"All in one" Powder???

[Matt M]

Alright Guys, I am a fairly experienced loader with a few years of it and IDPA/USPSA under my belt and am starting to feel the component price crunch. I have a good local guy who makes great cast bullets that I have been using for a couple years now and have had very good luck with but it's getting hard to find the powders I have been using. So.... I was wondering what powder you guys would recommend with the following calibers:

9mm 125 and 160gr have been using Titiegroup but my bullet guy loads Solo 1K

40 180gr Need Major at Glock length, I have been using clays for minor and Titegroup or VV N320 for major

45 230gr I had used WST for years and really liked it but it became hard to find (locally) and I switched to Clays.

38 Special I have used Titegroup and a 158gr Berrys plated but I am switching to some 160gr RN

38 Supercomp 124gr MG JHP for my Open gun I use VV N350 but will switch to True Blue probably as VV is hard to find locally and I hate HazMat fees :(. This one also has it's own 550B so it can stay a seperate powder.

Is there a powder out there that does all of these loads well or am I just wishful thinking??? Again, all of these bullets are hardcast lead except for the 38SC.

Titegroup seems to work in all of them but is smoky as hell.... what about the solo??? WST again???

Thanks,
Matt

[BigDog[RE]]

Unique is the answer. Ignore all the heathens that tell you its dirty. I find that it works well with lead.

[MakeMineaP99]

Solo 1000 will load all of those and it's a hell of a lot cleaner than flaming dirt.

[BigDog[RE]]

I told you the heathens would speak up! ;-)

[MakeMineaP99]

Strike that, looking back, I missed the 38SC. Solo 1k is probably a bit fast to make major with it.

True Blue or Ramshot Silhouette will do it though. I load Silhouette by the keg; it's the old WAP repacked with a flash suppressor. Silhouette is just a bit slower, probably get you a few more FPS than True Blue I would think.

Other than magnum handgun powders/fast rifle powders, I keep Solo 1k and Silhouette on hand.

[BigDog[RE]]

All kidding aside, if you shoot bunny fart loads, Unique is not the powder. If you shoot medium range loads it is. As long as the load is on the warm side, Unique is not as dirty as people say. I can put 500 rounds through my 1911 and it functions fine, so I don't see "dirty" as an issue. It doesn't take me any more effort to clean the gun after shooting Unique then it does any other powder.

Its A LOT less smokey with lead than Titegroup.

[Jayhawker]

True Blue is actually listed as being slower in burn rate than Silhouette even on Ramshot's chart.
http://www.ramshot.com/powders/burnrate.php

Strike that, looking back, I missed the 38SC. Solo 1k is probably a bit fast to make major with it.

True Blue or Ramshot Silhouette will do it though. I load Silhouette by the keg; it's the old WAP repacked with a flash suppressor. Silhouette is just a bit slower, probably get you a few more FPS than True Blue I would think.

Other than magnum handgun powders/fast rifle powders, I keep Solo 1k and Silhouette on hand.

[zdogk9]

WTF. Works for everything.

[MakeMineaP99]

True Blue is actually listed as being slower in burn rate than Silhouette even on Ramshot's chart.
http://www.ramshot.com/powders/burnrate.php

Strike that, got the order wrong.

[Jayhawker]

No problem, Dan. I figured that it was a simple mix up.

[Matt M]

Yeah, I will probably use true blue for the 38SC as I've tried some loads through it from guys at the club shooting open. 8.4gr of it under the 124 makes about 172pf in my gun....

Like I said my bullet guy loads solo 1K and really likes the stuff but he wasn't sure about it 45 and 38sp as he had never loaded any of these. Might give it a try.... anyone loading 45 or 38sp with it?

[MakeMineaP99]

Yes...

[fredj338]

;182253']All kidding aside, if you shoot bunny fart loads, Unique is not the powder. If you shoot medium range loads it is. As long as the load is on the warm side, Unique is not as dirty as people say. I can put 500 rounds through my 1911 and it functions fine, so I don't see "dirty" as an issue. It doesn't take me any more effort to clean the gun after shooting Unique then it does any other powder.

Its A LOT less smokey with lead than Titegroup.
Very true, especially w/ lead bullets, Unique works great. If you want a powder w/ a bit better metering & a bit cleaner burning, WSF is tough to beat. My most accurate 40 load is a 175grLRNFP or 165grBerrys o/ WSF. It works well in full power loads for the other calibers as well. TG, to narrow a load range & tough making major w/ several carts.

[ede]

if you like unique you'll love Rex-2 and it's CRB approved. for all your major loads i'd look at power pistol or HS-6. minor loads rex-2, titegroup, and WST.

[Fatdaddy]

How do you catch a Unique rabbit?





















Unique up on him!

[Fatdaddy]

How do you catch a tame rabbit?





















Tame way


Unique:biggrinjester:

[jawjaboy]

Have mercy FD. Please. :43:

[nitesite]

For what are you loading 160-gr 9mm bullets?

Just curious.

[Matt M]

For what are you loading 160-gr 9mm bullets?

Just curious.

G17 for IDPA.... man they're SOFT.

[MakeMineaP99]

Another tidbit. I have found reloading the common handgun rounds, you need a fast powder, like Solo 1000, Clays, TG, etc. to use for 45 ACP type loads, a slower powder in the Silhouette, Unique, True Blue range for 9x19 type loads, loaded warm to full potential and if you want to jump into magnum stuff like 357, 41, 44, or 500 to full bore, a magnum powder like AA9, 2400, H110, H/IMR 4227 etc. The magnum handgun powders some times cross as fast rifle powders.

[MONTEGOD7SS]

What about full snot .45? Like for .45 +P and .45Super?

[MakeMineaP99]

That's where your 9x19 (slower) powder comes in.

[BigSlick]

For your caliber requirements, it's gonna be tough to find an ideal powder for all.

But, I would give AA#2 a look (just a pound to start).

It's fast enough to be faster than mid range stuff, but still slower by a good margin then BE an the like. Maybe Red Dot too, if published data is available in the calibers you're using it with.

TG will work (mostly anyway), but it burns hot, so it's gonna smoke like a chimney with any ALOX based lube.

I would think an ideal option would be some 452AA or the like, but that's been gone for ages, maybe WST ?

ETA, oh, my bad, you mentioned WST being hard to find

[Steve Koski]

Dude....










Unique

[ept000]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3494/3776565261_f635c8be67.jpg

[BigDog[RE]]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3494/3776565261_f635c8be67.jpg



Doesn't get better than that, couple of classics there!

[Matt M]

Loved the WST with 45 especially in my 625 and I did see a couple kegs around lately so it's probably between that and SOLO 1K.... I might just try a pound of unique just to say I have .... it seems like it's either the greatest thing or the devil depending on who you are :)

[ept000]

At lighter charges Unique may be a little dirty, but it fires a bullet very well in every application I have tried. I have used it in 9mm, 38 Special, .45 ACP, and 44 Magnum. I prefer the Solo 1000 in the 38 Special, but if I ran out I would grab the Unique in a heart beat.

[GLShooter]

How do you catch a Unique rabbit?


Unique up on him!

You dig a four foot hole in the ground and put a pea in the bottom and retire to a nearby bush. When the rabbit hops over and looks into the hole unique up on him and kick him in the pea hole!!

Greg


PS: To the OP, Unique is the way to SALVATUON. -- G.

[Jayhawker]

I also would go with Unique as "All Around Powder." It tends to be one that I gravitate to the most.

[Fatdaddy]

Could be that all the "Flamable dirt" reports were before the New Cleaner Burning
Unique was introduced.

[BigSlick]

Nah, before and after.

It shoots great, it's just nasty

[nitesite]

Unique is still THE most versatile handgun powder today.

I've used it with good results in 9mm, .38-Special, .357 Magnum, .40 S&W, 10mmAuto, .44 Special, .45 Auto and .45 Colt. And it's great in 7/8-oz 20-ga as well.

[Crazy4nitro]

I would say other then the Comp Gun that WSF will fill the Bill.
It is my Fav. Powder in Non Magnum applications. It Meters smooth as well.

I tried Unique to see what all the Hype was about...Both sides are right. BUT I will say that my Powder Locker always seems to have Unique in it as it works well in More applications then any other single powder.

I even use Unique in my .45-70

'Nitro

[Steviewonder1]

Unique stocked to more than is needed to Orbit Arnold S!

[pkr hd]

Unique. its the best all around .

[colorado4wheel]

Solo 1000 all those calibers in a Minor Load.

For major pick something else.

I would get two powders. Your minor powder and your major powder.