Favorite .45ACP powders

B

Brutus

New member
Tried a bunch over the last 45 years but have pretty much settled on the following:
Bullseye for lead SWC's.
HP-38 (WW231) and AA#5 for everything else.
What all do you folks say? :)
 
I use Unique, because I also use it in other rounds and haven't loaded any "target" LSWCs in .45ACP in decades. Back when I did, I used Bullseye or W231.
 
I have used a lot of different powders in the old 45 ACP. There are a lot of good powders that shoot well in it.

Bullseye is the old standby.

I have loads using all the Dots (Red, Green, Blue, plus Herco, Unique).

After a lot of rounds shot, I have settled on VV N340. It is as good as any and very clean.
 
Bullseye for plinking rounds, and target SWCs
Win 231/ HP-38 for everything approximating factory velocity
Occasionally I use power pistol when I want to load in the upper range, which is rarely
 
Ditto on Power Pistol as another good one. Both Power Pistol and HS-6 can be used in stiff loads. But like Mike, I seldom have reason to roll those except to experiment.
 
I shoot almost 185gr bullets exclusively out of my 1911.

For LSWC i use Unique, Red Dot, or Green Dot.
Have had good results with all.

For jacketed bullets i use Sierra JHP, and Tournament Masters.
For these i use Ramshot Silhouette.
 
I've used more WW 231 than all other powders combined. I LOVE the stuff.

9mm, .32 Long, .38 Special, .45 ACP, .41 Magnum (mid loads), and .357 Magnum (mid loads).

The only thing I didn't like it for was .44 Special. Too little powder, too big of a case.
 
VV N310, Shooters World Clean Shot and Titegroup in that order.

In the past, W231
 
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BE-86 seems to work for all my pistol rounds 9 mm 10 mm 40 and 45 acp,runs clean flash suppressed meters well through a Dillon 550.
 
I've used Hodgdon Titegroup for many years, but have recently been playing around with Winchester WST. Both work well for .45acp, and the WST is cleaner.
 
WST uses less powder than W231 in .45 ACP, and has a much tighter range between minimum and maximum loads. W231 barely fills half the case -- I wouldn't be super happy about using something that fills even less of the case.
 
In the past I've used mostly W231 and still use it some. But lately I've switched to American Select for light loads, and W244 for a bit more velocity than W231.
 
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