Starting to get back into reloading a bit.I wasn't realy into it before but loaded a little for 38/357.
What two or three powders can you recomend to cover everything from light 38 target loads to heavy/hunting type loads for 44 mag/45lc
I have some Unique and Bluedot.Maybe those and 2400 or H110?Or maybe something totaly different?
Don't know how much difference it makes but temps here can range from 100 down to -20 although I usualy try to stay inside during the extremes.

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Chad

Starting to get back into reloading a bit.I wasn't realy into it before but loaded a little for 38/357.
What two or three powders can you recomend to cover everything from light 38 target loads to heavy/hunting type loads for 44 mag/45lc
I have some Unique and Bluedot.Maybe those and 2400 or H110?Or maybe something totaly different?
Don't know how much difference it makes but temps here can range from 100 down to -20 although I usualy try to stay inside during the extremes.

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Chad

I could get by very nicely with two powders for handgun use.Unique (which you have)and either W296 or H110 for full power magnum loads.

Blue Dot has a reputation for pressure spikes in cold weather.

Bullseye for light target loads. Maybe W-231 instead.

Unique for intermediate loads.

2400 for magnums. Maybe 296 instead.

Three of those five would cover me for everything I will ever shoot in a handgun round.

Unique is great, I use it in everything from .32 ACP to .500 S&W.

Winchester 296 and H110 are the same powder just marketed by two different companies. Great powder for 101% top end loads but can not be reduced because of pressure problems.

I can get by with just those two...

Bob

I can do fine with HP38/WW231 and 2400. But that's just me............Creeker

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Joshua 1:9

Again, you do not get what is commonly thought of as pressure problems with reduced loads of W296/H110 but rather incomplete/incorrect burning which results in squib loads.

Bruce

For magnum max loads, WIN296/H110.
For everything else in .38/.357, I use HP38/WIN231.

The Unique is probably the ticket for 45 Colt.
I personally don't like Bluedot in handguns, but it will work for moderate magnum loads if you use enough to keep the pressure up.

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Science plus Art

A lot of folks like Unique. I don't except for a few specialized applications where it excels; it does not meter particularly well. But, it is a very versatile powder. You'll find lots of folks who will give you lots of load advice using it too.
HS6 and Power Pistol are good general purpose mid-range pistol powders and meter much better.

WST or WSF meter great, are very consistent and I think are some of the absolute best powders for 9mm, 40S&W and 45ACP. I use WSF for mid-range lead bullet target/plinking loads in 38SP, 357 Mag, 44SP and Mag, and 45 Colt too. It's become my "Unique".

Trail Boss is great if you like low velocity loads and are concerned about double charges. It has been a very accurate powder for me.

I am in the "likes Blue Dot" camp, but it's warmer here and you could have some issues in winter. It's hard to beat 296/H110 for wide ranging all-around heavy loads in .357 and .44 Mag.

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" I said, good DAY! "

I switched over from Unique to Universal Clays quite a few years ago for my target loads. Similar burn rate, but Universal burns a lot cleaner than Unique. Versatile powder that I use for my target/practice loads in .357. .40 S&W, .44 Mag, .45 ACP & .45 Colt.

Titegroup is also another powder I have used for the same purposes. Just don't get it confused with Titewad like I did one day at the store and end up with a pound of powder sitting on your bench that really doesn't have much use.

For magnum loads I use 296 and H110.

i use unique for midrange loads though it is a bit dirty i get good consistency. 2400 for magnums. h110/296 gives the highest velocity at the cost of the worst flame cut.

I use Unique and 2400 in my .357 magnum and .44 magnum revolvers and carbines. I am content with the results I get with just these two powders and see no need to experiment with others.

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Hook686

Well, I will take you a whole new direction.

While I am trying to switch over to all Hodgdon/Winchester/IMR powders, I can tell you that the Accurate Arms line of powders will suit you very well. AA#2 for those "plinking" type of rounds, AA#5 or AA#7 for those up the next level and AA#9 for all true magnum level loads.

There isn't another line of powder that can cover you any better nor meter with more consistency. None. They are all spherical ball powders and muzzle flash is minimal with AA#9.

If I was to stay in the Hodgdon line I suppose HP-38/W231 for target loads, SR4756 for those in the next range and into magnum territory, Lil' Gun for true magnum performance. The more I use the latter the more impressed I get. The pressure is less but the velocity is higher. Great stuff in the 44Mag & 500S&W especially for carbine loads. Lil' Gun is well suited for those longer barrel lengths and makes full use of them.

The old standbys mentioned by others still work and always will, nothing wrong with them.

FWIW

Skip is correct, the AA line of powders will do anything needing done in a sixgun............Creeker

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Joshua 1:9

And I'll go down another road, at least the one I went down. I use V V N310, N320 and N340. Clean, works well and meters like a dream.

+1 for Lil'Gun for serious magnum level velocity at lower pressures.

HOWEVER, it does seem to favor heavy-for-caliber bullets and longer barrels. My results with light bullets and short barrels have been inconsistent.

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" I said, good DAY! "

I use Unique and 2400 almost exclusively for all my handgun loading. 38sp, 357mag, 44mag, 45Colt. Only 45acp gets Bullseye.

Hodgdon Universal for target to mid-range 357 mag loads. Cleaner than Unique. Just as versatile.

2400 for full magnum loads.

All the Best,
D. White

HP38/231

SR4756

H110/WW296

Handgun wise my choice is pretty simple Winchester 231 and 296 have been working for as long as they have been around.

Now, that doesn't include my "Jet" loadings but then that's a whole different World!!!

Try 4227. I use H110 296 and primarily the 4227 for this calliber. Has a great muzzle flash and with 17.5gr and 125 semi-jacket hp it duplicates the Federal law enforcement load the FBI classified as the best one shot stop load for many many years. Had a friend that was a federal rep tell me about this load. It is hot, but accurate.

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The gene pool needs Chlorine!

All my loads are old school.

So Unique and 2400, will do for most everything.

With 300gr+ bullets in a 6+" 44 Mag I would use H 110.

I always used Bullseye for 38 and 45ACP competition loads.

I am simple in my needs and use mostly Unique and 2400 these days. Back when I shot .44 magnums almost exclusively, I was fond of IMR 4227. If I had to use just one powder, it would be Unique.
However, Unique meters terribly through my powder measures, so I'd choose something else if I used a progressive loading machine.

Bullseye and Unique are my go to powders. I don't shoot a lot of heavy stuff anymore but when I did I used H110.

The best powder out there for most pistol cartridges, bar none, is Titegroup. Check it out

My vote would be for Green Dot, Unique and 2400, although I agree with Smithcrazy that AA2, AA5 & AA9 will do just as well.

Unique and 296 cover 99% of my handgun loads. I have never found anything that Blue Dot did particularly well.

I think this covers the question very well. If it had to get pared down to only 2 pistol powders, I'd keep the W-231 and the 296 for magnums...

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NRA Life Member

+1 for Skip
Over the course of the years I have used many, many pounds of Bullseye, and quite a few of Unique.

However, I am very pleased with AA 5,7 & 9 and have switched almost entirely to those three and VV 350 and 3N37.
The only Bullseye I still use is for 148gn HBWC loads.
I have stopped using Unique in favor of the newer powders because of the much improved metering and IMO cleanliness.

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Ipsis Rebus Dictantitbus

I agree, I load many .38/357, 9mm, .45 ACP with W231. I load .41 & 44 mag with 2400.

Unique earns it's name by also being a pretty good powder for a lot of loads.

After 44 years of reloading I've found you can cover almost all the bases for handgun reloading with only three powders. To do this you need a fast powder, a medium powder, and a slow one. In the fast category Bullseye or HP38/WW231, in the medium category Unique or Universal Clays, and in the slow category Alliant 2400 or H110/WW296. Bullseye is a bit faster than HP38/WW231, thus I think it is the better choice for a fast powder since it will do things on the fast side that HP38/WW231 can't do quite as well, and there is overlap between the capabilities of HP38/WW231 and Unique or Universal Clays. On the slow end of things you will get more power with H110/WW296 than you will with 2400. In the medium powders I've always preferred Unique simply because I grew up with it. Also, unlike others, I've found Unique to be cleaner burning than Universal Clays in lighter loads, though I think it burns cleaner than Unique with heavier loads. Therefore my choice, if limited to only three powders, is Bullseye, Unique, and H110/WW296.

I survived nicely using only Unique and 2400 powders. I had started with H110 but 2400 is much more forgiving. 2400 has a much broader use range then H110 allowing for mid to hot loads.

My second powder was Unique. It worked great for low to mid range loads. After 10 years I'm replacing the Unique with Universal. Unique worked well for me until I got involved with progressive presses. Some powder measures don't like Unique, and it is also a dirty powder.

I tried Blue Dot some years back but had bad luck with it in .357 Mag. It just seemed to not burn well. Some day I may give it another try.