TenDriver
Member
Going to be loading 158 gr JHPs. On hand I have 700-X, Bullseye, and Unique. Still have a little Titegroup as well but didn't plan on using that. I'm not exactly looking for charge weights, just powder suggestions. Thanks!
38 Spl Pet Powders?
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ArchAngelCD
Member.
IMO W231/HP-38 was developed especially for the .38 Special and 45 ACP. I have found no better and I have tried a lot of powders.
HP-38 = Hodgdon Powder-38 as in .38 Special.
HP-38 = Hodgdon Powder-38 as in .38 Special.
TenDriver
Member
Those two are as common as honest politicians. Don't have any and haven't seen it since 2012. I nearly wet my pants when I found two pounds of Unique the day after Thanksgiving.
sellersm
Member
I vote for Bullseye. It's what I use for my .38 special loads... Been used for many, many years in that caliber.
IMHO the two best powders for the .38 SPl are HP38/W231 and Unique. In using both of these powders I think W231 ever so slightly edges out Unique in the accuracy department for standard velocity and target loads. However I find Unique much more suitable than W231 for (+P) loads, it is just enough slower to get better velocities with all bullets with all bullet weights.
Mad Chemist
Member
You have 3 good powders on hand for the task. Bullseye is probably the best for reduced power target loads, especially HBWC. Unique is your friend for higher velocity full power and +P loads. 700X should work well for everything in between.
bluetopper
Member
Found a lb of HP-38 on the shelf on Friday and bought it for a friend. Any fast burning handgun powder will do good in a 38. It's not picky.
ColtPythonElite
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Unique
Miata Mike
Member
My pet load for .38 special and 148 grain lead double ended wadcutters would include HP-38 and Red dot. HP-38 for bulk loading and Red dot for weighing every charge smaller runs.
I am guessing Bullseye or Unique for your bullets would work well. Haven't done much with 700-X.
Vodoun da Vinci
Member
I use Unique for everything so I'd recommend it for .38 Special hands down. Truthfully? Unique really shines in high pressure/higher end loads and is pretty awesome for .38 and .357.
VooDoo
VooDoo
AABEN
Member
Winchester 231 is what I have used for 30+ years for my 38 and 40 sense they hit the market. Thousand's of rounds.
gamestalker
member
I know it may not be a powder puff load, but Longshot and JHP's go together like peanut butter and jelly. However, the data is +p, so I prefer to shoot these from my .357 wheel guns, where +p is almost meaningless. But even so, the spent brass just falls out of the cylinders, so it's not like the load is over the top, or pushing the limits.
Another favorite of mine is HS6, and this powder also offer's standard pressure loads in addition to +p.
Chrony results with 158 JHP's with Longshot has been consistently in the 1050 fps range, slightly less with the P+ HS6 loads, but still above 1000 fps.
I have shot the above+p loads through my S&W 10-5, as well as my .357's.
GS
Another favorite of mine is HS6, and this powder also offer's standard pressure loads in addition to +p.
Chrony results with 158 JHP's with Longshot has been consistently in the 1050 fps range, slightly less with the P+ HS6 loads, but still above 1000 fps.
I have shot the above+p loads through my S&W 10-5, as well as my .357's.
GS
TenDriver
Member
Thanks yall. I'm going to try Unique first.
zxcvbob
Member
American Select. It's like a clean version of Unique, but a little faster-burning.
ljnowell
Member
Of those choices I would use the 700x if your measure will meter it well, otherwise bullseye.
If you had access to AA#2 it would be another story.
If you had access to AA#2 it would be another story.
Average Joe
Member
Unique was always my first choice, but I switched over to W231 because it meters better in my uniflow powder measure.
CZ9shooter
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PowerPistol works well when getting into +P territory. For plain old cast loads I have been pretty happy with WST. I cant comment too much on accuracy because I shoot a tiny lil Jframe, but the WST seems to be above average.
I gave up on Unique years ago it metered poorly and at 38spl pressures it was very sooty. I tried Accurate #5 for a Unique replacement for 44spl and 45acp it works very well, for 38spl it performed well at near max charge.
VV n340 has also performed well for me in 38spl again for upper end loads, Bullseye and W-231 my go to for 38spl.
I have some WSF that I have not tried yet for 38spl, it may work in my S&W K frame.
VV n340 has also performed well for me in 38spl again for upper end loads, Bullseye and W-231 my go to for 38spl.
I have some WSF that I have not tried yet for 38spl, it may work in my S&W K frame.
il.bill
Member
Hard to go wrong with Unique or Bullseye in .38 spl. 158 grain loads.
Toprudder
Member
For me, Titegroup and 700x are the most consistent in velocity. Both are insensitive to the position of the powder in the case.
Titegroup for light recoil, 700x for medium recoil. Titegroup meters better than 700x.
Titegroup for light recoil, 700x for medium recoil. Titegroup meters better than 700x.
I'D go with Unique, too. Whenever I'm learning to reload a new (to me) pistol caliber, I generally start with Unique, because it works "okay" at lower pressures, and very well at higher pressures, and will get the maximum available performance (if that's what's desired) from cases with capacities ranging from .32 A.C.P. to .38 Special. For larger capacities and cartridges with higher operating pressures (.10mm, .41 Mag, .44Mag), it may not get the shooter maximum available performance, but it'll get within 15% to 25% of max.
I've used just about every pistol/shotgun powder that's appropriate for .45 ACP, and I inevitably come back to Unique for it (although B'eye & 700-X work VERY well, also). This is also true of Unique in .45 Colt. Another feature of Unique that is related to its shape and form (which sometimes makes it meter like CORN FLAKES) is that it's much more difficult to double-charge cases with it, than with B'eye or 700-X.
If you have access to Herco, IT will work pretty much wherever Unique will. It burns a bit slower (I would guess that it's about midway between Unique and Blue Dot), and gives better velocities in the higher pressure cartridges than Unique, but is still quite usable in smaller-capacity cases.
Please let me know what results you obtain.
I've used just about every pistol/shotgun powder that's appropriate for .45 ACP, and I inevitably come back to Unique for it (although B'eye & 700-X work VERY well, also). This is also true of Unique in .45 Colt. Another feature of Unique that is related to its shape and form (which sometimes makes it meter like CORN FLAKES) is that it's much more difficult to double-charge cases with it, than with B'eye or 700-X.
If you have access to Herco, IT will work pretty much wherever Unique will. It burns a bit slower (I would guess that it's about midway between Unique and Blue Dot), and gives better velocities in the higher pressure cartridges than Unique, but is still quite usable in smaller-capacity cases.
Please let me know what results you obtain.
TenDriver
Member
Don't have a chronograph, but I'll report back what I find. It'll be a while. The range doesn't reopen until February and I'm allergic to cold.
Haven't looked at charge weights yet, but I think I'm going to use the Unique.
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