Powder for comfortable 9x19 and 38 spl loads

[reddog81]

The question will be answered by what is available.

Yeah, there are so many powders that'll work it'd be hard to list them all. The biggest determining factor is what you can find,

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Strange after all these years I have never tried any of the "dot" powders. Will have to put that right if I can find some local.

[Ed_Shot]

Promo.

Totally agree.

[scattershot]

I like Red Dot in just about any handgun round. If you can find Promo, it uses the same data, and is cheaper.

[Pine Baron]

I agree with the Red Dot/promo crowd. I use it for 9mm, 38/357, .45acp, and 12 ga. Recently picked up a couple lbs. of ACC #5, and have to work that up, and see. You get what's available.

[FergusonTO35]

Don't overlook the Hodgdon copies of popular Alliant powders. IMR Target is a good Bullseye substitute and burns cleaner too.

[zarrinvz24]

W231. The hype is real, it meters like a dream.

[Yonk]

I like True Blue in 38 Special and 9mm. It measures well in my 550. I recently picked up a 4 lb'er of Titegroup to try out in the 38 Special.

[Good Cheer]

AA#5 is OK.

[smkummer]

Yep, 231/HP38 meters well and works well in both.

[JCM45]

Totally agree.

Me too.

[anothernewb]

231 is also another one I like in all of those.

VV320/340 is another alternative that may actually be around and in stock. A shop about an hour from me has has 320 and 340 on the shelf for several months straight now. Not cheap - but better than nothing.

[JoeJames]

I have used both 231/HP38 and Bullseye. For some reason, perhaps just habit, I go to Bullseye most of the time. Probably because I have worked up most of my 38 Special wc and swc loads with it and I am used to it.

[gwpercle]

Powders useful for the 9x19 and 38 Spl are numerous. Bullseye, Red Dot, Promo, Green Dot, American Select, Unique, BE 86, Power Pistol, Titegroup, Titewad, HP38/WW231, Autocomp, CFE Pistol, Universal, AA #2, AA #5, Solo 100,True Blue, Zip: all have published data for both cartridges.
Also Vitavouri powders N320, N330, N340 and N37C, Shooters World Clean Shot, Sport Pistol have data available. Then there are shot gun powders Like Herco, HS-6, Clays, and WST that have some applications.

My personal preferences are for HP38/WW231, Power Pistol, Titegroup, Bullseye, Unique, but these were conditioned by what has been most available and cheapest where I lived in the last 50 years.

There are many, many choices available. You see what's available, and check for loads that might work for you, then buy what you can. Security comes from having an 8 lb keg of what you like, with 2 or three years worth of primers.

Along with all of the above ... add 700X . At one time it was the darling of the 45 acp target crowd and a good stand-in for Bullseye . In 38 special Target loads it fits right in with Bullseye , Red Dot (Promo is Red Dot without the red dots) 231 and HP38 .
Make a list of all these powders and carry it with you...buy whatever you find when you find it .
It's OK to be a Hoarder !
Gary

[Texas by God]

I've been using AA#2 to reserve my Bullseye stash and it's been just fine in easy shooting loads in .38 Special and .41 Special level loads. I'm going to try it in 9mm and .40 S&W soon.

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[justindad]

I like True Blue in 38 Special and 9mm. It measures well in my 550. I recently picked up a 4 lb'er of Titegroup to try out in the 38 Special.

I use True Blue in 9mm, 45ACP, 45 Colt, and .357SIG. I have to load it towards the top end of .45 Colt to make sure there’s no unburnt powder in the barrel.

The 9mm load is so light that it replaces my .22LR for trigger practice. Gun was surprisingly clean after 75 rounds of 9mm with True Blue and Felix/Wilgen lube.

[engineer401]

I've had good luck with 231 and Titegroup in both cartridges. I've had slightly better results with 231.

[AlaskaMike]

I'm definitely in the 231/HP38 camp as well. That said, I also have AA2 and AA5, and they do just as well.

Hopefully you can find some powder that will work for you. As others have said, I honestly think anything that's around Unique on the burn rate chart, or faster should work just fine for you.

[Forrest r]

Actually it's pretty hard not to find a powder that won't work in the 9mm/38spl.

3 of the less common powers that come to mind that do well for target work/highly accurate, low powder consumption per round, low recoil in those calibers:

American select, a little harder to meter throw consistently (+/- .2gr compared to bullseye powder +/- .1gr) but it has more bulk/takes up more case volume (20% more than bullseye) making it less position sensitive/consistent.

WW WST, meters like water and extremely accurate when you get to +/- 95% case fill.

AA #2, another powder that meters like water that does extremely well with +/- 95% case fill.

Perhaps it's just me but specific powders tend to run at their best within pressure ranges for the cartridge being used. Once you find that "sweet" spot the actual bullet being used becomes less important.

[Bmi48219]

I’ll chime in with TiteGroup also. Burns clean even with light loads, relatively inexpensive too. Using mild charges I can load 1,000 each of 38 HBWC and 9mm 115 RN and only use one pound total. Just be aware it’s a dense, low volume powder that doesn’t occupy much space, especially in 38 spec. Never had ignition issues.