Shelves Bare?

Is this Vihtavuori N320 or N340? It’s hard to tell, as they look almost exactly the same.
The “one powder on the bench at any time” rule is sage advice.

I saw a recent post from someone saying their supplier didn’t have any powder suitable for handgun reloading. There were plenty of “agreeing” emojis. I dropped a ROFL.

This cannot be a concise compendium, but I’ll try, because the list of crossover powders wouldn’t fit in this magazine. I’ll discuss a few you might find if you went into your local store.

Winchester Powders

If we ever go to zombie apocalypse, the powder that will most ensure your survival for multiple guns and situations is WST. It’s great for 12-gauge and will cover your pistol needs. The Winchester load data only lists three calibers, but I’ve worked up loads for every handgun cartridge I shoot. I have the same respect for WST as I do Unique, which has completely different qualities, but the same characteristics. WST can be metered through anything, just like Unique. My favorite load with WST uses a Lee 120-grain TC bullet, powder coated a royal blue.

Hodgdon Longshot is primarily a shotgun powder doubling as a handgun powder.
It’s easy to load, meters well and mid loads are moderate in pressure.

Hodgdon Powders

Longshot Powder is a shotgun powder for heavier and magnum loads. As a pistol powder, it will run your favorite projectiles at higher velocities and lower pressures. If you see it on the shelf, buy it. It does have a steep spike in pressures, over a narrow band and doesn’t allow much latitude. I’d pick WST over Clays for handgun, but many handloaders use Clays daily as their go to.
Hi-Skor 700X is an extruded flake powder well known for its advantage in light target loads with moderate pressures. Metallic cartridge loaders know it because it’s the hardest pistol powder to meter. It gets caught in metering equipment and always gets stuck in my powder trickler. It’s hard to handle, and hard to load. I don’t use it in my progressive presses.

However, it burns cleanly, produces accurate loads and delivers lots of rounds per pound. Hint: Tap the powder measure a couple of times after each drop. My favorite 700X recipe uses a Lyman 358665 158-grain LSWC for a .38. It’s a bit narrow banded in smaller calibers, but for reloading 9mm, .38, .40, and .45, it’s a winner.

Clean Shot

Clean Shot actually says “Pistol/Shot Shell” on the container. It’s appropriately named, and it works well from .25 Auto up to .45 LC. What I like best is one can load everyday practice and high velocity loads without dangerous overpressure. My favorite is using Clean Shot for .25 Auto, with 55-grain lead bullets, but I also load a lot of 9mm cast (Lee 356-120-TC).

Lindsey loaded some Sierra 125 Powerjacket bullets into 9mm to test the consistency
and flow of various powders. The Longshot loading got it up to defensive pistol
velocities with only moderate pressures.

Vihtavuori Powders

One supply house in the Midwest was out of everything except N320, N330 and N340. In the comments, someone had asked if they were going to get any pistol powder anytime soon. I chuckled to myself. Not only did they have some powder, they had the powder: N320. They also had her two older sisters in stock. These three powders can load my entire inventory of handguns. If I had a .500 S&W Magnum, I’d add N105.

N320 is a fast-burning powder near the rate of Red Dot or W231. It has an extruded tubular grain texture. The formula includes a de-coppering agent and graphite, which improves its ability to flow. It’s better trickled than dispensed from a rotary powder measure. I use a Frankford Arsenal Intellidropper for great results.

It’s just so wide banded it’s perfect for cowboy loads all day and hostile territory recipes too. With N320, I can load light cartridges that will cycle the gun reliably and have great accuracy, but it can still produce magnum loads.

My favorite N320 load uses Berry’s 100-grain RN bullets in my Bersa Firestorm 380. There aren’t a lot of shotgun loads out for this powder yet, but Vihtavuori has some listed using 1¼ to 1½ oz. lead loads using N320.

Alliant Powders

Alliant describes Unique as the world’s most versatile reloading powder, and fact checkers know this is true. My friends use it for .45, but I like it in .32 Auto, using a 60-grain Corbin swaged bullet. This is one of those powders all reloaders should have. Old timer reloaders will say, “Unique burns dirty” but consider this: There is a new, cleaner formulation and efficient loads burn cleaner.

Off the top of my head, I can think of a dozen more potential powders that could be listed. I have no idea when the shelves will be full of reloading products again. For those who are just getting into the reloading game, welcome. You should know there are a lot more options available to you, if you do some extra research.

For more info: Hodgdon.com, Vihtavuori.com, AlliantPowder.com, ShootersWorldPowder.com

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