Paco Kelly's Leverguns.com

Levergunners -
This looks like yet another rehash of the age old pistol powder question, but it is not. I need help in selecting the ONE BEST overall powder from among JUST THESE powders, below. I will then place an order, before the prices go up again. This is similar to a post requesting the best rifle powder among certain choices.

Reason: There is increasing pressure in our state to stop the direct purchase of ammunition; I want to stock just ONE powder for MOST of my future handgun loads.

Loads are for target and moderate hunting loads; I don't go for max loads that shoot up my firearms. Guns that I wish to cover with this one powder, as much as possible:
9mm Luger
.38/.357 (moderate, not +P loads)
.40 SW
.44 Magnum (and .44 Special range loads - around 900-1000 fps)
.45 ACP
Possibly .45 Colt in the future
Main focus is for the .44 Magnum (plinking and hunting) and the .45 ACP (defense)
I plan to spend most of my time at the range with the .44 Mag handgun.

Here is the list - notice that it does not include the rather limiting but hot powders like H-110 or Win 296. I have some hot loads but prefer to use only moderately high pressure loads:
AA powders? I use AA Nr 5 for a bear load
Bullseye (favorite for 45 ACP)
Unique (my favorite for .38, most .357 loads, .44 Mag / .44 Special power level loads)
AA Nr 5 (load of choice for 300 gr. .44 Mag revolver bear load)
Lil'Gun
Clays or Universal Clays - ??
Power Pistol
Win WSL
Win 231

I have not carefully researched some of these powders; I use a select few that work well for me; but good old Unique is what I use for most of my favorite loads from the list above. I am thinking that it is probably the best overall pistol powder for moderate and moderately warm loads of the above handguns. What do you think? Thank you in advance!

I would choose unique as a single powder for your application.

UNIQUE with 231 as a very close second.

I've used more of those two powders than every other brand and type of powder combined.
I've said it before that I can do everything I need to do with only three pistol powders: 231, Unique, and 2400. Truth is, I can do it all with Unique.

Unique is my suggestion.
However if push comes to shove, 231 / HP38 will do everything Unique with do. You just gotta be more careful.

Joe

Unique. It is what I got. It works for .32 to .45. One can do a lot worse than 900-1000 fps.

Great - your posts confirm my absolute first choice. Thank you, gents.

I'll see what else comes in, but it seems to me that, given the shooting experience of the posters above, I cannot go wrong with my all around favorite, and still the champ - Unique.

I have actually narrowed my powders down to just unique for my pistol cartridges. .

unique or 231

In your situation I'd buy THREE powders. Unique is fine, but Power Pistol is a little better IMHO. It produces better velocity per pressure and meters very nicely, aiding repeatability.

For the low end, Bullseye is hard to beat and goes a long way.

For the top end I use H110, but from your list, Lil Gun would be the "hot" load choice.

Figure out how much ya need (like maybe buy maybe 8lbs of BE, 8lbs of PP and a couple lbs of Lil Gun.)

Why I use Unique is it can loaded any gun I have ever owned with cast or jacket bullets .
I have use it in pistol from 380 to 45LC and in a rifle like 30 carb to 50-70 . If you get a
Lyman Cast Bullet Manual there is a Unique load for over 200 different cal in it . Sure
38/Bullseye , 357/2400 , 296/ 44 mag , ect , ect works good , but who need a different can
of powder for every gun and cal you have .

It is also a great shotgun powder also

There is a powder in every cal better suited for it , but this is the only powder I know
of you can you can load every cal under 1500 fps . It is not placement sensive so wads
are not needed and a few tenths of grain don't affect it accuracy . They say it dirty , well
it wipes off with a rag . All my rifle loads are under 15.0 grs which make it CHEAP and fun
shoot with a good accurate loads .

Here my little guide [ not in stone ]

Unique ...............up to 1200 fps
IMR 4227............1000 to 2000 fps
IMR 3031.............over 2000 fps

I've using these 3 powders for 30 yrs to load everything under the sun , whether it is plucking ,
hunting or target loads with great success .

Thanks, Gun Runner.

Good advice. I already have "enough" hot loads with H110, N-110, 296 and 2400, so I am now looking for medium power handloads in quantity to put away for target and general use.

I have heard about the relatively new Power Pistol but have never bought the stuff; it bears looking into more. For now, it's cheaper (and easier for storage) just to buy one type for most loads in a large quantity, which is my aim.

You know, I'll offer a different opinion. I am no expert, unlike many of the people who have already responded, but I have come to really like AA #5 for all of my pistols -- 9mm, .38/.357 and .44 spl/mag. I can load it down for .357 and .44 mag for easy plinking loads; I can also use full power loads in it. Works great for 9mm and the Specials too. I find it to be cleaner that 2400 or AA #9 and extremely accurate, even with cowboy loads. Lastly, it just seems to dip/drop easily and consistently.

My favorite pistol powder is IMR800X, went looking for a cleaner powder for 357 a couple(closer to 3) decades ago and that's what was recommended to try by my reloading mentor. I've used it in 38 special to 454 and it works pretty well for all of them. While it's not the "best" for all of them, in 357 and 44 mags it doesn't give up much to any powder. Seeing as how it is just a bit slower than unique, I understand the recommendations of the others. I like it because it's much cleaner burning than unique, now if it would just meter as well.

FFFg. And, just in case you'se a'wonderin 'bout the best single rifle powder... that'd be FFg. Tho' some might argue on behalf of Swiss !-½.

But... if you're the sort that likes those one-size-fits-all, Goex "Cartridge" would be my "go to" powder.

Okay, my work is done here.

You know I have a pound of AA #5 on my shelf. I bought it sometime this year. And ..... I have NO idea why. I really don't. I don't like ball powders in revolvers so ....... what in the world was I planning on doing with it?

Maybe it will come to me.


Griff, that's funny! It really is.

Joe

As I look at my shelves I see more Unique than all my other pistol powders combined and then multiplied by four

2x22

UNIQUE! Not only the best all around pistol powder, but a darn good shotgun powder, and a nice powder for old straight wall rifle cartridges in plinker loads.

I have settled on W231 as my 'zero to sixty' pistol powder because it meters better than the flake powders, it has proven kinder to bulk lead bullets than Universal and it has produced excellent accuracy in everything from .38 Special to .45 Colt. It also gives good economy and works well in the shorter auto pistol cases. If it weren't for the fact that I heavy load the .45 Colt, I could live quite happily with 231 as my only pistol powder.

About the only wart on W231 is that it can be a tad smoky with lead bullets. I like to think that somewhere, a tree-hugger cries every time I light one off.