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Old October 10, 2012, 10:19 PM   #26
Zekest Crowe
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If you like Winchester 231, you will also like Hodgdon HP-38.
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Old October 10, 2012, 11:04 PM   #27
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It is hard to beat 231/HP38.
9mm: Silhouette and AA7 for performance loads. N330 and WSF for general 9x19 loads. TiteGroup can sometimes be quite good for lower velocity "target" loads (not with lead bullets), but usually even light loads of Silhouette are more consistently accurate. PB is good and very clean.
.45 Auto: AA2, Solo 1000--but you're not likely to beat 231/HP38 for consistently great accuracy over a range of bullet weights and powder charge weights. Two great and often overlooked powders are Green Dot and PB.
.40 S&W: AA5 and Silhouette--AA5 for light to mid-range loads and super accuracy and Silhouette for mid-range to max loads and very good accuracy.
.38 Special target: AA2 (231/HP38, Nitro 100, Bullseye, Solo 1000, TiteGroup, Clays, and other fast powders don't hold a candle to AA2 in any of my .38 Specials for light target loads at 650-725fps). Red Dot would the second choice.
.38 Special cowboy: Trail Boss
.38 Special general: you're not going to beat 231/HP38--it will give all the velocity and accuracy your gun can produce. If you stay at .38 Special pressure, slower powders won't get you anything in terms of speed and nothing in terms of accuracy.
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Old October 11, 2012, 02:55 PM   #28
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Quote:
I also like WST in 45 and 9mm but am having trouble finding data for 38 spcl.
I had to look up where I got the .38 special load data from. What I did is use W231 data minus 0.2 grains of powder and worked up slowly. Once I got accurate rounds I looked for how clean it burned. I added 0.1grains more powder and got accurate plus clean burning. I was using AA2 before getting this load. Now I have finally finished all the AA2 ammo and only keep that information in my reloading book. WST only for me in .38 specials as long as I have the powder to load with. I figured since I shoot from a .357 mag., I had room to play with if I started to run them on the hot side. Hot .38 specials tend to be not as accurate as slower rounds are in my opinion.
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Old October 11, 2012, 09:22 PM   #29
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How do you buy 10# of 231? If you are buying 10 1# cans you are really paying a premium over buying the 8# keg. And if you buy 231 you are paying $1 per pound more than for HP38, which is the exact same powder.
Questions from a tightwad.
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Old October 12, 2012, 11:42 PM   #30
noylj
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dickttx:
Everyone knows Winchester makes better powder then Hodgdon, even if it comes out of the same silo.
Aside: 1 pound of powder or 1 pound of primers lasts a lot longer than 1 pound of bullets. Then again, which weighs more: a pound of silver bullets or a pound of lead bullets?
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Old October 13, 2012, 01:56 AM   #31
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Be off the wall and try some Ramshot powders such as TrueBlue .
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Old October 13, 2012, 02:42 AM   #32
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One powder I picked for specific use I just keep finding more things its good at is Herco.
Basically I use it as my Unique load fix it. Loads I want just a little more but am at the pressure max with Unique.
With Herco you can add an extra gr of powder and up the velocity. For the same pressure.

Or if you found the accuracy at a lower pressure Unique load but not getting the velocity you want. Load up Herco one grain higher than Unique take a 1000 fps load and get it too 1100 and keep the accuracy.

It is my go to powder now for my Rossi 357 lever gun. 30-30 cast loads. Works ok in my Black Hawk.
Not a powder for short barrel snubbies though. Too slow burning for that.
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Old October 13, 2012, 07:35 AM   #33
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I thought Winchester only made gun safes.
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Old October 14, 2012, 10:09 AM   #34
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Universal
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Old October 14, 2012, 03:59 PM   #35
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Tula's

I fired 100 Tula primed .45 ACP's today at a match. Worked just like the Wolf primers that I have been using, no issues. They loaded up fine in my 550 as I said on my last post. I will buy more.
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Old October 14, 2012, 07:36 PM   #36
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I load both .38 and .45 with Hodgdon Universal.

I think it's careless to suggest that anyone spends money on IMR-800X without also passing along the information that nothing outside of an automatic powder dispenser or hand-weighing each powder charge will meter out consistent charges of 800X.

800X meters like corn flakes.
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Old October 15, 2012, 07:24 PM   #37
Misssissippi Dave
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I like 700X as a fast powder. The problem is you really do need to weigh each and every load. I find this true of many flake powders.
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