Reloading Basics
I got a DILLON Square deal B with .44 Magnum and .45ACP dies. I been reading and I am ready to start.....i think.Does anyone have a recommendation on a good powder for both of these? I have some Hercules UNIQUE and Dupont PB but most I read says the UNIQUE is dirty and I don't know anything about the Dupont. Both cans are 6 years but never opened.Any info here on anything will be appreciated.
James Edward Payne
James Edward Payne
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I have no experience with PB, but Unique is suitable for both cartridges mentioned. I've used it for years and haven't found it to present a tremendous cleaning chore. They have recently reformulated it and claim that the new powder is cleaner burning; but since you've only got one can and a Dillion you'll rapidly use up the old can and then you can follow up with the new version. You'll find that 2400 is another good powder for the .44 Mag. 0 -
winchester 231 works good in the 45 0 -
Welcome aboard, JEP!
Hercules (now Alliant) powders have a rep for leaving more residues than more modern formulations - keep in mind that Bullseye was used in WW1 era military .45 ACP shells! That said, I have always favored their products. "Dirty" is a relative term. After firing, any firearm will be dirty. I primarily use Unique for .357 type calibers, but it is one of the most flexible powders going and if I had to limit myself to a single powder for all handgun calibers, this is the one.
2400 is a great powder for the .44 Mag.
If you follow the guidelines in the manuals, you will do fine. One advantage of the Lyman manual is that it does not play favorites with bullets or powders and very clearly indicates the loads which their testing found to be the most accurate. Although "results will vary," of course.0 -
One of my favorite moderate loads for 44 mag is a 255gr Keith swc lead bullet and 8.6 Gr of Unique. This is about an 850 fps load. I have also loaded a lot of 45 acp 230 rn lead with 6.5 gr unique. I have never found it to be that dirty. I would not use it for hot loads. 0 -
I have had good results with H110 for .44 mag. These are full power hunting loads. I use Hornady xtp bullets (180, 200, 240, 300). 0 -
Win 231 is a great .45Acp powder- It Meters well and isn't really all that dirty. All of my pistols chambered for .45 like it, it burns consistantly and I've never noticed any variations with it. If I had to guess, I'd say I'd burnt over 15lbs of the stuff in the last 6 years or so. 
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Winchester 231 works good in my 44 mag's I tryed 2400 years ago it was so dirty I gave it up. 0 -
.44 Mag & .45ACP are two cartridges that generally don't use the same propellants, as their internal case volumes aren't even close. If you've been reading reloading manuals, start with the suggested loads for these calibers & pay attention to overall length and the specific bullets mentioned.
I reload & shoot both of these & the only propellant I've found for both .44 Mag & .45 ACP is N340 from Vihta Vouri. Suitable for both, it also burns very clean - as do all the VV powders I've used. It can be hard to find over-the-counter but several on-line suppliers carry these products. One such is https://www.eabco.com/VVuori02.html
You can read & download load data for this brand & these (& many other) calibers if you point your browser to http://www.vihtavuori.fi/ & go for the Reloading Guide #1. The #2 is Metric, #1 is U.S. measure.0 -
Light loads in Unique have proved dirty for me. As pressure goes up in heavy loads, especially using heavy bullets, Unique burns more cleanly. Bullseye burns a lot cleaner in lighter loads. 0
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