[roger26]

Both guns I have are .45acp. 1st time to use this, I aint sure but I think it's burn rate is about the same as Unique & Win231. Any good load recipes out there. I will be shooting paper at 7-25yrds with a S&W 325PD. 2 1/2" 26ozs. Recoil IS a factor. I will want to use it on my Kimber 5" Auto also but probably will want a tad more juice. Thanx for any info you can float my way.

[The-Fly]

using hard cast 230gr bullets, i use 5.2gr of HP38. Does about 830-850 out of my 5" XD. Recoil is about the same as standard factory 230gr.

[Jim Watson]

HP38 comes off the same production line in St Marks, Florida as Winchester 231. Either Hodgdon specifies their lots a smidgen faster than 231 or I have just gotten batches of the two brands that were about .2 grain apart for the same velocity. Unique is a good bit slower burning than either.

I can understand your wanting light loads for plinking with a 325. Why don't you just shoot the gun with several different loads at the low end of published data and see what you like? That is the difference between handloading and recipe hunting.

[GooseGestapo]

Ditto what Jim said.
I've seen the 110lb (+/-) cannisters that the manufacturers obtain the powders in. A Hodgdon HP38 cannister had Win231 Lot# tags on it.

The "speed of burn" variation between HP-38 and Win231 is the lot to lot variation. I've seen similar variation between lot's of 231 as that between the two brands.

Actually, what I've seen mostly is that the density varies slightly. As I use fixed cavities, I've seen different lot#'s throw slightly different weights. (ie: 2.9 may go 2.8-3.0gr from same cavity. Or, again, what Jim said.......

Ditto for accuracy. One 8lb cannister I got in 1996 FAR out-shot any other lot# I've gotten since.

This is one of two or three most accurate pistol "target" powders available.
I shoot a LOT of it.....