cleanest powder?

[billy]

i have been using greendot in my cowboy loads and am finally running out of it.
it works well but it is a little bit dirty.
i have gotten about 1000 loads out of a lb.
now i have a beautiful rifle that i will be shooting the same ammo as i do in my pietta's
what is the cleanest powder for my purposes?
thanks fellas!

[samuel]

I am just hung up on Unique for applications like yours.It never seemed real dirty,easy to ignite and worked for full or reduced loads pretty good for me.I've had it down to 6gr,s with 250gr bullets and it worked fine. Besides,you cant teach old dogs new tricks. sam.

[AKHunter]

I have never used Green Dot or Unique, but relative to the 2400 I have used Blue Dot seems pretty clean.

[GSPKurt]

Try Universal. I love it, nice and clean.

[toolman]

I don't know about cowboy loads, but I use Hodgdon Titegroup for most of my semi-auto loads and love it. Burns clean and lots of bang for the buck.

[big boomer]

I use 231 in most pistol calibers, take a look,its real clean ball powder. also if clays has an application its clean too.

[Mooseman684]

I'm with Samuel on this cartridge...Unique !
Rich

[billy]

how is it at filling the case?
i was looking at trail boss because you cant double charge as it will overflow the case.

[runfiverun]

if you want the case full trail boss or unique is the way to go
i just use 5.0 of clays with 160 to 250 gr in the colt it works well and is pretty
clean also. or 6.0 t-group same results i came up with these both from manuals
i use the clays for my shot gun loads in c-boy and trap
but i use the t-group in my 9-acp loads so its whatever i have in the hopper at the time when its time to load c-boy

[RugerBob]

Trail boss is defenitely a cleaner powder. I like Unique also. I get about 875 rounds out of a pound of Unique and about 673 rounds out of a 9oz jug of TrailBoss. Enjoy. Bob

[SwedeSteve]

A clean powder?................Ajax.

[DrBoomBoom]

Swede Steve, Ajax keeps the bore shiny clean

Clays is pretty clean in my loads. I'm getting some Unique this week, a buddy of mine swears by it. I've heard a faster burning powder will burn dirty in milder load (faster powder will blow the round before all the powder is burned), so in target rounds, use something with a slower burn rate.

[SL11]

Originally Posted by DrBoomBoom

Clays is pretty clean in my loads. I'm getting some Unique this week, a buddy of mine swears by it. I've heard a faster burning powder will burn dirty in milder load (faster powder will blow the round before all the powder is burned), so in target rounds, use something with a slower burn rate.

My experience has been just the opposite: light loads with fast powder have been cleaner than loads producing the same velocity with slower powders.

Unique is a very versatile powder and is popular because it can be used for so may different loads in different cartridges. But it has a reputation for being dirty. It gets cleaner as it is loaded to higher pressures (giving higher velocities).

Clays is a very fast powder and uses newer, cleaner technology to boot. I have not used it (yet), but I will bet that it is cleaner than Unique for your light loads.

SL1

[samuel]

DBB:I agree with SL11.In fact I know he is right. sam.

[DrBoomBoom]

Thanks, SL11 and Samuel, for clearing that up. I'm loading a hundred .44 spl rounds with Clays today. It's been very clean for .38 and .45, I'm interested in checking it out on the .44.

[Snakebite]

I've used every powder you guys mentioned and I use to use tons of Unique. Its a great powder and they say its cleaner burning than years ago. I havent used it in awhile because it was very dirty.
I am trying something new with Accurate #5 and #7 So far the 1911 acp loves the #7. It is only happy with Green Dot.
I'm like Billy...no way to double charge a case. I like em full.
Some of recipes call for Red Dot. Its great in a shotgun but not my handguns!
The #5 is for the Thompson. I dont have any loaded yet but I will say this. Check the max load in the manual and go a few tenths over. No other powder cycles it...just aint got the power unless its over max. And red dot is too fast.
Why oh why do we spend this kind of money instead of going to Wally World and buying factory ammo?? Maybe, oh hell, you know!

[billy]

i jst bought a 5 lb. jug of trailboss for 80 bucks from a gun club member that also sells anything i will need for reloading.
that seemed like a good deal.

[samuel]

%lbs will last a little while but good weather is coming and then it will go in a hurry.Never used Trailboss,See if you can tell us what it's like when you get a chance. sam.

[billy]

no shipping and being able to just go get it along with a few 1000 bullets/primers will make it a little easier to burn ammo .
he doesnt live very far away.