Powder preferences?

[GLOCKMAN23C]

I am fairly new to reloading. I am looking for a clean all-around good powder for hangun target loads. I have been using Titegroup, and am fairly pleased, however it seems that I cannot use it for everything I am wanting to reload: 9x19mm, 38spl, 40s&w, 45acp Your suggestions would be greatly appriciated.

 

[shibumiseeker]

I have come to like Power Pistol (Alliant).

 

[gunman41mag]

WINCHESTER 231 for handguns

 

[glock212327]

unique is what i use when reloading pistol ammo. it is clean powder

 

[rockhopper46038]

I use Power Pistol (Alliant) or Clay's (not Universal). I don't load 38spl though. Clay's in 9mm doesn't have a lot of margin, but it works well for me.

 

[NIFT]

I am fairly new to reloading. I am looking for a clean all-around good powder for hangun target loads. I have been using Titegroup, and am fairly pleased, however it seems that I cannot use it for everything I am wanting to reload: 9x19mm, 38spl, 40s&w, 45acp Your suggestions would be greatly appriciated.

I believe Titegroup is an excellent choice for "target" loads in all the calibers you mentioned, and I don't understand why you believe is cannot be used in .38 spl., 9mm, .40, and .45 ACP. Perhaps, you can explain.

The only "issue" I have experienced with Titegroup is when I loaded it way down in .38/.357. When loaded below minimum recommendations, it goes from a very clean burning powder to a dirty one with a lot of blow-by powder fouling due to insufficient pressure to seal cases in the chambers.

So, why did I do that, you may ask. The reason is I use exceedingly low power "mouse squeak" loads for Basic Pistol classes so new shooters don't have to deal with muzzle blast and recoil. I have, since, changed to Hodgdon Trail Boss per the recommendation of a Hodgdon Tech. Rep. but only for under-the-minimum loads. I use Titegroup for all my loads in 9mm, .40, and .45 ACP, and it is fine in .38/.357 as long as not loaded below the minimum recommendations.

Bottom line: as long as you load Titegroup at or above the recommended minimum, you should be fine.

 

[Rob377]

VV340 is my favorite as of late. Meters extremely well, very clean burning, consistent, capable of producing good velocity and accuracy in just about any handgun cartridge. It just might be the perfect handgun powder.

 

[blkrifle]

Ramshot Silhouette or Winchester AutoComp

 

[45fan]

As NIFT says, Trailboss is an excellent choice for low powered loads, I have loaded almost every caliber I own with it just to see what it can do. I have used it in everything from 45 colt (& ACP) to .223. Its a bulky powder, making it impossible to double charge a case.

The other powders I use for all of the mentioned calibers (except .40) is universal clays. I have used clays as well, but I have used more universal than the plain clays. I do not load for .40, so I cannot comment on that particular caliber, though hodgdon lists loads for it in both universal and regular clays.

 

[GLOCKMAN23C]

I believe Titegroup is an excellent choice for "target" loads in all the calibers you mentioned, and I don't understand why you believe is cannot be used in .38 spl., 9mm, .40, and .45 ACP. Perhaps, you can explain.

The only "issue" I have experienced with Titegroup is when I loaded it way down in .38/.357. When loaded below minimum recommendations, it goes from a very clean burning powder to a dirty one with a lot of blow-by powder fouling due to insufficient pressure to seal cases in the chambers.

So, why did I do that, you may ask. The reason is I use exceedingly low power "mouse squeak" loads for Basic Pistol classes so new shooters don't have to deal with muzzle blast and recoil. I have, since, changed to Hodgdon Trail Boss per the recommendation of a Hodgdon Tech. Rep. but only for under-the-minimum loads. I use Titegroup for all my loads in 9mm, .40, and .45 ACP, and it is fine in .38/.357 as long as not loaded below the minimum recommendations.

Bottom line: as long as you load Titegroup at or above the recommended minimum, you should be fine.

According to the data both from Lee and Hodgdon, the only use in .40 is with a Hornady XTP but, I was looking for somthing more economical. (I will be loading new cases with FMJ's for my Glock.) There is data for the .45acp from Hodgdon using a 230gr LRN (which is what I plan on loading), I've been using 230gr FMJ's. And for the .38spl there are several options.

 

[Skip]

Titegroup is NOT going to be in any caliber I load, now, or ever. That stuff is so dense that anyone, even someone that has reloaded as long as I have cannot tell if a double charge is in a case of any size.

I really like Hodgdon products but this one, nope, not in my reloads. I will never use Clays again for the 40S&W either. I did, had a book load, from the Lyman manual, that was .5gr over what Hodgdon said was maximum. Used them in a Browning High Power in 40S&W, it has an unsupported chamber like a Glock and a bunch of other guns, and I had a KB. It is so spikey in pressure that a little bit of powder makes a huge pressure difference. It just isn't worth it when lives or apendages are at stake.

That being said, there are a lot of good powders out there for the loads you are looking for. W231/HP-38 is a great powder for all of the calibers you want to load. SR4756, Longshot, AA#5, Unique, Universal Clays, are a few other powders that are proven in them all too.


Have fun, be safe!

 

[U.S. Patriot]

I only load 9mm but have had great sucess with Hodgdon TiteGroup.

 

[jblomenberg16]

Titegroup is a good all around powder for pistol, but there are probably some better ones out there that are a little cleaner. I'm not complaining, and don't plan on switching anytime soon, but it has been a little dirty on my guns.

This was 300+ rounds through my G19 last night in a handgun class:

 

[slow1911s]

N320 is what I use currently use in 38 Super and 40 S&W, but it can also be used in 38 spl and 45 ACP. Very clean, single base powder with mild recoil. It isn't nearly as hot as Titegroup (TG has the highest nitroglycerin content of any pistol powder).

Followed by N330 in (because it isn't as easy to get as N320). Then Titegroup.

 

[Leo]

I load every caliber that Glockman posted in his original post. I successfully use Titegroup in all the applications. I load some low velocity/recoil cast lead loads, as well as regular midrange loads and I bump the top a little. The secret to low velocity loads is to use a heavy bullet. In the case of the .38 spl, a light charge under a light bullet will be dirty and inconsistant. Take a 148 flat nosed wadcutter, and the lead fills more of the case, your light load will burn cleaner and more consistant. 158 gr SWC work pretty good too. I do not load lead bullets in the 9mm, but slow, easy recoil loads are found with 147 grn bullets as well as 124's. The .40 S&W, is the same way, a 135 grain bullet is trouble at slow speeds, but 165 and 180 grain plated bullets work great as well as low recoil loads under a 180 grain cast bullet. (broach cut barrel, not polyagonal) The .45 seems the most tolerant, I use 185, 200, and 230 grain, cast lead, plated and jacketed, and hav good results on all with TiteGroup. The only thing I do not like TiteGroup with is Magnums, where I am pretty happy with Accurate #9.
Hodgdon has posted reload data at www.hodgdon.com. It really does not spell out data for plated bullets, but the max load on cast or the bottom load on jacketed bullets works great for the plated Rainiers and Berry's.

There are lots of good powders out there, Titegroup works for me as an all around powder. As mentioned too fast of a powder like clays or red dot will pressure peak violently, too slow will be hard to get a good burn at anything less than full pressure, (like 296) Titegroup is pretty forgiving at the uses I have listed.

PS, I sure wish I knew what powder the the Swiss company RWS uses. The empty brass has NO soot and is still the color of natural unpolished brass after firing. Since I started this game when the old formula bullseye, and beeswax lubed case bullets were the norm, the RWS ammo amazes me.

 

[Wolfe28]

WINCHESTER 231 for handguns

Agreed. That is what I use for all my autoloading pistol rounds. I use lil-gun for revolver loads and 22 hornet. That said, there is always unique.

D

 

[ckcollins2003]

You can try Hodgdon HS-6 for a change. It uses a bit more powder than Titegroup but still burns clean and gives more room for error. It's what I'll be starting out with for my .45ACP loads this coming spring and it's what a good friend of mine uses for his .40 loads. Clays is another good handgun powder from Hodgdon.

If there is no load data for a certain bullet you can always use the weight of the bullet as a reference. Just start low and work your way up to what suits you. Titegroup is one of the best powders you can use for an extremely accurate target load but probably isn't the best for a beginner reloader. As stated before you can't tell if you've double charged or not.

 

[kludge]

I am fairly new to reloading. I am looking for a clean all-around good powder for hangun target loads. I have been using Titegroup, and am fairly pleased, however it seems that I cannot use it for everything I am wanting to reload: 9x19mm, 38spl, 40s&w, 45acp Your suggestions would be greatly appriciated.

You said "clean"...

.38 SPL = Universal, No.2, American Select
9x19 = Universal, No.5, No.7
.40 S&W = Universal, No.7
.45 ACP = Universal, No.5, No.7

Universal will also give some of the higher end velocities too, and is my go-to powder in handguns. "Clean" is an understatement.

I'm on my first pound of No.7 and I'm liking it very much. (Hodgdon won't publish any Universal data for lead bullets in the .40S&W.)

I would avoid No.5 in the 40S&W.

 

[Meister]

231 and universal. Both work great, meter well in a progressive and are fairly clean.

 

[GLOCKMAN23C]

I did notice that it would be very easy to double charge a case with titegroup. I will get some different powders and try them to see how they work in different configurations.

I know reloading for an unsupported chamber, i.e. a glock, can result in a KB. I saw a case die in Midway's catalog, that is supposed to fix the case bulge. Those of you that reload for Glocks, what is your recommendation?