Powder choices

[edg8687]

I wish I knew were some of my reloading books were cause I could offer a starting point with the Power Pistol and the 147gr (the joys of moving cross country). Yeah the 12lb spring will help alot, good to have people like that to talk to. Im from VA and I go to school at OSU, my dad and his buddies are my "think tank" with this stuff and it takes longer to get ideas worked out doing it over the phone instead of at the range or gunstore. Thats why i joined up with OSA ha ha. Good luck with the uspsa.

 

[Blitzfike]

I load pistol with a variety of powders. I use more winchester 231 and accurate #5 than anything else. 231 is a good all around powder for pistol loads. Accurate #2, #5, #7 and #9 will load virtually all pistol calibers between them. Accurate #5 gives high performance, but can cause high pressures when bullets are set back (seated deeper than they should be), so extra care should be used with that selection. I have a couple of carbines that use pistol ammo and in the .40sw, I find that accurate #7 which is a slower burning powder gives me outstanding performance and higher velocities in the rifle length weapons. Accurate #9 is similiar to 2400 or IMR-4227 in burning rate and is useful for 30 carbine and 50AE. I use several of the alliant powders, from bullseye to unique, I load 25 and 32 acp with Alliant red dot. If I could only have two powders, it would probably be Winchester 231 and Accurate #5. That would give me a usable powder for about any handgun load I wanted except for the big stuff like 50AE. Hope this helps.. Blitzfike

 

[Rod Snell]

all I load is lead

You do realize that most of the "dirty" is coming from the burning lube on your lead bullets, not from the powder?

HP38/231 under lead bullets in 9mm and .45 ACP is about as good as it gets (dozens of different powders will work fine) as far as residue.

If you shoot the same load with plated bullets, most of the smoke and soot "magically" disappears.

 

[Rayce]

This is the link to the 9m section for alliant powder recipe.. This includes Unique, power pistol and blue dot. This is the site for alliant and has all the recipies for the powders they offer.

http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloaders/recipedetail.aspx?gtypeid=1&weight=147&shellid=23&bulletid=27

(copy to your broswer and hit go.)

I forgot to mention If you do decide to use bullseye powder in the 45 ACP load it should be a 200 grn bullet or smaller due to the fact it is the quikest burnig powder and is not condusive to 230 grain bullets.. I hope this helps.

 

[BadgeBunny]

For those two calibers I like WST with lead bullets. With jacketed bullets pushed a little harder, AA #5 is pretty hard to beat. Both meter very well.

Beat me to it! WST is a great powder. We have been very happy with it.

We have used AA and Hodgens HS-6 with jacketed bullets. Didn't care too much for Titegroup though.

 

[BadgeBunny]

You do realize that most of the "dirty" is coming from the burning lube on your lead bullets, not from the powder?

HP38/231 under lead bullets in 9mm and .45 ACP is about as good as it gets (dozens of different powders will work fine) as far as residue.

If you shoot the same load with plated bullets, most of the smoke and soot "magically" disappears.

We shoot lead bullets from J&K and have not had this problem AT ALL. In fact, we shoot his bullets through stock Glock barrels all the time now. That said, we clean every gun we shoot every time we shoot it. Seems like the most I have run through my G34 at a time was about 600 rounds during a practice session. No complaints, no issues, only very slight leading ... Mitch's stuff is good to go.

 

[cernstus]

are j&k bullets the ones their selling at h&h? I have been shooting them for a little while now and I get a little bit of smoke and fouling. Most of the fouling is on my feed ramps, I just kinda assumed it was coming from the powder not the bullets. I have only been loading for about a year and started out loading berry's plated bullets, but money is money and lead is king!

 

[dh9]

I am using bullseye with lead bullets for .45. There is some fouling but not to bad.

 

[761mph]

i've had good luck with the WW231 when reloading for my .45 acp, seems to be a cleaner burning powder than either bullseye or unique

 

[bpfeiff]

i use and like winchester 231