PDA

View Full Version : Powder Choice?



ddcrawford
02-12-2015, 01:10 AM
I am going to be in Cabela's tomorrow and was going to pick up some powder. I am reloading 38 Special and 357 Magnum and have ordered the Lee 358-140-SWC & C358-158 SWC molds. What powders are good choices in addition to the Bullseye, Red Dot and 231 that I already have on hand?

Bzcraig
02-12-2015, 01:14 AM
Accurate #2 for 38, IMR 4227 38 & 357, 2400 357

nvbirdman
02-12-2015, 01:28 AM
Can't go too wrong with unique.

.22-10-45
02-12-2015, 01:31 AM
Tightgroup

MtGun44
02-12-2015, 02:35 AM
Clays, Titegroup.

Bill

therealhitman
02-12-2015, 02:41 AM
Now let me get this straight...the Cabela's by you has powder? In stock? Smokeless powder?
You... you just walk in and...they...they...let you buy it?! And you have... choices? ***!

ddcrawford
02-12-2015, 02:47 AM
Now let me get this straight...the Cabela's by you has powder? In stock? Smokeless powder?
You... you just walk in and...they...they...let you buy it?! And you have... choices? ***!

Haha, amazing huh? It is hit and miss as to what they will have, that is why I wanted to get several ideas. I guess after thinking about this a little more, I should have the 38 Special covered with what I have. Whatever I buy will be primarily for the 357 Mag loads.

Scharfschuetze
02-12-2015, 02:52 AM
Now let me get this straight...the Cabela's by you has powder? In stock? Smokeless powder?
You... you just walk in and...they...they...let you buy it?! And you have... choices? ***!

Fortunately I have a good friend who has a great LGS. He calls me when he gets what I need in.

merlin101
02-12-2015, 05:01 AM
The way things are here right now, I'd just buy whatever they had and and make it work! Or just buy a gun for whatever powder they have.

robg
02-12-2015, 07:54 AM
true blue for medium loads ,2400 for full power

Wayne Smith
02-12-2015, 08:48 AM
2400 if you can get it.

Jupiter7
02-12-2015, 10:00 AM
Aa5& power pistol will also work well.

RobS
02-12-2015, 10:51 AM
Unique, Accurate Arms No. 5 & No.7, Blue Dot, 2400, Accurate Arms No.9, Accurate Arms 4100/Enforcer, H110, 4227

Ordered from faster to slower.

Unique and AA No. 5 will give you warm loads and AA No.7 along with Blue Dot a touch more. 2400 will have more flexibility to it vs other magnum powders regards to ignition however it as well as AA No.9, AA4100/Enforcer are nice choices for mid-upper to top end magnum loads. H110 will be the top of the charts and better with heavier boolits. 4227 will work but don't expect top end velocities and it would be my last choice if looking for upper end loads.

texassako
02-12-2015, 11:04 AM
In addition to those above I would not pass up a can of Blue Dot, or either H110 or 296(if you are lucky to find some) if you are looking for full snort 357 loads. I would make a little cheat sheet of the powders that work in both so an unfamiliar powder doesn't catch you unprepared.

dudel
02-12-2015, 11:10 AM
2400 for the 357

ddcrawford
02-12-2015, 11:35 AM
Thanks for all the info. I am about to go do my shopping and see what they have. After reading all this, it dawned on me that this is a similar response that you would get if you asked a bunch of guys what the best beer is. It's obviously a personal choice and there are so many choices it can make your head spin. I am taking texassako's advice and made a list, I am sure when I get there my choices will be narrowed down quickly because of what they have in stock.

glockky
02-12-2015, 12:50 PM
My favorite powders for 357 magnum are AA#9 and 2400. But don't pass up 300MP or 296 win.

There are also several powder which will work in both 357 and 38 but you will not be able to get top velocity out of the 357.
I personally like fast burning powders such as titegroup, bullseye, AA#2, 231win for 38 specials.

prs
02-12-2015, 01:01 PM
I was in the Charleston WV Cabela's yesterday and there were about 6 customers looking at the powder shelves and lamenting the emptiness. There was 1 1# bottle of some black powder sub. There were two 4# jugs of some little known large bore rifle charcoal stuff and another very slow burning rifle powder that nobody really wants. No .22 long rifle ammo. Only a few bricks of assorted primers. They had some new brass in a few handgun calibers. Pretty much Ole Mother Hubbard's cupboard.

prs

Shiloh
02-12-2015, 01:24 PM
Unique, AA#2, AA#5, WW231

Been using Unique for a long time now, 4.5 gr. Unique gives around 840 fps. Plenty pf room to go more, but it is accurate here.

Shiloh

Shiloh
02-12-2015, 01:26 PM
I was in the Charleston WV Cabela's yesterday and there were about 6 customers looking at the powder shelves and lamenting the emptiness. There was 1 1# bottle of some black powder sub. There were two 4# jugs of some little known large bore rifle charcoal stuff and another very slow burning rifle powder that nobody really wants. No .22 long rifle ammo. Only a few bricks of assorted primers. They had some new brass in a few handgun calibers. Pretty much Ole Mother Hubbard's cupboard.

prs

Lot of this going around. This is why I buy powder when I find it as opposed to when I need it.

Shiloh

ddcrawford
02-12-2015, 03:17 PM
I am at cabelas now. The only thing they have from all the powders listed above is 4227 they just put out HP-38 any comments on that?

gwpercle
02-12-2015, 05:24 PM
Buy it. It is a useful pistol powder for low velocity and mid-range target and standard pressure loads.

bgokk
02-12-2015, 06:02 PM
I am at cabelas now. The only thing they have from all the powders listed above is 4227 they just put out HP-38 any comments on that?

Same as 231

Blackwater
02-12-2015, 06:19 PM
For the 158GC model, you just can't NOT try 2400, and with either, when top velocity isn't a priority, Unique usually gives great accuracy. CFE Pistol shows some promise as well, but I haven't had an opportunity to try it yet, so can give no testimonials. The good thing about Unique, in my experience, is that it usually (no, not always, but "usually") gives good accuracy at varying charge weights and velocities. It is one of the few powders I've tried that does this with pretty fair regularity. One "sweet spot" will often give you the BEST accuracy, but most loads show "good" accuracy, and that can be an asset when you want to shoot varying levels of power in your guns, or just to save powder for when you're not going "all-out" for that "best of all possible loads. This can prove useful, especially in the current climate of limited availabilities of powders. Just my experience, FWIW.

quilbilly
02-12-2015, 06:39 PM
I am going to be in Cabela's tomorrow and was going to pick up some powder. I am reloading 38 Special and 357 Magnum and have ordered the Lee 358-140-SWC & C358-158 SWC molds. What powders are good choices in addition to the Bullseye, Red Dot and 231 that I already have on hand?I was at our local Cabela's a week ago and they didn't have one solitary pistol powder. A lot of rifle powder though. They did have some RE-7 so grabbed one.

btroj
02-12-2015, 06:43 PM
At this point buy what they have that will work. Anything that will work beats nothing. This isn't the time to be picky about handgun powder choices, not unless they are in your cupboard.

jaysouth
02-12-2015, 06:59 PM
I must be living right. Last month I found my local reloading shop stocked. I bought 6lbs Unique, 6lbs Unique and 10lbs H-4895.

Yesterday, I hit gold and got an eight pounder of Red Dot for $146.

ddcrawford
02-13-2015, 03:27 PM
I went ahead and purchased the HP-38 yesterday, so I am going to still be on the lookout for something better for 357 Mag loads. I talked to a guy that worked there and he said two weeks ago they got in 70 lbs of Unique the first time they had gotten any in 7 months...it was gone in two days. I was in there one of those two days because I saw it on the shelf but did not get any because I was not sure what I wanted and knew I was going back there soon. Leaving town later today to go see my Mom and Dad and within 5 mins of their house is a Cabela's, Gander Mountain and a gun and knife shop. I will check all three of those places just to see what they have.

ThatFishGuy
02-13-2015, 03:57 PM
I really like win 296 in magnum loads. Its the same as H110. But like others have said, if you see a general use pistol powder (Unique, hp-38, univeral clays, etc) just grab it. They usually give good accuracy for target loads and you can use them in pretty much everything, so you can shoot SOMETHING at least.

sawzall
02-14-2015, 12:53 AM
I really like win 296 in magnum loads. Its the same as H110. But like others have said, if you see a general use pistol powder (Unique, hp-38, univeral clays, etc) just grab it. They usually give good accuracy for target loads and you can use them in pretty much everything, so you can shoot SOMETHING at least.

Also makes good trade fodder if you don't need it but others certainly do!

ddcrawford
02-14-2015, 12:08 PM
Also makes good trade fodder if you don't need it but others certainly do!

Very good point.

Lloyd Smale
02-14-2015, 04:58 PM
yup its hard to beat
Can't go too wrong with unique.

Old Scribe
02-14-2015, 10:11 PM
I like Unique for 38 special and getting good results from CFE pistol.

BrianL
02-14-2015, 11:14 PM
I just grabbed an 8 pounder each of Green Dot and Universal Clays. It had been pushed to the back wall of the empty powder shelf. It had been there for a while because the prices were quite reasonable. Lucky that I had stopped to tie my shoe.
Between the two of them should be able to find loads for most stuff..

62chevy
02-15-2015, 12:12 AM
I was in the Charleston WV Cabela's yesterday and there were about 6 customers looking at the powder shelves and lamenting the emptiness. There was 1 1# bottle of some black powder sub. There were two 4# jugs of some little known large bore rifle charcoal stuff and another very slow burning rifle powder that nobody really wants. No .22 long rifle ammo. Only a few bricks of assorted primers. They had some new brass in a few handgun calibers. Pretty much Ole Mother Hubbard's cupboard.

prs

Glad I went to Wheeling WV as they at least had 231 so bought 2 of them. Had the primers I wanted so bought them too.