{"id":1115,"date":"2024-06-11T23:00:41","date_gmt":"2024-06-11T23:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/?p=1115"},"modified":"2024-06-11T23:00:42","modified_gmt":"2024-06-11T23:00:42","slug":"reloading-top-handgun-powders-gun-digest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/?p=1115","title":{"rendered":"Reloading: Top Handgun Powders &#8211; Gun Digest"},"content":{"rendered":"<div> <!-- image --><\/p>\n<div class=\"td-post-featured-image\">\n<figure> <noscript><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload entry-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/reload-handgun-powder-feature-768x496.jpg\" alt=\"Reloading: Top Handgun Powders\" title=\"Reloading: Top Handgun Powders\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: Massaro Media Group.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-we-look-at-the-top-multitasking-handgun-powders-that-are-ideally-suited-for-fueling-revolvers-and-pistols\"><strong>We look at the top multitasking handgun powders that are ideally suited for fueling revolvers and pistols.<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Reloading handgun cartridges has long been an economical means of creating both practice ammunition and hunting loads. Yes, our component prices have skyrocketed, but so has the price of loaded ammunition. There are still some ways to save money, primarily by casting your own bullets \u2026 and choosing a universal handgun powder that can serve several different handgun cartridges.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019d feel pretty comfortable saying that the .38 S&amp;W Special, .357 Remington Magnum, 9mm Luger, .44 Remington Magnum and .45 ACP head the list of most popular centerfire handgun cartridges, and these vary quite differently in case capacity, bullet weight and velocities. Despite their differences, just a couple of powders can handle the lot of them, and a few are very economical, giving good performance with a light charge weight.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-alliant-unique\"><strong>Alliant Unique<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Alliant\u2019s Unique has been around since the late 19th century, and it\u2019s been a stellar performer in both shotshells and handgun cartridges alike. Unique is a double-based flake powder, which remains a staple on the bench of anyone reloading pistol cartridges. I\u2019ve long loved this powder in low-velocity loads in my .45 Colt, and it has worked well with both practice loads and higher velocity loads with lighter bullets in my .38 Special.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1021\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alliant-unique-powder.jpg\" alt=\"alliant-unique-powder\" class=\"wp-image-294228\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alliant-unique-powder.jpg 1021w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alliant-unique-powder-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alliant-unique-powder-768x481.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alliant-unique-powder-696x436.jpg 696w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alliant-unique-powder-670x420.jpg 670w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1021px) 100vw, 1021px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alliant\u2019s Unique is more than suitable for standard pistol cartridges, and it can fuel many of the cowboy action loads in larger cases.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The thing about Unique is that, despite its reputation for burning a bit on the dirty side, and though it might not generate top velocities in the magnum cartridges, it sure is handy for practice loads and cast bullet loads. For example, 8.0 grains of Unique under a 255-grain lead bullet in the .45 Colt gives 800 fps from my gun, making a fun load for the range. If you haven\u2019t tried Unique, it\u2019s high time you do so\u2014it will quickly become a good friend.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-hodgdon-titegroup\"><strong>Hodgdon Titegroup<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Hodgdon\u2019s Titegroup has a catchphrase printed right on the label: A little goes a long way. The very name alludes to consistent accuracy and precision, and the spherical grain structure allows it to work well in a powder measure. It burns clean, and charge weights are definitely on the lower side.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1021\" height=\"660\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hodgdon-handgun-powder.jpg\" alt=\"hodgdon-handgun-powder\" class=\"wp-image-294230\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hodgdon-handgun-powder.jpg 1021w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hodgdon-handgun-powder-300x194.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hodgdon-handgun-powder-768x496.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hodgdon-handgun-powder-696x450.jpg 696w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hodgdon-handgun-powder-650x420.jpg 650w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1021px) 100vw, 1021px\"\/><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1021\" height=\"660\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hodgdon-handgun-powder.jpg\" alt=\"hodgdon-handgun-powder\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-294230\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hodgdon-handgun-powder.jpg 1021w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hodgdon-handgun-powder-300x194.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hodgdon-handgun-powder-768x496.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hodgdon-handgun-powder-696x450.jpg 696w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hodgdon-handgun-powder-650x420.jpg 650w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1021px) 100vw, 1021px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Titegroup\u2019s claim to fame is that \u201ca little goes a long way,\u201d and that is absolutely true. Photo: Massaro Media Group.<br \/><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Titegroup is suitable for all but the largest cases, and it has worked well for me over the years in my .38 Special snubby, and in my .45 ACP. Titegroup is a name that you will see on many load data sheets, for cartridges ranging from .25 ACP to .38 Special, to .44 Special to .45 ACP. While it\u2019s not a powder well-suited to magnum handgun cartridges, Titegroup has such a wide variety of applications that it\u2019s safe to say it\u2019ll find a place in your reloading room.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-hodgdon-h110\"><strong>Hodgdon H110<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Hodgdon\u2019s H110 is the darling of the magnum handgun cartridge world. Whether .41 Magnum, .44 Magnum, .357 Magnum, .454 Casull or .475 Linebaugh, Hodgdon\u2019s H110 will get the job done \u2026 and it will do that job well. Looking across the various loading manuals, you\u2019ll find a suitable load for H110 for any of the speedy cases, including the .460 S&amp;W and .500 S&amp;W. It\u2019s often responsible for the highest velocities in any given data set among the magnum cases, and I\u2019ve found it to deliver uniform velocities and excellent accuracy. It\u2019s also a great choice when loading these cartridges in a rifle or carbine.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-ramshot-zip\"><strong>Ramshot ZIP<\/strong><strong\/><\/h3>\n<p>Ramshot\u2019s ZIP is another do-all pistol powder, which generates good velocities and accuracy from low charge weights. Burning a bit too fast for the magnum-class cartridges, it\u2019s a sound choice for the 9mm Luger with all bullet weights, and my Sig Sauer 1911 .45 ACP simply loves 5.6 grains of this powder with a good 230-grain projectile. A double-based flake powder, ZIP meters very well and it\u2019s easy on the wallet. I find myself reaching for this powder quite often.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1021\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/zip-handgun-powder.jpg\" alt=\"zip-handgun-powder\" class=\"wp-image-294231\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/zip-handgun-powder.jpg 1021w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/zip-handgun-powder-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/zip-handgun-powder-768x481.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/zip-handgun-powder-696x436.jpg 696w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/zip-handgun-powder-670x420.jpg 670w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1021px) 100vw, 1021px\"\/><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1021\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/zip-handgun-powder.jpg\" alt=\"zip-handgun-powder\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-294231\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/zip-handgun-powder.jpg 1021w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/zip-handgun-powder-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/zip-handgun-powder-768x481.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/zip-handgun-powder-696x436.jpg 696w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/zip-handgun-powder-670x420.jpg 670w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1021px) 100vw, 1021px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ramshot\u2019s ZIP deserves to be more popular than it is. The propellant gives great results and is suitable for many different cartridges. Photo: Massaro Media Group.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-accurate-5744\"><strong>Accurate 5744<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Accurate 5744 is sure to please those who enjoy the big-bore handgun cartridges, and it also doubles as a great choice for very light loads in the big-bore rifle cartridges. In fact, if you want to introduce a recoil-sensitive shooter to the .375 H&amp;H or .416 Rigby without causing a flinch, look no further than 5744. It also does very well in the larger Sharps-style cartridges, like the .45-70, .45-90, .45-110 and .50-90. In the pistol cartridges, it attains good velocities in the .44 Remington Magnum, .45 Colt, .454 Casull and .460 S&amp;W Magnum, as well as the big .500 Linebaugh and .500 S&amp;W Magnum. If you enjoy big \u201cbuffalo cartridges\u201d to pair with your magnum handguns, Accurate\u2019s 5744 might be the best way to cover both bases.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1021\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/accurate-5744-handgun-powder.jpg\" alt=\"accurate-5744-handgun-powder\" class=\"wp-image-294232\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/accurate-5744-handgun-powder.jpg 1021w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/accurate-5744-handgun-powder-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/accurate-5744-handgun-powder-768x481.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/accurate-5744-handgun-powder-696x436.jpg 696w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/accurate-5744-handgun-powder-670x420.jpg 670w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1021px) 100vw, 1021px\"\/><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1021\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/accurate-5744-handgun-powder.jpg\" alt=\"accurate-5744-handgun-powder\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-294232\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/accurate-5744-handgun-powder.jpg 1021w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/accurate-5744-handgun-powder-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/accurate-5744-handgun-powder-768x481.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/accurate-5744-handgun-powder-696x436.jpg 696w, https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/accurate-5744-handgun-powder-670x420.jpg 670w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1021px) 100vw, 1021px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Accurate\u2019s 5744 is great for larger pistol cases, as well as big-bore rifle cartridges, such as the .45-70 Government. Photo: Massaro Media Group.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-alliant-bullseye\"><strong>Alliant Bullseye<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Alliant\u2019s Bullseye is another of those universally accepted pistol powders; in fact, all of the reloaders older than me, who imparted their wisdom upon me at a young age, had a few pounds of Bullseye hanging around. Like Unique and ZIP, Bullseye is a perfect choice for almost all standard-class cartridges, from .25 Auto, up through the .38 Special and .44 Special, to the \u201ccowboy loads\u201d for the .45 Colt.<\/p>\n<p>Note that Bullseye can be a bit \u201cclingy\u201d in a powder thrower, as the grain structure tends to adhere to the sides of plastic powder hoppers, but I&#8217;ve always had very uniform results when loading Bullseye for target loads in the .38 Special, .45 ACP or .44-40 Winchester. Bullseye seems to like to work with cast bullets. It\u2019s been around since 1913, and though it does tend to burn dirty, I don\u2019t see it going away anytime soon.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-alliant-2400\"><strong>Alliant 2400<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Good old 2400 powder from Alliant has a wide number of applications among the magnum pistol cartridges; if you shoot .357 Magnum and\/or .44 Magnum, you\u2019d be doing yourself a favor by grabbing a bunch of 2400. It\u2019s capable of delivering lower velocity loads without becoming erratic, yet it will come close to the velocities attained by Hodgdon\u2019s H110. If you reload for your .410-bore, 2400 powder is the go-to choice, and it works very well in the .22 Hornet and .218 Bee also.<\/p>\n<p>In these days of product unavailability, it\u2019s good to have a powder supply that has several applications within your list of cartridges. There are other powders that fit this bill\u2014Winchester 231, Accurate\u2019s No. 5 and No. 9, and more\u2014so it makes perfect sense to take a look at your lineup and find a powder or two that has universal appeal.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Editor&#8217;s Note:<\/strong>\u00a0This article originally appeared in the August 2024 issue of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/gundigestservice.com\/customer\/subscribe.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Gun Digest the Magazine<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><strong>More On Reloading:<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-39\" style=\"margin: 8px 0; clear: both;\">\n<div style=\"border: 2px solid #e5e5e5; padding: 20px; border-radius: 10px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-271572\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/44-Targetposters-pack-GD-reduced-300-300x235.jpg\" alt=\"44-Targetposters-pack-GD-reduced-300\" width=\"300\" height=\"235\"\/><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload alignright size-medium wp-image-271572\" src=\"https:\/\/gundigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/44-Targetposters-pack-GD-reduced-300-300x235.jpg\" alt=\"44-Targetposters-pack-GD-reduced-300\" width=\"300\" height=\"235\"\/><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"color: #333; text-align: center;\">Next Step: Get your FREE Printable Target Pack<\/h2>\n<p>Enhance your shooting precision with our 62 MOA Targets, perfect for rifles and handguns. Crafted in collaboration with Storm Tactical for accuracy and versatility.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Subscribe to the Gun Digest email newsletter<\/strong> and get your downloadable target pack sent straight to your inbox. Stay updated with the latest firearms info in the industry.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <!-- CONTENT END 1 --><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Photo: Massaro Media Group. We look at the top multitasking handgun powders that are ideally suited for fueling revolvers and pistols. Reloading handgun cartridges has long been an economical means of creating both practice ammunition and hunting loads. Yes, our component prices have skyrocketed, but so has the price of loaded ammunition. There are still [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1116,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1115","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tactical-gear"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1115","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1115"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1115\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1117,"href":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1115\/revisions\/1117"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1116"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1115"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1115"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tactical-dailynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1115"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}