Powder recommendations for 45acp & 380

[JG55]

New to reloading and could use some powder recommendations for 45acp 230 gr fmj and 380 jhp.

Edited February 2, 2010 by JG55

[Westwindmike]

Well, for 230 gr loads I use Accurate #5 or Unique. Bullseye is also a popular powder. Unique is hard to beat.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

+1 for the Accurate #5. I haven't tried the others. 8 lbs goes quite a way.

[mdmoseley]

4.1 grns of Titegroup for the 45. Haven't loaded 380.

[titan14]

Well, for 230 gr loads I use Accurate #5 or Unique. Bullseye is also a popular powder. Unique is hard to beat.

I use bullseye, and have also heard that unique is very good.

[I_Like_Pie]

Bullseye

FWIW...this is the powder for the factory .45 ball loads for over half a century

[SkunkSlayer]

Winchester 231 @ 5.2 gr. /using .45acp 230 gr. fmj.

[SHbicycle]

Winchester 231 @ 5.2 gr. /using .45acp 230 gr. fmj.

+1 that is what the cartridge was designed with and after 10 of 1000's of reloads I think they had something.

[Guest forrestcav]

5.9 grains unique

[glockster157]

+1 on the 231. Also use it in the 38spl and 9mm. Same powder as HP38 BTW, they are interchangeable.

[JG55]

Thanks everyone for the information. I bought accurate #5 and Hogden p38. Couldn't find the winchester 231. Bass pro shop had 1 box of 11/2 remmington small pistol primers for anyone that needs them.

[glockster157]

Thanks everyone for the information. I bought accurate #5 and Hogden p38. Couldn't find the winchester 231. Bass pro shop had 1 box of 11/2 remmington small pistol primers for anyone that needs them.

Accurate is good and the HP38 is WW231 so you don't need to buy any.

[Guest canebreaker]

Check with Champ's in a month for primers is what I was told, better price than bps.

HP-38 is 22, win 231 is 23 and accurate#5 is 34 on my burn chat. See if I can find the chart and post it for a tag.

[LngRngShtr]

Canebreaker....

Powder Burn Rates for burn rates..had it bookmarked so it saves a search...

5.7 of 231 with a 200 gr H&G 68 LSWC was a load I used for a long time in my .45 referred as the "Mickey Fowler" Load by some folks... Backed down to 5.2 for my brother to shoot Bullseye matches at Perry still reliable and accurate.

4.3 Bullseye powder was also tried but he liked the recoil of the 231 better and it was a tad cleaner..

Still playing with .380 loadings....

John

[glockster157]

Let me clear this up one more time because I think this is really helpful information. I called Hogdon Powders and talked with a tech there. I suggest others do the same. He told me that WW231 and Hogdon HP38 were the exact same powder, that they came out of the same barrel and were poured into the two different bottles. So they are not kinda the same but the exact same thing. So are WW 296 / H110 and WW 760 / H414. Another way I verified this is to go to Hogdon's, IMR's or Winchester's website and all three take you to the same loading data page. Look at the loads, pressure, velocity, etc for these 6 powders. They now are exact duplicates of each other. So I can safely say if you have HP38 you have 231.

Just wanted to clear that up because I have found HP38 cheaper than 231 before because of popularity and most people do not know this though word is getting out.

[Guest pig832]

I use bullseye for .45, works great, not quite as dirty as Unique

[SkunkSlayer]

Had this site saved on my favorites for awhile never matched them up, Thanks G157

Cartridge Loads - Hodgdon Reloading Data Center - data.hodgdon.com

[Guest tnvolfan]

I use the Winchester 231 powder for all of my small and large pistol loads (9mm,380 acp, 38 special, 40 S&W, and 45 acp. Glockster157 -- that was excellent info you gave on the equivalent powders -- something very important while so many of us find it difficult to acquire the powder we're looking for. I went with the Winchester 231 because I didn't want to be buying so many different powders for different calibers, and 231 is one of the faster burning yet versatile powders. Good luck with your reloads!!

[glockster157]

I use the Winchester 231 powder for all of my small and large pistol loads (9mm,380 acp, 38 special, 40 S&W, and 45 acp. I went with the Winchester 231 because I didn't want to be buying so many different powders for different calibers, and 231 is one of the faster burning yet versatile powders.

About 15 years ago a friend and I tested loads for several weeks using a Oehler 33 and shooting 25 yard groups off of benched sand bags. We tested the 9mm, 45acp, 38spl, 357mag and 44 mag in numerous different handguns. WW231 proved to us that it was the best all around powder for velocity, accuracy and versatility in standard to +P loads. We also found 2400 to be the powder of choice in the magnum loads. Not to rile everybody up here, I am talking compromise. There were more accurate loads with other powders or higher velocity loads. But in the small capacity cases we kept getting the same results over and over. I have been a 231 believer ever since along with 2400.

[9teeneleven]

I use 5.0 gr of 231 for plinking loads. Very accurate and very low recoil. It might also depend on what you are shooting. When I had a P220, that load would sometimes short stroke. However, I've never had a hiccup with my 1911.

[Guest inspector710]

Winchester 231 @ 5.2 gr. /using .45acp 230 gr. fmj.

+1 -I use it with a Berrys or Ranier plated bullet.