So what have you used and what was it like? I've used titegroup and thats about it. I want to have attest 1 more powder on hand. Came here to figure out what people have used and what works well. I've learned a lot of 300 reloads, that most powders have their characteristics. Some clearner than others, some a bit flashy, high sd/es. Not just a "which ones best" but a what have you liked / disliked and why.

I’ve only used w321/HP-38. It’s what I found locally and never had a reason to try anything else.

It meters well and I found a good load with 115gr 9mm that cycles my glocks reliably.

Exactly this. HP-38 was my first and only pistol powder. It cycles everything I’ve used it in, and it meters exceptionally well. It’s also easy to find and cheap.

I’m just now getting into other powders but don’t have enough experience to comment on them, and that’s only because I’m looking for upper power level 10mm loads which HP-38 isn’t suitable for.

Take your reloading manual and read the front of it section.  Read the small write ups for the cartridges that you are interested it.
Lots of powders can work for a bullet / cartridge combo.  But are they optimum, NOPE.  You need to invest in yourself.
Reading will be enlightening to say the least.

What's your goal? What cartridge(s) are you loading?

Competition/plinking, fast powders like Titegroup, are usually preferred, less powder used and slightly less recoil. Those will be the ones at the top of data pages.

SD, SD training, mid to slow, more velocity, usually more flash and sometimes noise.

Cleanliness is overrated. I have yet to find a powder so dirty I couldn't run thousands of rounds without cleaning. And a powder may be filthy at low charges but quite clean near max.

Best accuracy is anyone's guess, you can probably find very accurate loads anywhere along the burn rate.

I'm not the OP, but I was here to look at this topic.  New to reloading pistol.  Looking at powders now.  Will be reloading 9 and 45.

Just started looking, but it seems that Titegroup and CFE Pistol works well for 45 -- agreed?

According to my reloading book, CFE Pistol also works for the 9mm, but curious what you all are using to reload 9mm defensive rounds?  Have a few thousand 147g HSTs I can load up.

Thanks!!

Depends on what you have and what you want and what tradeoffs you want to make.


If you shoot pistols all across the span you need three powders if you want optimal power performance.  You cannot run the fastest of powders in the magnums and still get full magnum performance.  They pressure peak too fast.

So you need a fast powder suitable for target loads up to medium performance.   Your tightgroup, bullseye, w231, AA2 class fast powder.  

Medium powders pick up there for efficient full power in most auto cartridges and old school duty revolver loads.  Unique, AA5, BE86, I think silhouette too.   You can download them but they tend to burn dirty that way.   You’re now reaching toward magnum performance with some.  

Heavy magnum performance for when you want all you can get for heavy magnums,  starting on the low end with H110 for .357 and 2400 for old school magnum performance.  Not my stomping grounds in the big magnums but I have used this powder class in cast bullet rifle loading and I leave that for another thread.    These powders would be rotten for light mouse fart loads in say .38special.  


Then you can slew powder choice due to shifting bullet weights from light to heavy.  

Or if you want more flash to get your race gun comp to add downward thrust
Or another powder for flash retardant.
Or changing the recoil felt pulse for shooter style preference, I prefer slow slide speeds, many like the fastest slide speeds they can get.  


Having chosen one perfect powder for say 9mm will not give the same attributes in .45 ACP, to get a similar burn effect  on a bullet twice as heavy.....is a different mathematical problem.  


Bottom line, choose one in the right burn rate based on research and try it.  

W231/HP-38 is a good powder I've used in many different calibers and loads. Works well and is usually easily found.

Clays works well for me in 38 special plinking loads, very clean.

Red Dot has been really accurate for me in 45 Colt

Win 296 for magnum and Ruger only 45 Colt

I used Bullseye, Unique, and 2400 for nearly 30 years for almost everything.  Then the last time we had a reloading supply shortage I couldn't get those at the local store.  So I tried Accurate #2, #7, & H110.  They all work the same.  The only comments I have are I can get slightly more power in my magnums with the H110 and I find the Accurate powders meter a lot better.

I really am starting to like Alliant/Hercules 2400 for .357 Magnum loads. My smith loves that powder.

Bullseye is my go-to for 9mm and .38 loads

Unique is dirty but worked okay for me in 9mm and .45

Havent loaded the Win 231 or 296 i have yet but i hear good things.

Red Dot also works well for me in .38 and .357 and pulls double duty as a shotgun powder if i go that route

Steelonsteel pretty much covered my own sentiments.

If you have a target or cowboy revolver, you may also want to learn about Trailboss. That one is great for powderpuff loads without being dangerous.

I only load for 9mm and .45 auto, for those two calibers, both CFE Pistol and Power Pistol have provided consistent numbers and good groups across a variety of projectile weights. To generalize, target or plinking ammo is usually CFE Pistol while Power Pistol is reserved for high velocity loads. PP is quite flashy though.

Outside of those two auto service calibers I don't have any experience.

HP-38 is what I’ve always used for 9mm 40 & 45. Training rounds as I’ve bought SD ammo.

Recently picked up some Gold Dots and needed a different powder to safely meet the velocity requirements.

Ordered VV 3N37.

Research in the archives saw the following list form:

HP-38/Win 231 (partly why I bought it way back when)
Ramshot True Blue
Alliant Power Pistol
Unique
VV3N37
CFE Pistol

If you’re curious for 62gr 223 bullets:
Ramshot Tac
CFE 223
8208XBR
AR Comp
H322 (what I bought in bulk and have always used)
H355

I picked up the Ramshot TAC & VV 3N37. Really wanted to get True Blue as well but it was out. You need to consider Temperature Sensitivity as well when making a purchase for powder you’re intending to use at/near max charge. Hodgon’s got a specific line that are, Ramshot all are, as are Vihtavuori from my understanding due to being derived from cotton and not cellulose. (May be screwing that last bit up somebody correct me if I’m wrong.)

But as another poster said, middling performance for most is easy, specific requirements for each requires research and seeking out the opinions of experienced users to narrow the list. IE this powder meters like dog shit. You running an XL 650? That could be a major damn problem.

Hp38/231 is a good powder. But it is not the same as it used to be. You have to run it way over max charges to get the same performance of 20 years ago. Power pistol will do very well in 9,45. Don't overlook bullseye. It is a very good tried and trued powder for both. While I like Titgroup, it goes from normal to way overboard very fast. It is not a forgiving powder. It burns hotter than the other powders also. All of my guns get a lot warmer when I use it than other powders.

Id really like to know your results.

I've come to really like vv powders.

I've used n110 and n120 in 300 blk with good results.

For 223 I use tac for plinking and xbr / varget for target and high grain loads. I still have a half an #8 reloaded 15 I bought used off a guy here. Still need to find a use for it. Maybe 6mm CM? I've tried it with 69 grain SMK and its really loud compared to tac or blc2. Maybe too slow?

H4350 for 6mm CM

Titegroup is all I've ever used for Pistol.


Anyway back to topic.

Anyone used 3n37 or n350? I don't mind paying the extra for powder as an #8 would last me years...

I have tried most all powders at one time or another in just about every common caliber and still use good old BULLSEYE for 9mm and 45acp. it is the most accurate for me in my guns

I use a lot of W231 but have been trying to expand my experience to more modern powders.  Not that I need to have my plinking loads with flash retardant but I certainly like to have it.  I buy duty ammo so I don’t need to carry my reloads for social work.   It is very good but I did try Clays when I found some military pistol teams were using it with a match 185 grain hollow point in the 1911.     It is clean.  Cleaner than 231 and bullseye.  


Don’t overlook the shotgun powders for good utility loads.  And bonus they are stocked more often in 8 pounders for clay target shooters.  When I ran low on W321, used up my AA2 I used clays and universal clays in pistol applications with good results. I had the clays leftover from my shotgun days.   There are warnings about them getting spooky erratic when near max so don’t get complacent at the bench.  

I've used a wide range of powders and have migrated to the Accurate brand. These powders meter wonderfully, are clean and...accurate! I use these for my revolvers and higher pressure auto cartridges like 10mm. Between AA#2, #5, #7 and #9 you have the entire range of burn rates that you'd ever need for any pistol cartridge.

For light target loads I really like WST. It's a "fluffy" powder that fills more of the case for small charge weights and burns very clean. This powder is my go to for 45 ACP and lighter loads for 9mm and 40 S&W.

I came across this recently, it has more powders then any other chart I have seen, good for figuring out what's worth trying....It list over 500 powders...

http://www.theballisticassistant.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Powder-Relative-Burn-Rate-1-30-2020.pdf

Early on, I tried Bullseye and Unique but found them to leave my firearm coated in soot.  They were too dirty - ridiculously so.

I tried W231 and liked it.

I tried Superfield and Clays but found they produced too much smoke.  When shooting indoors and even out of doors on a windless day, a magazine of round leaves you in a grey cloud.  They did leave the gun clean but made too much smoke.

I settled on W231.  It produces an acceptable amount of smoke.  It does not dirty the gun.  Accuracy is good.  It is versatile enough to work for all handgun cartridges I have and know of.  

I use W296 for full power 357 magnum loads but other than that, everything else is W231.

9mm, 45ACP, 10mm- CFE Pistol and Longshot.
357 magnum- AA #9, Longshot, CFE Pistol
44 magnum- H110, AA #9, Longshot
I find a near perfect for caliber powder, then develop loads for all calibers with that powder.
So far, Longshot is proving most versatile followed closely by CFE-Pistol.

Nice find...thanks for sharing!

Keep it going. This has been helpful

Good morning all,

Recently trying out a few new powders in 9X19 (16" Carbine and 3.5" pistol) and struggling to develop a load for a CZ-52 7.62X25 Tokarev.

Having really good results with Shooters World Clean Shot (a different labeled Accurate #2) in 9X19. Recoil (I know extremely subjective) is more of a long push than a sharp snap

and noticeable in both pistol and carbine. SW Clean Shot does burn clean but soot has never been an issue with me personally with any propellant and even less so now that I'm

using a Frankford Arsenal rotary tumbler (F.A.R.T.).

IMR Green Dot is proving very accurate, efficient and versatile and has been providing great results with 115gr bullets in my 9mm Carbine which seems to prefer 124-5gr bullets.

IMR Blue Dot is impressing the hell out of me with full power 9mm loads 124-5gr bullets both pistol and carbine.

Ramshot True Blue is wonderful in that it meters extremely well in most traditional steel drum powder measures. And in my Lee Perfect Powder Measure with the polymer drum

those tiny little sphears leak a bit and I have to catch it with a bag on the floor but it's very much worth it with the performance that True Blue provides. My old Lee powder measure

has provided decades of precision throws with even the most crunchiest of stick powders and even the big flake powders that give other measures fits.

Early results with Alliant Power Pistol has been disappointing in 9X19. The flash from a full power 9X19 in a 3.5" barrel may be entertaining but nice tight groups have always been more my thing.

Hodgdon TiteGroup is a good powder for snappy and accurate 9X19.

With all the uncertainty floating around the upcoming election and this moronic (my personal opinion) political handling of this virus thing I have purchased and been having a great deal

of fun experimenting with quite a few new powders. The old standbys like Unique, Accurate #7, HP-38/231, and 800-X still provide great results as well.

As always stay within reliable published data and use safe reloading practices.

I think I'm going to be an outlier here.  My two all-time favorites, Winchester Super Lite (WSL) and PB have been discontinued.  Sad, because they were versatile and clean burning.

I have settled on AA5 for almost all pistol loads.  I use it mostly in .45 ACP and .40 SW, which constitute most of our usage.  I picked it because it meters well, it's clean burning and because AA5 seems to have a wide range of applications in which I can work up an accurate load (no pun intended).  I worked up loads with AA5 in .45 ACP LRN bullets when my wife was competing.  

For others, 2400 in .357 jacketed loads.  Light recoil, but the accompanying "boom" might suggest otherwise.  I used 231 for many years in .38 sp and .380.  When my wide was competing in revolver, I created some really good 158 LRN loads for her, first in 231, then in WSL and then in PB.  The WSL and PB loads were the best.  I haven't tried AA5 in .357 or .38 yet.

I will be honest- I think having too many choices can be more trouble than it is worth at times.  Find something good and stick with it.  

I used to be a unique only for a couple calibers of pistol guy, then I got more into loading and added HP38/w231 and Bullseye, next was the last scarcity when you bought whatever somewhat suitable powders were in stock, then I ended up with some estate sale stuff,  and ultimately I ended up with just too many choices!  

I have tried a lot of stuff recently for some 9mm loadings and when you have the ability to try half the powders listed for a caliber and weight, plus working up loads, it is too much.

Decide how you are going to dispense your powder, as some will not be as easy (Consistent) to use in a dispenser.  Then look for a couple of powders that are usually widely available and have a lot of load range for the calibers you need, and go from there.  

Don’t get me started on rifle powders!


( FYI I am always chasing subsonic, lightweight loadings so I can shoot suppressed in the backyard without bothering the neighbors.  If you don’t care about such things you can do a lot less work on load development.)

How accurate is this?  The reason I ask is the chart shows red dot way below bullseye, and even below hp-38, and shows promo even lower.  Here is a chart showing red dot being #9 and promo #10 with bullseye being #15, and hp-38 being #35 on the chart.



I understand it is all relevant to the actual burn rate which most of these mentioned powders might be within very close measurements.  As some of my manuals show very similar load weights between red dot and bullseye and even titegroup.  Everything I have read about red dot and promo is they are very similar and are basically the same powder but manufactured differently and must be measured by weight and not volume because of this.

If I had an ocean of time, I'd do more research on this. Sadly, I do not. There's reloading for general shooting, then reloading for maximum accuracy/velocity. The further I go down the rabbit hole, the more I see those two aren't the same, not by a long shot.

I've been bit too hard by past panic runs, so when I began reloading, I bought everything I think I may use some day. For pistol that meant Bullseye, Accurate No7, Sport Pistol, HP-38 and Win 231, Tight Group, Unique, 2400, Trail Boss, H110, Silhouette.

I've played around a ton with both 44 magnum and 9mm. It not only comes down to what weight of projectile your particular gun likes, but also how hard that projectile needs to be driven and with what powder to accomplish that.

In 9mm, I stuck to 115 Hornady HAP. I tried all kinds of powders and what I found was interesting. There are definite distinct differences in accuracy...but also within limits of loads. That projectile may be most accurate with x fps from a charge of A, but suck with the same fps of powder B...but then the results flop when you change the fps. In other words, there's just so many variables that it's like hitting a mosquito with a dart.

In the end, I gave up and stick to "general" shooting reloads for 9mm.

44 magnum is a completely different story.

To sum up my long winded story, this rabbit hole can go as deep as you're willing to take it, but it doesn't have to be that hard for general range ammo.

I honestly don't know...I have used many of the slowest powders on the list, and it aligns pretty close by what I have seen results wise on those slow powders..This is something I chanced across a while back and saved just in case...

I'll let you know, all of it gets here Tuesday and I'll hit the range this weekend.

I only use TG though I have other powders on hand.  It's cheap, effective and dirty.  

Did I mention it's dirty?

Well @clausewitz8 how'd it go?

In the current situation one parameter for any powder I use is availability.

I can't help you out with 3N37 but most of the guys I shoot with use N320 and we buy the 48# max for the group which does help keep the cost down. Also it's quite a bit cheaper in the 4lb containers.

It's cleaner than TG and burns way cooler which is nice. On a practice day we are putting 1k rounds down range in fairly short order and TG gets the slide so hot the fiber optics break. Also shooting several thousand rounds a month it's always nice to be able to clean less frequently.

It's a great powder to push a 147gr bullet 900-950 FPS (USPSA shooters) and if you wanted more velocity I'd strongly suggest another VV powder like 3N37. They make good powder and it's worth the cost to me.

@Sincerd

Used the VV load data. COAL - 1.142 4.7-5.1gr 3N37

5.1gr is basically a clone load of 147gr Speer Gold Dot factory.

Speer factory 934-967 FPS
3N37 GD 147gr - 959-971 FPS

Accuracy was good. Highly recommend.

I feel like with the internet the way it is. Not may pistol powders hard to find. If it not at one site its at another. The exception I've seen is varget & h4350 the beginning of this year.

Have you ran it with anything lighter? I dont even own 147 .355s

124s is where it really shines. 1100-1240fps