Recommendations on powder.

[buckshotshorty]

I started reloading way back in the days when Bullseye and Unique were pretty much standard for loading popular pistol calibers. 2400 for magnums. These powders will still fill the bill today.

When the powder crises came about several years ago, I happened to acquire 15 lbs. of Titegroup; the only powder available. I have since grown really fond of it. It is clean, accurate, economical, and meters like a charm.
When this runs out I will buy some more.

 

[Jboutfishn]

A year ago when I could not find powder I acquired 10 lbs of Autocomp. Works very well in the 45 ACP and looks good for heavier loads in 38 Spec. A bit bulkier, meters well.

 

[Jaymo]

Titegroup is economical but can be dangerous for novices. If you feel confident that you will not accidentally double or even triple charge it's a good 38 spl powder.

Availability needs to be considered and powder availability is better but see what they have where you buy your powder. Do you go to the Army-Navy store on 42 north?

My powder guy from TN should be at the big gunshow next month in Jonesboro. Go early and he usually has a good selection including Titegroup and sometimes Bullseye.

When the shortage hapened, I bought a bunch of Red Dot from 42 North. It filled the void left by the absence of Bullseye. It allowed me to load .32 Long and .38 Special target loads.

I bought CFE-P when I couldn't find any more Unique, because it was the closest approximation that was available locally.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I use Titegroup and have for many years. Works very well for me, goes a long way, and never any issues.

W231 (same as HP-38 as Hodgedon makes it for Winchester) is also a great powder but I use that exclusively for the .45 acp.

No, Hodgdon does not make W231 or any powder. It's bought from St. Marks powder. W231 was first as a replacement for W230 and Hodgdon bought the same powder from St Marks and labelled it HP-38 (Hodgdon Powder .38)

 

[elpac3]

lots of advice out there - here is one more piece.

I have loaded a number of pistol calibers over the years and found Bullseye, Unique and 2400 can cover them all.

 

[Qc Pistolero]

Titegroup is my go to powder for full .38Spl(no +P).Economical and accurate.Not many powders will give you an honest 900Fps under a 150gr SWC out of a 6''bbl with less than 4gr.For target work,I rely on Red Dot,Promo and 700X(used to be Bullseye but I haven't seen a single pound for sale for the last 4 years).
I use HP38 and W231 in my 9mm and .45ACP.But to be honest with you,I would not cry if all I'd have would be HP38(W231).Darn good powder;clean,economical and accurate.
If double(or more)charging is so much a concern,either go to Trailboss only or develop a methodical way to ensure that it won't happen(the upside down case until there is powder in is a good one).
Have fun and play it safe!
Qc

 

[GA_Sheepdog]

I went to the local gun store today and they had a decent selection of powder, although they did not have HP38. They had Trail Boss at a very good price but I ended up buying a container of Winchester 231, due to the majority of people's input.


Thank you everyone.

 

[muddocktor]

Win 231 is exactly the same powder as HP-38, so you are good to go then. A good and versatile powder choice that can be used for many different calibers.

 

[Clovishound]

Trailboss may seem like a good value based on the price per bottle. The problem is a "1 lb bottle" of Trailboss is really only 9 ounces. It is very fluffy. Using a 158 grain LSWC at max load you will get 1891 loads from HP38 1 lb bottle. Using the same bullet at max load with Trailboss gives you 937 loads.

Yes, I realize that powder is actually the cheapest component per round, but some people don't realize that Trailboss is sold in nearly half pound bottles vs full pound bottles.

 

[GA_Sheepdog]

Trailboss may seem like a good value based on the price per bottle. The problem is a "1 lb bottle" of Trailboss is really only 9 ounces. It is very fluffy. Using a 158 grain LSWC at max load you will get 1891 loads from HP38 1 lb bottle. Using the same bullet at max load with Trailboss gives you 937 loads.

Yes, I realize that powder is actually the cheapest component per round, but some people don't realize that Trailboss is sold in nearly half pound bottles vs full pound bottles.

Yeah that's what I was thinking. It was a lot cheaper but you'll only get half the amount of loads as the other brands.

 

[Wise_A]

You'll be quite pleased with HP-38/WW-231. It works well with most low-pressure cartridges, and meters nicely as well.

 

[Jack71]

GA, I've been reloading for 45 years and I also started with the .38 Special. Back in those days Bullseye and Unique were the standard choices for .38 Spl.

I still like Bullseye for 148 grain wadcutters, but I've also used WW-231 and it works very well.

A few months ago, like you, I discovered CFE Pistol. Right now it's my favorite for medium power .38s as well as a number of other cartridges. It meters well and burns clean. But go ahead and try other powders, we all do it and it's part of the fun of reloading. Just stay safe and stick to those loads published in reputable reloading manuals.

Duh, so HP-38 and W231 are the same? I've used both, but didn't realize that! Oh well, you're never too old to learn something, especially if you listen to a great group of folks like those on this forum. Thanks guys!

 

[daniel lawecki]

There are several powders for the .38 we could talk all day. For cast and jacketed I've I tried a lot of the powders above yes the gun bullet weight shape cast or jacketed. Hunting target your gun will tell you what it likes best. There is no clear answer so buy a few and work up a load and stick with it.

 

[Jaymo]

lots of advice out there - here is one more piece.

I have loaded a number of pistol calibers over the years and found Bullseye, Unique and 2400 can cover them all.

Very true.
For that matter, Red, Green, & Blue Dot will do the same.

I grew very fond of Red Dot in .38 mid range loads. I still like Bullseye better for that purpose, though.

 

[Moe Mentum]

w231 is a good choice, but not the only one. Over the years you will experiment with many, and find the one you and your gun like. Lots of good powders listed in this thread.