Planning to reload .38 Special, 9 mm and .357

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Twisted Chemist

Twisted Chemist

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Background first. I've been handloading since the late 80's, mostly 5.56x45, 7.62x51, 7mm BR and 7mm Mag. Now it is time to venture into pistol territory. My wife is giving me die sets and bullets for 9mm, .38 Special and .357 Mag.
As we are all aware of the component famine, I grabbed the first three powders that were available and were adequate for the calibers. Not telling you how much that spent on them.

Accurate Powder - No.9
3N38 Vihtavuori Powder
Alliant Powder - Green Dot

So, did I waste my money or are these decent? There is loading data for all three calibers from all three manufacturers. Advice, suggestions, load data, ridicule and sacrificial goats are welcome.
 
Targa said:
The only one I am familiar with is the AA#9, it works great with my 158 grain .357 bullets.
Click to expand...

Does it burn clean in downloaded .357 loads? They will pass through a '93 Original Colt King Cobra I bought for my father to use in self-defense at the stores we ran back then. It was really mine all this time, I just loaned it to him for 9 years. Even with the 6" barrel and full length lug, full bore 158gr loads are not a comfortable all day shoot.
 
#9 works well in the top end in 357 but still leaves unburnt pieces in the case. It's not wonderful in a 4" and is better in a 6" and my carbine. Zero experience with the others. Unique and universal would be good for all three and powders in that range of the chart. I love ramshot silhouette in all three but using non book data in 357 and the other two are listed.
 
I’ve not used those powders except aa9, and then, only in 44 magnum.

what I do, is confine my search to 1 caliber and powder. Say green dot and 9mm. I search 9mm green dot loads. And get a feel for what others are doing. Anything of interest, I record it on a piece of paper dedicated to that load development. I record the load, bullet and oal, notes, including the poster and forum it came from.
 
Twisted Chemist said:
Background first. I've been handloading since the late 80's, mostly 5.56x45, 7.62x51, 7mm BR and 7mm Mag. Now it is time to venture into pistol territory. My wife is giving me die sets and bullets for 9mm, .38 Special and .357 Mag.
As we are all aware of the component famine, I grabbed the first three powders that were available and were adequate for the calibers. Not telling you how much that spent on them.

Accurate Powder - No.9
3N38 Vihtavuori Powder
Alliant Powder - Green Dot

So, did I waste my money or are these decent? There is loading data for all three calibers from all three manufacturers. Advice, suggestions, load data, ridicule and sacrificial goats are welcome.
Click to expand...
A lot's going to depend on which projectiles you can get. A Lyman's 50th will be most helpful. Green Dot and 3N38 are good for a few 9mm loads, but Alliant no longer lists data for Green Dot in 9mm. You'll need to check some older manuals for data, probably.
See here for VV 3N38 9mm data: https://www.vihtavuori.com/reloading-data/handgun-reloading/?cartridge=89
VV 3N38 is listed for .357Mag XTP loads but not much else.
Accurate No.9 is best used in large, long-barreled magnum handguns and small rifle applications. A lot of cast lead rifle shooters like it in .30-06 and .30-40 for 180gr. hard cast. I have and will use it in .357Mag if I want to run a carbine/revolver compromise load. Like @AJC1 says, it's a little slow for short barrels.

Green Dot is great for shotguns! And .45ACP. Not much else. Sorry.

Try to find some Accurate No.5 or No.2, Ramshot Silhouette, True Blue or Zip. Powder Valley, Ballistics Products, Precision Reloading, Natchez, Midsouth, Midway... a lot of the online places are showing Ramshot and Accurate fairly regularly now.
https://www.powdervalleyinc.com/product/ramshot-true-blue/
 
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GeoDudeFlorida said:
A lot's going to depend on which projectiles you can get. A Lyman's 50th will be most helpful. Green Dot and 3N38 are good for a few 9mm loads, but Alliant no longer lists data for Green Dot in 9mm. You'll need to check some older manuals for data, probably.
See here for VV 3N38 9mm data: https://www.vihtavuori.com/reloading-data/handgun-reloading/?cartridge=89
VV 3N38 is listed for .357Mag XTP loads but not much else.
Accurate No.9 is best used in large, long-barreled magnum handguns and small rifle applications. A lot of cast lead rifle shooters like it in .30-06 and .30-40 for 180gr. hard cast. I have and will use it in .357Mag if I want to run a carbine/revolver compromise load. Like @AJC1 says, it's a little slow for short barrels.

Green Dot is great for shotguns! And .45ACP. Not much else. Sorry.

Try to find some Accurate No.5 or No.2, Ramshot Silhouette, True Blue or Zip. Powder Valley, Ballistics Products, Precision Reloading, Natchez, Midsouth, Midway... a lot of the online places are showing Ramshot and Accurate fairly regularly now.
https://www.powdervalleyinc.com/product/ramshot-true-blue/
Click to expand...
I would definitely like to find some true blue and test it out. Its absent from my recommendations because I haven put it to task yet. By the numbers it looks like the 357 most efficient powder.
 
AJC1 said:
I would definitely like to find some true blue and test it out. Its absent from my recommendations because I haven put it to task yet. By the numbers it looks like the 357 most efficient powder.
Click to expand...
I got less than stellar performance in .357 but it did really, really well in .38Spl for me. What was happening was I was not getting consistency. TB seems to like having very little head room so a by-the-book .357 load gave it too much space to blow around in and it didn't burn consistently. With less air space in the .38Spl case, it burned better and my groups tightened up. Keep in mind, I shoot free hand, typically one hand, switch hands, and don't use things like benches or bags you can't haul around with you all the time. Also, most of my .38Spl loads are really "special light magnums" :D or what used to be called "Heavy Duty" loads.

I like heavy for caliber bullets moving at light for caliber bullet speeds. :)
 
3N38 is good for full power 9MM loads, Green dot can be used for milder 9MM loads and .38 Spl., AA #9 will work ok with full power .357 Mag.

What other powders are available to you locally?
 
AJC1 said:
I would definitely like to find some true blue and test it out.
Click to expand...
If he can find some, it's very good in 9MM (At least full power, haven't downloaded it, would expect un-burned powder though, judging from experience with it), it also works well in +P .38 Spl. It can make the .357 Mag go bang as well as any medium (Unique like) powers, so midrange plus. I would pick Silhouette over it (And did), but it's good stuff, meters like a dream, tends to give small ES/SD number.
 
OP, if, and that’s a real big if, you can find some Unique soon buy some. You can load all sorts of fun and accurate loads with it in all three calibers. I haven’t loaded 9mm, but I’ve assembled thousands of .38 and .357 loads over the past 25 years using Unique and can honestly say I’ve enjoyed every shot I’ve fired. :) There is a boatload of Unique load data out there for every bullet weight and profile imaginable.

A lot of folks say it doesn’t meter well because it is a flake powder, but I got into the habit of tapping the measure a few times as I move the lever up and down on my Lee measure and it’s never bridged once.

Welcome to handgun reloading! I’m sure you’ll find it as fun and addicting as we do. ;)

Good luck and stay safe. :thumbup:
 
GeoDudeFlorida said:
https://www.powdervalleyinc.com/product/ramshot-true-blue/

Powder Valley has 1lb in stock RIGHT NOW!! RUN! GET IT! HURRY!!!!!
Click to expand...
.

Quit giving away leads to my secret powder!!! Just kidding. I do love that True Blue. It's my go to for 9mm.

To the OP: I agree with the True Blue for 9mm. I've used it in 9mm, 38 specials, 357magnum and 45acp. It's a very versatile powder. It's all I use for 9mm now.

Accurate number #9 is a great 357magnum powder. Rates up there with 2400 as much as I've been able to tell. As far as the other 2 powders you listed, I can't comment on them, since I've never tried them.
 
@Twisted Chemist, welcome to THR!
Twisted Chemist said:
There is loading data for all three calibers from all three manufacturers. Advice, suggestions, load data, ridicule and sacrificial goats are welcome.
Click to expand...
If that’s the powder you got, and there’s published data, use it! I have not used these powders, but let us know how they work.
You’ll get plenty of powder suggestions, it really will depend on your intended usage and bullet selection. A good universal powder for the calibers you mentioned is Universal. Unique is also close the Universal in the burn rate chart and they’re old enough to be in quite a few published manuals, not just what’s printed by the powder manufacturer. Good luck.
 
My thinkin'; Hint find a load in your reloading manual before you purchase components (powder, primer, bullets), way fewer headaches searching for a load to fit your components. The only combinaton you mention that I have used is the 357 Magnum with AA#9. Start with the 38 Special. An extremely forgiving and easy cartridge to reload. I checked my Lyman 49th and found only two loads for Green Dot, both for cast in 9mm. AA #9 is too slow for 9mm and 38 Special and more of a "Magnum powder" for the 357. I have never used any VV powders.

For a powder that can be easily used in all three calibes you mention, it's hard to beat Universal or Unique. Don't be too concerned with "dirty burning" powder. I have reloaded several/many pounds of Unique and never had a problem with "dirty" powder affecting function or accuracy in any hand gun I used it in, revolver or semi-auto after 150+ or so rounds. Many/most powders will burn "dirty" when loaded to the lower side if their "charge range" and Unique got a bad rap because some used minumal or below loads and it did burn "dirty".

I take rags/paper towels with me when I go shooting. All the ranges I frequented have restrooms and soap and water to wash my hands. When I go to the hills I take water and rags/towels with me. If my hands get too much GSR I can easily clean up. If my guns look to "sooty", I just wipe them withn a rag or towel. I wear my jeans, boots and sweat shirt or t-shirts when shooting and I leave my white tux and kid skin gloves at home. And I clean my guns when I get home from the range or within 24 hours so they don't accumulate any gunk.

Go slow. Double check everything. Most important, have fun...
 
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You can make those powders work, they aren't the "best", but they aren't the worst. You can cover all your calibers there, but it won't be the best return, but they'll function. Green Dot had a bigger following in years gone by and there used to be more load data for 9mm and 38 SPL, but seems less now, mostly because there is so much more choices and better offerings out there. I've expected Green Dot to die on the vine for years now TBH. I'd def sign up on the load data website to get a wider range of recipes. Alliant will send you a load data book, and Accurate (Western Powders) has their's available online. Also, note......don't download AA9 for 357 mag, stick to the lower end of the scale, if you want, but definitely don't load them short.
Other powders to look for:
TiteGroup = great 38 and 9 powder, good for downloaded soft 357 too. Not case position sensitive, need to be careful though because outside of 9mm, it's super easy to doublecharge, or even triple charge a case. Vigilance is mandatory with TG, a little goes a long long way.

AA5 = good all arounder, you can make it work in all 3 of those, not the best choice, but a solid one. I will say that I cannot get enough powder in a 357 case with 125 grain bullets to cycle my Coonan Arms 357 1911, where 19 grains of H110 will run it like a swiss watch.

AA2 = similar traits to TG, but meters about a hundred times better, fills case more as well. Still a doublecharge possibility with the 38s and 357s, but many powders at that burn rate do present that, though few are as bad as TG.

Shooter's World Clean Shot = Probably the best all around pistol powder ever made in my humble opinion. And it's reasonably priced. Will work in just about anything.
Shooter's World Heavy Pistol = Similar burn rate to H110 and AA9. Excellent magnum powder. Not useful for the 9s or 38s (IMHO), but a very very excellent 357 powder.

H110 W296 = Kind of the defacto goto for many reloaders for magnum cartridges.

Likely dozens, if not 100s of other choices, but the above are my personal favorites for your mentioned calibers. You could sum up my pistol loading like this: Heavy Pistol for the Magnums, Clean Shot for everything else. My default mode right there.
 
Aa9 is a very good magnum powder for 357. You can play down slightly lower in the low end of published ranges and can generally use standard or mag primers. It’s similar to 2400 in that respect. 296 / h110 are great but much less flexible with load range and mag primers are needed. in today’s tricky supply market, aa9 is a nice powder to have on the shelf.

I have no experience with the others.
 
I've used AA9 before and it'll work well for your .357 magnum. AA9 is close to 2400. And 2400 is used by cast bullet rifle shooters.

I never tried Green Dot but shot 9-122tc test loads using Red Dot and Blue Dot. Unfortunately, all test loads didn't print acceptable groups. Blue Dot was better. While Blue Dot is close to AA7 and Red Dot is close to Bullseye, Green Dot is in between and might work well for your 9mm. My 9-122 test loads using AA2 was good.
 
Twisted Chemist said:
Wow! That is a boatload of information and good advice. I'll use what I have, after I can snag some primers, and make the best of it. Also, I searched for Unique, Universal, HS38 and several others but this was the best I could do.
Thanks everyone!
Click to expand...

If we know where you are, somebody here might be able to help with primers or a different powder. I know that I could spare a few primers and a pound of powder if you're near Beckley, WV.

chris
 
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