Alliant Herco Powder
Every bottle of Alliant Smokeless Powder is guaranteed by a century of manufacturing experience and the industry’s most stringent quality control systems. To maintain uniformity, the chemical composition, grain shape and size, and overall density are continually verified and evaluated in a ballistics lab.
Herco smokeless powder has been used in shotshell loads since the 1920s and is an excellent high base hunting load appropriate for upland game and magnum handgun loads. Target loads of 10, 12, 16, 20, and 28 gauge can be employed.
Warnings from the Manufacturer:
- Do not exceed the loads displayed in the reloaders guide.
- Never mix any two powders regardless of type, brand, or source.
- Never substitute any smokeless powder for Black Powder or any Black Powder substitute.
William Jenkins –
Herco is my favorite powder for mid-range .41 & .44 magnum loads and for moderate to heavy .44 Special, .45 Colt and .45 ACP/Auto Rim. Good velocities for modest pressures, good accuracy, much better metering than Unique, and the bulk makes double charging almost impossible.The report is also much more satisfying than other mid-burning powder. I always have a little laugh when I hear people say that Herco is sooty. It may be if you’re loading those fake mouse-puff cowboy action loads, because it’s actually pretty clean burning at appropriate pressures.
Billy Barnes –
have not used purchase yet but years ago a buddy and myself reloaded 12 ga and 20ga for dove hunting and loved it
Jonathan Taylor –
Herco is my go-to powder for ALL handgun loading, .38, .357, .44 Sp&.44mag, .45 ACP, AR, Colt. Anything that can be done with Unique; can be done with Herco. Herco burns a bit cooler, so lead alloy PB bullets don’t loose metal from the base.
Jerome Mclean –
Although I’ve got probably 20+ powders in my ammo reloading room, the go-to powder for me is Herco. I’ve used it since I was in college 4 decades ago, and have found it to be the one powder I can successfully use in a wide variety of loads, including 9mm, .38 special, .357, .40 S&W, .44 mag, 12 gauge, 28 gauge, & 20 gauge. That’s why it’s the only powder I purchase in the big canisters. While there are undoubtedly better powders for each of these applications, my groups, patterns, and velocities are just fine.
Bronson Strong –
I’m a relatively new reloader and have really taken a liking to this powder in comparison to others I have tried. The report is nice, the flash is bright, but recoil is mild and it shows no signs of high pressure. It’s a fun load to shoot. I also like the fact that the NEVER EXCEED charge very nearly overflows the case- I feel like I’m pretty safe with Herco.
Bronson Strong –
I know that this may not be a popular powder with handgunners but I use it in 45 Colt with a 255 gr. LSWC fills the cases very nicely, burns clean and meters very well. It is a very energetic powder does deliver a little more recoil than Unique but I prefer it over Unique mainly for that reason I like the bang and flash and I get great accuracy from it also. If you have not tried this powder in handgun cartridges please do you will not be disappointed. I tried it because the gun shop was out of Unique at the time.
Zane Maynard –
Great in 44 Mag with 240gr Cast Bullets – very accurate.