For 40 years I have been reloading various handgun calibers. Usual stuff. The 9x19, 32-20, 38 S&W, 38 Special, 38 Super, 357 Magnum, 38-40, 41 Magnum, 44 Special, 44 Magnum, 45 ACP, 45 Colt. In the interest of simplicity and convenience I settled on two powders. I use 2400 for the Magnums and Unique for everything else.

Lately it's been very difficult to find powder and other reloading supplies. The Unique seems particularly scarce. So I am looking for some new options hoping I can find something for sale. Still want to find one or two "all around" powders to avoid large numbers of different powders requiring storage.

It seems that the Accurate #2, #5, #7 and #9 are worth exploring as are the VV N340 and N350. Any comments on these choices based on past experiences would be appreciated as would suggestions for other powders to try.

If you are in the USA all gunpowder is difficult to get now. It's the current administration's anti gun policy's that are propelling the massive rush of gun owners to stock up.

You listed quite a spread of calibers and cartridges. There are about 98 gun powders available. They are listed fastest to slowest. They come in single base, double base, coated, stick, flake, ball.

Selection is quite a science. For some handguns the load could be 3,4,5 grains. It burns fast. For older/bigger rifle cartridges powders are slower and may range 50, 70, or more grains depending on case capacity.

I understand your concern about the cost and amount of powder for a "best fit". Limiting to two powders unfortunately means mediocre performance. But that depends on expectations. If the intent is to get the bullet out of the muzzle some powders will do that. But the other factors, accuracy, velocity, pressure will be the casualty's. There just won't be - "one size fits all".

Some powders perform better in certain calibers of hand guys and rifles and are known by reputation to be consistent and accurate.

Generically I will say that for the rifles say .257 thru .338 IMR 4350 is a good choice. For handguns in .357 - .38 Bullseye is good.

I thought I explained that for convenience I want as few powders on hand as possible. I realize that doing this means I won't necessarily be able to wring top velocity from every caliber but I don't need top velocity. If I did I would have numerous powders on hand to match the best for each caliber. Not what I wanted.

I realize everything can be tough to find. I was hoping for some suggestions on some brands to widen my horizon and give me options so that maybe I could find something available.

Thanks for your help. I'll have to work this out.

Sorry, my best advice is to ride it out. Rifle powder is available now, sometimes a little hit or miss. Pistol/shotgun has been out for a while. I pretty much load .45 ACP, .38 SPL with Unique I've bought Bull's Eye but not loaded it yet. I have two magnum powders on hand, off the top of my head I can say one is a vhita vouri the other a hodgdon.

Most of the time you can get by with one or two powders, for rifle H335, RL 15, and Varget cover most of my loads. H4831SC for .30-06/.270Win. Looking at IMR 8208 for progressive and .223. It also looks good for a few other cartridges.

Bottom line you don't need a different powder for each caliber as long as your needs are met.

Powder is shipping better all the time and around here it is easy to get again. Most anything.

^^^^

Good to know that - maybe it will improve here too.

Sax - surely 231 can handle a lot on that list. Not all but many of the standard handguns. The mags are just different and 231 is of course a fast powder.

I use AA9 in my 44 Mag. 231 in lots of the others. Good results with both.

I went at it a different way and some years back just reduced the number of calibers I had - and the number I load for which really is just 38, 45 and 44 Mag in handguns.

If you like Unique you will love AA #5. Similar burn rate as Unique but in a 'ball' powder that flows much smoother in a powder measure than a flake powder. Try it, you will like it!

Win 231 is just as versatile as Unique and burns waaaay cleaner. For magnum revolvers it doesn't get much better than H110/ Win296 (same propellent).

I like Unique because I have two very old 8 pound cans of it and it smokes like black powder. I have tried the new Unique and it is much cleaner, but I still have to use the old stuff up.
Yes, for rugers, load H110/W296 for top magnum loads in 45 colt and 44 mag. Loads like black powder; as much as you can cram in the case works best. It doesn't like to burn with light loads.

Based on my research, Power pistol may be the new equal to Unique. Pierce loves it in the 44spl and 45 Colt. Also shows up in the data for 45 ACP and others.

Um, if you value your fingers, you need to fuggitabout the advice to 'cram as much powder as you can' into ANY cartridge case with ANY smokeless powder. Invest in a loading manual and follow the published data every time......

quote:

Originally posted by Shootshellz:
Um, if you value your fingers, you need to fuggitabout the advice to 'cram as much powder as you can' into ANY cartridge case with ANY smokeless powder. Invest in a loading manual and follow the published data every time......

The problems here in this circumstance are multi-fold due to the range of calibers, the types of guns, semi-auto/revolver, and age.

There are three systems of identifiers:

European/metric - millimeters i.e., 9x19 = German military Luger. The 9 is the caliber and the 19 is the case length.

US standard, modern smokeless powder - .357 - 38, etc. = diameter of the bullet in inches.

US black powder, 32-20, 38-40. 32 and 38 are the calibers and 20 & 40 are black powder case capacity in grains.

The selection/application is further exacerbated by so many different powders with different burning rates and grain requirements. For example for one given set of load data for one caliber the grinds of one type may be 3 or 4 while another powder may require 3 or 4 times more grains to achieve the same performance.

In the case of Bullseye it is the third fastest. It only takes 3,4,5 grains to run pressure up but the case is actually 3/4 empty/air.

In the case of the old black powder cartridges, smokeless powder is not supposed to be used. Back in those days it wasn't necessary to weigh power. A person could just fill the case and be OK.

So loading these calibers here presents some interesting challenges. There is load data for some and there is no load data for others. It may be an adventure into the unknown. Transposing loads from one powder type and making an assumption for some other powder can indeed lead into the land where angels fear to tread. Somewhere, someone may have produced some load data/tables but it probably will take quite a search to find them.

Believe me, keeping all of your fingers is worth any search for reloading data........

quote:

Originally posted by Luckyducker:
Win 231 is just as versatile as Unique and burns waaaay cleaner. For magnum revolvers it doesn't get much better than H110/ Win296 (same propellent).

I was a 2400 / Unique guy many years ago too. Now I'm using W231(HP-38)and W296(H110). I load for 40S&W, 45ACP, 256WM, 44 Spec.,44 Mag.
and 380ACP.

If you want to keep things simple go with the AA powders, 2,5,7 and 9 will load about anything you need. I also like their rifle powders, they are never dirty and give good velocity for the pressures involved. Just my 2 cents worth after 45 years of reloading. Bob

I have not seen any AA 2,5,7,9 powders in years locally or by mail. What I have seen in pistol powder is Unique, 700x, 800x, Power Pistol, BE-86(power pistol wthout the flash), H110/296, 4227.

700x for target load, Power Pistol works in most small volume cases, H110 in 44mag