Favorite target pistol powders for caliber.

B

Brutus

New member
Thought it would be interesting to hear what you folks have to say.
Like to keep choices limited to powders used for target shooting only, based on accuracy and pleasurable shooting experience. Please no big boomers for 10,000 lb. brown bears or Moby Dick. Just the powder you go back to time and time again for fun and a sense of satisfaction.
These are mine:

9mm, just got started with this caliber, ammo was always cheap and plentiful so I never bothered reloading it. Didn't want to dip into my stash of favorites but I managed to get a can of WSF and Autocomp so far Autocomp seems to shine beating out factory fodder in the accuracy dept, pleasant recoil, min. muzzle flash .

10mm, ACC#7 and Powder Pistol perform well for me.

.357 mag, Unique and Universal clays. 2400 for mild magnums.

.38 special, Bullseye or Red Dot

.45 ACP, WW231 and HP-38 and of course Bullseye, if I could find some.

.44mag. Unique and Universal. 2400 for mild magnums.

.45 Colt Unique and Universal.

Well that's my list, used most of em for longer than I care to admit.

Should also mention that I tend to use plated bullets in semi-autos and lead SWC's in revolvers.
 
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HP-38 for .44 and Longshot for .45. Both work for mild up to medium with good metering, clean burning, accuracy and economy.
 
I only consider two of my guns "target" guns. (Although I shoot targets with many others :p.)

My primary shooter is a S&W Model 67 38 Special with a 4" bbl. I have made excellent target ammo with four different powders: Bullseye, W231/HP-38, AA2, & Nitro 100. They all work great, as 38 Special is an inherently accurate chambering. But if I had to pick one powder, I'd give the nod to Bullseye.

My other target gun is a Colt 'Series 80' 1911 in 45 ACP. W231/HP-38 makes great shooters for this gun/caliber. I have been using 4.6 or 5.0gns of W231 under a 200g LSWC for a couple decades now. With this gun, I've taken a "if it works, don't mess with it" approach. Maybe some day I'll try other powders for it.
 
38 special Rem 148 gr HBWC 2.7 gr Bullseye, 1.25"

32-20 Speer 98 gr HBWC 2.7 gr Bullseye, 1.36"

32 S&W Long 98 gr HBWC 1.7 gr Bullseye, 0.974"
 
powders

Three powders do my target loads for 9mm, .38/.357, .44 Mag., .45ACP, .45 Colt: W231, Bullseye, Unique.
No more than five grains of any of them for any load that I use.....with the exception of the .44. I use eight grains of Unique there.
Pete
 
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.327 Federal with Bullseye, Universal, AA#7 and AA#9
.38 with Titegroup, Bullseye & Green Dot, special loads: Power Pistol
9mm with Universal and zero else, ever
.40cal only with Power Pistol
.357 Mag with Green Dot, Longshot, 2400 and AA#9
10mm with Power Pistol and Longshot
.45 Auto with Alliant Promo
.44 Mag with Titegroup, Longshot and AA#9

...and endless experimenting with other powders, bullet weights, etc.
Constantly fooling with different .38 loads.

Only my 9mm and .40cal do I simply never deviate.
 
Interesting feedback so far. Seven, you use Universal only in 9mm. Never tried it myself but I find it interesting because Universal has always been my first choice for shot gunning, it got allocated to handguns when my supply of Unique dried up during the shortage.
I really like it for lead SWC revolver loads, never considered it for semi autos though.
 
Most of my loads are hotter then run of the mill powder puff loads, I use the same loads for target shooting, plinking and hunting.
I've always found my accuracy to be better with loads toward the higher end of the scale, especially in larger volume cases.

9mm - 231
38 Special - IMR4227
357 Mag - 2400
40S&W - N350
44Mag - 2400
45 ACP - 231
45 Colt - HS6
 
OP, I am with you for both 357 magnum and 45 ACP. I use a moderate load of 2400 with cast bullets, and I like 4.4 grains of 231 in the 45 ACP and 200 grain cast SWC.
 
While I don't really have a preferred load for Bullseye, I am currently using 700X.
Most of the guys i shoot with seem to use 700X more than any other single powder.
The BE I shoot is informal, and you shoot only against yourself for score.

Most of the guys I shoot with have been shooting BE for 40 or more years each.:eek:
Many shot on their respective armed services teams, and at least one was an armorer, building their firearms, and developing all their competition loads.

Stubbicatt, i just found a 4lb jug of 231, looking forward to trying it in 45 ACP.
 
9mm - W231/HP-38 for target loads w/124 grain plated
9mm - Power Pistol and Unique for IDPA power factor loads w/124 grain plated
9mm - AutoComp for IDPA power factor w/124 grain HiTek coated SWC lead

40S&W - Power Pistol and Unique, just couldn't get W231 to work for this one

45Auto - W231, Unique, Power Pistol (AutoComp series has been constructed but not yet tested) with plated and lead bullets
 
40SW -- Nitro 100
45 Auto -- Clays
44 Mag -- 4227

In 40SW, Montana Gold 180 gr JHPs were impressive for accuracy. With many of their products now significantly more expensive than HAP or XTPs from Hornady, I'm firing up the casting pot more these days.
 
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Hunter Customs--
IMR-4227 in .38 Special...?!

Please explain! I just cannot see how this would work and continue to be a .38 Special.
 
I have been reloading for less than 1 year, so my most accurate loads can change as I evaluate new loads. Currently these are my most accurate loads and the loads I also like to shoot:

357sig - Unique
40S&W - 700X
9mm - Longshot
 
I was kind of surprised at the IMR4227 for .38 special load myself but here's what Quick Load had to say.
Colt agent 2" barrel
125gr HP. 14.gr. of 4227
12,920 PSI, 554 FPS., only burns 25% of the powder.
Same load in a 6" Colt Python
13,065 PSI, 1048 FPS. burns 46% of the powder.
Doesn't sound ideal but I guess it will work.:D
 
Ummm, I would say that "not ideal" is putting it ligtly.

Quickload makes it sound like the slug will bounce off the target and throw a slew of powder downrange. :p Might be a really fun load to shoot over a tall campfire! ;)

But I will guess that Hunter Customs has a far better answer.

I tried Longshot in .38 Special once simply because I had it & Hodgdon published a load for it. My results were BAD, no better way to put it. Crazy low muzzle velocity and ridiculous ES over the chrono. Not a perfect comparison to 2400, certainly, but 2400 is an even slower burning powder than Longshot.

I know that older Speer manuals do indeed list some .38 Special data using 2400 but IIRC-- those are some extremely spicy ".38 Special" loads and I doubt they would pass for SAAMI-spec .38 Special these days with modern test equipment.

But I'm here to learn more...
And I have a good supply of 2400 and I -love- to experiment! ;)
 
Define targert load!

Warning , the load listed is above published data and TFL nor the poster take any responsibility of anyone using it!

357 Mag. Starline Brass, CCI #500 Small Pistol, 13.5 gr. AA#9, Sierra 170 gr. JHP. Ruger NBH 6 1/2" barrel factory irons. Off hand nailing 2 liter soda bottles at 200 yard line... 4 out of 6 or better regualrly. Also does wonders on Mule Deer. Shame is that the Sierra bullet is no longer available.

Target load is in the hands of the user.....they are not always powder puff loads.

For the record, 13.5 gr. AA#9 under CCI 500 and Xtreme Plated 158 gr. SWC has been my go to load for over 15 years.
 
Hmmm, I gotta call you out on that last bit.

I just don't believe Xtreme was shipping plated bullets over fifteen years ago, but I am more than happy to hear otherwise! ;)

I suppose it's possible that you are local to them and you were using them before the rest of us ever heard of them?
 
Back in the day (late 70's early 80's it was 231 for 9mm and 38 special. After a twenty nine year hiatus and because of powder scarcity last year it was SR 4756 and 7625 for 45 Auto. They both worked well in that caliber. Right now it is:

45 auto - 231, 4756, 7625
38 spl.- 231
380 auto - 231
357 mag - HP-38, SR4756

I have some 2400 on the way so the 357 mag loads might change here shortly...;)
 
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