good powder for lead 9mm

[Thompsongunner]

Picked up a bunch of lead bullets for my HiPower 122gr FP, 124gr RN and 147gr FP Is there any one powder that will work for all these wt's. Or do I need a larger selection.
I have been using Power Pistol, but it smokes to much for indoor range shooting.

Thxs, for any suggestions.

Gunner,

 

[Fisherman_48768]

I like HP38 which is apparently the same as WW231 in my 9mm's. I shoot my own castings of 124gr. The powder meters well, burns clean accuracy is more than sufficient for my use.

 

[Walkalong]

W231 & Universal Clays

 

[xsquidgator]

W231 and Unique.

Both work fine although with their own peccadillos. I find W231 to be smokier than the Unique by a little bit, but the W231 meters much more consistently for me so I just use 231 for pistols now.

I like Unique fine as well despite the metering thing, but it doesn't seem to burn completely in my lower powered, lower pressure practice lead rounds. I still have a pound of it left over but it's pretty much W231 for me.

 

[spencerhut]

+1 on HP38

 

[Shooter973]

Powder for 9mm?

Bullseye has worked well for me. With cast bullets, a lot of the smoke is from the lube on the bullet. Can't be avoided if you use cast bullets.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I'm also using W231/HP-38 for the 9mm and cast bullets.

 

[Thompsongunner]

Thxs for the replies! I had a pound of Universal clays and a pound of W231 but I can't find them now. Don't ask,,,,I think I could lose a battleship in a bathtub.

The Power Pistol was loaded with 147 moly bullets and it was still real smokey.

 

[spencerhut]

Power Pistol

I tend to not use Power Pistol on the light loads. It seems to work better "under pressure". If it worked well for the light loads I'd use little else.

 

[LotI]

I find Titegroup is a great fast powder that meters well. It works in 45Auto too. I have some HP-38 but haven't worked anything up yet.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

The Power Pistol was loaded with 147 moly bullets and it was still real smokey.

Thompsongunner,
I didn't mention Powder Pistol because that powder will give you velocities higher than you usually want to push a Cast Bullet. I have used Powder Pistol and Longshot for FMJ 9mm rounds. I found Powder Pistol the better of the 2 for the 9mm but Longshot is best for .38 Special +P rounds.

 

[hawkeye1]

I have had good luck with Winchester 231. I use home cast 124 grain Lead Round Nose in my Beretta 92F. Works great, no leading and accuracy is all I could ask for.
Works good for 38, 9mm, 40s&w, 45acp 44 spl, and 45 colt.

 

[philbo]

I like hp-38/W231 when using lead, I have discovered more leading in the barrel after using titegroup and prefer a slower burning powder for that reason.

 

[halvey]

I've used Bullseye, Unique, Herco, Blue Dot and 231 - all with success with lead bullets in 9mm.

 

[zxcvbob]

Green Dot is my favorite 9mm powder -- and I mostly shoot cast bullets in everything. But I'm about out of it and will probably not buy any more for a while because Alliant "Promo" is good too and a lot cheaper (and I have about 7 pounds of it)

Bob

 

[Rod B]

I have had excellent results using 4.3 to 4.5gr of Unique with a 124gr cast lead bullet.

 

[Ala Dan]

W231, Unique, and Universal Clays are probably the best in a 9m/m; but
then again its hard too beat the old standby- Bullseye for light loads.

 

[1911user]

I tend to look at "older" powders like unique, 231, the alliant/hercules dot series, etc. for lead bullets and "newer" powders like titegroup, etc. for jacketed bullets. Sorry, I shoot mostly lead bullets but did buy some titegroup for 9mm FMJ recently.