231 if I had only one choice

Farmland · August 12, 2009, 07:02 PM

I was in a conversation with another reloader about powder and the question came up, what if you could only have one? While he kept thinking I was quick to say 231.

No 231 isn't the magic powder and depending on who you talk to they will say it belches smoke and crud's the barrel with unburnt powder.

However it works in every caliber of handgun that I own starting at the 380, 9mm, 38 Special, 357, 40 S&W, 45 and the 44 mag. The big plus is my powder measure is tack sharp when throwing these charges with the 231.

There may be better powders for each caliber but nothing works as well with them all as 231 for me.

So my vote for a single powder for hand guns would be Winchester 231 does anyone else have any favorites?

doug66 · August 12, 2009, 07:10 PM

Unique..... I hate to use it, cause it doesn't meter well for me. I do use it for plinking loads in 44,357mag. Bullseye is my fav in 45ACP and 38 spl.

**Shane Tuttle** · August 12, 2009, 07:41 PM

If it's belching smoke, then I have to question the correct load recipe used. I personally like HP38 the most which is basically Win231. It's my go-to powder...

Farmland · August 12, 2009, 07:59 PM

I have never had the problem but some have said they experience more smoke with 231 while shooting lead. HP & 231 what is there not to like.

IllinoisCoyoteHunter · August 12, 2009, 08:20 PM

hp38...hmmmm...sweeeeet! my go-2-4-sho!

QBall45 · August 12, 2009, 08:28 PM

Not sure what I'd use if I couldn't have 231.

I had a smoke problem when I used 5.5gr. Dropped my charge to 4.5. Problem solved.

Love my 231 in my 45ACP!

That'll Do · August 12, 2009, 08:40 PM

If I had to choose just one powder, it would probably be Universal.

That said, I love having a wide selection. I like the ability to have a specific powder for a specific cartridge. For example, I love to use 2400 for my 357 Mag, from target to full house, it fits the bill.

For my 9mm and 40 S&W, Power Pistol and HS-6 work wonders.

It would be a sad day at my reloading bench if I could only have one powder...

Doodlebugger45 · August 12, 2009, 08:56 PM

I also love to have lots of powders, but then I'm a tinkerer by nature. If someone else told my I had to use 231 forever, yeah I could live with that OK. I'd prefer Unique in that circumstance though. However if I got to make the choice myself I'd probably pick Tite Group. It even does a fairly decent job in my .480 Ruger, not to mention excellent results in everything smaller.

Of course, if you think beyond the original question and ask yourself what could have POSSIBLY happened to necesitate having only one powder choice and it would imply that something oh so serious had happened to our culture and things were grim indeed. That puts a different spin on powder choice. If I wasn't shooting for fun with spurious things like my .357 and .45 Colt, I would be shooting for meat or survival only, so I would pick the powder that makes my .44's and the .480 work the best. That would be W296.

Randy 1911 · August 12, 2009, 11:34 PM

My vote is for W231. For the last 12 years I have been loading 231 for all of my pistol loads. It is a powder that I use 95% of the time.

farmall · August 13, 2009, 12:41 PM

I use it in 45ACP, 44SP and Mag, 357, 38, 9mm and 30 Mauser.
It's a decent performer in all of them, for cast bullet plinking level loads.
It'd be the one pistol powder I can't do without.

Andy

Jim243 · August 13, 2009, 09:34 PM

I use Win 231 for all from 380 to 45 ACP, however 2400 is better for any mag load (357 mag) and Power Pistol is better for 9 MM and maybe 40 S&W.

Gun 4 Fun · August 13, 2009, 09:49 PM

If I had to own one powder, then I couldn't own my .475 Linebaugh. Well, I could, but it wouldn't do what it was designed for.

Aside from that, Unique would be number one. It meters perfectly in my powder measure, and it's no more dirty than any other powder that I use. (I have at least 30 different types on hand).

2400 would be a very close second, and 231 would be third. I use a lot of 231 in all my magnums, and standard rounds, but I use Unique more.

Russ5924 · August 14, 2009, 12:42 PM

Would be a tough choice between W231 and Titegroup but could live with just W231.

Regular Joe · August 15, 2009, 05:29 AM

If 231 was the only "pistol powder" out there, I could make-do. I have some. I vastly prefer HS-6 for 115 gr. bullets in 9mm, and Blue Dot for 124 gr. bullets. There are a few powders that would work, if nothing else were available. I like Unique. 231 is just about interchangeable with Bullseye and AA #2. In that, they are too fast for my liking, and reach peak pressure too soon. You could go on and on. Universal is...well, pretty universal. Red Dot. Green Dot. They all work better than pepper....

jfrey · August 15, 2009, 11:03 PM

+1 for Unique as an all around powder.

Sarge · August 15, 2009, 11:10 PM

I'm with you, Farmland. Aside from W296 for full-snort hunting loads, W231 is all I use.

orionengnr · August 16, 2009, 10:13 AM

Another vote for 231.

Colorado Redneck · August 16, 2009, 10:01 PM

Sarge---that is a good one. I am gonna use it. Made me and the boss lady snicker.

erikrichard · August 16, 2009, 11:15 PM

I only use 231, the only time I ever get any smoke puffs is when using lead bullets. It's the lube used in them, not the powder that's the cause.

August 12, 2009, 07:02 PM	#1
Farmland Senior Member Join Date: July 5, 2009 Posts: 869	231 if I had only one choice I was in a conversation with another reloader about powder and the question came up, what if you could only have one? While he kept thinking I was quick to say 231. No 231 isn't the magic powder and depending on who you talk to they will say it belches smoke and crud's the barrel with unburnt powder. However it works in every caliber of handgun that I own starting at the 380, 9mm, 38 Special, 357, 40 S&W, 45 and the 44 mag. The big plus is my powder measure is tack sharp when throwing these charges with the 231. There may be better powders for each caliber but nothing works as well with them all as 231 for me. So my vote for a single powder for hand guns would be Winchester 231 does anyone else have any favorites?

August 12, 2009, 07:41 PM	#3
Shane Tuttle Staff Join Date: November 28, 2005 Location: Montana Posts: 9,443	If it's belching smoke, then I have to question the correct load recipe used. I personally like HP38 the most which is basically Win231. It's my go-to powder... __________________ If it were up to me, the word "got" would be deleted from the English language. Posting and YOU: http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/posting

August 12, 2009, 08:20 PM	#5
IllinoisCoyoteHunter Senior Member Join Date: December 23, 2008 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 1,527	hp38...hmmmm...sweeeeet! my go-2-4-sho! __________________ ~~IllinoisCoyoteHunter~~ ~NRA LIFE MEMBER~ ~NRA CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR~

August 12, 2009, 11:34 PM	#9
Randy 1911 Senior Member Join Date: May 7, 2009 Location: Western Arkansas Posts: 273	My vote is for W231. For the last 12 years I have been loading 231 for all of my pistol loads. It is a powder that I use 95% of the time. __________________ Been Reloading 27 Years NRA Member Member Old Fort Gun Club www.ofgc.org

August 13, 2009, 09:49 PM	#12
Gun 4 Fun Senior Member Join Date: November 3, 2008 Posts: 956	If I had to own one powder, then I couldn't own my .475 Linebaugh. Well, I could, but it wouldn't do what it was designed for. Aside from that, Unique would be number one. It meters perfectly in my powder measure, and it's no more dirty than any other powder that I use. (I have at least 30 different types on hand). 2400 would be a very close second, and 231 would be third. I use a lot of 231 in all my magnums, and standard rounds, but I use Unique more. __________________ S&WCA member NRA member NAHC Life member

August 12, 2009, 07:10 PM	#2
doug66 Senior Member Join Date: June 1, 2008 Location: Kansas Posts: 116	one choice Unique..... I hate to use it, cause it doesn't meter well for me. I do use it for plinking loads in 44,357mag. Bullseye is my fav in 45ACP and 38 spl.

August 12, 2009, 07:59 PM	#4
Farmland Senior Member Join Date: July 5, 2009 Posts: 869	I have never had the problem but some have said they experience more smoke with 231 while shooting lead. HP & 231 what is there not to like.

August 12, 2009, 08:28 PM	#6
QBall45 Senior Member Join Date: April 5, 2008 Location: South Central Minnesota Posts: 584	Not sure what I'd use if I couldn't have 231. I had a smoke problem when I used 5.5gr. Dropped my charge to 4.5. Problem solved. Love my 231 in my 45ACP!

August 12, 2009, 08:40 PM	#7
That'll Do Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2008 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 546	If I had to choose just one powder, it would probably be Universal. That said, I love having a wide selection. I like the ability to have a specific powder for a specific cartridge. For example, I love to use 2400 for my 357 Mag, from target to full house, it fits the bill. For my 9mm and 40 S&W, Power Pistol and HS-6 work wonders. It would be a sad day at my reloading bench if I could only have one powder...

August 12, 2009, 08:56 PM	#8
Doodlebugger45 Senior Member Join Date: April 15, 2009 Location: Wyoming Posts: 1,717	I also love to have lots of powders, but then I'm a tinkerer by nature. If someone else told my I had to use 231 forever, yeah I could live with that OK. I'd prefer Unique in that circumstance though. However if I got to make the choice myself I'd probably pick Tite Group. It even does a fairly decent job in my .480 Ruger, not to mention excellent results in everything smaller. Of course, if you think beyond the original question and ask yourself what could have POSSIBLY happened to necesitate having only one powder choice and it would imply that something oh so serious had happened to our culture and things were grim indeed. That puts a different spin on powder choice. If I wasn't shooting for fun with spurious things like my .357 and .45 Colt, I would be shooting for meat or survival only, so I would pick the powder that makes my .44's and the .480 work the best. That would be W296.

August 13, 2009, 12:41 PM	#10
farmall Senior Member Join Date: December 7, 2004 Location: Beatrice Nebraska Posts: 613	I use it in 45ACP, 44SP and Mag, 357, 38, 9mm and 30 Mauser. It's a decent performer in all of them, for cast bullet plinking level loads. It'd be the one pistol powder I can't do without. Andy

August 13, 2009, 09:34 PM	#11
Jim243 Senior Member Join Date: January 5, 2009 Location: Just off Route 66 Posts: 5,067	I use Win 231 for all from 380 to 45 ACP, however 2400 is better for any mag load (357 mag) and Power Pistol is better for 9 MM and maybe 40 S&W.

August 14, 2009, 12:42 PM	#13
Russ5924 Senior Member Join Date: February 18, 2005 Posts: 1,874	Would be a tough choice between W231 and Titegroup but could live with just W231. __________________ Russ5924

August 15, 2009, 05:29 AM	#14
Regular Joe Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2008 Posts: 255	If 231 was the only "pistol powder" out there, I could make-do. I have some. I vastly prefer HS-6 for 115 gr. bullets in 9mm, and Blue Dot for 124 gr. bullets. There are a few powders that would work, if nothing else were available. I like Unique. 231 is just about interchangeable with Bullseye and AA #2. In that, they are too fast for my liking, and reach peak pressure too soon. You could go on and on. Universal is...well, pretty universal. Red Dot. Green Dot. They all work better than pepper....

August 15, 2009, 11:03 PM	#15
jfrey Senior Member Join Date: May 16, 2008 Location: Coastal South Texas Posts: 557	+1 for Unique as an all around powder.

August 15, 2009, 11:10 PM	#16
Sarge Senior Member Join Date: May 12, 2002 Location: MO Posts: 5,457	I'm with you, Farmland. Aside from W296 for full-snort hunting loads, W231 is all I use. __________________ People were smarter before the Internet, or imbeciles were harder to notice.

August 16, 2009, 10:13 AM	#17
orionengnr Senior Member Join Date: July 9, 2004 Posts: 5,177	Another vote for 231.

August 16, 2009, 10:01 PM	#18
Colorado Redneck Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2008 Location: Northeast Colorado Posts: 1,993	Full snort hunting loads Sarge---that is a good one. I am gonna use it. Made me and the boss lady snicker.

August 16, 2009, 11:15 PM	#19
erikrichard Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Posts: 160	I only use 231, the only time I ever get any smoke puffs is when using lead bullets. It's the lube used in them, not the powder that's the cause.