I can buy. When I investigated, I found that C-B had switched to a better performing AA#7!
Outside of it already being in a reloaders inventory can anyone provide a "Reasonable" purpose for recommending it. Especially after they have concluded in this and other threads, that there are better choices?
