If you had only one powder ?

the first powder i used was W231 to load for 45 auto will always have this on hand it works in 5 of the 6 hand guns i load for and the 1 it don't is 44 mag but it might you never know. good all around powder.

rcmodel said:

James2 said:

The Bushmaster said:

dragon813gt said:

The Bushmaster said:

HP-38 and W-231 are NOT the same. Many of my load manuals prove it.

Click to expand...

Your manuals are most likely old. The older data is indeed different. W231/HP-38 have been the same for years.

Click to expand...

Lyman's 48th Edition is old?

Click to expand...

Lyman's 49th come out in 2008. I don't know when the 48th came out.

Click to expand...

Years ago, HP38 and W231 were two different powders, manufactured by two different companies.

Currently, all HP38 & W231 is manufactured by St. Marks powder company in Florida, and packaged and distributed by Hodgdon.

So, today, it is the exact same powder, coming out of the same shipping containers.

Click to expand...

My Lyman #49 still shows different powder charges for W231/HP-38 but my guess is that the average chamber pressure data may not be recent as Hodgdon and Winchester load data have been the same since 2006 (see below 2006 load data).

This is from Hodgdon's company history page - http://www.hodgdon.com/history.html

In March 2006, Hodgdon Powder Company and Winchester® Ammunition announced that Winchester® branded reloading powders would be licensed to Hodgdon. Winchester smokeless propellants, the choice of loading professionals, are available to the handloader to duplicate the factory performance of loads from handgun to rifle and shotgun.

Click to expand...

My guess is that after 2006, W231 and HP-38 became the same as indicated by 2006 Winchester and Hodgdon load data as the two load data already show exactly the same barrel lengths, cases, primers, OALs, powder charges, velocities and CUP/PSI - http://www.castpics.net/LoadData/Freebies/default.html

I'd use H110 and throw my 9mm and .45ACP dies out lol. Ok. If I had to use one for all it would be Unique.

This should have been a poll Another vote for Unique.

Universal. Mid range .357 loads and full power .45 auto.

One powder? Black.

The question is answered. It's time to close the thread, pack up our gear, and go home, right?

(Ok, fine... If for some reason it needs to be a smokeless powder, then Bullseye. Or Blue Dot.)

oneounceload said:

Universal Clays - as close to Unique as Unique, without the dirty burn

Click to expand...

Agree, it also meters better

Universal is cleaner and meters better, but real Unique works better at the top end, and any weight variations from the powder measure don't seem to make much difference.

W231/hp38

WSF would be a good one for those three if you're OK with loading the .357 without any published load data. (it's such a great powder, i don't know why Hodgdon doesn't promote it more.)

I haven't used a lot of the other powders mentioned so far, but Unique has been sevring me well for a number of years.

Power Pistol - because you said 357 and not 38 spl.

W231 - If you said 38 spl and not 357 mag. But you didn't, you said 357 mag.

Unique

Unique as well

I'd probably have to go with Unique as well, simply because there seems to be more load data for it in so many different pistol calibers. It's not really a star in many calibers, but it'll get the job done in almost any.

oneounceload said:

Universal Clays - as close to Unique as Unique, without the dirty burn

Click to expand...

Agreed! It also meters better.

Bullseye or power pistol for me