Black Mag 3 powder

[Dutchy Rodell]

Does anyone have any experience with Black Mag 3 powder as a BP substitute?  What would be the volume load for 38 special cartridges with 158 grain bullet and 12 gauge shot shells?  Does this powder produce enough smoke for the Frontier Cartridge class?  What are the pros and cons for this powder?  Dutchy

[Pettifogger]

You use it volume for volume just like BP.  Seems to have a little less smoke than APP or 777.  Biggest problem is that hardly anyone carries it.  I know two pards that use it.  A small gun shop up where they live carries it and they can get it easier than the other subs.  Other than them, I don't know anyone else that uses it.

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

I never even heard of it until you asked. I don't see anywhere on the website where it mentions if it needs BP compatable lube on the bullets or not.

[Howdy Doody]

There was a comparison of the BP powders in the last NRA Rifleman magazine. Black Mag was one of the powders and I hadn't heard of it until then. I still have not seen any for sale in the stores I frequent.

[hellgate]

I used it years ago when Black Canyon went off the market. Black Mag 2 & 3 also went off the market for a while and has come back as the Blk Mag 3. I used it in the 357 mag with regular hard cast lube. To me it seemed like APP & black Canyon without the "fines". Blk Canyon was hard to work with. I LOVED Blk Mag3. It metered well in my Redding powder measure but like Blk Canyon & APP it drew moisture and corroded the drum of the measure causing it to freeze up. It was accurate and consistent but just disappeared on me. When I saw it offered again I thought, "yay, it's back!" but it also came back with a much higher price. Once I got into 777 I haven't had reason to go elsewhere for the 38/357. I can't remember my load but there was about .1"-.2" compression. I could not find it in small quantities so did not get any more but it is good stuff.
As for load work up, first find the OAL that feeds reliably in your gun, then adjust the powder charge but starting with no compression (no air space either) which will be the lightest load and then add about 1 grain at a time for 5 cartridges for about a 3 or 4 grain spread. Go to the range and see which load groups the tightest at 25 or 50 yards from a solid rest. If you find that the groups open up before you get to the maximum load then stop shooting. You have found the accurate load among the less compressed cartridges. A 15 gr VOLUME pretty much is all a 38spl case will hold with a properly seated 158gr bullet. So if you use a 158gr bullet and have the powder right up to the base of the bullet you will be within the BP minimum loads criteria.

[Pettifogger]

Just had a match with the two pards I said shot Black Mag 3.  They both have switched to APP because they can't get it anymore.  Seems to have very limited distribution.