Powder recommendations for 45acp & 40 S&W in a progressive press

[johnfred1965]

I like Ramshot Sillhoette in all my auto pistols. This powder was originally Winchester Action Pistol (WAP). Don't know the whole story, but Win dropped it and Ramshot picked up the formula. The powder looks like a flattened ball, and very fine grained. It meters great and there are good loads from 380 to 45acp. I loaded 5500 9mm last summer for practice for the only big 3 gun match I shoot, they all went bang. should have loaded that many 223, my rifle shooting was terrible

 

[dsinfour]

Knowing what powder to use is like buying a car...All different powders to use and try...Here is another idea ..I have used bullseye for both for years but will use Titgroupe when the bullseye runs out....a lot different powders will work..Good luck

 

[Jammer Six]

I like the car analogy.

Yes, your 1936 Ford half ton will haul the wood. But I like the air conditioning when we're done in my 2002 Chevy.

 

[Legolas]

I will answer for the 40 S&W only. I don't have a 45.

Lots of recommendations by others. For the 40 I tend to favor the mid burn rate powders. I'm not saying that Tite Group isn't a great powder, but the charge leaves a lot of void in the case. A double charge which could happen while you learn on your new press, would be very bad in the 40. Any setback due to you not having your expander set correctly would also be much worse with a fast powder than a mid burn rate.

Some of the other powders listed have a reputation with not metering real well in a progressive press. Unique is one of these. A really great powder that I use a lot of. To get it to run well in my Dillon RL550, I polished the interior of the aluminum cone and use a very consistent press action. Not hard to find on the internet on how to do.

I would just suggest you realize there will be somewhat of a learning curve as you transition to your Dillon. Regarding powders that meter well, I suggest you get your powder measure adjustment set, then run some multiple charges to check the aggregate consistency. I like 10 charges to confirm my powder setting. Then dispense and measure 10 weighing each charge.

I always run 5 charges through after making an adjustment before I start weighing. I also run a few through after I left my press for any time, just to make sure if the powder settled I don't get a "heavy" charge.

Your new press, run it the way you like, but these are practices I have used as my standard after loading on Dillon presses for almost 30 years.

 

[Legolas]

Jepp2 has given you good advice. Powders with moderate burning rates will have enough volume to be measured out consistently. Keep your aluminum powder funnel and drop tube clean so the powder drops smoothly and does not bridge. Take plenty of test weights checking for consistency.

Lack of consistency across a 30 or 50 charge sample might be a warning sign of a powder that will not flow reliably and might bridge at the entrance to the metering chamber or in the funnel drop tube area.

This does not bear directly on your .40 and .45 question, but since you are just starting with your Dillon 550B and might in the future have need to load something smaller like 9mm or .38, l will say that small charges of fine grained powder of 3 grains or less, and charges of flaky powder of 4 grains or less should be AVOIDED as they can bridge at the finely adjusted entrance to the metering chamber, resulting in a failure to charge the case. I consider this a VERY DANDEROUS situation, because if such a round is bullet seated and taken to the range and fired, the primer will drive the bullet deep enough into the barrel that another might be chambered. With hearing protection you will not hear the pop of the primer and probably think you have a misfire, and just spin the cylinder or chamber another round, and fire a bullet into a plugged barrel. This almost happened to me.

Find a powder that you can drop consistently and with ABSOLUTE reliability.

 

[SheepDog]

WW231 or HP-38 are the same powder under different brands and are good powders in both the 40 and 45. TiteGroup is a very good powder that is not position sensitive. Both of these powders use very small amounts of capacity so it would be easy to get two charges in a case. Unique is one of the old stand-by powders for the 45 ACP and fills cases a bit more simply because you use more powder to get the same velocity. I like to verify the powder charges visually but when I had my 550 it ended up taking more time to use it "my" way than the single stage press. I sold that 550 and have never looked back. I know a few people who use and love their Dillon presses and they trust that their equipment will throw the proper charge. I could never trust the machine to do that after one round was fired with no powder. I am a "little" anal retentive about my loading so my way is not for everyone, but it works for me.

 

[Jammer Six]

I only use Titegroup for .45ACP.

Sheepdog is right, it's possible to get two charges into a .45ACP case. However, it's obvious.

Most of my loads run between 4.5 grains and 5.8 grains. Nine or ten grains shows right up.

That said, I load .45ACP on a Square Deal, and an automatic advance is a good thing for guys like me.

 

[GlockamoleTX]

WST and WW 231

 

[Rustystud]

Have seen some great powders listed and some not so great powders. Old reliables and new cleaner with less flash. Some that are safer not having over or under charge issues. There are three basic bullet types, lead, plated, and copper jacketed. There are two basic uses of hand gun, target shooting and hunting/self protection. One should pick the load based on the need. Remember hot loads wear your gun out much quicker than lighter loads. Ball and fake powder meter better.

 

[graydond]

I've been using 231 for 45ACP and 40S&W and it's doing fine. But I went to purchase another pound of 231 and noticed on the top right of the label it said "RIFLE".
I didn't purchase at the time and at another gun shop I saw 231 with "HANDGUN" on the label. What's the difference? Are they interchangeable?

 

[pirate ammo]

I use a lot of cfe pistol 9,40,&45

 

[AckleymanII]

AA#5

meters like water, very, very accurate

very clean burning

I avoid LARGE flake powders(700x, uNIQUE, bLUE dOT, gREEN DOT and red dot) due to powder bridging. I weigh all of those loads using those powders, and they all can be very, very accurate. 6.0-7.0g of Unique with a 200g Hard cast is usually very accurate. You can run some very high velocities with accuracy with blue dot, weigh everyone of them.

296 and bullseye burn very, very dirty, like dumping dirt in your pistol.

Tite group is what I use in light loads, cast 175 and 180g for the 40, never tried it in the 45 cast.

 

[retired]

yes a sent him a pm on accurate 2 and 5

AA#5

meters like water, very, very accurate

very clean burning

I avoid LARGE flake powders(700x, uNIQUE, bLUE dOT, gREEN DOT and red dot) due to powder bridging. I weigh all of those loads using those powders, and they all can be very, very accurate. 6.0-7.0g of Unique with a 200g Hard cast is usually very accurate. You can run some very high velocities with accuracy with blue dot, weigh everyone of them.

296 and bullseye burn very, very dirty, like dumping dirt in your pistol.

Tite group is what I use in light loads, cast 175 and 180g for the 40, never tried it in the 45 cast.

 

[TAJ45]

Check the other .45acp post on this page, now anyway for my experience. No experience loading the .40 but I found the 230, 231, 296 and BE to be very dirty and gritty.

And in addition to the above (mention on page #1), DIRTY, GRITTY powders with a sharp pressure curve, I will second the CLAYS, plain. Much softer recoil, bulky enough to not dbl charge should that be a concern.
I've shot pound after pound of BE, 290, 291 and was clued in on the CLAYS. Nothing but smiles.....

 

[MSS]

W231 or bullseye.

 

[machineman98]

I use W231 in 9mm, 38 sp. 45 acp and 45 colt. These are target/plinking loads w/cast bullets. Does seem to be dirty.

 

[XTR]

I shot up a whole lot of WW231 back in my IPSC shooting days. There is something to be said for a powder that can't be double charged in a 45. I can assure you that WW231 can be, I have a split slide around here somewhere to prove it.