Favorite Pistol Powder?

[Uncle R.]

Hi all:
My club's clay bird shooters host a yearly component buy where they pool their purchases to get better prices. Once a year I have the opportunity to buy shotgun related components at a very good price. My interests are primarily in rifle and pistol but I sometimes get deals on the overlap. Last year I laid in a supply of 296 cheap - bless those .410 skeet shooters!
I'd like to increase my supply of mid-range and target pistol powder this year. I've been using 231 in almost all of my non-magnum pistol loads for many years now - it's worked very well for me and I never felt a need to change. Unfortunately, those dang clay shooters don't use it and it's not on the "buy" list. I know that many shotgun powders work well in pistol loads - I tried Red Dot in those applications a long time ago but it meters poorly and burns dirty compared to 231.
My choices are limited to...
Hodgdon: Clays, Int., Universal, Lil' Gun, Titewad.
Alliant: Red Dot, Green Dot, Unique.
IMR: 700X, 800X
W-W ST, SL, SF.
IMR PB, 7625
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Does anybody have experience with using these as "general purpose" pistol powders? I'm looking for target wadcutter to full-power loads in the .38 and .45 and mid-level loads in the magnums, with accuracy in metering and shooting. Which powder would best fill that role?
Thanks for your advice:
Uncle R.

[felix]

My choice would be PB if you want a single base GreenDot; or, 7625 if you want a single base Unique-Herco, splitting the difference. All the rest are double base. Check the loading books for your preference in speed, while looking at the TOP loads per case/boolit. 7625 would be a tad slower than 231, and just as clean. Wanna play games? Get a little of both single base powders. I am suggesting single base formulas to you specifically because you have been using double base powders, and you might be due for a change, just to keep life interesting. ... felix

[Lloyd Smale]

unique. enough said

[nicholst55]

Unique is highly versatile; I've also fired several thousand rounds of .45 ACP and .38 Spl loaded with 700X.

[johniv]

I load mostly 38/357 &.45 acp with some .45lc, 38lc .455 Web. throwen in and I use mostly Unique for light to standard loads >
FWIW
John

[milltownhunter]

uniqe is good powder for targets have used it in the38 spec. and the 357 mag with good results

[felix]

Unique is very good, but how many of you'se guys ever deviated from it? I bet none of you have even used PB or 7625! Am I full of it, or what? On the other hand, we are going to get a drastic change in November's election and that might be enough experimentation for a die hard. ... felix

[crabo]

Unique is very good, but how many of you'se guys ever deviated from it? I bet none of you have even used PB or 7625! Am I full of it, or what? On the other hand, we are going to get a drastic change in November's election and that might be enough experimentation for a die hard. ... felix

And what is the case for deviant behavior?

Crabo

[felix]

Ultra clean powders. They generate less heat on boolit bases. Could be cheaper in bulk because there would be less consumer demand. A very good substitute for equivalent V-V powders which are extremely expensive (and worth it). ... felix

[runfiverun]

universal would also be a good choice
but if you want to just stock up on a really universal powder

unique

[fecmech]

If you like the ball powders WSF runs very close to Herco, it would be a little slower than the 231 you are used too. I used a lot of it in cast 9MM loads with very good results.

[Bent Ramrod]

I use a lot of 4756, which isn't on the list. I had to work out some of the loads I use on my own. If you have a bent for experimentation, some the other powders are doubtless good, and clean, and have specific loads written up in one book or another, but if you want to have a bunch of tested CB loads immediately available for all kinds of firearms the minute you open the can, Unique takes the palm.

[felix]

4756 is hard to beat in lieu of Herco. Want an easy to ignite and clean Herco? 4756 hands down. 11 grains in 44mag with circa 250s makes for an excellent top mid range load. ... felix

[400cor-bon]

Bullseye. a pound goes a long, long way!!!!:mrgreen:

[timkelley]

Unique:-D

[Newtire]

Geez, I will take a big chance here and say AA#7 for a midrange. I had real good luck with BlueDot when I had my .44 mag. back in another lifetime.

[runfiverun]

felix
did you look in my reload log book
that is too eerily close to my 45 colt deer hunting load
jees you probably use the xtp with that too.? lol

[johnly]

AVOID 800X! It runs through a powder measure about as good as rocks, from a charge weight consistancy perspective. Both PB and 7625 are under-appreciated powders. The Clays series of powders are clean burning like PB and 7625, so they would be in my choice group.

[Lloyd Smale]

Im more of a deviate then most here. I use unique herco powerpistol universal clays green dot hs6 and hs7 and a few moe but it gets to the point where a guy has so many powders hes doing more experimenting then shooting. Then you run into the problem of availability. Its nice to have loads worked up with a powder that you can actually buy. How many times does a guy work up loads for a surplus powder and have it run out and find you cant buy it anymore. Sure you can stock up and i do do that but not everyone can afford to but 10 kegs of a powder or use it enough to even justify it. Unique is hard to beat. Even powders like power pistol univeral clays and herco arent avialable at mom and pop gunshops. Just about everyone that sells reloading supplys sells unique and id be my great grandkids will still be able to buy it. Nice thing to is it WORKS. You might find a gun or load that does slightly better with a differnt powder but ive got a pile of 6 guns and id bet if i looked ive got a unique load that works for everyone of them. It works in about any gun including rifles, shotguns, sixguns and bottom feeders and works in about any caliber to boot. Hard to argue that theres a powder that does it all any better.
Unique is very good, but how many of you'se guys ever deviated from it? I bet none of you have even used PB or 7625! Am I full of it, or what? On the other hand, we are going to get a drastic change in November's election and that might be enough experimentation for a die hard. ... felix

[smkummer]

I used alot of 700x in almost all pistol calibers. I got started when it was a surplus military powder (used in 50 cal. blanks) It is fast and bulky but my only complaint is its less than stellar metering out of my Lee 1000 powder meter. I believe it is one of the best for standard velocity loads. It is still my favorite for 12 gauge trap loads. In 9mm and 45 acp, I can see the powder charge in the case so I can pull one that appears undercharges. In, 38 special I can't and have had a squib or 2.

[RSOJim]

If need be I can get by with just one powder, unique. I use it in shotguns, rifles and pistols. thanks Jim

[SPRINGFIELDM141972]

I too am a Unique fan. Although my father switched to Clays about four years ago and claims he will never go back.

Regards,
Everett

[Brownie]

I use Winchester Super-Target for target loads in .38 and.45. it works very well. it replaces Bullseye and it is a lot cleaner.

:coffee:

[GSM]

I'm with Brownie.

WST for 38, 45ACP, 32 Mag, 270 Ren.

Burns fairly clean, meters very well.

[Down South]

Iv'e loaded up some .361 SWC behind some WW WSFand they did wel. I loaded some 115gr RN behind some WST and Did OK. I've used Unique fefore but I just don't care much about it.
it metters poorly and isn't very clean. I'm going to try
pp in the near future. I do like Titegroup. It burns clean and has decent accuracy.

[practical_man]

Uncle R,

I'll chime in. I've shot a boat load of Clays in .38, .45 and .44 mild loads (bought a keg of HP-38 but still like clays better). It works just fine for me -- in pistol cartridges and 12 gauge skeet/trap loads. For me, clays is as accurate as HP-38/231, but I don't have any leg points with handguns so take that with a grain of salt.

I also use quite a bit of Universal for 28 gauge. Never tried it out in a pistol. It meters just fine for me.

Lil gun is pretty dirty, at least in .410.

One of these days I'll get around to trying PB.

-john

[Tom W.]

Green Dot and unique are both good, I have lot of .45 and .45Colts loaded with them..

[35remington]

Way, way too much credence is given to "metering." With the exception of 800X, many of the flake powders have as low or lower extreme spreads in velocity when metered than any of the "better metering" powders.

Pay attention to your chronograph, not your scale. I'll take the challenge, Unique or Red Dot or Herco, for example, in .45 ACP when metered versus your "better metering" powders.

All bets are off when charges get below 3.5 grains of the flake powders. In some measures the flakes will bridge in the cavity. I'll concede for small calibers and light .38 special loads the better metering powders have an advantage, if just for safety alone.

However, in larger charges for most pistol calibers the flake powders are every bit as consistent as the "better metering" types when velocities are checked, if not more so in some cases.

[georgeld]

After trying quite a few, I've settled on Red Dot for the massive quantities of plinkers I load.
For the big stuff, use one not on your list, H110, once this jug is used up will switch to 4227.

You saying unless what you want is on this list that you can't order a jug or two of something else? Don't make sense to me. Seems like they'd welcome more quantity to make a larger buy. Can you use lots of one of these on the list? If so, just get those and buy whatever else from another source.

Jan. '07 I bought six jugs for my own use. Figured to stock up while I had a few bucks to spare. Most of the time I try to find others to split an order, but, this time I ate it all.

Sure scares me to see the dem's we're looking at maybe being elected. We can sure count on a steady battle for our guns if one of them gets in. Sure wouldn't want to be much on McCain either. Just don't trust the guy with our guns. Though, he'd sure be the best of the three.

[44 flattop]

I grew up with Unique, have tried many others. Always come back to Unique. From the .32 mag, 357 mag, 41 and 44 mag, 45 Colt and ACP, 20 gauge, 444 and 45-70, its just plain tough to beat Unique!

44

[Dale53]

I have seen 700X bridge in so many different style powder measures that I quit using it for either shotgun OR pistol many years ago. It saddened me as it burns clean and seems easy to get accurate results with it. However, I can do without several "half" charges and some "one and a half" charges in a single box of ammo. In fact, it got so bad that I looked at the powder flakes under high magnification - 700X edges look like lace doilies. No WONDER that they bridge. The flakes must "lock up" under certain circumstances to cause the bridge.

At any rate, no more 700X for me, EVER. There are entirely too many good powders out there.

If I was to start with a clean sheet, I would choose 231 for its nice metering and relatively clean burning (although I think "clean burning" is a bit over rated). However, when shooting my 1911's I do appreciate less "gunk" in the pistol in general when shooting a large number of rounds.

Dale53

[Three44s]

Clays (clean)

Unique (just ducky for lead)

SR 7625 ...... I have used it ...... but it's better for it's intended use ..... shotshell.

One of my absolute favorites from 7.62X 25 to .44 mag. is HS-6 but it's not on your list!

Three 44s

[jdhenry]

Unique any day:)

[Uncle R.]

Thanks to all of you for your advice. Since I'm only interested in target pistol loads for this powder I decided to try WST and ordered a four pound jug. As I stated I've been using 231 in these applications for years and am well pleased with it in every regard. I'm only considering switching because I can purchase "shotgun" powder once each year at a very good price thanks to the clay shooters at my club. I've had experience with Unique and Red Dot and didn't like either as well as 231 in light target loads. The others are more of a guess - but a good metering clean-burning "replacement for bullseye" should fill the bill.
Thanks again to all who responded.
Uncle R.

[dukers65]

from what you listed unique,700x,800x lil gun,and red dot i've i had good result.i use others
and 4756 is one that is working it's way into my lineup.dan

[hedgehorn]

I like Universal it meters well burns clean and is available. Hell what more could you ask for?

[oso]

IMR PB is quite versatile, meters well, burns clean, has been around a long time and probably will be. With Winchester powders I wonder what they'll have next, and what data, if any, will there be.

[Russ in WY]

Have shot a lot of 45 ACP cast bullets over "Clays", Bullseye comp game. My 2¢.Russ.:Fire:

[ra_balke]

I must have 20 different kinds of powder in my supply, but if I were going to do it all over again, I would choose 4 . Two for pistol and two for rifle.

Pistol; Unique, 2400
Rifle; 3031, 4350

There's just about nuthin I can't load with those 4 powders. cast, or jacketed, 25 auto to 458 mag.

[singleshotbuff]

Another vote for Unique.

I use it for 99% of my shotshell loading, both 12 & 20 ga.

I use it in 85%+ of my pitol loading, up to and including 45 Colt. (the other 15% is mostly W296 in mag loads)

I use it in lots of reduced rifle loads.

As stated above, it is available at most any place that sells reloading supplies.

My $0.02 worth.

SSB

[HeavyMetal]

used Bullseye when I first started reloading in my 45. Good accuracy but absolutely filthy! Ran the gamet of unique, 231, reddot and 700X got from good to fair results but nothing as accurate as bullseye.

I then met a guy who wrote for Handloader for about 9 months doing the reloading column. He suggested I try a shotgun powder, 452 AA, from winchester! Said it was a complete sleeper and no one knew how good it was!

Bought a pound and loaded up. Holy cow this stuff is great! In all honesty I have never found a stone stock Colt series 70 mark IV that wouldn't put five rounds of this load in a hole I could cover with a quarter at 25 yards! Load is 4.5 grains 452AA Fed std large pistol primer and any good 200 grain simi wadcutter.

I think you made a good choice in the WST purchase.

Bought as much of it as I could find and of course Winchester phased it out but the replacement is Winchester super target (WST) and it works just as well as far as I can see.

Please be aware that this powder is very sensitive to a change in primers. Once upona time I switched from std Fed large pistol to Fed large pistol magnums and my 1911 turned into a shotgun!

[10-x]

Another Vote for Unique:-D