Which Powders? 44 Mag + 45 ACP

Depends on how fast you want to push the 44 magnum.
For moderate to warm loads in the 44 magnum Alliant's UNIQUE will work well. UNIQUE will also work well in the 45acp.
Unique is always good to have on hand.

+2 for Unique

I like Unique in 45acp and it would seem to do ok in 44mag.

Maybe some HS6. One powder wont maximize both calibers. A hot 45 powder, will only be a target load in your 44 mag

Titegroup and W231 have worked extremely well for me in both calibers.

Accurate Arms #5 would be a pretty good choice for either. Top loads in the .45 ACP, and "healthy" loads in the .44 Magnum

I like 2400 for 44mag and Unique for 45acp.

I have used Unique in 44mag, but don't like it as well as 2400.

Unique is as close as you can get to a universal handgun powder.

That's why it is so, Unique!

rcmodel

I agree with RC about using Unique for an all purpose pistol powder. I have been using it in 9mm, .357 Sig, 40s&W, 45 ACP, and 44 Mag for years and have went through at least twenty pounds of it through the years. I like the accuracy I have been getting, it's easy to work up loads, and it does a good job filling the case so I don't have to worry about double charges on my progressive. The only other pistol powder I use is H110 for my hunting loads in my 44 Mag and those loads are all had weighted and near maximum. I don't shoot to many of those bad boys, in fact I am still on the first 1 lbs can of that I bought twelve years ago.

I use Titegroup, especially for practice ammo. For full power 44 mag you need a slower bulkier powder.

SaltySteve,
Far too many new reloaders want to use only 1 powder for Magnum and non-Magnum rounds. Like said above, while it can be done both rounds will suffer. Slower velocity lower pressure rounds like the 45 Auto, 38 Special and 44 Special will be best served by a faster powder than high pressure high velocity rounds like the .357 Magnum and 44 Magnum. Magnum rounds will be better served by a slower burning powder.

Since you are going to use more than 1 pound of powder anyway, why not buy 2 different powders that will produce better rounds?

IMO, W231/HP-38, Clays, AA#5, Bullseye and Unique are good powders for the 45 Auto. For something a little hotter in the 45 Auto give HS-6 a try. (My favorite being W231)

IMO, W296/H110, 2400, AA#9 and Lil'Gun are good powders for the .44 Magnum. (My favorites being W296 and Lil'Gun)

If I had to pick only 1 powder for both I think it would be HS-6.

Have fun and be safe!

I'm another unique head. I use it on every handgun cartridge I own.

9mm mak
9mm luger
40sw
45acp
38spl
357 mag
44 mag

powder choice

One more vote for Unique! Works in .45 ACP and .45 Long Colt. What else do you need?

I also use unique for 45 and 2400 for 44 mag.

One powder will not be optimal for both calibers. They're a bit too different for that to happen.

The .44 magnum is best with the slowest pistol powders (H-110, W-296) while the .45 ACP is best with medium-to-fast powders (AA #5, etc).

If you will be using one powder for both, then the best compromise will be to optimize for the .45 ACP. This powder will be perfectly OK for good .44 magnum loads.

If you optimize for the .44 magnum, that slow powder will do poorly in the .45 ACP.

If I were in the unenviable position of having to choose one, and only one, powder to use in both calibers, then I'd probably use AA #5.

if you load pistols you unique is a must have.

You might also consider Alliant Herco or BlueDot. These two powders will do anything in .45 Auto that Unique will, but not as economically. The upside of the powders is that they can be used to get slightly better perfomance from the .44 than can be obtained with Unique. Unless you're thinking of buying a 4 or 8 pound keg of just one powder, it might make your life simpler to buy a pound of Bullseye or RedDot or even Unique for the .45ACP, and a pound of 2400 for the .44 Mag.

+3 for Unique. I use it in 38spl and 45 6g in each. Makes a hot lil 38 and a great 45 practice. In 44 it works ok more of a 44 special though. I'd go with 2400 in the 44 and unique in the 45. It burns cleaner now, so the can says.

If you want just 1 powder for both .45ACP and .44Mag then I'd go with AA#5. You can develop a very accurate, over a wide range of velocities load for the45ACP. For the 44 you'll not be able load to the limits of 44Mag but with a 240gr bullet you can easily get to 1300 FPS or so, though with AA#5 I've found that keeping velocity down around 1225 to 1250 produces a much more accurate load.

If you'll go with two powders then AA#5 for 45ACP and AA#7 or #9 for 44Mag.

If you want to push a 230gr 45ACP bullet to the max possible i.e. 21,000PSI and a bit over 1000 FPS, HS-6 is a good choice.