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Question about different powders

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  • onecoolpilot

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    Jun 29, 2008
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    I know that different powders have different burn rates and such, but what is the difference between the different manufacturers?

    I tried to search on here, but I was not very successful.

    Looking at the charts on the internet, there are some that seem very similar as far as being fast or slow, I'm just not sure about the brands.

    Is there a brand or brands that are better for pistol loads than others? Right now I load 9mm, will be adding .45 to the mix in the not too distant future.

    thanks for any advice

    jeff
     

    baboon

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    May 6, 2008
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    Out here by the lake!
    All good things are copied to death. Powders are no different. When I first started reloading 30 years ago for my .45 I used Unique with great results. i bought a Dillion SDB press over the winter & bought Bullseye as they didn't have Unique at the time. Bullseye worked, but seemed dirtiers & stinkier. I haven't started reloading 9mm yet.

    1911.com has alot of reloading info for the .45. Just remember to look at price of powder & amount needed per load.
     

    wshbrngr

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    Jul 16, 2008
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    Texas Hill Country
    I like Winchester 231, a nice clean ball powder, flows nicely from my powder measure.

    Works great in the .40 and .38 loads I have done and I expect the same results when I start 9mm and .45.
     

    oldguy

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    Mar 6, 2008
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    At one time I used a number of powders however in past few years since
    most of my shooting is target pistol, I use Titegroup and AA5 in 45acp,
    40s&w and 9mm, both meter well plus with titegroup you can get a large
    amount of rounds out of one can.

    Basically most brands are pretty good it a matter of do you want fast
    burning, medium or slow.
     

    philbo

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    Jun 16, 2008
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    Most makers offer a selection of powder that runs the gamut from powders for a wide array of caliber/loads suitable for practice/plinking, and others that are designed for maximum performance. Regardless of which manufacturer you choose, there are many powders that deliver similar results. The only difference might be that one type of powder works better in certain powder measures than others, or one may burn cleaner at reduced velocity, etc. And sometimes, the very same powders are packaged by different manufacturers and sold as different powders. HP38/Win231 & H110/Win296 are 2 examples of such.

    To say that one manufacturer is better is as subjective as claiming that one car is necessarily better than another. And just like with cars, some get defensive if you say derogatory things about their powder... go figure.

    Choose a powder that you can get locally (easier today than 20 years ago), and that suits your desired purposes. For my handgun plinking purposes Titegroup is my powder of choice for jacketed/plated bullets from 32acp to 454 casull. I buy this in 8lb jugs. For lead cast plinking rounds I prefer a slower powder that doesn't tend to lead as much as Titegroup like HP38/Win231. For full magnum rounds I prefer H110/Win296. These I pick up in 1lb bottles which seem to last quite a while.

    In the end all the powder makers today make a decent product. Experiment, compare, and see what works best with your equipment.
     

    TexasFats

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    Sep 17, 2008
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    Austin, Texas
    Another thing that you should know is that even if the powders have the same number, they are different. IMR 4831 and H 4831 are similar, but not the same. And, the reloading data is different for them. The same is true for IMR 4350 and H 4350, etc.
     
    Every Day Man
    Tyrant

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