Opinions on the best general use pistol powder?

cp1969 said:
Do you feel that going to the trouble of weighing every pistol load is worth it? I could see that for long range or BR rifle shooting but not for handgun loads.
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Okay. But that's what I do for defensive and max charge loads, though. The RCBS 1500 makes it a lot easier than in the old days.
 
OCD1 said:
Bullseye is another good one and I am sure others will have their favorites.
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I've tried a couple different powders for light bullet .357 & .45ACP. I always seem to come back to the Bullseye. I'm told it's dirty and a double charge is very doable, but I just seem to get my best results with it.

2400 for the Big Dog magnum loads. ;)

Mark, 1 & 2 are kinda at odds with each other.
 
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Unique is not perfect, but it will do more than any other one powder in handguns. It won't give quite as high velocities as magnum powders, or be as economical as some of the fast ones. You can load almost every handgun caliber with it from .32 s&w to .45 colt, and load the magnums to within 200fps of max. Universal seems to be an acceptable substitute that meters better, but seems to have more of a tendency to have pressure spikes.
 
The really good part is... we don't have to try & do everything with one powder...;)

Why would ya?:confused:
 
:Dwithout a doubt unique, i load 32 long 38sp. 44sp 45acp 45 colt. i use others but unique the most. it still gets the job done.
 
I load 9mm, 9mm Mak, .38 Spl., .38 Super, .357 mag, .41 mag, .44 mag and .45 ACP. The four powders that I have settled on are Bullseye, Unique, Blue Dot and 2400 for all of my pistol loads, probably 80% of them are Unique. I have some W296 that I am using up for .44 mag hunting loads, but when it is gone I will use the 2400. I recently purchased an unopened 8 lb. canister of old Unique from a friend who won it at a banquet years ago. I figure that will be my lifetime supply. It's a little bit dirty and smokey, but it is just so good and does fill up the larger casings better. I have never had any metering problems from my RCBS measure. I do think that the W231 metered better than Bullseye, but I will stick with it for target loads.
 
PhilOhio said:
From 1960 until recently, I was stuck in a Bullseye/2400 rut...because it works well and covers a broad range of handgun reloading needs. But there are Bullseye metering problems with older drum-type measures, like the Lyman #55. Unique is also excellent, much like Bullseye, but less troublesome.

Awhile back, I tried W231 and now prefer it over Bullseye. Yesterday, picking up a new 649-5, my FFL holder friend told me there is a strange problem with parties unknown apparently manipulating the availability of Winchester 231. He has not been able to obtain any for more than one year, and keeps getting what he considers questionable explanations and implausible excuses. One year! Maybe somebody here can shed light on this. Perhaps other powders are being promoted to replace it?

I hope W231 is available when I run low.
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Gun 4 Fun said:
Keep your eye open for HP-38. It's the exact same powder as 231, and is usually cheaper.:)
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Yes, and this powder is the ideal solution for the original poster's question. It's slow enough to have broad application, but fast enough to work well in loads in all calibers from 25ACP to 45 Colt and the big-cased magnum pistols. It also meters extremely well as a medium-large-granuled ball powder. (Very fine ball powders, like the Accurate line tend to be so fine that they gum up and stick in some measures, like a Lyman 55 or RCBS.) W231 even gives MAX performance in most small-capacity cases from 25ACP through 380ACP, plus rounds like 9mm, 9mm MAK, 38 Spl. and 45ACP. Only rounds it's not a max-performance powder in (but still good-performance) would be the magnums, 40S&W and 10mm.

A third powder that is a near-twin ballisticly to HP38/W231 is Ramshot ZIP. I want to test this powder to see if it is less smokey with lead bullets than SMP231. (A large part of the smoke issue is the bullet lube, but there is an aspect of gunpowder involved as well. Changing powders won't eliminate the smoke, but it could cut it down.)
 
Well guys, I am the original poster. :-)

It's funny to read this because I just scored a 1 lb can and an 8 lb jug of HP-38 this week! I should be set for a good while. I also ended up with the same ( 1 lb and an 8 lb) of HS-6, and 3 lbs of H-110.

I load 9mm, 38, 357, 44 spc, 44 mag, and 45 auto. With these 3 powders I should be well covered for a long time. I have tried a number of other powders in these caliber, but these are what I have settled on.

Later,
Mark in GA
 
Unique would hangup (jam the measuring disc) in my powder measure in a Lee 1000 progressive loader. It used a Lee disc type measure. I have not had any problems with it in any other powder throwing device.
If I had only one powder it would be Unique.
 
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2400 and Bullseye work great for me. 2400 for .357 and Bullseye for .38sp., 9mm and .45 acp. Both powders meter great.
 
I think Power Pistol is the new Unique. It works very well in all the cartridges you listed, but is probably not optimal for 44 Magnum. You would need a magnum pistol powder for full power loads there.

If I could only have one powder in my inventory, I would choose Power Pistol.

Mike
 
I just recently started using Power Pistol (in the last year) and have been quite satisfied with it in .45 colt, .357, and .45acp.
 
BigMoneyGrip said:
BE-86 sure looks like a good one. I've been pleased with it so far.
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I have some, but have yet to try it. I have heard some say it is similar to Power Pistol but with flash suppressant added. If it is all that... I will report back and update my favorite :)

Mike
 
I've never been bothered by......

Unique even shoots some rifle loads.

The metering problem I get around, I use a dipper. If it doesn't look filled right, I throw it back and do it again.

The 'Dirt' people talk about cleans up with a rag with a little solvent on it. No big deal.

Unique also goes into many other calibers as well as the ones specified.

There are some powders within the burning range of Unique but I haven't used them. I don't doubt they are good for the ranges stated.

And just because a powder doesn't show in a book, doesn't mean it won't work. It usually means that other powders work some better.
 
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