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Sevens · April 27, 2008, 07:54 AM

There are many, many choices for a powder that will work in 9mm. Just in my powder box, I have Bullseye, Green Dot, TiteGroup, Accurate #7, Unique and Blue Dot, and any of those can work in 9mm.

When looking for a powder, there's a lot of different ways to decide what to buy. Each and any of these reasons is a valid, typical reason for selecting a certain powder:

Buy X because your local shop stocks it readily and it's easy to get
Buy X because it's a ball powder that meters well (that means your powder measure throws consistent charges without erratic dumps and varying charges)
Buy X because it's cheap by the pound (compare Titegroup to any Vihtavuori powder in prices)
Buy X because you plan on loading a few other calibers, and it's versatile enough to use for others
Buy X because it calls for a small charge, which gives you more loaded rounds per pound
Buy X because you have found plenty of load data available with many different bullet weights or styles
Buy X because it seems to give the velocity you seek with a pressure that's within the limits
Buy X because it seems to show the most consistent accuracy
Buy X because it takes a larger volume charge, which fills the case and prevents you from an accidental double charge

Now myself, personally, I stock a slew of powders because I love to experiment and I love to have options. Some of the reasons I listed are valid for some folks, but not for me. Myself, I would never choose a powder with a large volume for the select purpose of preventing a double charge. I would also never pick a powder that uses a small charge just so I could get more out of a pound. But you can bet the I avoid any powder that is overly expensive, and I do enjoy working with a fine ball powder that meters well.

As for where and how to get powders, this is a little tricky. Your best bet will be to find a local shop that you frequent that has a selection at a decent price. Prices do vary greatly... I see powders at shops for as low as $14 a pound and as high as $23 a pound depending on the store. There are two ways to get the cheapest, but niether is easy and both cost a lot of money.
1) Any/all/every powder is cheaper in bulk. Every powder comes in a one pound can (some odd IMR powders come in 8, 10 or 12 oz cans, but these are not the norm) but most powders are also available in 4 pounders and 8 pounders. You save a heap if you can buy in the large jug. BUT to be able to do that, you must be dead-sure that you'll like and use that powder... even one pound of powder lasts a long time... imagine 8 pounds of it?

2) Buying powder online -- at a place called Powder Valley. They have the best prices I've seen, but you will incur shipping fees and also hazardous materials handling extra fees. So you need to buy a lot, and find some buddies to split orders to make it worth the money.

So you see, you can save money, but you need to buy a lot and spend a large bundle to "save."

The best advice-- find a store or shop that stocks some powders. Find the little load guides produced by each powder manufacturer and if you can't find those, punch them up on the web. Look for Alliant Powder, Winchester, Accurate Arms, Hodgdon and find the cartridges that you will be loading for, and find some data for the cartridge and bullet weight/style you plan to load. Then, buy one pound of a powder that you have some data for, and give it a shot.

Powder may seem expensive at $15-$25 a shot, but it lasts a LONG time, is versatile, and will safely store for decades if you don't use it often. I used to think, "God, not another new powder in my stock, and at $20 a can!" and now I think, "Hell yeah! Another new powder in my arsenal, and it cost less for a pound than a box of factory ammo and will last me forever!"

April 27, 2008, 07:54 AM	#4
Sevens Senior Member Join Date: July 28, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 11,756	There are many, many choices for a powder that will work in 9mm. Just in my powder box, I have Bullseye, Green Dot, TiteGroup, Accurate #7, Unique and Blue Dot, and any of those can work in 9mm. When looking for a powder, there's a lot of different ways to decide what to buy. Each and any of these reasons is a valid, typical reason for selecting a certain powder: Buy X because your local shop stocks it readily and it's easy to get Buy X because it's a ball powder that meters well (that means your powder measure throws consistent charges without erratic dumps and varying charges) Buy X because it's cheap by the pound (compare Titegroup to any Vihtavuori powder in prices) Buy X because you plan on loading a few other calibers, and it's versatile enough to use for others Buy X because it calls for a small charge, which gives you more loaded rounds per pound Buy X because you have found plenty of load data available with many different bullet weights or styles Buy X because it seems to give the velocity you seek with a pressure that's within the limits Buy X because it seems to show the most consistent accuracy Buy X because it takes a larger volume charge, which fills the case and prevents you from an accidental double charge Now myself, personally, I stock a slew of powders because I love to experiment and I love to have options. Some of the reasons I listed are valid for some folks, but not for me. Myself, I would never choose a powder with a large volume for the select purpose of preventing a double charge. I would also never pick a powder that uses a small charge just so I could get more out of a pound. But you can bet the I avoid any powder that is overly expensive, and I do enjoy working with a fine ball powder that meters well. As for where and how to get powders, this is a little tricky. Your best bet will be to find a local shop that you frequent that has a selection at a decent price. Prices do vary greatly... I see powders at shops for as low as $14 a pound and as high as $23 a pound depending on the store. There are two ways to get the cheapest, but niether is easy and both cost a lot of money. 1) Any/all/every powder is cheaper in bulk. Every powder comes in a one pound can (some odd IMR powders come in 8, 10 or 12 oz cans, but these are not the norm) but most powders are also available in 4 pounders and 8 pounders. You save a heap if you can buy in the large jug. BUT to be able to do that, you must be dead-sure that you'll like and use that powder... even one pound of powder lasts a long time... imagine 8 pounds of it? 2) Buying powder online -- at a place called Powder Valley. They have the best prices I've seen, but you will incur shipping fees and also hazardous materials handling extra fees. So you need to buy a lot, and find some buddies to split orders to make it worth the money. So you see, you can save money, but you need to buy a lot and spend a large bundle to "save." The best advice-- find a store or shop that stocks some powders. Find the little load guides produced by each powder manufacturer and if you can't find those, punch them up on the web. Look for Alliant Powder, Winchester, Accurate Arms, Hodgdon and find the cartridges that you will be loading for, and find some data for the cartridge and bullet weight/style you plan to load. Then, buy one pound of a powder that you have some data for, and give it a shot. Powder may seem expensive at $15-$25 a shot, but it lasts a LONG time, is versatile, and will safely store for decades if you don't use it often. I used to think, "God, not another new powder in my stock, and at $20 a can!" and now I think, "Hell yeah! Another new powder in my arsenal, and it cost less for a pound than a box of factory ammo and will last me forever!" __________________ *Attention Brass rats and other reloaders:* I really need .327 Federal Magnum brass, no lot size too small. Tell me what caliber you need and I'll see what I have to swap. PM me and we'll discuss.