good all around pistol powder

[TfflHndn]

Ramshot Silhouette works well in all of the cartridges you mentioned except .357 mag. Ramshot publishes no data for .357. I don't know if WAP had .357 data; anyone out there with older manuals may be able to answer that one.

 

[Dudedog]

Get the BE86, I think you will be happy and like it.
It has worked well for me and others.

 

[Nom de Forum]

Tried the "Flammable Dirt" (Unique) once, but it caused major fouling and failure in two different pistols in two different calibers. I avoid it like the plague. The garden liked it well enough......

That's funny! In pistols that pretty much sums up my experience. Gotta disagree with you on Bulleye Powder cause in my experience too many people have discovered it often becomes Blowup Powder. I like 231.

 

[VThillman]

3N37 can make 'useful' loads in the subject cartridges. Throws well, burns clean. Not cheap.

 

[Toprudder]

I tried Unique in 45 and did not care for it. Bullseye worked well but was sooty. I also tried 3N37 in 45 and did not like it, but it works really well in 9mm.

I agree about BE86, it will be one that I plan to keep several pounds in my inventory.

 

[Eb1]

Unique, HP-38, Universal, W231,

 

[slickracer]

I can do everything I need to do with Red Dot.

 

[LiveLife]

I cannot meter Red Dot/Unique as well as W231/HP-38/WSF/AutoComp/Universal/Bullseye/PowerPistol.

I can meter BE-86 comparable to W231/HP-38.

 

[enine]

How does anyone decide on a powder (I think related to this)? I've tried several, tested loads, logged data, etc. What criteria do you use when you decide on what one powder you use or decide which powder to use for what application.

 

[LiveLife]

E9, I used the size of shot groups.

For me, ultimately holes on target is the final judge. If a powder keeps producing accurate loads for 9/40/45 pistols I have like BE-86/W231/HP-38/WSF/Red Dot/Promo, it gets my vote.

 

[LiveLife]

W231/HP-38 is what I usually suggest to new reloaders as they usually won't load max loads and tend to use mid-high range load data and W231/HP-38 produces accurate loads even at mid range and meters very well.

Bullseye meters well but tends to produce snappier loads than W231/HP-38 because it is faster burning.

Titegroup meters well and produces accurate loads but has very narrow load range for some calibers/bullet weights and burns hot/violent and not friendly with some lead loads.

Red Dot/Promo produce accurate loads at lower cost point (especially Promo) and works well with lead loads but don't meter well and burns dirtier.

Unique has very wide range of caliber application and bulky to fill cases to prevent double charges but won't meter well.

I consider BE-86 the "modern Unique" with same burn rate that meters well and produces more accurate loads than other powders and recommend to new and seasoned reloaders.

WSF/AutoComp and other slower than Unique powders produce higher velocities than faster burn rate powders but require high-to-near max loads for optimal accuracy.