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

[DIBBS]

I'm in the process of purchasing a dillon 550, and am wondering if there is a powder that will meter well and work in both the 45acp w/230 grain bullets and the 40 S&W with 180 grain Berry's. Getting tired of loading single stage and want to shoot pistols more and spend less time at the loading bench. Thanks!

 

[7stubby]

Hodgdon Titegroup is what I personally use. You will be able to use the same powder charge in both of them.
I'm sure there are others, this is what has worked very well for me.

 

[DeadEyeDick45]

Green Dot and Red Dot.

 

[powderbrake]

I use Bullseye on both 45 and 40 on a Dillon 550. I highly recommend you use a Lee Pro Autodisk powder measure instead of a Dillon measure. The Lee is actuated by the case being pushed up and having the mouth expanded. It dispenses more accurately, has a shut-off, and is very simple to set the charge. I use Dillon for most rifle caliber, but have added the Lee measure to each of my pistol caliber tool heads.
You will need the Lee Powder through expanding die for each caliber ($14) and the Lee Pro Disk measure ( $54). These are list prices from Lee's website, I am sure they are cheaper from Midway or Graf's.

 

[Jammer Six]

Titegroup.

 

[Had2muchofForums]

I've had great success with Titegroup in both .45 acp and .40 s&w. I was using 200 and 165 grains respectively.

 

[Auto-X Fil]

Titegroup measures amazingly well for me. It's not good for max velocity, but it's my go-to for plinking loads. Very accurate and consistent, and forgiving of primer and crimp variation.

 

[LitLBoy]

WST is great in 40 or 45 --- you won't be able to double charge like you can with Bullseye or Tite Group, both have a nasty pressure spike.

 

[Gb300wm]

WW231 works well with both too

 

[Rsadams]

+1on win.231..You needs to look in your books at the difference in powder performance between the .45 and the .40 and spilt the difference.

Titegroup works well but it can be easily double charged becouse it takes such a small charge. Of course some powders like win231 are good but are not known for speed ( great for plinkers). Power pistol could be another, if your looking for a little more push... The list is endless but most pistol powders should meter ok for you...Exept unique...great powder but doesnt meter well at all....

 

[CJ6]

231 or Unique

 

[Auto-X Fil]

I find 231 to be more accurate than TG in 45, but also sensitive to primer selection and crimp. It also doesn't meter nearly as well, although usually that's not an issue.

Still, I only use it when I'm willing to dedicate a significant amount of time to coming up with a great bullseye load. I rarely find a great load right off the bat with it. TG is so position-intensive, easy to light, and cheap that I keep using it.

I don't know what sort of loading equipment you are all using where double-charges are possible, but fixing that with powder choice is a band-aid. A Dillon with over-charge indicator is as safe as it gets.

 

[r bose]

Just used CFE Pistol (had never used it before). loads dropped very accurately, shot very well and gave very good, consistent velocity.

 

[rkittine]

I use Red Dot in a 45 year old Star progressive reloader without incident. as I use it for 12 gauge Skeet Loads it keeps my powder inventory down.

Bob

 

[Rsadams]

I find 231 to be more accurate than TG in 45, but also sensitive to primer selection and crimp. It also doesn't meter nearly as well, although usually that's not an issue.

Still, I only use it when I'm willing to dedicate a significant amount of time to coming up with a great bullseye load. I rarely find a great load right off the bat with it. TG is so position-intensive, easy to light, and cheap that I keep using it.

I don't know what sort of loading equipment you are all using where double-charges are possible, but fixing that with powder choice is a band-aid. A Dillon with over-charge indicator is as safe as it gets.

I have used a bunch of win231 and Altho it works great in smal cases like 9mm with any primer. I will also say it's position sensitive in .38 spl longer cases useing S@B primers it just doesn't light off , leaving a ton of unburnt powder when useing berry bullets that don't have a canalure. It may be the bullet more than the powder but works fine with any other primer I have used. Winchester,CCI or federal..useing the same crimp .

This problem I was told was not enough crimp but even crimping the berry bullet ALOT it didn't change things but when I changed to any other primer listed above it stopped instantly and the data over the crono showed the improvement in all categories.. Plus there wasn't unburnt powder everywhere..

 

[cdhbrad]

I'm in the process of purchasing a dillon 550, and am wondering if there is a powder that will meter well and work in both the 45acp w/230 grain bullets and the 40 S&W with 180 grain Berry's. Getting tired of loading single stage and want to shoot pistols more and spend less time at the loading bench. Thanks!

Bullseye, W231, Power Pistol.....all will work for both .45ACP and .40S&W. I also like VV N310 in .45 but never tried it in .40. I usually shoot 200 gr. SWC in .45 and 175/180gr SWC or TC coated lead bullets in .40. On my press, I use an RCBS Uniflow with Micrometer Adjuster and the Case Activated Linkage and all those powders meter well.

 

[Ketosan]

As with others that have responded, I have used Titegroup extensively over the years with great success. Used for 230 Gr Ranier bullets in the 45, 165 Gr Ranier bullets in the 40 and 115 Gr Ranier bullets in the 9MM. Unique is also a good powder but burns slightly dirtier. I have also used Ramshot Zip when Titegroup was hard to find--found Zip to meter very well and Chronograph numbers were very impressive--low SDs and velocities equal to Titegroup--
After your first session with the 550 you will wonder why you waited so long!!!!

 

[swd]

Universal Clays and a 200 was my go to back in my IPSC and IDPA days in my 40. It meters well and shoots very soft.

 

[billlarson]

I'm in the process of purchasing a dillon 550, and am wondering if there is a powder that will meter well and work in both the 45acp w/230 grain bullets and the 40 S&W with 180 grain Berry's. Getting tired of loading single stage and want to shoot pistols more and spend less time at the loading bench. Thanks!

CALL DILLON........

 

[TAJ45]

Universal Clays and a 200 was my go to back in my IPSC and IDPA days in my 40. It meters well and shoots very soft.

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.