Yes I am new to reloading and have a lee classic turret kit on order with some dies right now I am wanting to load 9mm and 45 Acp. What is some recommendations on what kind of powder and brand you would use for these calibers. Also any body like one primer brand over the other I was thinking cci just wanted to get some supplies from local gun store to start my reloading when the press kit arrives thanks for your info.

Ive only used CCI,win and federal primers,but they are all good.Unique and bullseye are old favorites for the 45.

For 9mm and 45acp it's hard to beat HP38 or 231 . They're both the same powder so get which ever one you can find .

I think I used 5.7 grains of unique for my .45 loads when I had one, but unique smokes quite a bit. I was pushing a 230 gr plated RN from Xtreme bullets, and was using Winchester large pistol primers. Worked fine for me.

Bullseye seems a little cleaner and meters more consistantly than Unique,but I don't worry about dirty.

I think the answer is going to hinge on "Which powder can I find" rather than "Which would be a good choice".

Primers seem pretty available. But powder hits the shelves (real or web based) and then gets bought out in literally minutes.

I carry a list of acceptable powders with me (text file on my phone). Any time I'm in a place that sells powder, I check the list. I buy powder if they have it and it's on the list.

I have a lot of powder on back order. I'm on a lot of "notify me" lists. I spend a lot of time on GunBot.

Buy it when you can, anything suitable. Load it up. Experiment with low to medium loadings. Take notes etc. When you find one that you think you like better than the others, get on the backorder lists for big jugs of that brand.


Sgt Lumpy

Win 231 hard to beat. Titegroup and HS-6 also good

I use Unique for 9mm and .45 ACP. I've been known to use other powders, but Unique is the only one I've used in both.

Powder depends on your intent. Because hand weighing each individual charge becomes a huge PITA rather quickly I'll only recommend powders that I know meter very well based on personal experience. BTW, Unique is a MISERABLE powder in terms of metering qualities and if it weren't so versatile I wouldn't have any in my reloading room at all.

If you want a powder the produces a mild recoil with a reduced muzzle flip you'll find that IMR SR7625 is near perfect. In addition it's clean shooting in 45 ACP, 40 S&W, and 9mm. Finally, it meters perfectly in just about any powder measure on the market. Note, SR7625 is NOT a good choice for revolver ammunitions, it becomes very position sensitive in large volume cases. The only downside is that Hodgdon has announced that they will be discontinuing this powder at the end of 2014.

If you want to build loads that duplicate the ballistics of most SD loads you have to be a bit selective about the powder used. For the 9mm Vitavouri 3N37 is tops for produced velocity and I've found it meters perfectly. For 45 ACP Accurate #5 is near the top of the chart and it meters wonderfully. BTW, the powder for hot 40 caliber loads is Longshot and 3N37 also works very well with 38 special.

I use HP38 for my 45ACP and Power Pistol for my 9mm.

When I began reloading I made of list from all recommendations from fellow shooters on which powder they use for each caliber, also a few reloading books explaining the characteristics of each powder. As noted by another poster, your not going to find any powder readily available so have a few choices for each caliber.

Universal is my "go to" powder. It's near identical to Unique, but meters much better and burns more efficiently for me.

As above, HP38/W231 works and meters well in lots of calibers too.

I'm a big fan of Accurate #5 in .45 ACP performance loads. Accurate #7 works great in the 9.

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GOA
USA Shooting Supporter

Like NickB said W231 is hard to beat , but also hard to find right now. I've been using HS-6 in my 9's, 40's & 45's recently for two reasons. One, I have it. Two, the load I'm using fills the case about 40%. I've been showing my son-in-law & grandson how to reload. I stand behind them and watch them like a hawk. But, with a charge of near 50% a double charge is very easy to notice.

A good reloading book is an excellent investment and gives you a good list of powders you can use. If I had to have only one, I would probably pick the Lyman reloading handbook.

Primers, my personal choice is Federals 1st, Winchesters 2nd.

I find primers make little if any difference in a load, but CCI is the one I've used most over the years. I used HP-38 simply because it works well and has load data for all three handgun rounds I reload for range use.

HP38/W231 is my favorite.

I've been a whatever primer is available guy, as I'm relatively new to hand loading. But primers are becoming easier to get.
Sgt Lumpy nailed it on powder. Several different powders have been given out, make a list. Go to your LGS and do you best "Santa " and check your list twice. Get a little and try it. Like it? Buy a bunch.
Let Gunbot be your friend.
Oh, I use HS-6 and Bullseye in 9 and 45 respectively. (Because that's what I could find)
And go to You tube and see San Francisco liberal with a gun videos on Lee press. Solid info there.

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Reg. Magnum wants/Rossi wallet

W231/HP38 and Unique are two good powders for a newbie to start reloading .45ACP. Both work very well in the caliber for multiple bullet weights and both are bulky enough that they fill the case enough for a newbie to see they are charged and charged the same. Primers in .45ACP will matter little. Make sure tho, because some .45ACP cases are SP and some are LP, that you use the correct size.

Powder choice is 2nd to what you want your ammo to do. Many times bullet weight and the velocity you want to push that bullet dictates the powder. Many times your manuals will tell you what powder performed the best for them with specific bullet weights. I've found for new folks, the powder that fills the case the most, while giving the performance they want works best. As one's experience expands, so will their demands of powder. For some, that are cautious and experienced, powders that use the smallest powder charge, and/or cost the least per powder charge are what they use. For others, powders that can be used for other calibers or other bullet weights takes preference. Read your manuals, glean all the info you can from this and other firearm forums, and load safe, reliable ammo, and soon you will be telling others the answers to this same question.

The OP stated that he was new to reloading. To keep things simple, and that's a good thing when first starting out, HP-38 and/or Win 231 might be the best powder choice. It is excellent for 9mm and .45 ACP. I also use it for .38 Special and target loads for .357 magnum. It is not the best powder for stout .357 magnum loads.

Keep checking with the stores in your area that carry reloading supplies. HP-38 will be just as easy, or difficult, to find as any other powder. Do NOT purchase Unique. It is very difficult to meter, especially in smaller quantities, using the Lee Auto Powder Dispenser. I haven't been able to tell the difference in primer brands. Just get small for the 9mm and large for the .45. Keep in mind that some Federal cases use small primers. They work just as well as the cases with large primer pockets.

Win 231. CCI Primers have about the hardest cup i've ever used. Hard cups will fail to fire more frequently if your firearm(s) have trigger work / lighter springs. I only use Federal Primers for my 9mm & .38spl loads. And I avoid light bullets. I assume you're reloading cause you're shooting more? Win 231 with a 124/125gr. 9mm TN bullet should shoot well out of almost any Nine. When seating the bullets, be sure to check the OAL (overall length) as too short or too long aren't happy in semis.

I use unique because I was able to buy some. I use CCI primers as they are common in my area. I have a single stage RCBS reloader and weigh out each powder charge, yes this is slow but when I am custom handloading I am NOT in any rush. Take your time and pick up at least 1 actually two or three reloading manuals is better. I am new to this so I am erring on the side of caution. It is gunpowder that you are dealing with so again I stress take your time, get educated, and be careful.

The great thing about handguns, just about any powder from Bullseye to AA#7 in the burn rate chart will work. Finding data for the more obscure pwoders is the hard part. For noobs, I prefer they use medium burners to start. That is any of the powders from Unique to AA#7 in the burn rate charts. Find something, find the data & start 2/10gr off avg starting data & work up in 1/10gr increments.
Really, any std primer will work fine. I have used them all at one time or another, go with what you can find.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

I agree W231/HP-38 is probably the best powder for loading the 38 Special and 45 ACP. I use mostly W231 for all my general handgun loading with few exceptions.

Federal, CCI, Remington and Winchester primers are all good but I use mostly CCI followed by Winchester primers. Some of the foreign primers work too, I just don't care to use them. Tula, Wolf, MagTech, Fiocchi and S&B are some of those foreign made primers.

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Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437

I've used HP38 and IMR 700-x and either CCI or Federal small pistol primers.

That's exactly where Iam at ,have a list ,buy what you can when you can.

General speaking, primers are primers are primers....one brand may have specific qualities over another but from a "newbie" perspective this will not matter.
The very best power for a new handloader and the 9mm and .45ACP is Alliant's Unique...it had enough bulk to avoid an overcharge at normal throws and despite all the newer choices, still does an outstanding job for hardcast handloads, or even jacketed choices.

About 30 years ago, I started out using W231 to load 45acp because my handloading mentor used it. Never saw the need to change. Used it to load lots of 45, then lots of 9mm. Nowadays I use it to load 38 spl. I've also used Unique for 45 Colt and for 357 sorta-magnum loads, but IMHO W231 is about the most versatile and easy to meter powder for non-magnum handgun cartridges. 5.6 gr or so works well for 200 gr 45acp as well as 115 gr 9mm.

Notice that most responses are for fast to medium powders. The fact is that today there are lots of choices. My point here is don't get hung up on one powder because with the shortages you'll need to make due with what is available.

A lot of guys get hung up on Unique or BullsEye because that's what they started with 900 years ago. But both are mediocre powders compared to what's available today.

My advice is to get a list of appropriate powders handy so that you can actually pick up something when shopping.

The primer situation has improved. You'll need both small and large pistol primers. Again, any manufacturer will do fine for these cartridges.

That pretty well describes me. I have reloading manuals that list the burning speeds of powders, but what are some recommendations for "clean burning" along good performance in 45 ACP, 38 sp, and 357?

Accurate #5 is similar to Unique.

Hp-38/W231 is my go to handgun powder.


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9MM AND .45 ACP. TRY WINCHESTER WSF. JP

Well, maybe not 900 years, but 45 for sure....LOL.

Yeah, things are improved today, but is newer really Better?

I still blow out the X ring, the barrel isn't leaded and I'm satisfied with the results! Imagine that concept! Nobody is ever satisfied. If it ain't broke, why fix it?

For my 9mm, I'm using a 120 gr TC cast from a Lee mold with 3.5 gr of Bulls Eye. It makes a nice load for my SR9 and I've had no problems with it at all - cycles great. Someone suggested this bullet and load to me and I love it. YMMV depending on your handgun.

I really like Unique for 9mm. I get factory velocities and it's flat impossible to double charge a case.

I converted to WW231 for .45 ACP back when in the 1980s for uniformity of charge weight. Haven't been able to find it for about 1.5 years. You can double/triple charge a case with 231.

I use HP-38/231 in my .45 ACPS, about 5-5.3 grains, and I cannot double charge and still seat a 230 grain bullet. A double charge is very obvious, a triple charge would most certainly spill over.

CFO primers and titegroup powder.

That's cci primers

If 900 years of experience counts, use Unique and W-231.... you can load a lot of pistol cals with these powders; all primers are the same TO ME; I have had excellent results with Russian primers once the US brands got too expensive.... TULA and WOLF are fine. J

I load both those calibers and use Winchester Super Field. Meters well with my Lee auto disc and Lee Perfect measures.

I have used IMR 700X for >20 yrs. and while it may not be the absolute Best powder for 9 or 45, it is an economic choice and seems to be available when more popular pistol powders are sold out.

CAUTION though, 700-X is fast and as such is able to be double charged easily. Be careful and double check your work.

As always, Buy manuals or at least look at manufactures websites and their Data. Be very cautious of others' posted data, Use only powders and charges that can be verified in at least 2 published charts.

Be Safe

Bullseye works great for light to medium loads in the 9mm and 45. Great thing it meters well and you don't need a lot of it. Unique is also a great powder but it will take more but you can get higher velocity if you want. Power Pistol is also great for the 9mm and 45 if you want full power loads. I'm sure there are lots of other great powders but I have no experience with them.

Honestly at this point in time I would just stock up on primers for now. Wait for powder to be more available so you aren't just stuck getting what you can find at twice what it should cost.

Dozens of powders are usable for handgun loading.
I have most of them in my cabinet.
But, always seem to go back to the holy trinity:

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-jwk-
US Army '72-'95

I started with Unique and like it but it meters horrible to the point where I was weighing each individual load. Talk about time consuming. Anyway I recently bought some HP38 and what a difference. Seems a bit cleaner and it meters great!

Good luck.

I use HP38 & WIN231 for 9mm and really like it. Meters great, burns clean.

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But then, what do I know?

Buy some AA #5; load six grains behind whichever 9mm bullet you are loading, and depending on whether it is 200 grains or 230 in the 45, either about 8 or 8.5 grains, and have fun.

Winchester 231/HP38 is a great powder for a variety of handgun loads.
I like Winchester primers. CCI primers seem a bit oversize and are
often very difficult to fully seat.