Bought A Pound Of 231 Today

[smith17]

I went to the only show I do anymore last weekend and took a lot of powder with me. I am convinced not too many folks reload anymore as I had few takers, despite my highest priced pound being $40 (Varget) and most was 35. I did trade powder with a couple of vendors for 2 long guns however. One was a really nice field grade Model 12 in 20 gauge. I tried to trade some with the lady who was selling cupcakes but she wasn't interested.
I picked up a pound of Unique for $30 and some 38 special ammo for $15 a box which is the cheapest I have seen in awhile. Also a box of Gold Dot 185 grain .451" projectiles for $20.
People don't have money now. Even the guy who owns the portable ATM machine said his business is down dramatically.

 

[Nevada Ed]

Unique power is very good in 9mm loads from the small 115 gr up to and including the large 147 gr bullets;

wheather you load just light target loads or factory or even +P loads.

It even does well with the new style, "Coated" bullets in my pistols.

It nudges out w231 in most of my accuracy test.

Pop open that can and go to town, enjoying some fine loads.

 

[zeke]

Am using hp-38 for 9mm (115,124 jrn), 38 special (125 lrnfp, 158 swc lead), 44 special (200 gn lrnfp), 44 mag (200 gn sgd), 45 auto (200 gn swc/lrnfp), 45 ar (200 lrnfp) and 45 LC (200 gn lrnfp). These are just what i remeber off hand, is very likely have more loads for less common smaller calibers.

Like Unique, it is very versatile but at lower velocities.

If you're having trouble with 231 and lead with one bullet in 9mm, but good results with another bullet, it may be the difference in bullets combined with the variability in 9mm bore diameters.

 

[rwsmith]

I'm very happy....

...for you or anybody that makes headway in this world of negativity in the world of firearms and reloading. I have plenty of powder. It's the primer problem that I will need to overcome in time.

Anyway, I use lots of HP-38/231. It's a great general purpose powder.

 

[Skeet 028]

Powder described as “Red Dot without the dots” must surely be Alliant Promo. As you are a shotgun guy, you must know Promo! This powder has never been offered in single one pound containers.

Alliant tells you that it uses published load data for Red Dot by weight and not by volume! So find your favorite Red Dot charge from a published, trusted source and load it with Promo by weight. If you have a powder measure chamber set for a Red Dot charge, DON’T!

When the Barackolypse went down, I grabbed an 8-pounder of Promo for $75 and proceeded to use the entire thing for .45 Auto under 200 and 230 grain bullets. If my memory is sharp today… that rolled something around 11,000 rounds.

I have never really liked any of the Red/Green/Blue Dot powders or Unique. Never much cared for fat flake powder in handgun loads. Promo is the same, so I was never a huge fan of metering it, but for 11,000 rounds it worked fine. I won’t ever go looking for Promo again but at $75 for 8 pounds, it was a fiscally responsible decision.

I am a shotgun guy but never used Promo. Sold a bit of it but not as much as you would think. Shotgunners aren't much for changing and experimentation. I had one customer who was a trap shooter. He in 45 years never used anything but Red Dot. I also never used Promo....and I have a partial can here that was given to me. I will compare them one day soon. If it is Promo...someone is gonna get a 20 pound can cheap. I do not reload 12 ga target loads any longer. I do shoot some trap with the 20ga in 1 oz loads I load on an older Mec Sizemaster using Herco...break an occasional 25. Have all the pistol powder I will ever use. As I said I have near a pound and a half of Winchester 230...predecessor of 231 among many others

 

[max503]

I'd love to have a 4 pound jug of Unique.

 

[tops]

That has always been my thinking. Larry

 

[ggibson511960]

I have reloaded for many calibers and gauges over the years, so have a mish mash of partial jugs of powders left over. I wish I could consolidate them all to just a few, Bullseye, WW-231/HP-38, IMR 3031, IMR-4350 and Universal Clays. Sadly, we are all having to make do with what we can find.

 

[BE Mike]

I bought 4 one pound containers of Alliant Bullseye a couple of weeks ago, as it is the powder that I use for most of my range ammo in .38 SPL, 9mm and .45 ACP. I paid $45.00/lb. Like everything else prices have doubled in the last few years. Unfortunately my income didn't double. I have a pound or two of 231 and a few pounds of HP-38. I use it in some of my .38 SPL loads once in a while.

 

[max]

I finally got the last few grains out of the old 4 pound container and into the Dillon powder hopper. Figuring on 5 grains per round, I got 5600 rounds out of that 4 pounds.

 

[Buzzzer]

The last time I bought powder I got 2lbs of Titegroup. 231 has been my go-to for many moons but, with both sitting on the shelf, the 231 was almost double the price of Titegroup ($45 compared to $25). I have used Titegroup in the past but not a whole lot. Something inside me just said it was nuts to get the 231 when I could get the 2lbs of Titegroup for the price of one pound of the 231...

 

[mtgianni]

My problems with 231 in 9mm started when trying to load service grade equivalent with cast and plated bullets. One particular 122 gr. TC cast bullet with a published load of 231 keyholed in every firearm that tried it, to include revolvers, autos and carbines. To add insult to injury I loaded this "undersize" bullet in .38 Special just to get rid of it and accuracy was excellent! Then I loaded a 122 gr. RN cast bullet with the same powder charge into the 9mm and accuracy was also excellent. So same charge of 231 with different bullets and dramatically different results. Accuracy with 231 and plated bullets has also been unpredictable.

If that cast bullet was designed to be "Tumble Lubed", it has keyholed in every 9mm I have tried it in. My two cavity was junked rather than be sold or traded and have me associated with it.

 

[rosewood]

The last time I bought powder I got 2lbs of Titegroup. 231 has been my go-to for many moons but, with both sitting on the shelf, the 231 was almost double the price of Titegroup ($45 compared to $25). I have used Titegroup in the past but not a whole lot. Something inside me just said it was nuts to get the 231 when I could get the 2lbs of Titegroup for the price of one pound of the 231...

I am tight also and see your point, but when you get over 2000 rounds from that 1 lb (<2 cent per round), I wouldn't worry too much about the cost difference. Primers and bullets are you biggest cost. Now if you are looking at another powder with a much larger charge, I would take the cost into account.

Rosewood

 

[TheTinMan]

I've had some terrible results with 231 in the 9mm over the years. It has been a great powder for everything from the .25 ACP to .45 Colt and many reduced rifle loads but there's something about the 9mm that I can't figure out. I hope you have a good load that works well for you. If you're using a new bullet you should load up only a few to be sure they are accurate or don't hit sideways. A bad load with overpriced powder would be a real tragedy.

I use Win 231 in .38 Special, .44 Special, .45 ACP and .45 Colt. I’ve used it in light .357 Magnum loads as well. For some reason, I switched to AA #7 for 9mm Luger years ago but can’t locate my notes on the change. I think it was an accuracy issue.

VV 3N37 works very well in 9x23 Winchester. It also worked fine in 9mm Luger but Vihta Vuori powders used cost a premium in the olden days.

 

[smoothshooter]

Several years ago, at a gunshow, I bought a 4 pound jug of 231. I am about down to the last of it and was getting nervous about finding more. My part time job took me to Springfield today and I made a wrong turn and ended up at Scheels. They had lots of primers at $99 and a good supply of powder. I didn't need any primers, but bought a pound of 231 for what I paid for the 4 pounds previously. They also had lots of Fiocchi 9mm for $13.

I have an unopened 4 pounds of Unique, but it has been years since I reloaded .45acp with it and I don't think I have ever used it for 9mm. One of these days I may be doing so.

I am going to reload another 4 hundred or so 9mm and then reset the Dillon for .45.

What did thee pound of 231 cost you?