Saturday Family Shoot

We're lucky, my clan, we always manage to find a place to shoot.  My son lives out in the country and has a little place where it's safe, so we met there today to work the handguns.

Just a sampling of what was available.  From .380 to .44 magnum.

Last month, Widener's told me about some new powder that Alliant has out, especially for handgun loads.  I told them I'd like to try it, and they sent me a pound of powder, with some bullets to try.

It's called BE-86.  I had never used it, but Alliant claims that it's good for handgun use.  I asked my son to load some 9mm with it and the bullets that Widener's sent.

The family uses Hodgdon HS-6, and Alliant Unique for handgun rounds.  Neither of those powders need any introduction to handgunners.  They're both proven performers, indeed, two of my favorites.   So, I was happy to try out a new (to me) powder.  Widener's also sent some bullets in the package, the very familiar Gold Dot that everyone knows.

 
So, with targets installed, pistols out, lots of ammo available, we all made sure that we had hearing protection and eye protection, and got to shooting.

Shooting is a great way for family to bond.  It teaches self-reliance, it creates memories, and if your family is like ours, there is a good deal of light banter about each other's skill and competence.

And, of course, when you've got a selection of handguns available, everyone tries out the newest acquisitions.

Plus, of course, the old favorites.  Any day is a great day to shoot, and when we get a change to shoot with family, we take it.

Some one even dragged out a 9mm carbine, so we gould pretend that we were first-tier operators.  LOL!

One think that I noticed about the BE-86 is that it is a very clean powder.  We  normally shoot a lot of Unique in several calibers, and it seemed that the BE-86 was much cleaner.  Lots less smoke, less residue in the barrel.  Nothing will replace Unique in on my reloading bench, but BE-86 is certainly a powder I'll consider in the future.

Thanks, Widener's, for the tip and the opputunity to try a new (to me) powder.  If any of my readers need reloading supplies, give Widener's a chance.