anyone use
 

Trail Boss or Unique? W231 and HP38 is nowhere around..before I spend money on anything else for .45 acp, like to hear from folks I trust (even Ell)

I've used Unique in my 357 rounds. Tried it in 45 and wasn't fond of it. I know you can't find much out there, but if you have to... my recommendation would be a 8# bottle of Hodgdon's UNIVERSAL Clays. I use it in all loadings (45acp, .357, 38). Relatively clean burning and cuts easily in my RCBS Uniflo powder measure. That powder has become my go to for most loads.

Keep in mind, I guarantee someone will say "that's not MY favorite powder." In fact... EVERYONE has their favorite. I started on Bullseye, and I still like Bullseye. It was good enough for Grandpa's 1911 in WWII, so it's good enough for me. lol

DaFadda

I use unique and did a long time ago as well...in my first reloading life. It has fallen out of favor as new powders have 'better' performance but I consider it an old faithful. OTOH, if you get yourself over here, I have serveral pounds of W231 we can come to terms on. Not worth shipping cause of hazmat.
Mike

I started using unique, didn't think it was great in 45...so I went to 231 and have not looked back...so I don't have much experiance with it, used about 1/2 lb of powder and gave the rest to my brother.....

plan is to head over there after the wife gets done with her idiot bacholorette debauchery in my

Just for that smart azzed comment...I will not share my W231 with you...all 6 lbs of it I'm sitting on....:cool:

I LOVE Trail Boss in anything .45! I was using it a long time in 45 Colt before trying it in 45 ACP. I was having bad leading using HP-38 and cast bullets, and since I didn't have leading in the 45 Colt, I tried Trail Boss to see if that helped and it just about eliminated the leading.

Meters better than I expected. With an old Bonanza powder measure it's right on the money every time. With an RCBS measure it varies a little but still accurate.

Now I use it with both cast and jacketed, same load for both - 4.5 grains with a 230 grain pill. No leading with straight WW. With softer lead I get a little streaking near the chamber in one or two grooves.

I've used Unique. It goes bang, but seemed a bit dirty. These days I'm buying all sorts of new powders I've not used before. All part of the interesting times we lie in....

Doc, how can the powder used have any effect on leading unless you were driving it near max charge? Velocity is what causes leading. I'm a big fan of HP-38/WW231 in the 45 and also Unique. No problems with lead buildup at all.
Average velocity for my HP-38 loads is 835fps.

Dave, I am not an expert on such matters, so I would refer you to this page:

http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Chapter_7_Leading.htm

There are quite a few different causes of leading, and if velocity were the sole cause I would not have had any leading because my velocity was pretty low! I assure you I DID have leading.

I bring this paragraph to your attention:

Keep in mind these were light loads, right at the power floor for CDP class IDPA. My (non-expert) opinion is that peak pressure was not being realized with HP-38 quickly enough, causing some leading near the chamber in the barrel due to gas cutting of the bullet. Switching to a quicker powder caused the bullet to "bump up" quicker, resulting in full obturation sooner.

I still use Unique sometimes and have a largish stash of it. I load both 45 and 9mm with it and have not noticed it being particularly dirty.

I have, however, seen others say so.

YMMV :)

Tom