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Which Powder For Beginner Reloader (550b)?


Eager

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My first press is here. A 550B and it will be ready soon enough. I see Hodgdon Clays is a popular powder, as well as Win 231 and others. I'm trying to select a powder to start (reloading) with. At first I thought I would try for a powder that was more voluminous for a given velocity to allow for better visual (powder level) detection, so at first I was leaning towards Unique maybe, and I never did see what the specific volume of Clays was, but now I'm not sure that matters. I'm sure people who are using Clys are seeing the powder in the case right? Is there a recommended powder for a beginning 550 loader (L-10 shooter)?

I was also thinking about trying some moderate loads at some point so was thinking Unique or Power Pistol might be fun to try as well.

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My first press is here. A 550B and it will be ready soon enough. I see Hodgdon Clays is a popular powder, as well as Win 231 and others. I'm trying to select a powder to start (reloading) with. At first I thought I would try for a powder that was more voluminous for a given velocity to allow for better visual (powder level) detection, so at first I was leaning towards Unique maybe, and I never did see what the specific volume of Clays was, but now I'm not sure that matters. I'm sure people who are using Clys are seeing the powder in the case right? Is there a recommended powder for a beginning 550 loader (L-10 shooter)?

I was also thinking about trying some moderate loads at some point so was thinking Unique or Power Pistol might be fun to try as well.

Eager,

Consider WST as a good candidate powder for 45 ACP... it is a ball powder and meters well through my Dillon... plus it is bulky/light/fluffy and is a very light grey color (easy to see in the case). It also burns clean and shoots soft. The only thing you should watch for is that WST is inversely temperature sensitive (meaning that it gets hotter/faster as the temperature drops). If you chrono your loads you should have no problems.

I also use Clays and 231, both good powders for 45 ACP.

Clays shoots SOFT, and is light and fluffy... I've heard that Clays can meter erratically at low charge weights due to powder bridging, but so far I've had no problems with this. Clays is not quite as easy to see in the case as WST due to the low volume of charges.

231 is also somewhat temp sensitive, dirtier, meters great but is difficult to see in the case due to its dark color. I always have ejecta on my hands and forearms after shooting 231. Nevertheless 231 is very consistent and reliable once you have the PF figured out for the temperatures you will be shooting in.

I've tried Titegroup and Unique also... I wouldn't recommend them for 45 ACP. Filthy and inconsistent in my experience. YMMV

Best of luck and enjoy your new Dillon!

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Clays is the way to go IMO, plus it is pretty bulky and easy to see in the cases. The Dillon measure handles it just fine. Unless looking for a strong load Clays is all I load and shoot in 45 anymore.

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Just like everyone has certain body parts..... they also all have at least one opinion on powders. :P

As a pure .45 ACP reloader I suggest you give TiteGroup a try. It meters VERY well in my Dillon 550 and for a new reloader... that is just one less thing you'll have to worry about.

A 230 grain FMJ on 4.5 grains of TG will make major in every 1911 I've ever seen... and it's not an expensive powder.

Edited by MichiganShootist
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you might want to stick with fast burning powders, like 231, WST, N310 since they will keep recoil down. I've found 231 hard to beat in the 45 for accuracy with a wide range of bullets. its cheap, meters well, and is sufficiently clean.

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So....

one vote for WST

one vote for Clays

one vote for TiteGroup

and one vote for 231

:wacko:

So far I like the recommendation that WST is a little easier to see in the cases due to it's lighter shade and slightly larger volume, so I'm leaning that way, at least for the first pound. Then maybe Clays.

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N310 will meter better and be a little more consistent over the chrono, in my experience. I'm too cheap to buy it though and I use Clays. Both of those powders "feel" about the same. If I remember right, N310 was probably a little cleaner too. Clays can leave behind some soot, but it wipes right off. I notice it more in my revolver. Titegroup has some harsh recoil and doesn't burn very clean at low .45 pressure. 231 works, but it's dirty.

The fast powders don't have much in the case, so be VERY careful about double charges. A double dose will ruin your day. You have to index the press yourself, so take it slow at first and don't try to multi-task. Don't let anyone interrupt you while you're at the press. I've been reloading for years, still use a 550B, and my wife knows that when I'm at the reloading bench I'm to be left in my own little world. ;)

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I'm using Clays.

One other thing you might want to consider. I've been using a Dillion almost since they came out. Since I load multiple calibers on this press, I've seen some powder bridging occasionally. By experimentation, I found keeping the powder measure at least 1/2 full and putting a silver dollar on top of the powder in the measure keeps things running perfectly. No powder bridging since I started doing that. The little extra weight of the dollar seems to have completely ended bridging. I checked the charge weights for quite a while after I started, and there's been absolutely no problems with metering.

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I'm using Clays.

One other thing you might want to consider. I've been using a Dillion almost since they came out. Since I load multiple calibers on this press, I've seen some powder bridging occasionally. By experimentation, I found keeping the powder measure at least 1/2 full and putting a silver dollar on top of the powder in the measure keeps things running perfectly. No powder bridging since I started doing that. The little extra weight of the dollar seems to have completely ended bridging. I checked the charge weights for quite a while after I started, and there's been absolutely no problems with metering.

I would recommend a low powder sensor instead of the silver dollar. If the powder gets half way down thats is a 4-5" reach to get it out. There is a chance to forget it is in there & it gets covered with powder. If you have loaded with TiteGroup & left the powder in for a couple of days, the powder tube goes black & it is hard to tell how full or empty (depending on your philosophy) the tube is. With the low powder sensor the rod shows how much powder is left & if you get in the groove the buzzer warns you with an inch of powder left.

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I recommend WST for the beginning reloader in .45 acp for all the reasons stated above. Use the extremely fast powders like Clays, N-310, and Bullseye after you get some experience with the reloading process.

Chris

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I use the silver dollar in the powder measure because I have an old Dillon and I'm too cheap to buy the latest whizbang stuff when keeping an eye on the measure and a silver dollar on top solves the problem nicely. :)

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I just loaded Clays @ 4gr behind Xtreme 230 gr plated with absolutely no problems with my XD .45. This my first reload with my 550b, and first metallic reload also. I reloaded 12 guage for trap 13 years ago.

So go clays, it's easily seen in the case.

P.S. Thanks to everyone for the info here on this forum. Been lurking a while. :D

Edited by utahusker
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I recommend WST for the beginning reloader in .45 acp for all the reasons stated above. Use the extremely fast powders like Clays, N-310, and Bullseye after you get some experience with the reloading process.

Chris

Out of the whole list, this is the only post I saw that included Bullseye, which is what I've been using for 9mm, .45, 10mm and .40. This suggests that it's not a particularly popular powder. Why?

Lee

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Out of the whole list, this is the only post I saw that included Bullseye, which is what I've been using for 9mm, .45, 10mm and .40. This suggests that it's not a particularly popular powder. Why?
Lee - This is my perception, and not based on any research.

Bullseye is not as clean as some of the newer powders in its burn range, like Clays and N310. That's not to say that it's dirty, just that it's not the cleanest. Also, it's claimed to be a relatively smokey powder.

Reloading data has been tuned down in the past few years. I can't make minor in a .38 Special 4" with current Bullseye data, even using lead bullets.

Another factor is that, well, it's just not fashionable. Mention at a match that you're using Bullseye or Unique in your loads and eyes will roll, with folks thinking, "Dude, you are so Old School. I bet you don't even own a double stack 1911!".

A lot of us Old Pharts haven't gotten the memo that it's not a good powder to use, and it doesn't seem to hamper our shooting. My shooting is certainly hampered, but not by my powder choice. :lol:

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I'm new to the dillon world as well, although I have been relaoding for a while on a single stage. I've loaded 500 rounds so far with clays and have been very happy. The chare has been extremely accurate with clays and I like the fact that its not a compressed charge.

Edited by SSDriver
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  • 2 weeks later...
Out of the whole list, this is the only post I saw that included Bullseye, which is what I've been using for 9mm, .45, 10mm and .40. This suggests that it's not a particularly popular powder. Why?
Lee - This is my perception, and not based on any research.

Bullseye is not as clean as some of the newer powders in its burn range, like Clays and N310. That's not to say that it's dirty, just that it's not the cleanest. Also, it's claimed to be a relatively smokey powder.

Reloading data has been tuned down in the past few years. I can't make minor in a .38 Special 4" with current Bullseye data, even using lead bullets.

As an RO it is obvious when a shooter uses Bullseye & lead bullets because of the smoke cloud. There was a classifier that had 6 shots over the top of a table then 6 shots under the table, after 4 shots under the table you could tell that the shooter was having trouble finding the last target. My reloading book shows 4.0gr max with a lead bullet & a .45 holds about 16gr without overflowing so a double charge can ruin your whole day and probably the gun too.

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  • 2 months later...

I was loading with Bullseye for a while and noticed that in the 45 with light loads <170pf it would leave the "ring around the muzzle" at 165+ it seemed to burn completely off. I didn't realize how smokey it was until I shot a couple of Bill drills on a calm day and had to swin through the cloud to see the target. Also it hid the last plate on a rack until the smoke screen cleared :P Use Clays now and have found it to be softer and much cleaner.

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