one powder for both 38 and 357?

M

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I am about to pull the trigger on a reloading setup. I shoot 38 in j frame, 38 and 357 in k frame, and 38 and 357 in Marlin 1894.

Is there one powder that works pretty will in all of these uses? If not, I would like to keep it down to two.

There are so many powders and loads out there, its hard to know where to start.

Question 2, are small pistol non-magnum primers acceptable for 38 and 357, or are magnum primers required? Again would like to keep to one primer to support all, less likely to get mixed up.

Thanks all,
 
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I was going to say Win 231/HP-38, until you listed the Marlin. The 231 will get you great results in .38 special and .357 up to moderate loads in handguns. If you want the full capability of your rifle or full house magnums, you may have to look at a slower powder. I tried going down this "one powder to rule them all" path in the beginning, too. There is a reason they make different powders for different applications.

Small pistol regular primers will be fine in the 231, but slower true magnum powders may require a magnum primer listed in the book(s). Study up! And never trust loading data that is not published in a book or by the manufacturer online. Same goes for opinions in forums, mine included.
 
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The best powder for your needs is undoubtedly Winchester 231/HP38 Hodgdon designation. Will give good standard pressure loads for your J frame and K frames but is basically a mid range .357 powder. Will reach close to 1200 FPS with a 158 gr cast bullet in .357 revolvers. No one powder is good for light .38 loads through full bore .357 loads. If you go to two powders buy magnum primers. They give better performance with slow powders in the tall .357 case and provide better consistency in light .38 loads with minimal effect on velocity.
 
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There are several powders that will "work" but you will be making a compromise if you want a single powder to cover standard pistol loads as well as the magnums. Take a look at CFE Pistol though that would be my choice for an everything powder. There may be a better choice but I haven't discovered it yet.
 
I think that after some experience with reloading, you'll end up with several powders. For optimum performance with different bullet weights and low to high velocity loads, it is about mandatory.

For starters though, you can't go wrong with either 231 (HP38) or Unique or a powder that matches their burn speed.
 
Unique and Power Pistol would be in upper two for one powder . Power Pistol meters real nice, burns clean, and makes for a snappy 357 load. Unique is just an awesome all around powder. I would use it in every thing if it was the only powder I had.
 
I've settled on Bullseye for light range ammo, Unique for heavier 38Sp and moderate 357, and 2400 for full-boat 357.

I also have Power Pistol but prefer Unique for 38/357. The Power Pistol is great in 9mm tho.

If I could just have one, it would be Unique. Two, I'd add 2400.
 
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If you're just starting out, buy the manuals and look at what they have for starting and max loads. Pick the propellant/powder that has the widest range on this, and start at the bottom. There are a lot of other variables on what you're doing, but this is the conservative approach that will keep you safe, where you'll find the book will never have the exact powder or bullet listed for what you want to do.
 
I used to think Unique was the one I’d use if I only used one. That was before I found Power Pistol. I have good accurate loads with it for every handgun cartridge I load. Extreme spreads are always lower than comparable Unique loads. They’re all hard to find right now unfortunately.

If I was just loading.38’s it would be WW231/HP38 hands down.

Dan
 
I’ve only been loading for 8 years, so there are more experienced people here, but I am super careful and I don’t intend to make mistakes. There are better powders than HP38 for .357, but I decided long ago to keep with one powder only. No chance of mixing them up as I switch calibers. I even use a separate hopper for rifle loading so no chance of mixing them up. I don’t need to push the .357 to its full potential to punch paper.
 
I've used a lot of different powders. I load for several chamberings. Trying to choose one powder there's compromises to make with each choice.

I prefer higher density loads, (more powder) in large volume cases to easily identify light or heavy charges.

Any of the powders suggested so far in this thread will work about as well as the other. As stated above, when you get started and powders are easier to find hopefully at better prices you'll want different burn rate powders to try.

I've used more Unique and Universal than most others for general purpose loads. I still use keep and use these two powders on a regular basis.

Today I buy more CFE Pistol. Hodgdon provides a lot of data for this newer powder. It works well for me most handgun applications.

You're not going to get magnum performance from a .357, but these will safely provide enough oomph with heavier bullets to satisfy most general needs.
 
Dogdoc is right, whatever powder, bullets, brass, and primers you can find are likely what you are going to be using. As others have said, HP-38/W-231 is a versatile powder for 38 Special and mid-range 357 Magnum loads. Unique will likely give a little more velocity in the 357 Magnum before you reach the safe pressure limit, but it is not a slow burning powder, which is what you need for full velocity 357 Magnum loads.
 
If you have or can find them, Alliant Red Dot and Blue Dot would serve you well. I have used both sp and spm primers; either work well with these powders.
 
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