Best all around powder for magnum pistol loads

[leadchucker]

I want to start loading for the 44 Remington Magnum and 44 Special. I have 231 on the shelf, and it looks like it should do okay for the 44 Special, but I don't see it used much in any of the magnum rounds.

If I wanted to buy one powder that would most likely fill any need I might have for loading magnums, what would it be?

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Unique is hard to beat for all but the hottest of hot loads. Sure, something like 2400 will gain you some FPS, but it takes twice as much powder to make that gain. I'm cheap. Most of the time, I'd rather get more rounds per pound that squeeze out that last bit of speed.

 

[k4swb]

Magnum Powder

For full power magnum loads you can't beat W296/H110. Anything else ain't really a magnum to me.

 

[Stumper]

If you want all you can get then 2400, 296/H110 and , l'il gun are "The Powders" 4227 is in the same burning speed class but doesn't have the same performance levels in tested loads.
Having said that... I LOVE 800X in magnum pistol cartridges. Some people complain about metering it but I don't have a real problem with it. (Remember that a tenth of a grain high or low makes no real difference from shot to shot in magnum charges. 800x will run right up next to the slower powders in top velocities but it takes less of it and it can be downloaded more effectively for "mid-range" loads.

 

[Fishslayer]

The go-to powders for .357 & .44 Magnum are Alliant 2400 and Hodgdon H110.
I prefer 2400 because
A. It's more available in my area
B. Meters really well in my Auto Disc
C. Tons of loading data available
D. Doesn't require magnum primers

Nothing wrong with 231 for Special & light magnums but if you're gonna run the heavy bullet Big Dogs you need the slower stuff.

 

[buck460XVR]

For "magnum" performance in my .44s I like H110/W296 and IMR4227. The 4227 performs very well in the long pipes and carbines and is less temperature sensitive when hunting/shoooting in areas of extreme temps.

 

[USSR]

Would have to give the nod to 2400 as "the best all around" magnum pistol powder. I use it in .357 and .45 Colt, as well as .30 Carbine with cast bullets. IMR4227 is another good powder as well. The use of standard pistol primers as well as the ability to use reduced loads gives them an advantage over W296/H110 in my book.

Don

 

[workingman]

296/110 is all I have used so can't say anything about the others. But both of these work wonders in my 44mag trapper.

 

[JohnM]

I'll toss in another plug for 2400.
I've been using it quite a bit lately and it always seems to give good predictable results.

 

[Slamfire]

2400.

It is far more flexible than H110/W296. Those powders are outstanding in magnum only loadings, but you are "pedal to the metal" or nothing with W296/H110. At least with 2400 you can cut the loads.

 

[Blue68f100]

For full house loads my nod goes toward the WW296. For lighter loads (lead or jacketed) the 2400 gets my vote.

 

[MachIVshooter]

Another vote for H110

 

[leadchucker]

For the immediate future, I'll be shooting these loads in my S&W model 29. I don't think I'll be wanting to cook up too many full house loads for that.

Unique will fit in with the 380, 9mm, and 45acp stuff I'm currently loading. I like that, but it sounds like there is a lot of love here for 2400.

I think I'll take a closer look at both of these. Thanks for the input!

 

[56hawk]

One more vote for H110. I use in 357 Mag, 44 Mag, 50AE, 500 S&W and even 30 Carbine. They say you can't do reduced loads with it, but why would you ever want to?

 

[Walkalong]

AA #9 and N-110 are also very versatile in magnum loads.

 

[beatledog7]

If you have magnum primers to use up, H110 / W296. All the manuals and the makers, too, say not to reduce the minimum loads, and the min-max range is pretty small.

Rounds I've loaded dead center of the load range shoot really well.

I have loaded 2400 into .357 rounds with magnum primers, and they shoot fine, but I backed off the load 10% and shot them from a Ruger.

 

[gamestalker]

H110 and 296 are full house magnum powders designed specifically for maximum magnum action. Trying to get the same performance from other faster burning powders just isn't the right or safe way to load full house magnums.

Although I've never tried them, N110 and AA#9 are supposed to be a couple of other good powders for full house magnum performance.

 

[4895]

I have to say H110 is my favorite magnum powder. I use 28.0 grains with 200 gr XTP in .44 mag, and 19.5 grains with 125 gr xtp in .357. Very accurate in those traditional magnum calibers. I don't have a .500, .41 magnum, or other non mainstream caliber, so I can't comment on those. I can say that at 12 noon in the Arizona desert sun, you get a 3 foot fireball from the 6" barrel.

 

[zxcvbob]

AA#7, 2400, and if you don't have to have absolutely top performance Herco is hard to beat for cast bullets. And I may add Power Pistol to that list when I finally get around to trying it.

 

[BYJO4]

I use Unique for my lighter target loads and 2400 for the warm loads.

 

[336A]

I use a lot of Unique as I like to load in the middle of the road and it does quite well. For full up magnum loads I switched to 2400 as it don't require magnum primers or need to be at 80% load density to be safe unlike H110/W296. A new comer that requires a good look is Alliants new Power Pro 300MP powder. Brian Pearce wrote a article about it in a recent handloader issue and had nothing but good things to say about it, it also uses standard primers. He did say however that it really shines in the longer barrel lengths.

 

[Miata Mike]

I like 2400 for my .44 magnum and .357 magnum loads.

 

[leadchucker]

I see that according to Alliant, magnum primers are not needed for 2400 or Unique.

I already have some CCI 350 primers. I guess it would be a bad idea to use them with these powders?

 

[BBDartCA]

Accurate #9.

 

[GP100man]

IF ya wanna clear the shooting lanes use a max load of 296/H-110

VERY noisey/flashy & alot of people use it ,as I do to ,
but not for deer hunting as most shots will be in dusk/dawn hrs. & IT BLINDS me !

IMR 4227 will get it done, just pour on the gas & throw a big match to it !!

My choice for light for caliber hunting rounds is IMR800x

My choice for small game/plinking is CLAYS , it`s the most position insesitive powder I`ve ever shot in 357/44mag but it`s very dense & in my 44 loads the case will hold 3 single charges , so ya gotta stay on ya toes & duble check the charges.