Home Forums Reloading Handgun Reloading Just 2 Powders for all your handguns

I am thinking of reducing my handgun powders to W231/HP38 and W296/H110. I’ve been trying to use HS6, 2400, Unique and several others. But as far as I’ve found I can load everything I load with the exception of my 10mm (maybe) with these two powders.
I load for 38,357,9mm,44,45, and 10mm as far as my handgun loading.

Can I please have your options on this?

Just an opinion. Power Pistol fast end and if you want an alternative to H110 go AA9.

Yes you probably could, but I don’t see those as being the optimum powders for all the calibers. Other problem is that if you put all your eggs into one or 2 powders what happens if and when you can’t find them.

Longshot , CFE Pistol and Power Pistol I've ran in every round you mentioned.

Unique

Loading 9mm and .44 Magnum I'd pared my powder selection down to Unique and HS-6. I shoot the "Skeeter Skelton" load of 7.5gr. of Unique with 200gr. RNFP bullet a load I've shot for nearly 25 yrs. In 9mm I use both Unique and HS-6, I picked up a pound of HS-6 from a friend for $5.00 otherwise I'd be happy with Unique in the 9mm.

My loads with unique have left my guns with a sticky powder residue on them. Maybe I’m not pushing it hard enough?

W231 (or W244) & W296.

Unique is useful but too dirty with anything under near max loads.

Universal or Titegroup and H110 for the majority of those. I do not load for 10mm or .45ACP, so I don't know what to tell you about that. It is nice to have two main powders, but also a plus to have a variety of others for specialty loadings that you might want to experiment with. I use both Titegroup and Universal for .38SPL and 9mm. For .357 I use either 2400 or H110. For .44 Russian either Titegroup or Universal. .44 Mag gets either Universal, 2400, H110, or Titegroup, they all work for what I want from them. I have recently loaded some 9mm and .38SPL+P with Vihtavouri 3N37 with really good results. It should work very well with .357 also, but I have not yet tried it. Incidentally, I also load .380 ACP and .45 Colt with both Universal and Titegroup. .32 S&W Long gets either 2400 or Universal. 9mm Makarov gets Titegroup.

I using Unique and choose 2400 over H110/W296 just because I wouldn't have to stock magnum primers for ball powders.

As an afterthought Blue Dot works well in 9mm, .357, and .44 . Would probably work in the 10mm but I’ve never loaded that cartridge.

And there’s a guy around here that’ll give you low velocity loads for centerfire rifle using Blue Dot. Some day that could come in handy.

Universal and Universal

Universal for sure.It is a cleaner burning powder than all you mentioned. I prefer 2400 over H110 as I reloaded more.357 than 44mag. Plus I use it in my older 38-55 and 38-40

If I had to, I could live with HP 38 and H110. I shoot all the the op's cartridges except the 10mm.
Other choices:
AA#2 and AA#9
Red Dot and Blue Dot

Since the only handguns I load for are .32 S&W Long, .32-20, .38 Special, and .45ACP, and .45 Colt (in an old Colt New Service), I can get by just fine just Bullseye and Unique which I have a stupid amount of. There's HP-38/W-231 on the shelf too, and a pile of Clays and Universal Clays left over from a long ago shotgun addiction. I'm just an old fart with old fart-ish ideas about handgun needs! (But those powders + cast bullets allow me to punch a lot of paper and ring a lot of steel, and woe betide any two-legged predators.)

All the handgun powders I have and use are
Unique and 2400
Those 2 do everything I need to do

As far as "residue ", I have many cleaning patches

As long as the projectile does what I want, everything
else is immaterial

If I could have just 2 powders, Unique, and 296/H110 would be my choices



cdb

Only two? Damn. 2400 and Universal. Glad I have enough to last a long time. Unique also. But, OP said two.

Longshot and 296/H110 will do it all.