Best all around powder

I have a .40 and recently purchased a .380 for my wife. Seems she loves to shoot ALOT which is a good thing! What I am looking for is the best powder to load both the 380 and the 40. Been loading rifle cartridges for years but this is my first foray into handgun loading. At the rate she shoots, its gonna pay me to reload.

What I have so far in research is:

Winchester-231 and autocomp

IMR-4756
700x
7625

Hodgdon-Universal
HP38
Titegroup

Alliant-Bullseye
Power Pistol
Unique

These are powders listed in the various manuals for both 380 and 40. I will be loading 90gr bullets for the 380 and 165 or 180 for the 40.

Any opinions will be gratefully accepted.

Well, Unique has been around for 100 years because it is so, Unique.

You can load just about anything with it and have some degree of success.

I am not a fan of fast powders like Bullseye, Titegroup, 700X, etc. in the .40 S&W.

It operates at 35,000 PSI, and using fast powder & stiff charges, it's too easy to get pressure spikes.

IMR-4756 & 7625 are too hard to find unless you order it on-line and pay haz-mat fees.
There is also very little load data out there for it.

So, of the powders you listed, that leaves Unique, Universal, and HP38/W-231 (Same powder), IMO.

rc

Thanks rc! I know rifle powders like the back of my hand having reloaded them all, especially powders for the large magnums. My knowledge of handgun powders is what I need to familiarize myself with.

HP38/W 231 can load pretty much any/all handgun calibers. Is it the absolute best for all? no, but will do it all. Unique does not meter as well, Bullseye is a bit fast for some calibers, Power Pistol is excellent in the 40SW and 9mm meters well but has a very loud "report and flash It is a form of the old Bullseye 84 commercial powder.

If I only had one powder it would be HP 38

Best all around powder ... I have a .40
From previous "best all-around powder" threads, I think Unique, Universal and W231/HP-38 were the typical finalists.

If you look at the powder burn rate charts, they also have similar "moderately fast" burn rate for pistol powders with W231/HP-38 being the faster of the bunch.

I have been loading a lot of 40S&W in the past 17 years and mid-to-high range W231/HP-38 load data have been producing accurate target loads with no pressure issues and milder recoil. Being small flattened ball powder, it also meters best in many powder measures.

W231/HP-38 is great for target loads, but if you are looking for full-power loads, Unique/Universal and other slower burn rate powders are better suited for producing higher velocity loads. I have used WSF/HS-6 for full-power loads in the past and currently load testing AutoComp (essentially WSF with flash suppressant?) in 9/40/45.

I also think W231/HP-38 is a great powder for handgun calibers. I use almost nothing else but I do have a lot of powders I try. IMO Longshot is a great powder in the 40 S&W for serious business. W231 is probably the best choice for the .380 Auto.

If you're looking for only 1 powder to do both it looks like AutoComp might be the best choice.

I use 231 for both calibers.

I like Bullseye and Unique. Between the 2, I can load all my pistol calibers.

The only powder I've used in all my handguns is Unique. It's the powder I go through the fastest. But the powder I use the most of specifically in 40SW and .380 is AutoComp. I could easily live with just Unique, mind you.

Unique works so well in .380 it's worth buying just for that. (but it'll also work in everything)

It also works so well in .32-20, 9mm, .38 Spl, .357, .40 S&W, .44 Spl, .45 Colt, and .45 ACP it is worth buying! :D

rc

Thanks for all the great info. I have unique on hand as I use it in my shotgun loads. The thing I have heard is that it doesnt meter well out of the powder thrower. Is this not really a problem or is it just overblown?

Unique does not meter well but if you take care you will be fine.

I have a new Hornady Lock n Load AP. If using unique, would I have to stop every so often to check accuracy of the powder it is throwing?

I don't load handgun, but for rifles RL-22 ROCKS in every caliber I load for 30-06, 270WSM and 6.5x55. Sorry to be off topic, but you cannot ask for the best powder without someone throwing that out there :)

I have a heap of RL22 as well as RL25 and IMR7828, Love it in my big magnums mainly my 30-378 wetherby and my 300 Ultramag!

I have a heap of RL22 as well as RL25 and IMR7828, Love it in my big magnums mainly my 30-378 wetherby and my 300 Ultramag!
OUCH! I had my short run with big magnums, but in the end I figured out that no deer that ever walked could withstand a well placed 6.5x55 much less a 30-06, I would own another big gun again if I lived in big bear country, but until then I will gladly hunt with my little sissy kickers :)

I look down on no caliber! They are all great for what they are intended for! I live in South Georgia and hunt alot of power line right of ways which sometimes call for really long shots on some really big wild boar! Actually, if I had to be pinned down to just 1 rifle, it would be my 257 weatherby, Love that gun!

I have a new Hornady Lock n Load AP. If using unique, would I have to stop every so often to check accuracy of the powder it is throwing?


Mine does surprisingly well with small charges (2.5 grains) of Promo powder, which is large flakes just like Unique. I didn't expect that; previously I had just been using ball powders and tiny flakes (like bullseye.)

You do need to keep checking it until *you* trust it.

You do need to keep checking it until *you* trust it.


Thats what I was thinking.

I have a heap of RL22 as well as RL25 and IMR7828, Love it in my big magnums mainly my 30-378 wetherby and my 300 Ultramag! Wow!

Talk about a thread getting run off the tracks in a handcar in one post.
This might be a new record!

The OP ask about powder for loading .380 & .40 S&W pistol calibers.

NOT 30-378 and 300 RUM over-bore rifle calibers!

rc

I think unique is great and although I believe some measurers might not be great with it my Dillon measures it well. I use it more often than win 231 and its good to, but my go to is unique. If you got it try it.

Im sorry I derailed my own post, bad ettiquette on my part.

I like Bullseye and Unique. Between the 2, I can load all my pistol calibers.
+ 1 here...... ^^

Im sorry I derailed my own post, bad ettiquette on my part.
:what:
You were the OP??

Nevermind.
My mistake!

You can talk about cars or girls now if you got bored with your first question I guess.

rc

I understand many reloaders think Unique is the only good powder to use but that's because back in the day it was one of the only powders around along with Bullseye and 2400. (the original powder trinity) Now that there are many good powders available there's no reason to put up with a powder that meters terrible and is very dirty.

My powder trinity is W231 (HP-38, W540 (HS-6) and W296 (H110) and I can reload anything with those 3 and do it very well!

experience with only 4 handgun powders. BE does better for cast slugs than Power Pistol
jacketed slugs PP is way ahead for +P 9mm and .45acp. all the +P data I have on hand is for PP though, have'nt checked any other powders

You can talk about cars or girls now if you got bored with your first question I guess.


Never get bored talking firearms of all types! Kachok threw out RL22 and I went with it! I get excited sometimes :)

Power Pistol has been great for me in .380, 9mm & .40 S&W

Been playing with HP-38 in 9mm and am liking it better than PP, will be trying it in .40 S&W next.

My Lee reloading manual lists, under the heading for the exact same bullet type and weight, different amounts (sometimes VERY different amounts) of HP38 or Win 231.

For example: .357 magnum; 158 gr. lead;
6.2 ~ 6.7 gr Win. 231
3.4 ~ 5.0 gr. HP38

This is true across the calibers. It leads me to question the assertion that they are identical powders.

My other manuals are in another location, so I can't check them right now, but this does not seem to be just a mistake. As I said, it seems to be true across the calibers and across the bullet types and weights. I don't think they can all be mistakes, especially in just one manual.

Unless I'm wrong (and that's always possible) it seems that there might be some serious safety concerns here.

For example: .357 magnum; 158 gr. lead;
6.2 ~ 6.7 gr Win. 231
3.4 ~ 5.0 gr. HP38

I'm curious about this.... HP38 and W231 are the same exact powder. I wonder how old the load data is.

I like Bullseye and Unique. Between the 2, I can load all my pistol calibers.

I like HP-38. Between the one, I can load all the pistol calibers. (Magnums excluded of course) :D

I'm curious about this.... HP38 and W231 are the same exact powder. I wonder how old the load data is.
Where did you get that data and how old is it?

Back when the two were being distributed by different companies the test were done in different labs under different circumstances and with different equipment and powder lots. You left off the velocities, I'm betting they were also different.

Please don't start this all over again. Just write or call Hodgdon and ask them for yourself so we don't have to waste time on this every week or so...

W231 it just works for me.

The slow burning powders like 4756 and Longshot will achieve top velocities at safe pressures, but if you are shooting lead or plated that might actually be too fast for the bullet type.

Universal and Unique are good all-rounders, good velocity and case filling to minimize the chance of double charging. Universal does everything Unique does and it is cleaner and meters better.

Clays, Titegroup, and Bullseye are great for low velocity target loads. You will use less powder, and recoil can be minimized. Clays is much cleaner than Bullseye. Titegroup is a fast burning powder, but can get you higher velocities with it than the others. It is a bit sharp in recoil when you push it, and it burns hot when you load up near the top end loads, but if you are trying to make a certain velocity for some shooting game, and want an economical powder, it is a good choice.

I'm curious about this.... HP38 and W231 are the same exact powder. I wonder how old the load data is.

Lee Manual, Second Edition, copyright 2003

If I could only have one pistol powder it would be Bullseye.
If I could only have two they would be Unique and 2400.
But I'm pretty old school, I guess.

Hey Cougar, Nice to meet someone on here from S.GA as well!

As for the .380, I am not to sure since I do not load it but I would try out Unique first and go from there. A small case like that, You can easily get double charges with fast burning powders. But I am sure you already knew that ;)

For the .40, I would have to suggest Pistol Power really...It works very well in my fathers Glock 22. Also, Universal worked well for me in 9mm so maybe you can try that out in .380 if there is load date for it?

W-231, I used it for .38 SPCL and loved it. Very accurate and low recoil out of my GP100.
Give that a go as well.

I have switched to Titegroup for my bunny fart match loads, but of all the powders I have tried (certainly not all of them) if I could only keep one it would be HS-6, for 9mm, 40, etc.

I used HS-6 for thousands of bunny fart loads, which is not the typical application, and it is a little dirty at that pressure level, but gives good consistent velocity. It can also be used for hot loads up to 9 major if you want (hotter than any factory self defense ammo) so as far as that goes it is very versatile within the calibers I load. It also meters better than any of the other pistol powders I have tried (smaller flakes).

Unique.