Best powder for 40 & 45?

[hornadylnl]

I'm looking for the best powder to use for 40 s&w and 45acp. I'm going to load 180 gr. hornady xtp/hp's for the 40 and 230 gr. hornady xtp/hp's for the 45. My Lee manual shows that Green dot will work for both. I'm wanting to load these close to max for defense rounds.

I'm not a big fan of flake powders. Is green dot a flake type powder? It seems to me that you would get a lot more variance with flake because it would be more likely to compact in your measure. Is there a resource out there that lists all powders by their type, ie extruded, ball, and flake? I understand what extruded powder is. It is longer than it is round. What exactly is ball powder? Is it just round like shot? The only powders I have used so far are surplus 4895, varget, clays, and bullseye. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[ADKWOODSMAN]

I have no experience with the 40 but I'm a 35 year 45 loader. I've used, bullseye for target and unique for hugher velociety loads. Today I prefer AA#5. Hope this helps.

Green dot, bullseye, and unique are flake powders AA#5 is ball.

 

[delta53]

HS-6

I use HS-6 in all my handgun loads 38,357,45. +P loads just about fill the case so you will have a hard time double chargeing and it will give you good FPS. There are others though but I like HS-6 or WW540 (Spherical) powder meters very good

 

[Walkalong]

AA #5 will work very well for both the .40 and the .45. Universal Clays will also work well, WSF is another good choice. I bet HS6 will work great, but have never tried it.

AA#5 is a fine flattened ball powder. Universal is kind a like a fat small flake powder. (??) WSF is another fine flattened ball powder. They all meter well in my experience. HS6 is described by Hodgdon as a fine spherical powder. It should meter great.

My favorite full power 200 & 230 Gr. .45 loads are with AA#5.
My favorite full power 165 Gr. .40 load is with Universal Clays, but AA#5 is a close second.
I am just starting to play with WSF and it is similar to AA#5 in performance with AA#5 generally giving greater velocities in longer barrels.

HS6 is one I've always meant to try, but have not gotten around to. Might just get some at the show this weekend. ..I just can't stop trying new stuff. I have always wanted to know what was over the next hill and around the next corner.

 

[JDGray]

Power pistol will max you out HS6 is a good all round pistol powder. Both powders meter great.

 

[hornadylnl]

I think I'm leaning towards the accurate #5 now. I just looked in my Lee manual and they show you can use it on 44 mag also. I will be loading some 44 mag for a desert eagle pretty shortly. I need a pretty high power round for it as the lower power factory ammo stovepipes in it. Will AA#5 give an accurate load at a high enough power to cycle the desert eagle reliably? I'm not really too worried about buying several kinds of powder and not using it all. I usually load lots for each caliber I load for but it does make it easier using fewer types of powder. Thanks for all your info.

 

[Walkalong]

Just get some AA#9 for your .44 mag.

W296 or H110 will also do very well here.

I have never considered useing AA#5 for the .44 Mag.
Accurate Arms shows data all the way down to AA#2 for the .44 Mag at reduced velocities of course. I do not know if AA#5 would cycle the Desert Eagle, but I imagine it would.

 

[GCW5]

Universal is what I use in the .45, it has a simular burn rate as Unique, but burns much cleaner.

I use Longshot in the .40 with 155gr. bullets, but have better luck with Universal with heaver bullets.

 

[Desert Dog]

AA#7 would be my choice.

Extremely consistent in .45 ACP, and I have a friend who shoots .40 that uses it for his loads....

 

[LotI]

I've found that Power Pistol is a great choice for both calibers when loaded to defensive velocity. Both of them use about the same amount of powder too.

X.X gr. PP in the .40 with a 165gr. bullet gives me 1045fps out of my Sig P239 3.6" bbl. Standard deviation is a pleasing 15 fps. 180gr. Hornady Action Pistol runs at 1028fps with the same amount of powder and a SD of 7! It's a little hard on the gun at that speed.

X.Xgr. PP in the .45 with a 230gr bullet humms along at 884 fps. with a SD of 12 Kimber Eclipse II 5"

YMMV

It also meters well because it is a fine ball powder. Unique has some of the same properties but has some of the largest flakes I've seen. It doesn't meter as well.

 

[usp_fan]

I have had very good results with Winchester 231 in both calibers.

--usp_fan

 

[tbtrout]

I am using 231 for both also and they both shoot well.

 

[jr81452]

aa#5 works great for me in any pistol from 32acp to 45acp. but if your going to load mags (ie .357, .41, .44) i would use aa#9 as you will get higher fps counts from it.

 

[IDriveB5]

Have been looking at using #5 for .45ACP when I run out of 231.



Anyone have any experience using #5 for .357MAG?
Looking to use it for target ammunition, not too worried in finding a max velocity for thise application.