Home Forums Reloading Handgun Reloading Win 231/ HP-38 and Colt .45

because of way things are ,cant get my usual Unique but have lots of Win 231/HP-38 any down sides to using it in the .45 Colt pushing a 255 grain bullet at 850 fps?

I use 6.9 gr behind 250s for about that speed. USFA revolver. Clean, accurate, uniform. Might be a bit more than I'd want in a prewar Colt tho.

Should be just fine with 231. Like you, I much prefer Unique or Universal. Unique is my first choice.

No problem.

I've loaded 250gr cast lead bullets with W231/HP-38 using Hodgdon's load data, and they were very tame, even with high book loads. Here's a link to a thread on it: https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...671/45-colt-new-target-load#Post14820671

I never got the accuracy with 231 that I got with Unique or HS-6 using the Lyman design #454424, 255 grain SWC, but nowadays, if I had only 231, I'd sure work with and try a variety of loads. You may have better luck with it than I did.

I recently tried 7.2grs of win 231 pushing my cast 255 Keith slugs in the 45 Colt with excellent results. Shot very well at 50yds. I was going to load up a whole bunch more until I had another idea and switched to a different powder, but hey, what's life if you don't experiment?

Is Hp38 the same powder as W231?

Yes.

Yup. Same/same.

If you are in doubt, go to Hodgdon's reloading site and compare data where they provide both a W231 load and a HP38 load for the same bullet. The powder charges are always identical.

7.3 grs. Of 231 with 255 gr. Bullet shoots best in my Ruger super Blackhawk

Used an awful lot of Unique in my time, like it, still like it but hp 38/231. Burns cleaner for me in the 45 colt..mb