powder choice 45acp

[GJGary]

I load WST and bullseye right now and have no problem getting these powders. I like them but want to play around with more powder.

I load 230gr rn plated xtreme and 230 bbi for uspsa out of a 1911.

I have access to claydot, e3, unique, 231/hp38, WSF, 7625, universal and titegroup.

I have a LNL powder measure and metering is big to me. Another bonus would be a good 9mm powder also.

[MikeChap]

I have been using Win 231 and Unique for the last 3 years and have been satisfied with both for punching paper. I now have added some Power Pistol and Bulls Eye to my lot and will use them soon.

[Steve RA]

Try the Clay Dot.

[GJGary]

Try the Clay Dot.

Was thinking about that, @ $17 slightly cheaper than the rest.

The fun of testing to come.

Thinking it is going to be hard to unseat WST.

[Steve RA]

Clay Dot is supposed to be the identical twin to Clays, if so, it's going to be better than WST.

[atbarr]

I use Solo 1000 for both 9mm and .45, Major and minor. Very little smoke.

[zzt]

I also like Solo 1000 for 45 ACP major. However, it's not on your list. I like everything about WST (except for the smell). If I were you I'd pounce on the e3 and forget about all the rest. If you load 40sw and 9mm, you can use it for them also. Meters well, super clean, not temp sensitive and accurate. I buy in 8lb jugs.

Here is what I don't like about the others on your list. Note: this is for 45 ACP, not shotshells or other loadings.

Clay Dot: In 45 ACP it is dirty, especially if you are not loading to Major. It is not quite as dirty as Bullseye, but nowhere near as clean as WST. I find it meters inconsistently in my SDB, and has a tendency to bridge. I don't know why since it meters flawlessly in my Grand for shotshells. I'm shooting it all up this winter for practice.

Unique: does not meter as well as I would like; otherwise, it is an excellent powder.

231: dirty, inefficient and not progressive burning. More recoil that necessary.

WSF- never tried because it was too slow. Universal Clays- great powder, meters well, but too slow IMO. 7625- don't get to liking this powder because it is discontinued. Or, if you do try it and like it, buy everything you can get, because that is exactly what others are doing. Same with PB.

Things not on your list, but worthy of your attention if you do run across them: VV N310- meters like water, very consistent, but temp sensitive. VV N320 good stuff. Solo 1000- already mentioned. Terrific consistency, not primer sensitive, accurate and super clean.

[GJGary]

E3 in 8lb jugs is all that is available at $128 +tax.

Funny I just about checked out with it yesterday.

[warpspeed]

E3 in 8lb jugs is all that is available at $128 +tax.

Funny I just about checked out with it yesterday.

There are several people here that claim good results with e3.

For 45 ACP major & 9mm minor, I think it would be an excellent choice. I've been using Win Super Handicap and will continue as it is my go to powder for 12 ga loads.

But if I found some e3, I'd buy 8# without a second thought and try it too.

[zzt]

GJG, you scored, and at not that much of a premium. I've been looking high and low for more. I use it to load 12b target shotshells. That's why I originally had it. Most shotshell powders make good pistol loads, but e3 is different. I think you will not be going back to WST.

[AJE]

I've used WST and currently use Bullseye. If those were the only powders I could find I would happily use them forever.

Power Pistol worked okay for hot loads.

Red Dot is pretty much indistinguishable from Bullseye (seriously I tried mixing them in the same mags and could only tell which was which from the smell).

[GJGary]

I have a LNL powder measure so how does claydot and e3 meter? That is my concern since WST is very good in that department on a progressive press. Volume shooting so no longer have the time to measure each load.

[zzt]

I've read complaints about both. It must have to do with the press and/or powder measure. I use a Dillon and have zero problems with e3. Maximum variation will be 0.1gr. I'm running low so I'm only using it for 40 S&W at the moment. It meters well enough that I always get single digit SDs when I chrono them. Clay Dot, as I mentioned above, does not meter as consistently in my press, and it has a tendency to bridge.

[njl]

I've used WST and currently use Bullseye. If those were the only powders I could find I would happily use them forever.

Power Pistol worked okay for hot loads.

Red Dot is pretty much indistinguishable from Bullseye (seriously I tried mixing them in the same mags and could only tell which was which from the smell).

I've done most of my .45acp (both minor and major) with WST. I've done some of each with Clays as well. Lately, I've been playing around with Promo (picked up 16lbs a few months ago), which is basically "cheaper Red Dot". Charge-wise, Promo seems to fall in between Clays (uses the least) and WST (needs more). I was drawn to it because I needed a powder with data for .380...and it being one of the cheapest powders around didn't hurt. I've used it now in every handgun caliber I load (.380, .38spl, 9mm, .45acp) and it seems to work reasonably well for mid/light target loads in .38 and 9mm, "full power" (if there is such a thing) in .380, and major or near major .45. I may not keep buying all the other powders if I can continue to find Promo and the price stays down.

[AJE]

I have found the same with Red Dot.

[AJE]

I have found the same with Red Dot.

[bwxmas]

I decided to do this for a friend who swears 231, and HP38 are different.

Shot 231, HP38, and WST today. I had sub inch groups with all.

I decided to shoot all three at the same point. I was impressed.

WST is super clean, super accurate.

WST is fast becoming a go to powder.

Picture of the brass.

WST on the left, 231 Middle, HP38 right.

[jakharath]

I'm a fan of Titegroup.

[Santini]

Anyone looking for Titegroup...Cabela's has it in stock. Shipping flat $5 + $20 hazmat fee.

[Steve RA]

At what range was the above group produced ???

[DagoRed]

bwxmas what is the velocity you are getting with 5 grains? I need to do some loading tomorrow and 200g swc are one of the bullets I got to try out. I'm trying to make major and am going to compare how I like varous bullets at the same power factor (thats the plan at least).

Thanks

Red

[bwxmas]

I Load for accuracy. Not velocity.

I have no idea what velocity is.

These shots were from 10yds.

[bowenbuilt]

After years of searching for that perfectly balanced major .45 load I have whittled down the field of powders quite a bit to what would meet the criteria of accurate, clean and soft. N310 and Clays/Claydot would be the kings of softness with e3, RS Competition following very closely behind. All of them are accurate given the right load and OAL, N310 is the cleanest and may edge Clays for softness but it's hard to really tell. e3 is the leader in accuracy by a hair in all my guns but not enough to say it's the best. Temperature stability would have to go to e3 followed closely by N310. Metering would go to N310. I would tell you to purchase all of the powders you can find and try them side by side. It won't take you long to do your own comparisons as some of the slower burning powders will be an immediate turn off. Heavier bullets are softer, coated lead is easy to make power factor with and cheaper but plated bullets sometime give the feeling of being softer with certain combinations. Pick out a fast powder, be prepared to spend a lot of time chasing the perfect load and go have some gun fun.

[21 shooter]

I have been using VV N310 with 230 gr Bayou bullets and I really like it. Clean burning. Makes 175 PF and recoil is not bad at all. I have also tried N320 and WW 231 but N310 is much better, at least for me.

[zzt]

GJG, I've already done what bb suggests. Perhaps I can save you some time and money. I have reloaded 45 ACP with any number of powders. N310, WST, Bullseye, Unique, Clay Dot, Clays, Universal Clays, Solo 1000, e3, American Select, N340, Solo 1250, 700X to name a few. I'm sure there are others I've forgotten.

I pretty much agree with bb's assessment, except for the temp stability of N310. I find it to be extremely temp sensitive and see a 45fps difference between 41 and 85 degrees (using WLP primers- worse with CCI). I break things down into fast, medium and slow categories.

Fast powders such as e3, Clays, Clay Dot, WST, 700X, TiteGroup, N310, and Bullseye are probably the ones you will be most interested in. Of these, WST, N310 and e3 are the cleanest. Clays and 700X next, followed by Clay Dot and finally Bullseye. I'll leave TG out of this because I found it dirty, it had other problems, and I can't stand it.

Metering: WST and N310 take the cake here, followed very closely by Bullseye. They meter like water. e3 and Clays come next with no more than a 0.1gr variation. Clay Dot has a tendency to bridge in my machine, so the variations are wider. My 700X is the old style and doesn't meter as well as I would like.

Intermediate powders like American Select and Solo 1000 are about the slowest powders you will use for 45. They are essentially interchangeable except that Am Sel is more accurate with squib loads in the 700fps range. Both meter well, with a very slight edge going to Solo 1000.

All the rest of the powder I mentioned are, IMO, too slow for 45 ACP. If you reload 40 or 9mm you can experiment with them and then use them up for the smaller calibers. In 45 you will find then to use a lot more powder, make a lot more noise and generate a lot more recoil than necessary. If you decide to try them, my favs are N340 and Univ Clays. I love Unique, but it doesn't meter well for me.

I've pretty much standardized on N310, WST and Solo 1000 for my 45 loads. I'd include others but I'm hoarding my last 1lb of Am Sel, and until I can get more, the e3 gets used for 40sw.

For squib loads in the 135-140PF for games, N310 is the best choice. It stays clean, but the SDs are nothing to write home about. Once you get up to the 775-800fps range, both powders make wonderfully consistent, accurate bullseye loads. 4.0 for N310 and 4.5 for WST. Neither comes close to filling the case, so be careful. You could fit three charges of N310 under a 200gr bullet if you tried. 4.9gr of Solo 1000 make a superbly accurate 50 yard bullseye load.

Primers are another thing you should test. N310 just loves Federal primers. I currently use WPL and CCI300, because that's what I could get when I needed primers. WLPs consistently give more velocity and lower SDs than the CCI. The faster the powder, the more pronounced the effect. N310 and the WLP are a match made in heaven for bullseye loads.