Home Forums Reloading Handgun Reloading Your favorite "All around" 45 COLT powder..???

If you could only have "ONE" powder for .45 COLT........What would you choose.....?

OK......What "one" primer.....?

Unique.

300 grain bullet, 4227, CCI 350, heavy crimp. In a strong revolver. Not a Colt or Colt clone load.

Unique. But then again, like .38 Specials, I have no use for heavy jacketed bullet loads.

It would be best to know what make and model of .45 LC revolver the "favorite powder" would be used in. A favorite powder for a large frame Ruger or Freedom Arms revolver might be a big problem in a SAA or Uberti topbreak.

Freedom Arms chambered for .454 CASULL and Ruger Super Blackhawk also chambered for .454 CASULL and H&R "single shot" .45 COLT

The question is "If you could only have "ONE" powder, and wanted that powder to have fairly wide range of applications (Bullet weights and Bullet shapes, and construction) in .45 COLT cartridge, which powder would you choose.

I havent used that many. Unique is my pick from what I have used.

Titegroup is working fine at the level I want with 250-260gr bullets.
Unique was my first choice for years and I have a couple pounds still but Titegroup gets loaded the most.

FFFG Lord Black, my 45 Colt is a SAA Army, no more fun can be had with pants on than it slinging 274gr round flat nose bullets at 966 fps i cast and lubed myself, it dropped a black russian 120lb shoat like a hot potato with an 8 yard forehead shot last November, not up to snuff on full power smokeless 45 Colt loads, but dont think mine is squibbing to bad.

Yup, Unique

Dick

CFE Pistol.

Allows a level slightly above Unique, much cleaner if that matters, followed by Blue Dot. Doesnt get the gun hotter than hades like Longshot does.

Another vote for Unique. It can be used in light plinking/"cowboy" loads, factory equivalent defense loads and heavy hunting loads.

I use to own a Ruger SS NMBH convertible 45 Colt/45 ACP and if memory serves me correctly Power Pistol worked great for medium level loads providing very good accuracy.
I’m currently working with an FA 83 454. For light target loads Titegroup shows a lot of promise for fast powders. I haven’t tested medium powders yet but I plan to test Power Pistol and Longshot. For maximum performance using an FA I’d test H110 but at 454 levels I’m already getting sub half inch groups at 25 yards. If I had to pick one powder for 45 Colt, Unique covers a lot of ground.

My choice too. The only other powder I use for 45 Colt is WW-296 in my heavy loads for Ruger Revolvers only.

How many grains of FFFG, Buddy?

I’ve never shot real black powder in anything besides for my .54 caliber T/C Hawken.

Load books out in the shop buddy, IIRC around 45 grains, dont think a man can get enough black in to cause pressure problems, it a fu-kin' hoot! accurate doesn't lead the bore, plus, that bullet cast with 12 to 1 alloy hit her in the forehead, exited between her tits n front of hams, didn't measure, but had to be near 2.5 feet of penetration, still trying to wrap my head around that one, pic on the way to your cell.

Got it Buddy! Great shot! Thanks!

Universal fills my needs for the 45 Colt.

LOL, Thanks Man, it was 8 yards, that heifer kept coming towards me sitting on the ground, that was close enough, had i spooked her and she attacked, she woulda put a good ass whipping on me with those tusks till i got her shot off me.

In my Ruger Bisley 250 gr XTP over 2400. for plinking 200 gr SWC over HP-38.

Unique.

Youneek 😊

1907 Colt SAA. 6.0-6.5 grains of Red Dot. 250 grain cast Keith bullet.

I got really good results with CFE Pistol, and that is what I would use if I could get it. Never used Unique, but Universal seems to work OK. Have been loading Tightgroop lately because I have it and it works pretty good, although 5.8 grains of it is a ridiculously small amount in that huge case.

Bob

I don't know if they are my favorites but they're what I use, Trail Boss and 700 X.

No HS-6 fans?!

You all are going to break John Linebaugh's heart!

UNIQUE

I'm gonna have to try that - I load a lot of BP in muzzleloaders and BPCR, but never have in revolvers. I have a Vaquero 45 Colt that probably needs that treatment.

Hodgdon Universal, definitely.

I used to use Unique, but tried Universal and never went back. It meters better, burns cleaner, and is almost identical.

I use Titegroup and Trail Boss. I plan on trying AA-9 soon for some heavy duty loads.
Both work well in my 4.5" Ruger and 92 Rossi

Man it's fun JGray, just for kicks i like to go shoot at dusk, 4 feet of flame out the front and two feet out each side. Plus, carrying a Colt SAA on your belt with a '74 Sharps or original '86 Winchester all loaded with Lord Black is only natural.

I own two 45 colts, both Ruger Bisley’s. Had a Blackhawk but it’s long gone.
For my jacket bullets (mostly 300gr.) I’ve always used h110/296. For my cast loads which consists of only two styles nowadays (A 300gr. silhouette bullet & a Keith bullet that varies between 280/285gr.) I use 2400.
I’ve used 231, titegroup, unique, hs6, never used but shot a lot of my buddies red dot loads. With all sorts of cast bullets, they all worked good. I just wanted to simplify. And I did the same for my 44mag loads too.

For the moment, HS-6 is the powder of choice for my Redhawk 45 Colt. I didn't jump into the conversation because I don't yet have enough experience with the powder to be able to say it falls into the "all around powder" category. But...for what I want to do with my rig - and that's push a 255gr. SWC to moderate or a half step above moderate - so far HS-6 has beaten both Universal and Unique for me.

AA 7. Works in my 45 Blackhawk and my Henry.

Yep. Been loading some Universal with 250gr Missouri rnfp. Been working rather well actually. Load is with 7.2-7.4gr. Damn accurate.

There is a reason for the similarity in the two names....Unique/Universal.





.

Yup. No accident there.
Both powders have wide-ranging application in handgun reloading, and so both are somewhat "Universal".
And, Unique has always been the beloved old standby of reloaders.
Both powders have the same burn rate on the chart.
So, a clever marketing name choice for Hodgdon.

Maybe they could clone a fine-metering replacement for Herco and call it Hodco.

Universal

Unique for target loads and 296 for whiz bang loads.

Yep! Universal or Unique.

Unique or Herco