Is there one powder you guys would recommend that would give good results in all 3? H110 and W296 are the only pistol powders I ever use, and they are just for the "big stuff".........

I'm never sure what somebody means when they use the word "best" in questions like this. Do you mean the most accurate? Highest velocity? Most consistent measuring? Lowest charge weights? Most economical? Every one of those might elicit a different answer.

A powder that will WORK in all three? W231, Universal, AA#5, Titegroup and several others will work, but no single powder will be optimal in all three.

RR has a good point.

I'd vote for Titegroup. It works very well in all three, good velocities and low charge weight means it's lasts a long time.

Alan

Ken,

Both Unique & PowerPistol will work well in all 3 calibers, although I load very little for the 40 S&W.

I've been pretty much converted to PP lately as it's cleaner than Unique, meters very accurately and the load density on those cases is good.

I would STRONGLY advise you to be EXTREMELY careful with the 40 S&W, especially if it's a Glock.

They advise against handloads; problem can be the small unsupported case head......some guns are worse in this respect than others.

If you do it, go to the light side on the loads.

I haven't had a 40 in a while but just picked up a new one last week.......won't load much for it, if all all. Ball for routine practice and a few of what I'll carry in it every couple of weeks to to verify function.

I use the 45's for most routine shooting & loading; 6.7 gr. of PP with 200 gr. LSWC's & 6.4 gr. with LRN's. Same for jacket bullets.

With the 9mm, 6.1 gr. with 124 gr jacketed bullet & 5.3 with 147's

MM

I load my autoloaders with Unique and have had good success on
accuracy. Where the barrels are under 4 1/2" -5" (this also pertains to my non-mag. revolvers) I think this is a perfect all
around powder. For longer barrels and/or magnum revolvers I go
to Blue Dot or H110. (I have no longer barrel autos.) For many
years these have filled all my needs, even tho I have tried others which did work. After all is said and done, it is what works and what you feel comfortable with. I have not had any
'metering' problems with either, however, in my rifle powder, I
did go from stick powders to ball powder for that reason.
Happy reloading!!!

IIRC, Unique is a very "dirty" powder. 231 or Blue dot was my original thought. 231 is not the cleanest either. How clean is Power Pistol?(never tried it).........

Power Pistol is much cleaner than Unique, IMO.

Blue Dot is not suited to these 3 cases.

MM

I’m gonna try Titegroup in my three autos. It’s about all I can find right now.

I use Bullseye in all 3 calibers, plus the .38 Special. Been using Bullseye since the 1960's and have never seen a reason to change. You can get full power in all of those cartridges and a pound of powder goes a LONG way.

Something right at the burn rate of ACC #5 would be what I'd use. I don't load for the 45 ACP, but I do load the Colt at standard pressure, and the data is very close with the ACP.

The new improved Unique is much cleaner than the older version.

I've never had any "dirtiness" issues with the new Unique. Actually, I never found the old Unique as bad as it was often made out to be.

My primary powder for the 9mm and .45 ACP are Titegroup, and AA5, and the Shooters World version of AA5 calls AutoPistol.

Winchester 231 is my 'zero to sixty' powder in 38/357, 40, 44 Mag and both American 45 cartridges.

ETA: I don't load 9 but if I did I'd load it with W231.

I use 231's cousin HP38. I'd use Unique and feel good if I could find it.

H110 gives me maximum accuracy and performance both for all of my big bore revolver calibers. No other powder even comes close.
I have no experience with the 40SW. And it’s Bullseye for 45 and Titegroup for 9mm for me. I like softer shooting loads in those calibers. My suggestion to you would be to try Power Pistol.

More like twin brother. If I can't find 231 I buy the HP38 and use them interchangeably.

I loaded pounds of Unique until a friend gave me a half can of Universal. It's not a direct replacement for Unique, but close and it meters a ton better. I really like Universal for the 45 Colt.

I've had good luck with Unique, Titegroup, Zip and even Bullseye. Not for really full house loads, but normal range velocities. Many powders will work for all of them.

HP38 or W231... No need for any other non magnum pistol powder on my shelf.

Power Pistol in my opinion

I run 231/HP38 in most of my non magnum loads. 9mm, 45, 38, 357 target loads. It meters well and fills the cases nicely. I started with it several years ago and never felt the need to switch.

I used to load Unique a lot for the whole range of ctr fire pistol rds then 1 day at a gunshow I bought a full case of 10 1 lb bottles of HP-38 for a $50 bill. Yeah I like it to for 38,9,45, and 44's. Clean burning , economic to shoot and accurate. OP needs to see what's available and will cover his needs. MB

Industry standard pressure of the 9mm is 35,000 cup,...same as the .357 magnum. It functions at magnum level pressure.

You can use the faster powders in it but propellants somewhere around Blue Dot's burning rate works better.

Bullseye..

Thats been my experience as well. I was pleasantly surprised with the new Unique powder. I was so disgusted with the old stuff that I gave it away and swore I'd never buy the chidt again. Before, I would have been suggesting universal, or power pistol. Now the new Unique is a good contender as well..

AA#5 has a very linear pressure curve. So does HS6. No surprises. BE86 is becoming one of my favorites lately. Sell that .40 S&W gun and buy some powder.

With your post count I would think you would look at the date on a thread before posting to it. Don't you think 11 years old is a bit ripe?

Well his powder might have gone sour so he still needs advice?

Old thread, but the topic apparently isn't.

All of these threads are opportunities to engage in a conversation around a given topic. Does it matter that the OP posted the question over a decade ago? Was the question forever solved by all humans then?

W231/HP38

Thats why God made new threads possible.