Recommend a ball pistol powder?

[ARTiger]

Just getting back into handgun reloading and using Lee equipment. The Auto Disk powder gizmo I have seems to hate flake powder like Unique. What's a good ball/spherical powder for .38, .45 acp and .357 that meters well?

 

[evan price]

Titegroup.

 

[armoredman]

Accurate Arms, great stuff.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

IMO there's nothing better when it comes to Ball powder than W231. It meters extremely well in Lee equipment. It's also my favorite powder for the .38 Special and .45 Auto. For the .357 Magnum I use HS-6 for middle to middle hot loads and W296 for full power Magnum rounds. W296 and HS-6 meter just as well as W231.

Note: (verified by Hodgdon /Winchester /IMR)
W231 = HP-38
W296 = H110
W540 = HS-6

 

[Mark whiz]

I load all those calibers too and I will also recommend W231 as a good choice - along with AA#5 and WST. And W296 for the .357Mag is a perenniel favorite.

 

[Walkalong]

The big flake powders like 700X, American Select, etc do not meter as well as the small flake powders like Bullseye and the small "flattened ball" powders like W-231. The really small "flattened ball" powders like AA # 5, #7 etc meter great. True Blue and AA #2 are tiny ball powders that have been left round and meter like water.

.38 - I like Clays

.45 - I like AA #2, AA #5, WST, W231, Competition, N310, N320.

.357 - I like AA #9 for full power, and Clays for downloading. True Blue is good for midrange loads.

 

[Kernel]

W231!

 

[ARTiger]

Hmm . . . Thanks for the advice folks. Guess I'm going to try W231 and Titegroup as those are the two I can find locally. If I can get settled on a nice metering powder for this new equipment, I'll probably fix on a few loads, set the Auto Disks and mail order a few 8lb jugs of powder. That would set me up for years!

 

[deacon8]

For my .44 mag, I like to use Winchester 296.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I'll probably fix on a few loads, set the Auto Disks and mail order a few 8lb jugs of powder. That would set me up for years!

Considering most of my .38 Special loads use between 3.2 and 4.1gr W231 I would agree. Even at the 4.1gr charge you will probably get ~13,700 rounds from an 8lb jug! At the lower charges you will get well over 17,000 rounds. You better order a bunch of primers!! LOL

 

[tbtrout]

Win 231

 

[dfrak]

Another vote for Win 231. I've used it for many years in the calibers you listed for both lead and jacketed bullets.
Dan

 

[Dickieray]

+1 on the W231 (HP-38)

 

[neal7250]

You can use titegroup for all of to those pistol calibers listed, and it meters like water. WSF is another real good one, but not for Magnums. For Magnums I use H-110, or LIL-Gun, which both meter well. Tite group is a little fast for me, but useable.

 

[woad_yurt]

W231/hp38!

 

[Black Dime]

Or tape a fish aerator to the powder holder. Works for me with American Select.

 

[Jim Watson]

I have done that so as to load .45 ACP with flake 700X. Still not as consistent as Ball powder, though. I have recommendations for Clays, Solo 1000, and Bullseye, which are still flake powders but smaller granulation than 700X. Something to work on when the 700X is shot up and I still need a powder for lighter loads in .45 than HP38, WST, or AA2 will handle.

I want a slower burning powder for magnums, though. One of our guys got good results from N110 in .357 but H110, 2400, and AA9 are less expensive and more available.

 

[bluetopper]

I want to add Universal to the list. Meters great.

 

[joneb]

I load for the cartridges you mentioned and use Bullseye, W-231 for .38spl, 45acp and AA#9 for .357 mag, they all meter well for me and large flake powders do not.
I also use AA#5 for all three.