favorite powder?

[bmb]

whats your favorite powder for .357 thru .44mag, for general hunting and target work? and why? just curious to see what everyone likes:)

[Swampman]

Unique, It's all I use in either caliber.

[Cheesehead]

Red Dot.

Cheese

[kynardsj]

If I could only have one it would be Unique. A very versatile powder. As it is now all my pistol loads are with Unique except for the really hot ones that I put Lilgun in.

[cwlongshot]

For me it would have to be WW296.
 
I have been using it for many years with excellent success.
 
Where I limited to lead and target loads I would choose another. But I shoot targets to sight my hunting loads in with these calibers, so its my hunting load powder that I use...
 
CW

[P38]

Trail Boss 
 
I'm into subsonic loads at the moment.
 
Have loaded and used both .308 and .44mag so far.
 
Trail boss is very clean burning and 9grs of TB with 240gr Hornady XTP's gives me 1025fps out of my Rossi 16" 44mag
This load is also very quiet (Very very very quiet in my mates suppressed 44mag), bugger all recoil and very accurate @100m.
 
9grs of Trail Boss also fills the 44mag case nicely so no fear of double charges and no wadding to keep the powder in place.
 
I believe this load will also easily take small to medium game like Fallow or Sika deer at 125m and even larger game like Red deer at 100m although I'm yet to prove this on an animal, however it fair knocks the steel gong around @100m so I'm confident it will take deer at this range.

Why? ..... because I bush hunt Red, Fallow and Sika Deer as well as Captain Cooker and Razor Back Pigs and feel the need to keep the rifle report as quiet as possible so as not to alarm any other animals in the vicinity to enable me to take more animals per trip.
Also most shots will be taken at less than 50m.
 
My most recent kills using .308 subs with Trail Boss and 180gr RN projectiles include 3 Yearling Deer (1 Red, 2 Sika) and a 120lb Sow. The furtherest shot was 40 meters the closest was the Sow at 5 meters all one shot kills all dead on the spot so no traking was required.

Cheers
Pete

[wncchester]

2400

[Dave in WV]

For magnum loads in my 357 I use H110. For range loads I use Universal. For my 44 I use Win Super field.

[LaOtto222]

I use W296/H110 for the heavy stuff (hunting/home defense) and Unique in my plinking/target loads in both. I use Bullseye in my 38 Special wadcutter loads. If I were to use 1 powder for everything it would be Unique...W296 and H110 is a very good full power load, but is dangerous for light loading.


Good Luck and Good Shooting

[Lloyd Smale]

to big of a swing. Ive never been into the one size fits all thought. My cabinet is full of many powders that would take care of mag pistols but each level of loading does its best with a powder designed for the purpose.

[Cheesehead]

I mostly shoot 45 ACP and 44 Magnum and I mostly use Red Dot in these cartridges.

Cheese

[cwlongshot]

Whats your favorite powder for .357 thru .44mag, for general hunting and target work? and why?

Come on now guys, play by the rules as outlined above... Want new rules/parameters, start you own post! 
 

to big of a swing. Ive never been into the one size fits all thought. My cabinet is full of many powders that would take care of mag pistols but each level of loading does its best with a powder designed for the purpose.

I completely agree...


 
BUT that was not the OP's question.
 
Play nice now and pick just one! 
 
CW

[res45]

I only shoot the 357 so it H110/W296 for 158 gr. jacketed HP's and Alliant 2400 for everything cast.

[JSTRAW]

Unique

[GH1]

   I use 13.5 gr AA#9 in my .357 revolver & levergun with a 158 gr cast plain based RNFP. I like #9 because I can use a standard small pistol primer with it, just like my .38 and .380. My reloading are is quite small and anytime I can consolidate components I do it.
  I've also found the powder to be clean burning, consistant, and it meters easily. The 13.5 gr charge gives me about 1600 FPS out of my levergun which is on par with factory ammo. I really don't see the need to punish my weapons with overly hot loads.
 I also use #9 for .45 Colt loads, but I'm still working on a final charge. I'm looking at 16-19 gr with a 300 gr bullet out of a Blackhawk.
GH1

[Swampman]

Unique is very clean burning too.  I'm not sure why that's important.

[bmb]

i also dont have alot of room for reloading and i like to keep things simple, since i am a newborn to reloading:) i am only reloading for my 2 rugers....a 6" gp100 and a 4" redhawk. i have been torn between 2400 and unique. i will only use standard primers....got a heck of a deal on some cci 300 and 500s. im curious though as to why so many guys say unique is only used for target work?

[BBF]

I never had a 357 so I only loaded for the 44 rem Mag
Hands down  H-110

[keith44]

I've worked with both calibers, the .357 Mag in a Ruger Blackhawk, and the .44 Mag in two Blackhawks, and a Super RedHawk.  In all of these I favor cast bullets, and with those 2400 is my first choice.  When using it I use standard primers (magnum primers not required, and actually boost pressure and limit velocity)  I also load .44 Mag in a rifle, and use 2400 in it as well.  My number two powder is W296.  I use this when I load 325 grain cast bullets, and when I am loading .357 Mags for my dad.  His Colt Python shoots best with W296 and 158 grain XTP's.

[teamnelson]

I like unique if only one, but if you could do both, 2400 is great for the 357 and 44 mag loads.

[drdougrx]

Mostly use H110.  I shoot heavy for caliber cast bullets.  187gr in .357, 250gr in 41 mag, 310gr in 44mag and 370gr in 480ruger.  Covers all of these for me.  Funny...except for the 357, around 20gr will give me all the velocity and accuracy I need from these.

[bmb]

can 2400 be downloaded like unique, without being dangerous?!

[teamnelson]

Never tried downloading 2400, but have been strongly cautioned against it. Its not what the powder does well.
 
I'm low budget caster and loader, so I know the feeling about only wanting one do all powder, and I only cast/load for 38/357, 44 and 45 auto, so we're in the same pickle. If you're not looking for a lot of FPS, I'd say stick with unique. A # of 2400 will probably last me years and years, while unique will get used up quick.

[keith44]

tricky question, the answer is yes and no.


Hornady loading manual shows the following starting loads for their 240 XTP bullet in .44 Magnum


Unique--9.5 grains WLP (winchester large pistol primer(non-magnum) @ 1,100 fps
2400--17.4 grains, WLP, also gives 1,100 fps so for their jacketed bullets (and most other bullets) yes you can load low end loads for the .44 Magnum.


On the other hand Speers 240 grain swaged lead SWC needs to be loaded much softer, and 2400 is not recommended for this and similar soft lead bullets (hard cast are another story) with this bullet Speer recommends 6.5 grains of Unique for 720 fps and a max load of 7.0 grains of Unique for 899 fps. Again this load uses standard primers.


Just for a max load comparison when using the Hornady XTP Unique has a max load of 10.7 grains for aprox 1,200 fps, while 2400 has a max load of 21.2 grains for 1,350 fps.  The max load of 2400 gives 971 ft.lbs of energy, the max load of Unique gives 767.5 ft.lbs.  Both of these at the muzzle, both use the same bullet, so in this case the extra 150 fps makes a difference. 

[Doublebass73]

can 2400 be downloaded like unique, without being dangerous?!

I've loaded 2400 with standard pressure data in the 45 Colt which is 250 grain bullets in the 800-900 fps range. It burns dirty but really no worse than Unique. This is published data so it's really not downloaded like Unique can be but it's far from the magnum loads that 2400 is typically used for.

[cwlongshot]

can 2400 be downloaded like unique, without being dangerous?!

I've loaded 2400 with standard pressure data in the 45 Colt which is 250 grain bullets in the 800-900 fps range. It burns dirty but really no worse than Unique. This is published data so it's really not downloaded like Unique can be but it's far from the magnum loads that 2400 is typically used for.

I have found exactly the same. 
I stopped using 2400 for all but my Hornet loadings as it simply works so well in that one! Unique is a good one too, but I don't use it very often.
 
CW

[hillbill]

i shoot moderate loads in 357, 45 lc and 45 acp, reddot works for me well and is cheap and dont take much powder.

[Cheesehead]

i shoot moderate loads in 357, 45 lc and 45 acp, reddot works for me well and is cheap and dont take much powder.

Thats where I am at.

Cheese

[Doublebass73]

can 2400 be downloaded like unique, without being dangerous?!

I've loaded 2400 with standard pressure data in the 45 Colt which is 250 grain bullets in the 800-900 fps range. It burns dirty but really no worse than Unique. This is published data so it's really not downloaded like Unique can be but it's far from the magnum loads that 2400 is typically used for.

I have found exactly the same. 
I stopped using 2400 for all but my Hornet loadings as it simply works so well in that one! Unique is a good one too, but I don't use it very often.
 
CW

I like Unique, if I could only have one powder I'd probably pick that because it works decent in every caliber that I reload including 16 gauge. I don't use it much now either, mostly because I have powders that work better for each caliber that I reload.

I've had good luck with 2400 in .357 Magnum and 45 Colt.

[hillbill]

i have sum unique,i use it for 20 ga loads and prob shud try it out as a pistol powder. it is a bit more modern and has more specs available.but ive had such good luk with reddot i jus keep goin to it!