Reeder Custom Guns - Reloading powders

What pistol powders do you guys recommend for .45acp, 9mm, 380, 44 mag? I just started loading for a 30-30 and am using the Hodgdon Lever Acion but am now looking at all the pistol brass I have and have decided to try that now. I have noted in the posts on here that some folks stay away from Unique and one or two others but now that I have the time to reload them, I find I have primers and a bunch of brass but no idea of which powder to load up on. Any help would be greatly appreciated. The bullets are all standard jacketed rounds in the standard sizes. (i.e. 45 in 230 grain, 44 mag in 240 etc.)

It really is a unique powder that works well in shotgun, rifle and pistol loads. Just use the loading data in the manuals.

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ARE there any pistol powders that I should stay away from? Remember i have loaded mainly for rifles and Gary's loads using the data he and Sean developed and I have used those powders/bullet/primer/brass combinations exclusively.

You can compare performance of powders with the same bullet weights and figure out what you'd like to try.

RTFM is what I tell the guys I teach to reload.

3 UP-TO-DATE MANUALS.

Bullseye, Unique, and 2400 are some classic powders that are more than adequate for most handgun reloading. Some of the young bucks have no idea what they are. Nor do some of the new manuals have an assortment of loads using them in differing applications.

Bullseye is such low volume that in large cases like .44 and .45 it can be double charged by a nitwit who does not use basic care in checking before seating. It's fantastic in semi-auto pistol rounds and much more. Unique can be used for about everything from .32 ACP to .500 Linebaugh, and 2400 is a fantastic magnum pistol powder since about forever. I even have used it in .30-06 and .500 Nitro Express rifle loads.

You man not find any of that in "modern" manuals. Get a copy of Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook (there is a late edition) and shoot ahead of the status quo. It may not be trendy, but oh so enlightening. Even if you choose not to use the information.

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The only bad things about the older books is a lot of the powders they mention are no longer around and powders change thru the years. What may be a starter load of a powder in those old manuals may be maximum today. I keep them for reference only and never actually use them in reloading.

This one is for the 9mm and has data from a lot of different companies. A valuable resource.

https://www.sinclairintl.com/books-videos-software/books/reloading-manuals/loadbook-9mm...

FOR OVER 60 YEARS AND MORE THAN ANY OTHER POWDER. IT IS STANDARD FOR .45 COLT, .44 SPECIAL, .44 MAGNUM, .45 ACP, .38 SPECIAL, .38-40, .44-40 ....................

of Unique. I just remembered that someone on here mentioned one of the pistol powders that you had to be careful of double charges etc. I thought it was Unique but it may have been Blue Dot. Just don't remember that is why the questions. I have around 15 or so reloading manuals and a lot of them depend upon who the publisher is for the loads that they list. Example is the Hornady book and the Lyman manuals list different powders only occasionally listing the same ones. I have noticed as well that older manuals list different powders for the same bullet weights than in the newer manuals. I am just looking to pick your brains and experience!!! Thanks again

by the reloading manuals and not loads posted on here. I have no control over loads guys post on here so ignore them. ALWAYS go by the loading manuals and have a couple of the new manuals on hand as some of the older manuals are not up to date on the new powders. And again NEVER use load data you read on various forums.

Hodgdon has loads available on line for their family of powders for rifle, pistol and shotgun. It is a good resource to use along with several manuals.I really like the Lyman Reloading Guide and the Lyman Cast Bullet Reloading Guide because Lyman includes some bullet manufacturer’s bullets and powder from numerous powder manufactures. These are available from Amazon if your local dealer doesn’t have them.
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in the .41 mag--- because of pressure spikes especially in cold weather. As I remember no other cals were mentioned.

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