What powders to order
- Thread starter area51
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A Pause for the Coz
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Herco????
Good in the 357 mag as a step up from Unique. Will give you 100 more FPS for the same pressure load. I use it with good results in my Rossi m92 lever action. My 30-30 and Mosin Nagant with cast bullets.
Good in the 357 mag as a step up from Unique. Will give you 100 more FPS for the same pressure load. I use it with good results in my Rossi m92 lever action. My 30-30 and Mosin Nagant with cast bullets.
ArchAngelCD
Member.
You're really not missing anything but I see no reason to buy all three of the pistol powders, W231, Bullseye and Unique. Bullseye is a very fast powder and W231 and Unique are slower powders. I use W231 for most standard handgun calibers with some HS-6 thrown in when I need something slower. 2400 is a good choice for your .357 Magnum ammo but I use W296 instead.
I see you are using 3031 for the 30-30, that's the classic powder for that caliber and I've burned up a lot of it. I recently gave Leverevolution a try and I think I just might change over to that powder. It's very clean, it's accurate and it does increase velocities in the old 30-30. What's not to like?
Nothing wrong with your choices. I just wanted to add information so you can make a more informed choice. More information is always good IMO.
I'd skip either the Bullseye or the W231 and not bother with the Trail Boss. As you gain experience in the hobby you can always get different powders to try but you will have the full spectrum of your calibers covered with 2 less powders.
Trail Boss is pretty much a specialty powder for the Cowboy action shooters and unless you are into single action six gun Cowboy matches or want real tame loads with lead bullets for your magnums or 30-30 its its not all that usefull. Later on if you find the need or just want to experiment with the type of loads you can use if for then get some. Its really a very fast burning powder between BE and W231 that's very bulky with low weight taking up a large volume.
With Unique you can load anything you have including light loads in the 30-30. Its useful for everything else including full power in the 9mm, .45 ACP and .38 spl and good for moderate loads in the .357 and .44 mag.
W231 is faster burning than Unique and makes for good light target loads and decent full power loads in the .38 spl but really doesn't have much potential in the magnums though you can find data. It pretty much fills the place of Bullseye so either of the powders but not both.
Trail Boss is pretty much a specialty powder for the Cowboy action shooters and unless you are into single action six gun Cowboy matches or want real tame loads with lead bullets for your magnums or 30-30 its its not all that usefull. Later on if you find the need or just want to experiment with the type of loads you can use if for then get some. Its really a very fast burning powder between BE and W231 that's very bulky with low weight taking up a large volume.
With Unique you can load anything you have including light loads in the 30-30. Its useful for everything else including full power in the 9mm, .45 ACP and .38 spl and good for moderate loads in the .357 and .44 mag.
W231 is faster burning than Unique and makes for good light target loads and decent full power loads in the .38 spl but really doesn't have much potential in the magnums though you can find data. It pretty much fills the place of Bullseye so either of the powders but not both.
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In my .45ACPs, I find 231/HP38 and AA2 to be more accurate than Bullseye. However, Bullseye has been THE powder for the .45ACP for about 100 years, for the military and for bullseye competition. However, if it was me, I would buy AA2 over Bullseye.
I could load all my pistols with either 231/HP38 or 2400--and I could load all of them with just Unique, but I wouldn't want to.
Other general purpose, non-Magnum powders are N320 and N330, where I have been told that N330 was expressly designed for 9x19.
My magnums are a lot more accurate with 2400 than with 296/H110. 2400 may not quite get the same velocity, but the accuracy makes up for a bit less velocity.
Trail Boss can perform well in any of the low pressure rounds (.45ACP, .38Special, .44 Special), but it has not been a stand out in any of mine in terms of accuracy. Its main claim to fame is that it is so fluffy that it fills those old black powder cases (.38 Special, .44 Special, .38-40, .32-20, etc.) with no chance of double charging. However, unless you are into cowboy action shooting, it probably won't do anything well enough to be worth buying.
Right now, we are "blessed" with more powders than at any other time in history.
Powders that I do not recommend, though many LOVE them are:
TiteGroup (burns very hot and hasn't given me target accuracy--not good for lead bullets),
Clays (have noticed sudden large increases in recoil and ejected case distance with just a 0.2gn increase in charge weight),
WST (no complaints, just can't find any cartridge where HP38 and AA2 don't get better and more consistent accuracy), and
N310 (see Clays comments, and results were even less accurate).
I could load all my pistols with either 231/HP38 or 2400--and I could load all of them with just Unique, but I wouldn't want to.
Other general purpose, non-Magnum powders are N320 and N330, where I have been told that N330 was expressly designed for 9x19.
My magnums are a lot more accurate with 2400 than with 296/H110. 2400 may not quite get the same velocity, but the accuracy makes up for a bit less velocity.
Trail Boss can perform well in any of the low pressure rounds (.45ACP, .38Special, .44 Special), but it has not been a stand out in any of mine in terms of accuracy. Its main claim to fame is that it is so fluffy that it fills those old black powder cases (.38 Special, .44 Special, .38-40, .32-20, etc.) with no chance of double charging. However, unless you are into cowboy action shooting, it probably won't do anything well enough to be worth buying.
Right now, we are "blessed" with more powders than at any other time in history.
Powders that I do not recommend, though many LOVE them are:
TiteGroup (burns very hot and hasn't given me target accuracy--not good for lead bullets),
Clays (have noticed sudden large increases in recoil and ejected case distance with just a 0.2gn increase in charge weight),
WST (no complaints, just can't find any cartridge where HP38 and AA2 don't get better and more consistent accuracy), and
N310 (see Clays comments, and results were even less accurate).
Sport45
Member
I've started using Universal instead of Unique because it measures a little better. It will be my go-to powder at least until this 8# jug is empty...
REL1203
Member
I would order 1 Bottle each of TiteGroup, W231, Power Pistol, and Universal.. you should be good to go with any Handgun you can load with those
oneounceload
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Hopefully you are ordering large jugs to spread the hazmat and shipping out over the long term
Mike 27
Member
I use the bullseye in my 9mm and 38 spl, and it works great. I love 296 in 44mag though, and it works well on 357.
231 will make some great 38/357 and 44 loads. They will be low power but plenty accurate for shorter target work (7-40yards in my case) I use it for 9,40,45,38spl,44,45 colt.
110/296 is only for full power loads. trail boss is great in my 460, but doesn't seem to be much better than 231 in the 45 colt.
110/296 is only for full power loads. trail boss is great in my 460, but doesn't seem to be much better than 231 in the 45 colt.
Herco should work fine for all but the .30-30 loads. HERCO is my main powder for .38 Special through .45 ACP [including .357 mag, .40 S&W, 10mm, and 44 mag] from target to moderately heavy loads with heavier bullets. It burns slower than UNIQUE and faster than BLUE DOT.
ArchAngelCD
Member.
I wouldn't buy Herco for the 30-30 unless you are looking to load low velocity lead bullet loads. The classic 30-30 powder is IMR3031 and the new Leverevolution powder is also a great choice for the 30-30.
4895
Member
I would pick Winchester 231, Alliant 2400, Hodgdon 4895.
With those 3 powders, you can load autoloaders and revolvers from top to bottom and the H4895 is the Unique of rifle powders.
231 meters great and is my first choice for target 9mm,38spl,45acp,44spl and 2400 meters great and works well for med/heavy 357/44 mag loads.
H4895 is quite versatile as a full power powder and offers reduced-recoil loads for easy target practice/young shooters. I load 20.0 grains of it in 165 grain LRNFP .30-30 cases for low recoil.
H4895 is less temperature sensitive and meters well enough for me +/- .3 grains.
I wouldn't feel a need to purchase 231, BE, and Unique. Save your money for primers.
With those 3 powders, you can load autoloaders and revolvers from top to bottom and the H4895 is the Unique of rifle powders.
231 meters great and is my first choice for target 9mm,38spl,45acp,44spl and 2400 meters great and works well for med/heavy 357/44 mag loads.
H4895 is quite versatile as a full power powder and offers reduced-recoil loads for easy target practice/young shooters. I load 20.0 grains of it in 165 grain LRNFP .30-30 cases for low recoil.
H4895 is less temperature sensitive and meters well enough for me +/- .3 grains.
I wouldn't feel a need to purchase 231, BE, and Unique. Save your money for primers.
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Sport45
Member
Ramshot Zip, True Blue, and Tac would also cover the range nicely. I've had good results using Ramshot powders and they usually cost less than the others.
ArchAngelCD
Member.
I go in a slightly different direction but I can't argue with your choices at all. My pistol powder trinity is W231 (HP-38), W540 (HS-6) and W296 (H110).
As for H4895 being the Unique of rifle powders, that is a fact IMO. I like to try all different powders and play around with loads but if I had to pick only 1 rifle powder it would be without a doubt H4895. (not IMR4895) I have about a bunch of rifle powders on my shelf right now and some are used for only 1 caliber.
On the shelf right now:
AA5744, IMR3031, IMR4064, H4198, H335, H4895, H4350, H4831, Varget, LVR and W748.
There have been others like AA2495, AA2520, W760, BL-C(2), RL15 and probably a few others I just can't remember right now but like I said, if there was only 1 to would be H4895...
James2
Member
Unique for the handguns and 3031 for the 30-30.
If you want some rockin Mag loads, then 2400 or H110.
If you want some rockin Mag loads, then 2400 or H110.
zxcvbob
Member
Promo instead of Trailboss. And another vote for Herco.
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