The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Placing a new Powder Valley order, Any Suggestions?

noylj · October 10, 2012, 11:04 PM

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.

October 10, 2012, 11:04 PM	#27
noylj Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 2007 Location: Between CA and NM Posts: 858	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.