TenDriver
Member
Going to be loading 158 gr JHPs. On hand I have 700-X, Bullseye, and Unique. Still have a little Titegroup as well but didn't plan on using that. I'm not exactly looking for charge weights, just powder suggestions. Thanks!
Those two are as common as honest politicians. Don't have any and haven't seen it since 2012. I nearly wet my pants when I found two pounds of Unique the day after Thanksgiving.IMO W231/HP-38 was developed especially for the .38 Special and 45 ACP. I have found no better and I have tried a lot of powders.
HP-38 = Hodgdon Powder-38 as in .38 Special.
IMO W231/HP-38 was developed especially for the .38 Special and 45 ACP. I have found no better and I have tried a lot of powders.
HP-38 = Hodgdon Powder-38 as in .38 Special.
I'D go with Unique, too. Whenever I'm learning to reload a new (to me) pistol caliber, I generally start with Unique, because it works "okay" at lower pressures, and very well at higher pressures, and will get the maximum available performance (if that's what's desired) from cases with capacities ranging from .32 A.C.P. to .38 Special. For larger capacities and cartridges with higher operating pressures (.10mm, .41 Mag, .44Mag), it may not get the shooter maximum available performance, but it'll get within 15% to 25% of max.
I've used just about every pistol/shotgun powder that's appropriate for .45 ACP, and I inevitably come back to Unique for it (although B'eye & 700-X work VERY well, also). This is also true of Unique in .45 Colt. Another feature of Unique that is related to its shape and form (which sometimes makes it meter like CORN FLAKES) is that it's much more difficult to double-charge cases with it, than with B'eye or 700-X.
If you have access to Herco, IT will work pretty much wherever Unique will. It burns a bit slower (I would guess that it's about midway between Unique and Blue Dot), and gives better velocities in the higher pressure cartridges than Unique, but is still quite usable in smaller-capacity cases.
Please let me know what results you obtain.