anyone use HP-38 for 9mm or 45acp

[striker55]

Not a large selection in my neighborhood store so I chose HP-38 for my 9mm and 45acp. Not much of a charge in the 45acp, little over 4 grains, lots of room in the case. Just wondering if anyone else uses it.

[gb_in_ga]

HP-38 is one of the powders that I use in 9mm.

[Sport45]

Oh yeah. I use lots of it. The only difference is the powder jugs mine comes out of says W231. Same stuff. Works well in both the cartridges you mentioned.

[Jim Watson]

I load 9mm P and standard .45 ACP with HP38.

For very light loads in .45 I prefer something faster and more consistent at low charge weights. I am currently loading 700X and have some Clays for the next lot, but danged if I am not considering Bullseye for eventual use.

[zxcvbob]

For very light loads in .45 I prefer something faster and more consistent at low charge weights. I am currently loading 700X and have some Clays for the next lot, but danged if I am not considering Bullseye for eventual use.

Then try Red Dot or American Select. Both are bulky fast powders that work great at low charge wieghts. Bullseye is a wonderful powder, but it's not as fast as all the burn rate charts give it credit -- it just has a much higher energy than any other powder except Power Pistol, and the burn rate charges seem to try to normalize this. You can get lower power using Red Dot. American Select is a little slower than Red Dot (but still faster than Bullseye) and it burns ridiculously clean.

[putteral]

I use a lot of HP 38 in both 9mm and 45.
I use 5.2 grs with a 200 gr LFP or SWC in 45 and 4.9 grs in a 230 LRN
4.2 grs in a 125 gr LRN in 9mm.
Very good accruacy!

[Jim Watson]

Then try Red Dot or American Select. Both are bulky fast powders that work great at low charge wieghts.

Several of us here tried Red Dot in midrange loads some years ago. It was not particularly effective. Maybe American Select, the CAS tenderfeet seem to like it.

[Unclenick]

I think Bullseye fools people because it is a digressive powder. How fast it tests in the calorimetric bomb at standard burning rate test pressure is not telling the whole tale. Vihtavuouri's full reloading manual used to have charts showing how the different grains sizes and shapes affect burning rate. It's an interesting thing to look at.

If you want combustion speed and excellent metering, try Vihtavuori N310. Hodgdon Clays is also good and its squashed-sphere flakes seem to meter more smoothly than Bullseye. Both powders burn cleaner than Bullseye.

[benzuncle]

I use HP-38 for my 45 loads and my 380 loads.

[Waldog]

HP-38 and Win 231 is the SAME powder. I use it in 9mm, 40 S&W and 45 acp. I have used a LOT

[Smaug]

If HP38 and Win231 are the same, it must also be true that loading down too much for HP38 can be dangerous, right?

I thought I read somewhere that 231 loads should not be loaded more than 3% less than max loads.

I read this with interest, as I have a whole pound of HP38. For me, a pound of powder lasts a long time, so I'm pretty much committed to finding good loads with it.

[zxcvbob]

I thought I read somewhere that 231 loads should not be loaded more than 3% less than max loads.

That's 296 (also H-110).

[Smaug]

OK, thanks for the correction.

[Jim Watson]

Re light loads again, I chronographed a 200 gr .45 ACP SWC and 3.5 gr Bullseye with velocities in the mid 600s and single digit standard deviation. I have not seen that consistency below maximum loads with any other powder. Although there are some I haven't tried. I think I can scrounge some N310.