Best all around versatile powder for 9mm

Bullseye will certainly work.

For the widest spectrum of velocities, I'm pretty partial to Unique or Power Pistol. Have heard a lot of great things about BE 86 too, and will try it once I run out of PP.

I have used Unique and Power Pistol in 9x19 for both lead and jacketed from 100-158 grains, mild to very wild velocities, and they just perform like a champ, always. Unique does not meter as well as PP, but I can keep it to within .2 grains pretty easily. Both don't seem to have much position sensitivity (good load density). Unique leaves a bit more residue than PP, PP has a pretty good flash and boom, but cleaner in actual use. BE 86 is very close in burn rate to PP, and has a flash suppressant. Good luck!

Best “all around” will be something in the middle as far as burn rate. Something between N310 and 3N38. That said a jack of all trades is generally a master of none.

W231 fits that role pretty good.

So far I’ve tried HP-38, WSF, Unique and HS-6 with 115 gr bullets and my G19 likes the HS-6 load the best

Given 147s in the mix, if you are looking for near top velocities, HS-6 will get you there with 115 and 124 grain, and middle of the pack with 147s. If you're willing to give up some velocity for cleaner burning, HP-38/Win 231. These are both "old timey" powders with a lot of load development and testing behind them. They just work, and they weathered the last shortage well. If you wish to maximize speed with 147s, you'll need a specialty powder.

Just took a look at Hodgedon's data again, looks like Win 572 is right up there also, but I have no personal experience with this one.

The following is just from my experience:

Light loads with plated or cast/PC would be HP-38/W231
Moderate loads with plated, cast/PC, and jacketed would be Silhouette
Max jacketed loads, I haven't got a clue, as I have only loaded 124 gr. to max.

jmorris said:

W231 fits that role pretty good.

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Works very well in anything non-magnum from 380ACP to 45ACP and most calibers in-between.

jeeptim said:

9mm ... 115 to 147gr bullets what's a good powder for all.

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Below is my grouping of relative burn rate powders:

Faster burning pistol powders:

Red Dot/Promo - IMR Red - Clays - 700X - Bullseye - Vectan Ba 10 - IMR Target - TiteGroup - Vectan AS - Am. Select - Solo 1000 - WST - International - Trail Boss - N320 - Vectan Ba 9.5 - No. 2 - Clean Shot/Lovex D032.03

W231/HP-38 - Zip - Sport Pistol - Green Dot - IMR Green

Slower burn- ing pistol powders:

Unique - Universal - IMR Unequal - Vectan Ba 9 - BE-86 - Power Pistol - N330 - Vectan A1 - Herco - Vectan A0 - WSF - N340 - 800X

No. 5 - Auto Pistol/Lovex D036-03 - True Blue - HS6 - AutoComp - Ultimate Pistol/Lovex D036-07 - CFE Pistol - Silhouette - 3N37


While most of above powders could work for 9mm, I do have my favorites which will load 115 gr to 147 gr bullets well:

For full power loads (slower than Unique/Universal): BE-86 and WSF.

For lighter to mid range target loads (Faster than Unique/Universal): Sport Pistol, W231/HP-38, Titegroup, Bullseye, Red Dot/Promo

Accurate #5 is good and meters very well. If you happen to come across it, Maxam CSB-1.

I’d say Win231/HP38 is probably one of the most flexible powders based on all of the uses.

That said, I’d suggest deciding in what you want. Personally I like BE86 for 9mm as most of my loads are for practice and I want a soft shooting round. So I bought ino the RMR 124 gr with BE86 combo many like.

IF the off chance you also load for a 40 S&W now or in the future, I have had good luck using WSF in both calibers. I moved to consolidate powder usage after several draughts that we have experienced. WSF is one of my very good crossover powders. Works for loading 20ga shotgun shells also. Just an FYI from my perspective.

Steve

Green Dot

Unique! It’ll work for what you want it to do, but I’ll admit it’s not my favorite for the 9mm. I just started reloading for the 9mm again, after about a 20 year break... I’m working with BE-86 and W244. W244 showed real promise in my test loads in 45ACP, I’m anxious to try it in 9mm.

W231 worth considering since it “just works” in so many pistol applications. So much works well in 9mm I’d look at it like what will also work well in these other calibers I want to get into also? But I like simple and am not an experimenter with 20 different powders on hand.

I've loaded a bunch of powders and haven't really found one I didn't like. I haven't done a ton of accuracy testing on paper but bullseye, red dot, unique, WST, American select, and W231 have been my "volume" loading powders for range ammo in all of the weights mentioned. All are fine IME. Power pistol is good also; I just don't like the flash.

Have to enter as another HP-38/W231 user, it just plain works with any 115 or 124gr bullet I've tried it with and at any seating depth. The only problem I've faced with it is with a 124gr Berry's plated loaded to the starting load charge with the listed OAL it would not fully cycle and lock the slide back on my PT92. I also find this a very economical powder to use and just about everyone stocks it.

Next in line for me and on an equal footing would be Ramshot Silhouette. It will do everything just as well as the HP-38 in the 9mm and in the loads I've tried performs just as well or better in the 380 and 45acp. Uses a bit more per charge than HP-38 and is not quite as available.

I keep multiple pounds of both of these two powders in my cabinet and have found a local that stocks the Ramshot in 4# jars. The 8# of HP-38 is much more than I care to buy at one time.

Another vote for BE-86. For my 16" 9mm AR carbine, Power Pistol is my favorite.

There are a lot of powders that work well in 9mm. AA#2, #5, #7, depending on whether you want low recoil, mid-range, or high velocity, respectively.

But BE-86 has become one of my favorite all-around powders, I've used it in everything from .380 to 44mag, and it does very well in all.

I recommend a case filling powder to new reloader's. Unique will fill a 9mm case to near full and leave little to no room for overcharge and no chance for dangerous double charge.

After you have got comfortable with reloading it is time to quit so be vigilant. Safety first.

My go to powder for 9mm is WSF with W231/HP38 as a backup. Both of these powders meter accurately being ball powders.

Wreck-n-Crew said:

I recommend a case filling powder to new reloader's. Unique will fill a 9mm case to near full and leave little to no room for overcharge and no chance for dangerous double charge.

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If concerned about double charge, Red Dot and Promo are "fluffy" powders that will fill a 9mm case near full and overfill the case if double charged.

Wreck-n-Crew said:

Unique will fill a 9mm case to near full and leave little to no room for overcharge and no chance for dangerous double charge.

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One of the reasons I got away from Unique in the 9mm was from crazy pressure swings. Loading for my BHP, I would go from short-cycling the slide, to a cratered primer... it was nuts. This was in my early reloading days, so back then I wasn't much concerned about COAL and bullet seating depth, so that certainly factored in... I pay much more attention to 9mm bullet seat depth now days, but I still think there are better powders for the small charge weights like that used in the 9mm.