Powder options for handgun loads

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Huskerguy

New member
I know I am asking for it on this one but I need to sort through all of the options. Several months ago I read and read and decided to go with Titegroup on all my handgun loads. I see so many options I wonder if I am doing the right thing by sticking to one powder. I load the following: 9MM/115 and 124 grains, 38/357/158 grains and 40 S&W/180 grains, probably 45 as soon as I pick one up :D I haven't had time to load any 40's yet so I am not sure how Titegroup will work in that caliber. All I want in a powder is something that meters well, is not a filthy mess, and provides consistent results with the bullets I shoot. I would prefer to stick with one powder for simplicity - I am probably am not enough of a great shot to tell the difference although I hold my own. I know about the complaints of Titegroup - it doesn't fill the shell and it smokes too much. I never noticed the smoke until I shot some 158 Grain SWC's a few weeks ago that had been freshly sized and yes there was smoke. I had some other 158's that were sized many years ago and not a hint of smoke so I decided it was not the powder but the lube combined with the powder. So what does everyone suggest? I see W231 listed a lot - will that fit the bill? Your powder and why?
 
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m&p45acp10+1

New member
I use several differan brands of powder. My go to for .45 acp is Bull's Eye with with my home cast 200 grain LSWC. It meters well in my Lee perfect powder measure. On the other side it does not fill the case very well, and is dirty. I load single stage so I charge one case at a time. For the dirty part I can clean my gun in less than 10 minutes so it is no big deal. For 230 grain Hornady XTP I use Titegroup it works.
For 9mm I use Titegroup. It seems to work better than the Bull's Eye for me. I have also used Titegroup with good results in my .41 Mag. The cleanest powder that I have used, that also gives good case fill is Trail Boss. It works well in all of my handguns. I will not be getting the scorcher velocities out of any of them, but it does work, and the slide cycles on my Semiautos, POI, and POA line up to 15 yards (I have not had a chance to check at 25 yet).
In my .41 mag Trail Boss is my go to for my general purpose loads. Especialy for steels with homecast 210 grain LSWC. It works well and is very clean with lead, or jacketed bullets. A case would overflow in the event of a double charge.
 
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Doodlebugger45

New member
Actually I love tinkering around and I really like having a wide variety of powders to try. But I guess of the ones I have used a lot, TiteGroup and 231 seem to always work well. But don't forget TrueBlue either. It is clean and meters incredibly well.
 
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Sport45

New member
I've used Titegroup and W231/HP38 in large amounts as well and they work well. Lately I've been using a lot of Unique and when it's gone I'll open the 8# jug of Universal that's waiting in the wings. They all work fine for standard handgun rounds in my experience.

For magnum handgun I have a bottle of Ramshot Enforcer that I'll open as soon as I finish the last bit of W296 on the shelf.

I recommend you use at least two powders. Get something a little slower for the .357 loading. W296/H110 will give the top velocities, but cannot be loaded down to an appreciable extent. Blue Dot, 2400, Enforcer, and others are more flexible magnum powders.
 
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BigJimP

New member
I use TiteGroup in 9mm, .40S&W, .45acp, .38spl, .357 mag and .44 mag.

Its specially formulated to give you good ignition - even in cases like .44 mag where you have a lot of extra case room.

I think its clean / meters very well ....and no reason not to use it in all of your handgun calibers. My only reservation - is the charge amounts are low - and the range of min to max is often 0.4 ....so you have to have your press tuned up so it drops dead nuts on your goal drop qty. Having a press with a powder check die is a plus if you're going to use powders like TiteGroup - not that you can't load TiteGroup with a press without the powder check / but having it makes me feel a lot better. It would be very easy to double charge a case with TiteGroup if you are not paying attention - and that would not be good. But in terms of performance, TiteGroup does very well in my opinion.
 
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mikejonestkd

New member
I mostly reload for plinking light loads in 9mm, 38 special, ,357, 44 mag, 45 auto and 45 colt and I have had very nice results with the following powders :
Bullseye ( although it is dirty ), trailboss, W231 and tightgroup. If I had to choose a great starting powder it would be w231
 
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Doodlebugger45

New member
Besides the True Blue from Ramshot, you might also consider Silhouette from them. I haven't used it myself since it doesn't really fit my caliber needs, but I've just been so impressed by the other Ramshot powders like True Blue and Enforcer that I have come to really like all their other stuff I have tried.
 
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ryalred

New member
If you can achieve the accuracy and velocity that is satisfactory for YOU, with one powder, then go for it.

I'm like some others, I like to tinker, so, I try different powders for the same caliber. However, that's my choice. If your satisfied with what you get with the one powder, that is fine. You don't have to please anyone but yourself.
 
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zippy13

New member
I've been using Bullseye in my 38/.357/.45 for years; but, my buddies have me convinced to give Titegroup a try. Thus far, it's been sold out every time I've checked in at the LGSs.
 
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rtpzwms

New member
One powder? Can we say rut? Mixing things up a little will allow you to see the differences with different powders. Most every powder manufacture have a fair description of the powder usage. You might want to try something like Alliant 2400 for the 357 Mag loads but something else for 38 spl. If you want to push the 357 to the max your choice might be Power Pistol. Take a look here for some very basic descriptions of Alliant handgun powder. Here is some loading info from accurate powder. From the load data you might get some more ideas about powders and your needs.
 
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sonnycrockett

Moderator
I load 40s with various powders
Unique for Cast bullets (I tried today for the first time),Universal for anything and Longshot for maximum BANG.......Titegroup is next on my list
 
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Huskerguy

New member
Steve - thanks for the link to the Glock site. My 40 is an XDM and I absolutely love that gun, accurate as heck.

rtp - I said I would like to but didn't have to use a single powder. I have some Red Dot laying around and think I will try it with my 40. I have read it is a good powder for the 40.

I do not load hot as most of my shooting is hole punching and my wife shoots as well. I shoot a lot of 38's with 3.2 of TG with a 158 grain LSWC and 1.445 OAL and it is a very nice comfortable load.

I have heard read some articles about TG and 40's. Thanks
 
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jimbob86

Moderator
One Powder for every Use?

You *COULD* do that.... and you *COULD* use a single knife for every task, too ........ you'd look pretty silly buttering toast with a Shrade Sharpfinger.... but not as silly as you would gutting a deer with a butter knife!

There are correct tools for every job- though you don't need specialized tools for every job ..... some tools are just inappropriate for some jobs.

..... loading large cases with fast powders allows for accidental double charges: foolish practice. While you *CAN* use 800X or W231 for 125gr .357 loads..... load density is below 50%, allowing you to accidentally put, say..... 20 grains of 800X in a .357 case...... I'd hate to see what that would do....
 
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Sport45

New member
..... loading large cases with fast powders allows for accidental double charges: foolish practice. While you *CAN* use 800X or W231 for 125gr .357 loads..... load density is below 50%, allowing you to accidentally put, say..... 20 grains of 800X in a .357 case...... I'd hate to see what that would do....
Click to expand...

So you're saying Trail Boss is the only powder you use? It's the only one I can think of that can't fit a double charge in any cartridge. ;)

Huskerguy, there aren't many powders that you can't double or triple in large capacity, low pressure rounds like .38 spcl, .44 spcl, and .45 Colt. That's why we weigh, measure, and check everything. Get in the habit of looking in every case before seating a bullet. It works just as well to eliminate squibs (I learned the hard way :() as it does to avoid double charges. If anything interrupts your routine on a progressive re-check every cartridge on the machine before proceeding.
 
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sirrah243

New member
Titegroup in 40 S&W

I load 4.5 Titegroup and 155 LSWC for my Sig 229. Its a snappy round. I'm going to try it for 38 special too.
 
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jimbob86

Moderator
So you're saying Trail Boss is the only powder you use? It's the only one I can think of that can't fit a double charge in any cartridge.
Click to expand...

You missed the whole point of my post...... which was that using one powder for all applications is silly. Of course i don't use Trail Boss for everything.... I guess folks read what they want to.

I was just pointing out a safety reason for not taking a "One size fits all" approach. It's just a good idea to keep load density above 50% ..... it would also help eliminate "positional" differences in ignition (all the powder at the front fo the case on one shot, vs. all the powder at the back of the case on the next). ...... granted, it might not make a huge difference if you are just plinking, but if you are trying to make the most accurate ammo possible....

You can weigh, measure, check and recheck ...... it is just much easier to use a more suitable powder for the cartridge.
 
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