Favorite Go-To Powder for Handgun and Reduced Rifle Loads

[OutHuntn84]

Unique all the way. I use it in all my pistols and in a few rifles for reduced loads.

[Tracy]

You know, I really like Bullseye a lot for these purposes. So I went and bought a couple more pounds of it.

[RU shooter]

For handgun and reduced rifle , that's easy the classic trinity
Bullseye , Unique , and 2400

I can load just about anything with those three powders

[vtech26]

As others have said Bullseye and Unique. Red Dot is good as well. I've loaded 1000's of 9mm, 38/357 and 44 with those powders.

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[Walter Laich]

I've come to load everything with Red Dot

[kavemankel]

2400 hands down. Excellent accuracy in 44 mag rifle, both Henry lever and Ruger bolt, in addition to Ruger Super Blackhawk all love 2400.

[Outpost75]

I use Bullseye for standard-pressure loads in all non-magnum handguns, as well as for plainbased rifle loads in most calibers.

Here are the loads I use and the RCBS Little Dandy rotors used to meter them:

The RCBS Little Dandy measure uses interchangeable, drums or rotors to throw a fixed powder charge.
The proper drum is selected in accordance with a table, which lists the nominal charge weight thrown by each numbered rotor, using various powders. Selection of the proper drum or rotor should always be done by consulting current published sources of load data. You should then check the charge weight of YOUR drum against a reliable powder scale. I drop TEN charges onto the scale pan and mentally move the decimal. The drums are usually spot-on to the stated charge weight, or not more than 0.1 grain under, but I have never found one which threw more than its stated charge weight.

Once the charge weight thrown by your particular measure has been verified, many users leave the measures set up, or package the specific drum in the die box of the caliber in which it is suited. I tend to use the same drums in multiple applications. Therefore, I post a charge table in my loading area, which I share below so that others don't have to "Reinvent the Wheel." The majority of my recreational and practice loads use either Bullseye or #2400 with cast bullets in pistols, revolvers, lever and bolt rifles. These are the powder drums or rotors and loads they throw with Bullseye and #2400 in the RCBS Little Dandy powder measure:

#00 = 1.7 Bullseye .32 ACP with 31-087B or 31-087T bullet
#0 = 2.1 Bullseye .32 ACP with 31-084H and .38 S&W with 36-193D bullet
#1 = 2.5 Bullseye, .32 ACP full charge with 71 grain FMJ, standard load for .32 S&W Long 98-gr. SWC, .38 S&W with 36-145D
#3 = 3.0 Bullseye, standard load for .32 H&R Mag, .32-20 31-105T, and .38 Spl. soft-swaged 148 HBWC flush seated.
#5 = 3.5 Bullseye full charge at standard pressure 38 Special cast Saeco #348 or Accurate 36-159H
#7 = 4.0 Bullseye +P for .38 Spl. 158 Lead, and Saeco #348 as "full charge wadcutter” in .357 brass
#8 = 4.5 Bullseye for. 45 ACP H&G68 wadcutter, approximates .38 +P in .357 Mag. brass with Accurate 36-160D
#9 = 5.0 Bullseye . 45 ACP hardball equivalent with Accurate 45-230A, “cat sneeze” in any .30 cal. rifle with 31-155D
#12 = 6.5 Bullseye standard for. 45 Colt #454190, 206-gr. .44-40 43-0206H, .44 Mag 43-230G “.44 Special” velocity.
#13 = 7.2 Bullseye, full charge .45 Colt 45-240H1, and 31-155D Gallery in .30-’06.
#15 = 8.4 Bullseye, .30-'06 gascheck Accurate 31-160H
#22 = 12.7 of Bullseye! Small game and gallery load with 31-160H with GC for belted cases of .300 H&H and larger only!
Also approximates .38-55 Winchester in .375 H&H with #375449

[Wayne Dobbs]

More gold from you, Outpost75. Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours...

[Tracy]

Indeed! Thanks, Outpost75.

[drac0nic]

I do not do reduced power rifle loads but for some reason I tend to like blue dot in what I shoot. Bullseye is also a favorite as well.

[Kevin Rohrer]

Unique, as it is so useful for so many calibers.

[Dvdmacdaddy]

Used Unique for quite awhile but it didn’t meter well. Switched to Titegroup about 6 months ago, meters very well.

I still use Unique in 12ga, haven’t tried Titegroup for 12ga yet. Pistols get Titegroup. Haven’t played with reduced rifle loads, I use IMR 4064 in my rifle loads.

Pistol-380, 38sp, 9mm, 45acp
Rifle - 223,243,25-06

Bought 8lbs of Unique and 4064 a few years ago, still have about 4lbs left of each to use up.

[brass410]

stocked up on promo cause it was less than half red dot price for 8lbs but if unique had been on sale I would have needed another powder locker!!!

[scattershot]

For me it’s a tossup between Unique and Red Dot for a do anything powder. I think Unique is a little more,versatile, but a friend gave me 12 pounds of Red Dot, so guess what I use in everything now?

[dverna]

I learned to invest in copious amounts of Promo. Same as Red Dot but less expensive.

It will serve you well if the SHTF or if powder becomes difficult to get. It will load 12 ga, all the handgun calibers I shoot, and is “the load” for .30 cal military calibers. Not the best for everything, but at least you will be able to shoot. I used keep 6 jugs in inventory, but cut that does a bit as I am nearly seventy and do not shoot as much, and I got a smoking deal on 35 lbs of Clean Shot.

I have a lifetime supply of powder, but still add more if I find a good sale. The word “shortage” is absent in my vocabulary when talking about powder, primers, and bullets.

[singleshot]

I really like red dot b/c it's cheap but I can use most of the choices. Have gotten a lot of 800x on sale and have used it in a wide variety of cases.

[singleshot]

I'll add to the Red Dot it's twin promo as the above poster said.

[jrmartin1964]

Bullseye, Unique, and 2400.

Jim

[Prcshooter]

I use hodgdon clays. Its bulky and you get a lot of rounds out of a pound

[Rcmaveric]

Tight Group

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