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Loading .380, 9mm and later on .40 & 45acp

4K views 12 replies 12 participants last post by  PanhandlePop 
#1 ·
about got all my Pistol brass deprimed, cleaned and ready to reload

Right now i'm only going to do some .380 for a Ruger lcp but mostly 9mm for a Bereta 92fs id like to use 1 powder for these two as well as the .40 and .45 acp later on. i have been researching powder i have loaded about 1 pound of hodgdon h335 in .223s so far and it seemed to meter ok in my lee's perfect powder measure after some tweaking.

i have been looking at Hodgdons Titegroup for the pistol ammo will be using hornady and or winchester fmj rounds in all, what are your ideas on titegroup for all pistol until i get more reloading under my belt and is the tightgroup the same size flakes or so as the h335..

i will be using a lee pro powder measure for pistol loads and want something that will meter pretty good in it.

Thanks a bunch
 
#2 ·
Titegroup is a top choice for ALL 4 of the rounds you mention. I use it in .380, 9mm, and .45.
 
#3 ·
I like the titegroup as well, my favorite performer however is powerpistol, which requires a bit more of a charge, alot safer for the new and/or progressive reloader in preventing double charges.
 
#4 ·
Titegroup is a good choice. As is most any fairly fast burning pistol powder. I load range ammo for all the non bottle neck pistol cartridges (Don't load.380s) using Red Dot, not because it's the best, but because I likely have more than I can burn in this lifetime, and it performs well. Unique and Bullseye are some old standards that work well in most pistol cartridges as well.
wh1
 
#6 ·
I use WW 231 for all my pistol cartridges. If you check your reloading manual 231 is often stated as being potentially the most accurate round, or at least for the bullets I use. Also you can use for light .44 and .357 mgnum rounds.( I have H110 for full boat loads) Another plus is you use fewer grains for higher velocities than most other powders, so it is less expensive. It is a tad dirtier than some but far less than others. A good idea is to research the loads you want to reload and see what looks good to you and then buy a pound of several of the powders you think you will like the best. Work up your loads with each and then try them out and see which you prefer. It's loads of fun and that is one of the reasons we reload. OK this was super long winded for me I gotta rest now. :D
 
#9 ·
W231 and Titegroup are used 99% of the time in my case. I don't reload 9mm, but I do all the others.
 
#11 ·
I do not care for TiteGroup. I just don't get good accuracy out of it except for light loads in .38 Super--and even then there are powders my guns prefer.
231/HP38 is an excellent "beginners" powder. It doesn't have any pressure spike issues and can be loaded from light target to near max loads. Another excellent powder for all those calibers is Unique.
For most of the cartridges, the decision on a powder is based on what your goals are.
Most posters seem to be in action shooting and like heavy bullets and fast powders. Not a good combo for a beginner.
If I looked for a single powder for all those cartridges, I would probably go with AA5. Excellent accuracy in 9x19, .40 S&W, and .45ACP. The only powder that I have tested that beats it is AA2 in light target loads for .45 ACP and .38 Special.
Power Pistol and Silhouette are excellent in everything (I don't know about the .380--Ramshot only shows Zip--a powder close to 231/HP38--and True Blue--a very fine grain powder that is relatively slow but amazing useful in cartridges I would not have thought to use it). In 9x19 and .38 Super, Silhouette is superior. In .40S&W and .45 ACP, Power Pistol has been superior.
Then, there is N320 and N340 that are also very good in MANY cartridges.
Everything depends on what your gun likes and what lever of accuracy you want/need vs the power you want.
 
#12 ·
AA is the only powder I use for my hand gun ammo. I keep on hand, #2, #5, #7, and #9. I can load em hot, or light, and it works well in my Lee Powder measure. I will have to stock different powders when I start to reload rifle ammo, if I ever do.
 
#13 ·
If you are starting out, I would recommend against a fast burning (low volume) powder like Tightgroup and others in the 40 SW. That's not to say that it isn't commonly used, but a high pressure round like the 40 leaves little room for error in powder charge weights without getting into dangerous pressure situations.

I would suggest you go with a slower powder. Power Pistol and WSF have been very good for me in the 40 and are good in the 45 and 9. 231 is okay in all three. I've never loaded the 380, so don't know how PP, WSF or 231 would perform.

Good luck and be safe.
 
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