Powder for .38spl +P and .45ACP +P

[subsonic]

I realize I'm asking for alot here

I'm looking for a good powder to make .38spl +P and .45ACP +P loads. If it would work for warm, but not top level .45LC+P, .357mag and .44Mag loads, that would be great too!

It would be great if this powder also:

Is relatively clean burning (cleaner than new Unique or 2400)
Would burn without a lot of unburnt kernels at .38+P pressure
Would work with standard (non mag) primers
Be bulky enough to fill a .38spl pretty well with top +P loads
Would meter well through a powder measure

Some powders I'm looking at are:

HS6
AA5
Universal
Power Pistol

In this realm of burning speed, I have 800X, Unique and SR4756 on hand. 800X meters poorly for me. Unique is dirty (even the new stuff). And I haven't really played with SR4756 - as there isn't a whole lot of good data on it for these uses (bought it for 3" 20ga Turkey loads..)

I wish AA9 would work at these pressure levels, but it is a little too slow and leaves a lot of unburned kernels in .38+P. I've had the same problem with H4227....

Can anyone recommend a good powder or comment on the list above?

[rep1954]

One of my favorites is Bluedot. Slower than Unique but faster than 2400 I think it's more versital then most people give it a chance to be.

[petep]

You have an excellent powder for both +P 38 special (and +P+) and 45 acp and auto rim in SR 4756.To be honest I would not want to give my loads here but if you can find a Speer No. 8 loading manual, the information you are looking for is there.I will warn you to check other loading manuals as the loads in No. 8 are much higher than some people quote. Are they unsafe? You can determine that yourself using a chronograph and careful experimentation. As always start low and work up your load to fit your gun and other loading parameters.I think you will be pleasantly surprised with SR 4756 !

[huntershooter]

HS-6 fulfills all your requirements with the possible exception of .38+P.
I have used/use it in .45ACP+P, .357, .44 mag and .45 Colt+P. Not maximum horsepower for the magnum loads and .45 Colt +P, as hot as you want with the .45 ACP.
I have experienced unburnt powder in +P .38's, but the load was barely +P.
HS-6 meters as good as it gets.
Relatively clean burning (especially at upper end loads).
Use standard pistol primers.
Accuracy was always good with this powder (with appropriate bullets).

[erich]

I've done OK with the Blue Dot in the .45 +P (despite the large spreads that are endemic to the powder at these middling pressures), but it wasn't much use in the .38 +P. Power Pistol works well in both. 4756 is good stuff.

[nobearsyet]

Red Dot

[Bowenbuilt]

I have had excellent results from AA7 in both the .45 ACP and the .38 special in + P loads. It does everything you said you wanted.
BB

[wickerbill]

Jul 12, 2009 12:19:44 GMT -5 nobearsyet said:

Red Dot

Red Dot works and works very well, but it is definitely not clean.
Bill

[subsonic]

Anybody use Longshot?