Powder of choice for small to medium handguns

[Down South]

Hey guys, I ran into a guy that sells powder and a few other reloading components locally. I put a order in with him for som CCI SP primers and told him to bring a couple 4 lb canisters of Bullseye powder he had in stock.
I got home yesterday and checked my inventory of powder here at the house and discovered that I have a brand new 8 lb canister of Bullseye on the shelf.
This guy has other powders in stock at reasonable prices. I don't know what all he does have but since I have a little extra change, I decided to add more powder to my inventory.
I've got more than plenty of different rifle powders and large hand gun powders.


What would be a good all around hand gun powder for .380, 9mm, 38 Special, 40 S&W, 45 acp?

[PS Paul]

Unique, Red Dot, Green Dot too....... Classic powders for classic calibers (mostly)

Some guys like 231/HP38 also

[LUCKYDAWG13]

what's wrong with Bullseye love that in my 9mm and 45 ACP
wish i had more of it on hand

[jmort]

Unique

[27judge]

Unique . I use it in both handgun and rifle cast bullet loads. Blue dot second choice in handgun and some rifle . tks Ken

[fecmech]

I'd add Power pistol to your Bullseye and all your listed calibers are covered mild to wild.

[Down South]

I'd add Power pistol to your Bullseye and all your listed calibers are covered mild to wild.
I've got some Power Pistol left, don't remember how much. It's with my reloading stuff in Houston. I might pick some of that up if the guy has it. I'll talk to him Monday. I know he carries a lot of shotgun powders since he caters to the skeet shooters by far.


what's wrong with Bullseye love that in my 9mm and 45 ACP
wish i had more of it on hand
If he doesn't have something that would compliment Bullseye for small to medium handguns, I just may do that. He has that in stock but only in 1 & 4 lb canisters.

[41 mag fan]

What about AA2 & AA5? I play with it in my 45's every so often. My Kimber Pro Carry loves it.
I don't know how it'd do in the 9, 38 or 40 tho. I've got guns in them calibers, I just dont play with them very often enough.

[Love Life]

Unique. It's even good with breakfast...

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

,,,,,,

[Mlcompound]

I would love to have a 4lb can od Bullseye right now. I do have a decent supply of Unique though. It works well in about everything I have tried so far. Although, my Lee 125 rf works great in 9 and 38 special with 4gr Bullseye. I have been working up 357 and 45 with Unique. I haven't found the best "recipe" but just about every load has been more than adequate for plinking.

[RobS]

WSF would be good for everything but not perfect for light (200 grain and under) 45 ACP loads nor the light 38 special. WSF does well in powder measures too. I myself use a lot of Herco and it would be more forgiving on the higher pressure rounds vs Unique. 231/HP38 would do ok in all as well; better on with the lower pressure rounds but not as efficient for the upper pressure rounds. Power Pistol is a decent one too but I never liked the flash of it. If a person is looking at Unique then Universal is close in nature.

[wallenba]

Win 231 for autos, Clays in my wheel guns.

[Iowa Fox]

Unique to go along with the Bullseye.

[MakeMineA10mm]

W231 and Unique are the ultimate pistol powders for flexibility. I've transitioned to w231 from Unique, because it flows better through the powder measures.

[Phoenix]

Universal. Very similar to unique but MUCH cleaner

I have used it in every handgun caliber I have. I even use it for shotgun.

[Blacksmith]

Unique because you can find loading data for almost everything with Unique. I believe it is the most versatile powder to have on hand. It may not be the best powder for a particular caliber but you you can use it in more applications so I always keep some on hand.

[DCP]

I use 700x

[Driver man]

unique

[Larry Gibson]

Quite frankly why give up the Bullseye? It is excellent as the "all around" in ALL the cartridges mentioned with cast bullets especially. There are a couple others in the same burning range that do also but why get rid of 4 lbs of Bullseye just to get something different that does the same job? While I do love Unique it is not an "all around bowder in those cartridges. Nor is any other powder that is in that burning ragne. Stick with the Bullseye.

Larry Gibson

[Down South]

Quite frankly why give up the Bullseye? It is excellent as the "all around" in ALL the cartridges mentioned with cast bullets especially. There are a couple others in the same burning range that do also but why get rid of 4 lbs of Bullseye just to get something different that does the same job? While I do love Unique it is not an "all around bowder in those cartridges. Nor is any other powder that is in that burning ragne. Stick with the Bullseye.

Larry Gibson
Hi Larry, I'm not giving up on Bullseye. I just have a bunch of it. I thought I might get another handgun powder to compliment the Bullseye.
I may try some Universal. I'll make a decision tomorrow when I talk to the guy to see what he has. I might just buy more Bullseye. I was checking the Alliant web site last night and they give load data for every caliber I mentioned in the opening post for Bullseye and Power Pistol.
I have about 4 lbs of Power Pistol now. If the guy has any of that I may buy more of it.

[bear67]

I don't load as much shotgun, so red dot and blue dot are not a priority. For handgun ammo across the spectrum, I use Bullseye, 231/HP38, and for the last few years, a lot of 700x. I originally bought 16 pounds of 700x at a bargain, and I find I can make loads for almost everything that work well. I don't use it for 45 Colt, but I could find a load to fit. I am finding that I like to keep fewer powders on hand and larger amounts of those powders. In Rifle powders, I find I use more different numbers and keep one pound containers of most of these. I recently ran out of surplus 4895 that I bought in the 60's--dang.

[Artful]

I stock Bullseye, Red Dot, Unique, 2400, 296 for my pistol shooting
I don't see any Magnum cartridges so Unique, Red Dot and Bullseye would be what I would use with the cartridges you use.
I use Unique with heavy boolit loads but if your not using heavy boolits then just stock up on Bullseye.

[garym1a2]

I suggest bullseye for the fast powder and WSF for the slower powder. WSF is hard to beat for major loads in 9mm and 40S&W.

[dragon813gt]

All my handguns get loaded w/ W231/HP-38, Universal or H110/W296. They can cover the entire load range. HP-38 is by far what I use the most. Gets used in my magnums, just not full power loads. And Universal does everything Unique does while burning cleaner and metering like water.

[chsparkman]

Another vote for Universal.

[bangerjim]

And now for something completely different............

Shoot WHATEVER you can buy! These days, I use Unique, bullseye, American Select, Clays, e3, 231, HP-38.....and anything that will burn! :wink: Although I consider Unique and 231 very dirty.

I have loaded and shot 9mm, 38sp, 40s&w, and 45lc with ALL the aformentineid powders with great success. e3 is a guestiment based on the standard chart of "burn rates". Alliant has not blessed us with pistol load data yet.....but is a very "HOT" powder!

If you compare any of the above and their load data, you find that, within a caliber, all the grain weights are just about the same.

No, am not "pipping the ace" at 1,000 yards, do not weigh every bullet, do not trickle power nor even weigh every load (every 12 or so), but I sure have a bunch of powder hoarded up based on the above list!!!!

Do not limit youself to just one type of powder based upon "old habits" from bygone days of vast availability. Live a little. Branch out!!!

bangerjim :guntootsmiley:

[TES]

HS-6 has done pretty good for me so far.

[Down South]

[QUOTE=Artful;2254071]H-110 2400, 296
I don't see any Magnum cartridges QUOTE]

No, I didn't list any of my magnums I have plenty of H-110 & 2400 and that's about all I use in my magnum loads for the .357, 44, 460.
I don't shoot the magnums that much and I probably have enough magnum powders and primers to last the rest of my life.

I've shot a lot of Unique through the years and still have some here but not much.

[Dark Helmet]

Ramshot True Blue if you want to test the waters a bit!

[10x]

Unique

X2 on Unique

[possom813]

I like titegroup in 9mm, .38, .357 & seems like I used it in .45acp as well when I had that pistol.

[BSalty]

I have been using IMR 700X for the past couple years with good results.

[H.Callahan]

+(whatever number we are at) for Unique.

[srtolly]

I have used Unique and AA#2 in 9, .40 & .45acp with very good results. I didn't like titegroup in my .45s, couldn't find a sweet spot.

[David2011]

Unique will go from mild to heavy loads in a lot of cartridges. W231 is very clean burning and is a nice mid range powder in lots of handgun cartridges from little to .44 Special and .45 Colt. My .44 Special loads leave the gun looking like it was just cleaned with W231.

David

[Moonie]

I also try to keep plenty of Unique, I use it in all of the calibers mentioned and a bunch more including rifles. Also might want to think about Clays, it is great in the pistol calibers mentioned and usually low smoke with cast and very clean.

[Down South]

I got to speak the guy this morning and out of all the powders discussed, all he has in stock is the Bullseye. I told him to bring me 8 lb of that tomorrow along with 10,000 CCI SP primers.
I mentioned Universal to him and he says it won't be available until December and said the fire at the plant was the reason. I told him that there were a couple members here that said that the plant Down Under didn't catch on fire. He Says the plant didn't burn but one of the machines was damaged by fire and called the name of the machine but I don't remember what it was.
I'll just be loading a lot of Bullseye for a long time.

[FISH4BUGS]

WW231. Period. While it doesn't give the power of 296 in magnum loads, I use it for every pistol/revolver caliber in standard and some +p loads. I also use it in the all the submachineguns with cast bullets. 380, 9mm, 45 for subguns, 38, 357, 44 mag for revolvers. 9mm and 45 for pistols....cast or jacketed.
Great all around powder.

[Boyscout]

I am working up new loads with Unique right now and have been happy with the results but I started with Win 231. It shoots well and meters very well in our 45's. It is my go to powder.

[40-82 hiker]

Bullseye for sure! As long as you want target to medium loads pretty good in my book.

[Petrol & Powder]

WSF for the 9mm/40S&W/45ACP
WW231 in the 38 Special

Those ball powders flow & meter very well. Bullseye and Unique are good choices but with a progressive press and an automatic powder measure, they take a back seat to the Winchester stuff.

[Petrol & Powder]

WW231. Period. While it doesn't give the power of 296 in magnum loads, I use it for every pistol/revolver caliber in standard and some +p loads. I also use it in the all the submachineguns with cast bullets. 380, 9mm, 45 for subguns, 38, 357, 44 mag for revolvers. 9mm and 45 for pistols....cast or jacketed.
Great all around powder.
+ 1 for 231 except for 9mm where WSF just outshines 231! If I had to have only one pistol powder it would be 231 for it's universal application, but If I could have two powders the other would be WSF.

[DCM]

Unique

[Down South]

I wound up buying 2-4lb canisters of Bullseye and 1 lb of HP-38 just to try it out. Anybody have good results with Hodgon HP-38? It is a new powder to me.

[Ed Barrett]

I like 700X also for pistol and cast rifle.

[dragon813gt]

Anybody have good results with Hodgon HP-38? It is a new powder to me.

It's the same powder as W231. Use any of the published loads and you are good to go. There will be some unburnt powder at the lower levels. But it works great in everything I tired it in so far.

[Petrol & Powder]

I concur with dragon813gt. Some people claim that 231 burns "dirty" (doesn't every powder?). I have found that ww231 (AKA HP-38) burns a little cleaner at the upper end of recommended charge weights. I've found that ww231 meters very well and works in a lot mid bore applications. It's my go-to revolver powder. I find that WSF is the best in small semi-auto cases like 9mm but when you really get down to it ww231 can just about do it all. I think you'll be pleased with HP-38 / WW231.

Good luck!

[Bzcraig]

What about AA2 & AA5?


My 9's & 40's love these and next in line is 231

[10x]

Started using Unique in handguns and cast bullet rifle loads in the mid 1960s. 700x works well too. Used 296 for a while - didn't like it.

[Down South]

It's the same powder as W231. Use any of the published loads and you are good to go. There will be some unburnt powder at the lower levels. But it works great in everything I tired it in so far.
I remember someone telling me that now that you mention it. I have used my share of W231 but not in a while.

[MtGun44]

Bullseye, Titegroup and W231 in no particular order.

Bill

[enfieldphile]

Herco

Just a tad slower then Unique. IMMO, Herco burns cooler then Unique, a real + w/ cast boolits in .38, .357, ALL the .44's and ALL the .45's I love the accuracy! :) Dirty burning you say? Well, yes, somewhat. But, powder solvent is still inexpensive and easy to get.

[horsesoldier]

unique is what I use