.380 Auto Powders?

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ArchAngelCD

ArchAngelCD

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OK, I bought a small .380 pistol, dies are on the way and I already got 95gr coated bullets from Missouri Bullets. Since I have never loaded this cartridge I was wonder what powder have worked well for those who have. I was going to start with W231/HP-38 because it usually works for all handgun cartridges but I was wondering what others are using. I have W231, AA#5, Power Pistol, HS-6, Universal, Clays, Trail Boss and maybe 1or2 more. (I left off the magnum powders)

I'm not asking for charge weights and I know every gun is different. I'm only asking what powders are being used by those loading the .380 Auto. No guessing please, only those who are loading the .380 thanks.
 
Powders? Isn't that covered in EVERY reloading manual? There are no secrets.
Here are some powders I have used with 90-100gn lead bullets:
231/HP38
700X
AA2
AA5
Bullseye
Green Dot
HS5
PB
Red Dot
SR4756
TiteGroup
Unique
Accuracy isn't great, but best accuracy was with 231/HP38 and Unique.
Do you actually have load data? You need Lead bullet data and not jacketed data. Lyman cast bullet manual may be your best resource.

TrailBoss--way too bulky for such a small case. This powder works in cases that are quite large for the charge weights used.

HS6, Power Pistol, Universal--can you even find load data? These are slower than Unique or HS5—haven't seen load data for slower powders and cast bullets. HS6 and True Blue might work (they both work well at loads quite a bit lighter than they should), but no load data.
Clays, TiteGroup and N310 have problems with pressure spikes and .380 Auto can't handle much in the way of pressure spikes. Weights must be fairly precise, since most powders that work well do so with about 3.0-3.5gn being MAX.
 
W-231 W/mbc .95g rn. non-coated. Works great! What gun did you buy if you don't mind me asking?
 
I recently started reloading 380 for my wife's P238. 105gr Bayou Bullets, LSWC, 3.6gr of Power Pistol, (using the smallest hole in the Lee disc). Haven't chono'd it yet, seems to work fine, cycles the pistol, good accuracy. i have some Bullseye I want to try next.
 
I've been loading 380 with Win231/HP38 and Promo/Red Dot. I load for a Ruger LCP, Sig 238, Beretta 84, a Glock 42, and now a Sig 232. The 42 likes warmer loads than the others. It's been fairly accurate in the middle charge weights with those powders, and I tamed the snappy recoil in the lighter guns. All except the 232, that gun is designed to snap the web.
 
For light recoil load, Hp-38/W231 and Titegroup. I liked the HP-38 better out of the two.
For stouter loads, Autocomp and CFE Pistol. CFE P. has been really doing accurate out of my LCP with 95 gr. bullets, jacketed and lead.
 
I also just started loading the .380 ACP ... Ruger LCP ...

I started out with AA#5 because that was what I had on hand when I got the dies... works well meters very well ...used with Hornady 90 XTP JHP ....

I was helping a guy develop a load for a 6mm Rem and he asked if I had any use for a pound of Titegroup ... I said sure after he left I looked up the loads for the .380 and Titegroup was one of the "more" listed powders ... so I gave it a try and I like the results. It does not meter as well as the AA#5, but I kept my charge below max so that I was always under by a 1/10 or more ... shoots really well ... I can get almost 2300 loads out of that pound ..so it makes for cheap shooting as far as powder ... I know it can be a "tricky" powder so I am careful with it ...

Now I got to get in on the cheap bullet trail and see what I can find...
 
I've loaded several thousand with AA#5 for my father. They burn clean and are very accurate. It seems to be a good match for the cartridge, and it plays nice with lead, coated or not.
 
Starter52 said:
WW 231 is my favorite for .380 loads.
Click to expand...
My experience also, especially with a coated lead bullet. I'm able to load at a lower charge with the coated vs plated bullets.
Also like Bullseye or Titgroup and N320.
Have used Power Pistol, Autocomp, and SR4756. They work fine for my Ruger LCP but not as well for the G42.
 
Another vote for W231/HP-38. I use Montana Gold 95 gr JHP and 100 gr X-Treme RNFP plated bullets.

Using factory Tula 91 gr FMJ as reference for recoil (10/10), I got following results with TCP 738 at 7 yards:

- 2.6 gr under 1" group (4/10 felt recoil)
- 2.8 gr 1.25" group (6/10 felt recoil)
- 3.0 gr 1.25" group (8/10 felt recoil)

2.6/2.8 gr loads produced very comfortable, not even "snappy" recoil that reliably cycled the action while 3.0 gr load started to feel snappy.

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noylj said:
Powders? Isn't that covered in EVERY reloading manual? There are no secrets.
Here are some powders I have used with 90-100gn lead bullets:
231/HP38
700X
AA2
AA5
Bullseye
Green Dot
HS5
PB
Red Dot
SR4756
TiteGroup
Unique
Accuracy isn't great, but best accuracy was with 231/HP38 and Unique.
Do you actually have load data? You need Lead bullet data and not jacketed data. Lyman cast bullet manual may be your best resource.

TrailBoss--way too bulky for such a small case. This powder works in cases that are quite large for the charge weights used.

HS6, Power Pistol, Universal--can you even find load data? These are slower than Unique or HS5—haven't seen load data for slower powders and cast bullets. HS6 and True Blue might work (they both work well at loads quite a bit lighter than they should), but no load data.
Clays, TiteGroup and N310 have problems with pressure spikes and .380 Auto can't handle much in the way of pressure spikes. Weights must be fairly precise, since most powders that work well do so with about 3.0-3.5gn being MAX.
Click to expand...
I don't know if you were trying to belittle me or not but you did. I didn't ask for you to be sarcastic and tell me to look in the manuals. I thought I made it very clear I wasn't asking about load data and I was for sure not asking which powders are near each other in the burn rate chart. I don't appreciate your answer or the way you spoke to me.
 
Thank you for the replies and confirming W231 is probably a good place to start. I will be trying that first and if the results are good probably go no further.

As for which gun I bought, it's a Kel-Tec P-3AT to replace a Kel-Tec P-32 for those times you need something very small that won't be seen. I just wanted something that shot a bigger bullet without adding any size and very little weight. (Same exact gun with a different barrel)

Thanks for the help...
 
+1 for 231 loads. I've loaded several thousand for 4 different 380s and had good luck. Watch the upper end loads, they can really sting to shoot.
 
HP-38 here as well. it worked pretty good even though i really wasn't able to work up an acceptable powder puff load for the Mrs.
 
I've run Red Dot, Green Dot and AA#5 with good results. I only drop loads with AA#5; have to hand-weigh the Dots since the charges are so small and variation in a measure is too wide.
 
>>HS6, Power Pistol, Universal--can you even find load data? These are slower than Unique or HS5 and I —haven't seen load data for slower powders and cast bullets. HS6 and True Blue might work (they both work well at loads quite a bit lighter than they should), but no load data.
Clays, TiteGroup and N310 have problems with pressure spikes and .380 Auto can't handle much in the way of pressure spikes. Weights must be fairly precise, since most powders that work well do so with about 3.0-3.5gn being MAX.
---End Quote---
>I don't know if you were trying to belittle me or not but you did. I didn't ask for you to be sarcastic and tell me to look in the manuals. I thought I made it very clear I wasn't asking about load data and I was for sure not asking which powders are near each other in the burn rate chart. I don't appreciate your answer or the way you spoke to me.

I'm sorry, but I have NO idea what got under your skin. I simply was making the point that you can't consider any powder unless you have load data—and I didn't mention any load data just 'cause you didn't ask for any.
Just trying to give my experience with different powders and there is no insult or condescension there that I can see. Simply trying to point out that the powders I have listed for lead bullets are NOT slow powders, which do appear for jacketed bullets.
Please, feel free to put me on your ignore list.
 
I have used Titegroup, N310, N320, AA2, Power Pistol, and other fast burning powders. They all worked pretty well. Full power loads were Power Pistol. I have a number of .380 pistols, but my CZ83 handles full power loads best, since it is solid and very well made. The .380 is fun to load but like all reloading, be careful. Good luck
 
I've only used 231 for my .380 loading, but others have said that Power Pistol works better than most powders over a wide range of pressures- from .380 (~20k psi) up to 9mm (~34k psi).

My 9mm loads with Power Pistol had a lot of flash but higher velocities than WSF or 231.

If I try Power Pistol in .380 and it works well, that might allow me to use just one powder for 99% of my pistol loading.
 
AAcd, I've tried them all, and i always come back to 231. It just seems to work well in my 380's. Sig 238, Beretta 85. With some powders I'd get stovepipes and ejection problems, but with 231, it's got the snap that is manageable, but very accurate. My wife can drive nails with her 238. Since that's her carry gun, I'm staying with 231 because that what she shoots the lights out with.

I'm shooting Berry's RNFB 100g .356 bullets also, with a light crimp. No issues with several thousand rounds shot. I think you'll be happy with 231.
 
I have used HP 38 and 7625. The HP 38 was better by far. I did not like the 7625. Low velocities and lots of unburned powder at max charge weight. I am getting ready to try some 4756 and see how that does.
 
My experience with a lot of the powders that may be suitable is limited.... I use bullseye and am very happy with it.
If you can find any, itd be worth it to load some up and see how you like it!
 
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