Powder Choice?

[ddcrawford]

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]

Buy it. It is a useful pistol powder for low velocity and mid-range target and standard pressure loads.

[bgokk]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

Very good point.

[Lloyd Smale]

yup its hard to beat

Can't go too wrong with unique.

[Old Scribe]

I like Unique for 38 special and getting good results from CFE pistol.

[BrianL]

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]

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.