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Posted: 11/14/2008 10:32:33 AM EDT
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I am looking to make a rather large powder purchase. I have 5000 Nosler 185JHP .45 ACP bullets and brass, 5000 .40SW cases (have not bought bullets yet but am leaning towards 165gr) and 4000 .38spl cases and Winchester 158gr bullets. My goal is one powder for all 3 calibers. I lave loaded off and on for years. Most .45 loads were lead bullseye stuff and the .38 were mostly using 2400.
These loads represent my hoard/stockpile stuff and will be used in a wide variety of guns. I also am looking for fairly high velocitys but no max loads because of the different guns they will be used in. Second priority is clean burn/low smoke and easy to meter. So far Vihtavuori N340 is on the short list but is pricey. Power Pistol looks like a decent candidate but I have no experiance with it. Without getting into splitting hairs on pet recipies, what do you guys think on these powder and others as well. TIA. |
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Hmm - .45 and 38 only run about 15,000 PSI.
40 runs up to 35,000 PSI. There is no one "ideal" powder for these rounds and your requirements. BUT, Solo 1000 comes mighty close. You mention Vihta Vouri? Its all single-base powder - which is GOOD. Solo 1000 is also single base. Its very very clean. Solo 1000 will safely throw 180 grainers at over 930 FPS out of a .40 - is that fast enough for you? (damn accurate stuff, too!). Solo 1000 is your powder. DON'T EVEN THINK OF USING UNIQUE! Its dirty as hell. It was good when they invented it over 100 years ago (no joke - the stuff is 100+ years old) - but the same can be said about the Model T Ford. Surprisingly, they have invented better gunpowder and better cars in the last 100 years. BTW - for hotter loads in 40 - look at Power Pistol. |
| It might not be the best choice, but I use Hodgdon Universal for .380, 9mm, 9mm Largo, .40, and .45 with good results. I'm using minimum/starting loads for FMJ with Berry's or Rainier plated bullets in all the pistol calibers. It burns clean and all my pistols seem to shoot good. |
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Quoted:
I am looking to make a rather large powder purchase. I have 5000 Nosler 185JHP .45 ACP bullets and brass, 5000 .40SW cases (have not bought bullets yet but am leaning towards 165gr) and 4000 .38spl cases and Winchester 158gr bullets. My goal is one powder for all 3 calibers. I lave loaded off and on for years. Most .45 loads were lead bullseye stuff and the .38 were mostly using 2400. These loads represent my hoard/stockpile stuff and will be used in a wide variety of guns. I also am looking for fairly high velocitys but no max loads because of the different guns they will be used in. Second priority is clean burn/low smoke and easy to meter. So far Vihtavuori N340 is on the short list but is pricey. Power Pistol looks like a decent candidate but I have no experiance with it. Without getting into splitting hairs on pet recipies, what do you guys think on these powder and others as well. TIA. unique –– it will do for most rifles, and all shotguns too. |
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Quoted:
Hmm - .45 and 38 only run about 15,000 PSI. 40 runs up to 35,000 PSI. There is no one "ideal" powder for these rounds and your requirements. BUT, Solo 1000 comes mighty close. You mention Vihta Vouri? Its all single-base powder - which is GOOD. Solo 1000 is also single base. Its very very clean. Solo 1000 will safely throw 180 grainers at over 930 FPS out of a .40 - is that fast enough for you? (damn accurate stuff, too!). Solo 1000 is your powder. DON'T EVEN THINK OF USING UNIQUE! Its dirty as hell. It was good when they invented it over 100 years ago (no joke - the stuff is 100+ years old) - but the same can be said about the Model T Ford. Surprisingly, they have invented better gunpowder and better cars in the last 100 years. BTW - for hotter loads in 40 - look at Power Pistol. learn to clean your gun. by the way they reformulated it. now it is as clean as any other powder, and still works in just about all rifle, shotgun, and hand gun cartriges. |
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Power Pistol is good. .347 to .45. Big +1. I was also searching for a 'universal' powder that would work in .357,. 9mm, 45 and maybe even .44 Mag. PP works pretty well for these. It is great in 9 and 45 (and 40). Some say it has quite a flash to it, but I've never noticed it while shooting, and I've only ever had one comment on it, and that was in a dimly lit indoor range. |
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I have used Clays in my trap loads. How is it with regards to dirt/smoke in a pistol cartridge? Smoke is my only beef with Bullseye. You may as well be shooting a musket.  Clays and Universal Clays are two different powders. Universal Clays is much slower than just plain Clays. Alliant Unique or Hodgdon Universal Clays would work well in all the cartridges you mention. Not ideal in every one, but nothing would be. |
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Unique is very sooty when you try to load it real lite. With medium loads and above it is really not too bad. The "dirt" actually cleans up pretty easy at any rate. Some still don't like it. Unigue is also quite flexable being useable for shotgun and many cast bullet rifle loads so it is a good powder to have around.
I understand wanting to simplfy but with something like 15,000 pistol cases to reload you are going to need at least two 8 lb jugs so why not choose your powder to fit your caliber instead of trying to fit all your reloads to come out of one powder can? I try o buy my powder in 8 lb jugs to save money but I use the big jug to refill a 1 lb can (with factory label !) With any type of reasonable storage conditions a jug of powder will be good many years If you have two or three different powders on hand and want to add another caliber or some other bullet weight you stand a better chance of being able to match things up. |
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I am looking to make a rather large powder purchase. I have 5000 Nosler 185JHP .45 ACP bullets and brass, Titegroup. Also for 115 grain 9mm if you ever go there. I'd use American Select for 124s. 5000 .40SW cases (have not bought bullets yet but am leaning towards 165gr) and Use the CLAYS you already stock. 4000 .38spl cases and Winchester 158gr bullets. You can use Titegroup for 158gr cast/jacketed, but it isn't going to fill the case, <4grains, or even CLAYS, @around 3 grains max. I prefer Universal, although I have to weigh each charge, doesn't dispense well from my powder measure (light charges). If I shot more .38 Special or had less Universal on hand I'd try something else, which I probably will down the road. .................................. |
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Quoted:
I understand wanting to simplfy but with something like 15,000 pistol cases to reload you are going to need at least two 8 lb jugs so why not choose your powder to fit your caliber instead of trying to fit all your reloads to come out of one powder can? I try o buy my powder in 8 lb jugs to save money but I use the big jug to refill a 1 lb can (with factory label !) With any type of reasonable storage conditions a jug of powder will be good many years If you have two or three different powders on hand and want to add another caliber or some other bullet weight you stand a better chance of being able to match things up. You make good sense buying more than 1 powder. I think I will split the order to 12lb of Power Pistol and 12lbs of VihtaVuori N340. The Power Pistol seems to be an excellent choice in the .40 and 9mm (even though I don't currently reload 9mm). Has any one used the N340 or any of VihtaVuori's pistol powders for that matter, or has the price and scaresness of it held most back? |
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