"Medium" speed pistol powder

[subsonic]

I'm looking for a good, all around medium speed pistol powder.

I want it to be:
Clean
Meter well
Voluminous
Slower than or real close to Unique
Easy to light
Fairly position insensative
Have a reasonable amount of load data
Cheaper is better

I want this for loading large capacity revolver cartridges from .38spl to .500 s&w with "regular strength" loads, ie, stuff friends and family can shoot without leaving a mark or scaring the kids away. Not powder puff stuff, loads where you know you shot something. For example, ~1000fps with a standard weight boolit in guns with more than a snub barrel.

[subsonic]

Posted that too quick!
Anyway, these are some of the powders I'm considering.

AA7
Blue Dot
Power pistol
Longshot
HS6
Autocomp
Silhouette
Herco
SR4756
800-x

Any input on powders in there that DO NOT fit my needs for some reason?
Or any that I've missed?

[MtGun44]

Power Pistol.

Unfortunately, there is FAR, FAR less data available with PP than with Unique. I have had
real good results in large revolvers with 9 gr of PP giving pretty much identical to 10 gr Unique,
accurate, medium-hot load for .44 mag.

Unique is - well, unique. I have to say that you will spend a lot of time trying to really
replace Unique, which is why it is still selling big about 115 yrs after it was first marketed.

Bill

[EDK]

HERCO is my current favorite for "mid range" loads in my 44s. I used TITEGROUP and HP38 (231) with good results, but HERCO is bulkier...fwiw. The local gun shop has four pounders for about $62...I'm on my third one this year and it is getting low.

I need to try it in 38/357, but have had such good results with 4.5 of TITEGROUP and 160 to 180 grain boolits that I hate to mess with success.

POWER PISTOL is good also, but seems loud for the loads I've used in 44. Brian Pearce of HANDLOADER magazine is a big fan of it. BUT I'm at about 600 feet above sea level and Idaho is a bit higher.

[Walt]

If I had to do without Unique for handguns, Power Pistol would be my choice to take its place. Where the 44 Special is concerned it has already done so in my reloading room. It works in most any popular handgun caliber from 9m/m up.

[Sheriff]

You may find cleaner powder then Unique, but not as consistent or accurate as it.

True....

[geargnasher]

Posted that too quick!
Anyway, these are some of the powders I'm considering.

AA7....Never used it.
Blue Dot.....Good stuff for heavy boolits at non-magnum pressures. Can leave an oily/dirty residue if pressures are too low. Some measures don't meter it well.
Power pistol....Great stuff for most any pistol cartridge, fairly clean at low-medium pressure. Has no flash retardant, makes fireballs that can be seen in full sunlight, comparatively little load data available as has been mentioned.
Longshot.... Also a good powder. Fine flakes flow like silk. Burns dry, leaves carbony residue at lower pressures. Very dense, doesn't take up much case volume.
HS6...Similar to Longshot but less sooty at similar pressures and slightly more bulky. Needs a decent amount of pressure (13-14k) CUP) to burn cleanly.
Autocomp Don't know.
Silhouette Haven't used that one either.
Herco....This stuff meters like popcorn, and burns dirty at all but magnum pressures. I gave away the pound I had long ago.
SR4756 Not really a good straight-walled handgun powder for what you're asking IMO.
800-x...Another slow pistol powder. Very dirty IME, but also very consistent. I tried it in a few things and liked it, but generally use HS6 instead since I buy it in bulk.

Any input on powders in there that DO NOT fit my needs for some reason?
Or any that I've missed?

Yep, you missed the two powders that should be at the top of the list: UNIQUE and UNIVERSAL.

Unique is more versatile than Universal, being more consistent at the extremes of pressure ranges and load densities. While all powders are position sensitive to some degree, you probably won't ever notice it with these. Universal meters better and burns quite a bit cleaner than Unique, but Unique is a better powder across a wider range of uses. Either of them would suit your needs perfectly, and Unique is still one of the least expensive of the ones you mentioned.

Gear

[tek4260]

I realize Unique has it's fans, but HS-6 and H110 are all I use now. Try a can like I did and you will see why John Linebaugh is such a fan of it.

[9.3X62AL]

Herco is GOOD STUFF in tamed magnum loads--the ones with conventional boolit weights running 950-1100 FPS. It's a great 28 gauge shotgun powder, too.

Unique is tough to argue against. I really don't understand the over-concern with a powder's "dirtyness". That's why there's Hoppe's and CLP.

AA-7 is THE powder for 30 Mauser/7.62 x 25 and 30 Luger. (You knew I'd pull a Trivia Question on you all).

SR-4756 is a great powder that gets little love these days. In addition to its fine work as a general purpose handgun and shotgun fuel, it is THE BEST FUEL for the intransigent 32-20 WCF fired in handguns. By far.

[MtGun44]

I agree with Al. Clays is a super clean powder and Unique is at least average 'dirty' but so
what? I rarely clean my guns anyway, doesn't make any real world difference that I can
see.

Bill

[9.3X62AL]

One thing is a certainty......anyone complaining about a smokeless revolver powder's "dirtyness" has never fired cap & ball revolvers with black powder. There's nothing like powder fouling tying up a cylinder or a shattered percussion cap/fragment jamming rotation solidly to make you appreciate smokeless powder and fixed cartridge ammunition. These ideas caught on like wildfire for very sound reasons.

[Thin Man]

Two of my favorite mid-range powders are Alliant Unique and Winchester 231/Hodgdon HP-38. Good range of pressure/boolit speed combinations. If cost is a real concern, the HP-38 usually is found lower priced than 231 and is the same identical powder. If versatility is needed, Unique has applications in handgun, rifle and shotgun.

Thin Man

[Moondawg]

I would vote for Universal. It will do anything unique will do, and do it better.[smilie=s:

[white eagle]

I,like Tek tend to use alot of H-110
in the last year 16# have been shot through my guns working on 24 #,
anyway when I step away for medium velocity that I can't use 110 for
I use 2400

[garym1a2]

Except for the cheap part of your request I would recommend WSF

[kyle623]

I really like H110 for magnum loads, but it likes running on the max loadings, so you will be shooting hot loads. 2400 is also a good powder for mid to hot loads also. for mid range loads i prefer W231 it burns fairly clean and you can get it fairly cheap still.

[35remington]

I have unfortunately found Universal to be strangely position sensitive.

I'm not looking to start an argument; just making a suggestion to deliberately orient the powder forward versus rearward with Universal to those that doubt.

Even in the space challenged 45 ACP case, I was obtaining velocity variations of over 100+ fps when so doing, while charges of Unique that obtained the same velocity got half that with the same extremes in positioning.

I haven't tried every cartridge out there with Universal, so checking on your own might be beneficial in terms of your own knowledge.

[MtGun44]

Unique is unique.

Bill

[mtgrs737]

You will never go wrong using Unique, and it is made in the USA!

[Mark in GA]

For loads as described by the original poster, I use HS-6 with great results. It meters great, has a reasonable pressure curve, works great with jacketed and cast, and has produced fine accuracy for me.

Mark in GA

[frank505]

We need some powder company to come back with AL 8. There may be something on the way........

[smkummer]

In my experience, unique is dirty only when its loaded lightly. Alliant stated that it made Red Dot cleaner so maybe Unique is also now days.

[Hammerhead]

I think I'm the last reloader on the planet who hasn't tried Unique.

When you guys say 'dirty' are we talking black soot or unburned powder flakes?

I've been a Universal guy, but in revolver loads I get a lot of unburned powder.

[Lloyd Smale]

out of what you listed ive had my best luck with hs6

[subsonic]

Unique is dirty like 2400. Sooty, but burns and I've never had it leave kernals using loads from books. Any powder will have problems when you use it in a load that is out of it's pressure range. Unique has a very wide useable pressure range.

Speaking of kernals, H4227 is the worst I've used in .45 colt ( +P or not) for leaving kernals.

I took apart my 5.5" SS Bisley .45 last night and it was pretty filthy inside. A few hundred rounds of cast will do that.

I am probably going to try HS6, but it's not very bulky compared to a lot of the others. How is it for position sensativity?

[subsonic]

Oh, and a few years ago most of the common alliant powders had labels that read "new cleaner formula" or something.

[MtGun44]

Unique today is modified to burn cleaner than it did 20 yrs ago. How much? Who knows,
but I don't care, actually. The old Unique is fine for me.

Bill

[Walt]

Unique today is modified to burn cleaner than it did 20 yrs ago. How much? Who knows,
but I don't care, actually. The old Unique is fine for me.

Bill

Same here!

[Rio Grande]

Unique today is modified to burn cleaner than it did 20 yrs ago. How much? Who knows,
but I don't care, actually. The old Unique is fine for me.

Bill

Another vote for Unique. I'm buying another pound ASAP.

[williamwaco]

One more vote for Unique and Herco.

Been Using them for many years. Every two or three years I get the bug to try something else. Always go back to Unique and Herco.

I am flirting with four pounds of AA 9. It is OK but I like 2400 better.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

I really like H110 for magnum loads, but it likes running on the max loadings, so you will be shooting hot loads. 2400 is also a good powder for mid to hot loads also. for mid range loads i prefer W231 it burns fairly clean and you can get it fairly cheap still.

ya what he sead [smilie=s:

[drklynoon]

I know you said you wanted one powder but I am going to be that guy and disregaurd part of your post lol. Trail boss is a very interesting powder for these large volume cases. I have had geat success with it in my .45 colt up to about 900 fps. I have also had good luck with it in a .32 H&R mag. I have had some leading issues when I get above 900 FPS so I don't go up much higher than that. The load data might not be the greatest for this fairly new powder but it won't leave kernals all in your gun and it burns evenly under low to medium loads.

[drklynoon]

That is true it isn't the cheapest thing out there.

[2shot]

I use Herco for all my 357, 44 special, 45acp and 45 LC loads. In the 357 it give up nothing. Check the older mauals and it's no trick to get the Lyman 358429 to over 1200 fps with Herco. I've been shooting max loads of Herco with that 358429 (mine goes 175gr.) and it burns clean, accurate and hits hard at over 1200 fps!

2shot

[mroliver77]

For powder puff loads I use Bulls Eye. I did buy an 8lb of Titewad and that stuff is a good substitute IMO

Medium loads get Unique

Warmer loads get 2400, WC820

Full potential Mag loads Slow WC820 or H110/296

I really could live with just Bulls Eye and 2400 in handgun.

I do buy any powder that is on clearance or a great deal and make it serve me.
Jay