Best all around Powder for .45 ACP

Unique has been on the market for approximately 117 years, so there may be a person or two still around.

By far the most versatile powder that I use is Red Dot. While I only use it for shotshells, it is, like Unique, useful across a broad range of handgun, shotgun, and rifle cartridges.

Not surprising, really, given that Red Dot and Unique share the same base chemistry.



The only AA powder that I use currently is AA 7. I originally bought it for 10 mm reloading, but found that it works well in .41 Magnum and .357, and will be using it when I start to reload for my .40.
 
Even though I originally bought Red Dot for shotshell use, I found Red Dot to work well in 44 cal and 45 cal cast bullet revolver loads (much like Unique). However, I no longer use Unique. And my use of Red Dot is waning as well.

For me many of the newer powders (and even some of the older ones) meter so much nicer than the older large flake powders, burn just as clean (or cleaner), and perform just as well. As a result most of my recent handgun loads have utilized W231, BE-86, Sport Pistol, CFEPistol, Power Pistol, or HS-6.

I'm not currently using any AA powder in handgun loads. When I did use some in the past, I preferred #5 over #7 or #9.
 
Yep, when you include shotshell loads, Red Dot, along with 700X, Solo 1000, and WST are all versatile and well suited powders for .45 ACP.

Don
 
Aside from 12 gauge, I only ever tried Red Dot with some .38 Special that I loaded many years ago.

It was so incredibly filthy that I quit after 50 rounds. But... the accuracy from those rounds was pretty stellar.
 
I had the same experience with .45 Auto target loads. Very dirty. Today there are many cleaner powders around. Trail Boss leaves a new case looking like it has never been fired and has the right load range for target LSWC. Hodgdon Universal for standard power loads has worked well for me, and lacks the graphite coating that is responsible for a lot of the carbon I used to get from Bullseye.
 
I've been disappointed in Universal... twice. First time was right after it was introduced. It didn't burn much cleaner than Unique for me, though it did throw better. Second time was more recently. Since the production was moved from Australia to Canada I decided to give it another try. I still found it dirty and it now throws more like Unique, so an overall step backwards.
 
I bought a 4 lb jug not too long ago, and it's labeled "made in Australia". I think Thales repaired the drier that burned down. Took them awhile, but they did.

I see less fouling, but I am running it close to the warm end of the pressure range, and not in light target loads. About 19,000 psi, as measured in my test barrel.
 
Unique is generally well behaved that way.

I used Unique for a while when I first started loading (1984). It fell out of favor with me at the time mostly because I was shooting big magnums and wanted everything full-throttle (youth).
Click to expand...

That's about the same time I started loading, for the .45ACP and .41MAG with Unique. In my younger days, I got as high as 6.9grn Unique with a 230grn bullet in the .45, and 11.2grn Unique under a 215grn cast SWC in the .41... way beyond maximum published... and it always behaved itself, even if I wasn't thinking clearly (remember, I was young and indestructible.) At that time I knew nothing about W296 or 2400... just UNIQUE!!!

I still use it for everything (pistol) that I load... from the .380 all the way to heavy .45 Colt loads. I don't really understand all the criticism over it not metering well. No, it doesn't meter as well as ball powder, but of course, IMR3031 doesn't meter as well as H335, either, does it?
 
I also have no problem with Unique metering well out of my Redding powder measure. While I have a bunch of it, I don't use it that often because most of the time I shoot light loads and favor faster burn rate powders like Bullseye and AA #2.

Don
 
Am I the only Green Dot user?
Click to expand...

Yes :D

When I first started loading in June '84, I pretty much bought the entire Hercules (now Alliant) line: Red, Green, Blue Dots; B'eye, Unique, & Herco.

Bullseye, Unique, & BD were the only ones I purchased subsequent #'s. I don't recall Green Dot's performance characteristics. I do remember that I did kind of like Herco - just not enough to buy more.

Keep in mind, at the time, I was loading 38/357, 44 Mag/Spl only.
 
So.... okay now I have a press, a pound of Bullseye and some 185 gr semi wadcutters.

Now what?
Click to expand...

The road you want to go down has been traveled for decades by Bullseye Competition shooters. Just stick 3.8 - 4.0 grains of Bullseye behind those 185gr SWC's.

Don
 
I've been very happy with Universal in my .45 Long Colt. It gives really repeatable measuring and allows me to get to the ballistic levels I want without upping pressures.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top