Hodgdon powder?

[ocracokenc]

Hello everyone
I have been shooting most of my life and just bought a Lee 4 hole turret press and I am trying to get all the info I can so I am sure you will be seeing me post some so thanks in advance. I will be loading 9mm, 40sw, 45acp and 10mm auto. I have 4lbs of Hodgdon Universal powder. How good is this powder for what I am loading? I have been thinking about HS-6 for my hotter 10mm auto rounds. I am wondering how good Hodgdon powder is because I like to stick to a brand one I start using it. I have everything I need to reload but I am going slow and reading all I can before I start. I am in no hurry to blow my hand off or ruin one of my guns. I am taking reloading very serious. Thanks

[Nathan]

Welcome to the forum.

To find a single powder for all pistol is hard and of limited value. A few do this pretty well like AA#5, Hod Universal, Hod Titegroup, Unique, etc, but it will still not be ideal. I think you are probably pretty good with Universal, but the best way to know is by looking at Hodgdon's data web site.

No reason to stick to one brand or type. I kind of favor Hodgdon for hunting rifles, but as I say this, I shoot R19 in my 300 WSM because Hodgdon really doesn't make a great 300 WSM powder for heavy bullets and long barrels. Still, I would look at Hodgdon first every time.

Now, on the other hand I do try to do what you suggest. I use AA#5 for as a first choice for pistol loads. I have also been experimenting with Longshot and Titegroup. I used to use HS6 and similar, but that is alot of powder for a few fps gain in most cases. Is addition, a lot of times those heavy charges leave burnt and un-burnt powder all over. They have to be a perfect match like H110 and heavy 45 Long Colt loads.

Good luck in your endeaver.

I also try to use all Win primers...Not sure why, but I have been more successful with this, except I have been loading accuracy loads with Fed Gold Metal Match in 300WSM.

[TXGunNut]

You're off to a great start, welcome to the affliction! Loading manuals and mfgs websites are your greatest assets and anything posted here or on similar sites must be verified. I suspect you've already spent a bit of time with a manual, maybe two. Please continue to do so, they're an incredible wealth of information.
Reloading is a very interesting and exciting hobby, please enjoy it carefully.

[BigD_in_FL]

Hodgdon's website has reloading data for your cartridges. Follow the recipes and all should be fine. Whether the loads will be accurate in YOUR gun will remain to be seen

[Clark]

When Hodgdon started ~50 years ago, they were re selling surplus military powder.

They were selling the cheapest powder [ 10 cents a pound for 4895 in one of their early load books I own] with low quality control i.e. bulk powder, not canister powder.

The company size has increased and their niche in the market has moved up. They are now selling premium powders of the highest consistency canister powder. The extreme line of powders has temperature stability.

Only in America

[ocracokenc]

I keep reading about certain powders not being accurate. What are some conditions that would cause a powder to not be accurate. Just FYI my handguns are the Glock 29SF and 36, Beretta Nano and Springfield XD 4 inch service 40sw

[BigD_in_FL]

The company size has increased and their niche in the market has moved up. They are now selling premium powders of the highest consistency canister powder. The extreme line of powders has temperature stability.

Only in America

Not bad for a company that imports most of their powders from Australia......

[ocracokenc]

I just looked at my Hodgdon jug and it says made in Australia and packaged in the USA

[Colorado Redneck]

Since the "big scare" powder has become darn scarce. Is that the reason you want to use one powder for all calibers, ocracokenc? Depending on what you want from your firearms, one powder can work fine. Unique is my cup of tea. Or was---now the wife is shooting as much as me and we use Trailboss for them mousefart loads that she loves. But the issue of obtaining powder or even most components is a biggie. So you can shoot a lot with 4 pounds of Universal, and once the hoarders run out of money, and the gun shops have powder in stock, you can branch out if you like.

[BigD_in_FL]

I have some one pounders from years ago that only get used for one cartridge in one gun; however for my shotgun and pistols, I buy powders in 8# jugs - the cost per pound is almost half that of one pound jugs and they last for a good while

[Sevens]

I'm much more in the camp of fitting different powders to different jobs rather than trying to cover a slew with only one powder. However, I don't mind admitting that the one single powder I use in more applications than all others is Hodgdon Universal.

What's funny is that I've reloaded a lot of 10mm, and I've been loading that round since '92 and yet I have never even attempted to use Universal in 10mm.

I've done the bulk of my 10mm reloading with Alliant Power Pistol but if you want a Hodgdon powder that does good things in 10mm, I will suggest Longshot. It brings me a chrono proven average over 1,200 FPS with a 180 grain bullet all while staying within published maximum...and yeah, that's from my Glock 29 with the OEM 3.78" barrel.

Of course, if you don't want full bore 10mm ammo, Longshot may not be the optimum choice.

[ocracokenc]

Colorado Redneck, Yes it is. I have been looking for other powders but it is useless at the moment. I would like something else for my 10mm and I have alot of Doubletap brass but I may just have to wait to people run out of money. It is frustrating for those who have been shooting forever. When I go to the gun store and stand behind a line of people asking questions about guns that make it clear they dont have a clue it irks me, maybe it shouldnt but it does.

[Sevens]

You certainly have a right to be irked about...well, anything.

But every new guy that decides he wants to be a gun owner right now is HOPEFULLY, a future activist for our lifestyle. And if we aren't so lucky that he turns out to be an activist... maybe he at least votes on election day, hopefully in favor of gun owners. And if we aren't THAT lucky, then maybe he at least votes once every four years like so many slugs in this country, and we can hope at least THAT vote helps our cause.

And if we aren't even THAT lucky, at least we can hope that he buys a few guns and then sells or trades them and keeps our used gun market stocked with good deals for us.

And if we aren't THAT lucky, maybe we can at least HOPE that since he's blocking your path to a gun counter (since you've been a shooter for a "long time" and he hasn't) for you to ask a gun shop clerk some handloading questions (hoping that HE'S been a handloader for a long time since it seems you are NOT?!) then at least we can hope the new guy to guns that is blocking access to the gun counter is... at the very least... not funneling money or energy in to sweeping anti-gun regulations or supporting those dim-witted folks driving them.

We can hope.

Or maybe it doesn't matter that there are new folks trying to get a gun.

Things are tough in every direction right now. Every single possible direction, things are upside down. We're all aware of it. We are in this together.

Even that guy asking the dumb questions at the gun store. He's one of us. At least, he wants to be. And I think that's a lot better than him wanting to be one of them.

[ocracokenc]

Well said my friend. I guess I never looked at the thought that I am new to reloading and we all had to start sometime.

[Twmaster]

The best thing you can do to help yourself is get a couple of good reloading manuals.

[David Bachelder]

I use Hodgden Universal in 9mm, .38 Special, 40 S&W, 45 Colt and 45 ACP and never had a problem I probably have used Universal more than any other powder .... to date.

Go Here: http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp

Look up the loads you need and carry on.

[BigD_in_FL]

I use Hodgden Universal in 9mm, .38 Special, 40 S&W, 45 Colt and 45 ACP and never had a problem I probably have used Universal more than any other powder .... to date.

+1. When I ran out of Unique decades ago, I tried Universal - works great in 20 and 28 gauge, all my 32s, 38s, 9mm, and 45 ACP, and does a decent job even in 357

[schmellba99]

Universal is a great all around powder (as is Unique, AA#5 and a few others).

I'm of the camp that the K.I.S.S. principle is a great tried and true principle to adhere to, so having a single powder that works well in every one of my pistol loads, as well as all of my shotgun loads, is a great thing for me. It simplifies what I need to have inventory wise and makes stocking up much, much easier.

I don't shoot my pistols for competition, so if the loads I like aren't 1 hole at 75 yard loads, but perform more than adequately at the distances I'm going to shoot (especially with range loads), then I'm a happy camper.

1 powder, 6 different firearms - hard to complain about that.

[Hammerhead]

I like Universal for most of my loading. It might be a bit slow for target .45 acp loads, but would work. If you added a 3rd powder, something like HP-38 or Titegroup would be better in the .45 acp.