Powder Recommendations for handguns

[Dark Mod]

I currently reload .357 magnum, and with all the choices for powder i was hoping you guys could help. Im mostly concerned with it being good to use for .38 and 9mm as well. Right now im using hercules red dot shotgun powder, but its only because i got it for free, and it is really dirty.

[NRAhighpowershooter]

Winchester 231 is good to go for 38SP, 357mag and 9mmmm

it be all I use for those calibers....

[LGB Loader]

Depends on your goal...

You can load pretty much any pistol caliber with just two powders. Unique & 2400.

But if you want performance, I suggest you buy a nice magnum powder for the 357 Mag (W296, H110, or 2400) a nice 9mm powder (Power pistol is a nice place to start) and a nice 38 spcl powder (Bullseye is good, so is Unique and of course W231).

LGB

[J-cat]

Bullseye is not a shotgun powder. You should use enough of it and increase the case tension on the bullet and it will burn cleaner.

[GSwain]

I use accurate #5 for my 38 spl and my 40, and acc 7 for my 357. Very happy with both, clean burning and easy to meter.

[XDRoX]

I use WST in 9mm, 45 and sometimes in 38spl. I like Trail Boss in 38spl the best. For full powered 357 rounds I use BE.

[Dark Mod]

Bullseye is not a shotgun powder. You should use enough of it and increase the case tension on the bullet and it will burn cleaner.

Sorry, i just realized i use hercules red dot shotgun powder

[J-cat]

The same goes for Red Dot. But I recommend Bullseye because it meters better, burns clean, and has been time tested and proven in billions of loads out there. You can't go wrong. And undersand that the powders factory ammo uses is alot cleaner that anything available to us reloaders. You will never ever match the clenliness of factory ammo, no matter what you do. You should look for accuracy first, then power, then clean.

[Cheep]

Unique and/or bullseye will do just about ANY pistol rounds.

[XDRoX]

The same goes for Red Dot. But I recommend Bullseye because it meters better, burns clean, and has been time tested and proven in billions of loads out there. You can't go wrong. And undersand that the powders factory ammo uses is alot cleaner that anything available to us reloaders. You will never ever match the clenliness of factory ammo, no matter what you do. You should look for accuracy first, then power, then clean.

WST is way cleaner than any factory ammo I've ever shot in 9mm or 45.

[Dark Mod]

Thanks for all the advice, Winchester 231 seems to be the common consensus on the web. In all honesty i dont notice a difference in acuracy between reloads, expensive factory ammo, and my own handloads, so i never understand when people talk about accuracy in reloading. Then again, ive been reloading for less than 2 months and obviously have alot to learn. My main fous right now is to streamline my operation and be able to load several calibers with one powder to keep cost down. Second priority is cleanliness, especially because im using cast bullets. I got back from the range a few nights ago and saw dirt in places i didnt even know that gun had. Took the better part of an hour to clean that thing

[XDRoX]

Thanks for all the advice, Winchester 231 seems to be the common consensus on the web. In all honesty i dont notice a difference in acuracy between reloads, expensive factory ammo, and my own handloads, so i never understand when people talk about accuracy in reloading. Then again, ive been reloading for less than 2 months and obviously have alot to learn. My main fous right now is to streamline my operation and be able to load several calibers with one powder to keep cost down. Second priority is cleanliness, especially because im using cast bullets. I got back from the range a few nights ago and saw dirt in places i didnt even know that gun had. Took the better part of an hour to clean that thing

Cleanliness is important to me as well. Lot's of reloaders act like it doesn't matter and that it's OK to use filthy outdated powders like BE. I shoot 500 rounds through a gun when I go shooting and I don't clean it between range trips. To me a clean burning powder is very important.

If I had to settle for lesser accuracy then I'd shoot BE, but you don't have to. Newer powders like WST are just as accurate, recoil almost just well, and burn super clean. There is no better powder out there for 45acp. It's also very hard to beat in 9mm.

My pet load is 4.8gr of WST under 124gr plated bullet. All my 9mm's love this round.

[LGB Loader]

Lot's of reloaders act like it doesn't matter and that it's OK to use filthy outdated powders like BE.

Easy... don't be putting down some of our members, now, Chris. Alot of folks get great success with BE. I'm not one of them. But I can get pretty good success with quite a few powders, including BE, not just my "pet Load" powder.

I shoot 500 rounds through a gun when I go shooting and I don't clean it between range trips.

That there may be the problem. Wash your car, polish your boots and clean your firearms.

I get it. You love WST. But it is not the best...
WST is a good powder and I have tried it. But it is nowhere near as good as what I use and since there is not alot of it around to begin with, I would rather keep this info to myself. On second thought, yeah... listen to Chris and buy up all the WST, it's the best...

Seriously,we all have our own opinions and think we are on to the best recipe ever and perhaps for your gun you do, but that does not mean it will be as spectacular in someone else's.

Truth be told, I have a few cans over the years that I have accumulated that are pretty much just sitting around, taking up space, collecting dust.

That's my opinion and seriously, no pun intended.

By the way... as long as you are shooting lead, as the OP states he does, you'll always be getting a little bit dirty.

LGB
Handloading since '83

[Cowboy T]

If I had to pick just one "all around" handgun powder, it would be Titegroup. Like 231, it's very versatile and will go from 9mm Para all the way to .45 Colt, which is where I typically use the powder. It even does really well for medium-power .44 Magnum.

For .38 Spl, which I load a whole lot of, I've gotten great (and very clean) results with that "outdated" powder, Bullseye. That's why I keep using it for that cartridge. I also have a really sweet light .357M load that uses BE. Hey, when something works well, it works well. However, for the bigger cases like .44 Mag and .45 Colt, while BE will certainly work, there are more optimal powders (e. g. Titegroup).

For Magnum-style loads, 2400 gets my vote. Not that H110/W296 won't do the job; it will, and at full power levels, I don't know of a better powder. But that's the catch; they really do best at full-power levels and don't like being downloaded. I usually run about 3/4-power (27,000 to 30,000 PSI on average), and 2400 simply responds much better to this level of downloading.

So, if I had to streamline my operations to just two powders, my choices would be Titegroup and 2400.

[J-cat]

Thanks for all the advice, Winchester 231 seems to be the common consensus on the web. In all honesty i dont notice a difference in acuracy between reloads, expensive factory ammo, and my own handloads, so i never understand when people talk about accuracy in reloading.

Reloading allowed me to reduce group size by 66%. If you take the time to develop good handloads for accurate firearms, you too will see a difference, eventually.