Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .38-45 ACP with .355 | 124gr | X-TREME RN bullet and 51 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Alliant Herco, Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol and Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star.
Important Notice: DO NOT go below Minimum Charge or above Maximum Charge. Since we have no control over the equipment and components used, any responsibility and liability for the results achieved is rejected.
Only powders/loads that match the current filter criteria are displayed: max pressure of a load ≤ 90% of max. standardized pressure, fill rate ≥ 60% and propellant combustion ≥ 80%. Use the sliders above the tables to adjust these thresholds.
Charge: Powder weight in grains. Start with the minimum load and work up carefully.
FR (Fill Rate): Case fill as a percentage. Values above 100% mean compressed loads.
MaxP / %: Maximum chamber pressure in bar and as a percentage of the standardized maximum for this caliber.
V(0): Muzzle velocity in feet per second (fps) at the standardized barrel length.
z (Powder Burn): Estimated propellant combustion percentage at bullet exit.
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Max Load - Barrel Length: 5"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate No. 2² | <<locked>> | 68% | 27,644 psi | 81% | 1253 fps | 99.6% |
| Accurate Solo 1000² | <<locked>> | 72% | 30,632 psi | 90% | 1214 fps | 100% |
| Accurate Solo 1250² | <<locked>> | 76% | 29,486 psi | 87% | 1257 fps | 100% |
| ADI AP 100* | <<locked>> | 92% | 28,732 psi | 84% | 1335 fps | 92.7% |
| ADI APS 350² | <<locked>> | 68% | 30,792 psi | 90% | 1106 fps | 100% |
| ADI APS 450² | <<locked>> | 68% | 29,153 psi | 86% | 1119 fps | 100% |
| ADI AS 30² | <<locked>> | 68% | 28,747 psi | 84% | 1155 fps | 100% |
| ADI AS 50N² | <<locked>> | 68% | 30,269 psi | 89% | 1220 fps | 100% |
| Alliant BE-86² | <<locked>> | 72% | 28,369 psi | 83% | 1230 fps | 100% |
| Alliant BULLSEYE² | <<locked>> | 64% | 27,659 psi | 81% | 1286 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Green Dot² | <<locked>> | 72% | 30,748 psi | 90% | 1234 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Herco | <<locked>> | 88% | 28,369 psi | 83% | 1299 fps | 100% |
| Alliant POWER PISTOL*² | <<locked>> | 76% | 29,341 psi | 86% | 1388 fps | 92.2% |
| Alliant RED DOT² | <<locked>> | 72% | 30,211 psi | 89% | 1194 fps | 100% |
| Alliant UNIQUE² | <<locked>> | 76% | 30,313 psi | 89% | 1335 fps | 100% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 100² | <<locked>> | 72% | 30,182 psi | 89% | 1214 fps | 100% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol | <<locked>> | 88% | 28,152 psi | 83% | 1204 fps | 100% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 103 Pistol² | <<locked>> | 68% | 29,747 psi | 87% | 1230 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon Clays² | <<locked>> | 76% | 28,776 psi | 84% | 1112 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon HS-6² | <<locked>> | 64% | 30,560 psi | 90% | 1355 fps | 97.1% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 16,201 psi | 48% | 945 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon Universal² | <<locked>> | 68% | 29,254 psi | 86% | 1263 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S020² | <<locked>> | 68% | 28,747 psi | 84% | 1276 fps | 100% |
| Maxam CSB 1 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,400 psi | 89% | 1263 fps | 100% |
| Maxam CSB 2² | <<locked>> | 76% | 30,835 psi | 90% | 1276 fps | 100% |
| Maxam CSB 3² | <<locked>> | 72% | 28,979 psi | 85% | 1220 fps | 100% |
| Maxam CSB 4² | <<locked>> | 68% | 27,702 psi | 81% | 1184 fps | 100% |
| Maxam CSB 5² | <<locked>> | 64% | 28,268 psi | 83% | 1142 fps | 100% |
| Ramshot Silhouette² | <<locked>> | 64% | 30,472 psi | 89% | 1335 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 12² | <<locked>> | 64% | 29,675 psi | 87% | 1240 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 15,214 psi | 45% | 951 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 20 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,777 psi | 90% | 1345 fps | 100% |
| Rottweil P 806 | <<locked>> | 84% | 28,398 psi | 83% | 1411 fps | 97% |
| SNPE Vectan A0 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,748 psi | 90% | 1299 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan A1² | <<locked>> | 68% | 28,442 psi | 83% | 1224 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA 9² | <<locked>> | 72% | 30,458 psi | 89% | 1270 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA10² | <<locked>> | 64% | 30,008 psi | 88% | 1132 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA7 1/2 | <<locked>> | 84% | 29,718 psi | 87% | 1325 fps | 97.6% |
| SNPE Vectan BA9 1/2² | <<locked>> | 72% | 29,921 psi | 88% | 1266 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 2*² | <<locked>> | 72% | 29,051 psi | 85% | 1398 fps | 94.1% |
| Somchem MP200² | <<locked>> | 68% | 28,210 psi | 83% | 1289 fps | 99.9% |
| Somchem MS200² | <<locked>> | 72% | 28,572 psi | 84% | 1276 fps | 100% |
| Somchem S221*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 27,615 psi | 81% | 1322 fps | 88.4% |
| Vihtavuori 3N37² | <<locked>> | 76% | 28,587 psi | 84% | 1332 fps | 98.1% |
| Vihtavuori N105*ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 29,747 psi | 87% | 1440 fps | 91.5% |
| Vihtavuori N320² | <<locked>> | 68% | 30,255 psi | 89% | 1227 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N32C Tin Starᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 29,443 psi | 86% | 1142 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N330² | <<locked>> | 68% | 28,442 psi | 83% | 1260 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N340² | <<locked>> | 72% | 27,920 psi | 82% | 1270 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N350 | <<locked>> | 84% | 30,385 psi | 89% | 1358 fps | 98.8% |
| Winchester AutoComp ² | <<locked>> | 76% | 29,312 psi | 86% | 1270 fps | 100% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 5"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate No. 2² | <<locked>> | 60% | 21,451 psi | 63% | 1142 fps | 97.8% |
| Accurate Solo 1000² | <<locked>> | 60% | 23,177 psi | 68% | 1099 fps | 100% |
| Accurate Solo 1250² | <<locked>> | 60% | 19,870 psi | 58% | 1093 fps | 100% |
| ADI AP 100*² | <<locked>> | 76% | 19,624 psi | 58% | 1145 fps | 86.1% |
| ADI APS 350² | <<locked>> | 60% | 25,164 psi | 74% | 1030 fps | 100% |
| ADI APS 450² | <<locked>> | 60% | 24,076 psi | 71% | 1047 fps | 100% |
| ADI AS 30² | <<locked>> | 60% | 23,714 psi | 70% | 1079 fps | 100% |
| ADI AS 50N² | <<locked>> | 60% | 24,468 psi | 72% | 1135 fps | 100% |
| Alliant BE-86² | <<locked>> | 60% | 20,508 psi | 60% | 1099 fps | 100% |
| Alliant BULLSEYE² | <<locked>> | 60% | 24,555 psi | 72% | 1230 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Green Dot² | <<locked>> | 60% | 22,698 psi | 67% | 1106 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Herco² | 5.4 gr | 60% | 14,968 psi | 44% | 1004 fps | 95.8% |
| Alliant POWER PISTOL*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 20,842 psi | 61% | 1204 fps | 86.1% |
| Alliant RED DOT² | <<locked>> | 60% | 22,539 psi | 66% | 1076 fps | 100% |
| Alliant UNIQUE² | <<locked>> | 60% | 20,146 psi | 59% | 1142 fps | 98.8% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 100² | <<locked>> | 60% | 22,249 psi | 65% | 1093 fps | 100% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol² | 5.1 gr | 60% | 14,663 psi | 43% | 958 fps | 100% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 103 Pistol² | <<locked>> | 60% | 23,511 psi | 69% | 1138 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon Clays² | <<locked>> | 60% | 20,059 psi | 59% | 978 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon HS-6² | <<locked>> | 60% | 26,600 psi | 78% | 1289 fps | 95.5% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss² | <<locked>> | 60% | 8,470 psi | 25% | 715 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon Universal² | <<locked>> | 60% | 23,279 psi | 68% | 1161 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S020² | <<locked>> | 60% | 22,698 psi | 67% | 1171 fps | 100% |
| Maxam CSB 1² | <<locked>> | 60% | 18,536 psi | 54% | 1060 fps | 100% |
| Maxam CSB 2² | <<locked>> | 60% | 20,421 psi | 60% | 1109 fps | 100% |
| Maxam CSB 3² | <<locked>> | 60% | 21,364 psi | 63% | 1096 fps | 100% |
| Maxam CSB 4² | <<locked>> | 60% | 22,916 psi | 67% | 1106 fps | 100% |
| Maxam CSB 5² | <<locked>> | 60% | 25,570 psi | 75% | 1102 fps | 100% |
| Ramshot Silhouette² | <<locked>> | 60% | 26,919 psi | 79% | 1276 fps | 99.6% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 12² | <<locked>> | 60% | 26,440 psi | 78% | 1194 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14² | <<locked>> | 60% | 8,267 psi | 24% | 722 fps | 98.6% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 20² | <<locked>> | 60% | 17,883 psi | 52% | 1109 fps | 99.3% |
| Rottweil P 806*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 15,200 psi | 45% | 1112 fps | 86.9% |
| SNPE Vectan A0² | <<locked>> | 60% | 18,289 psi | 54% | 1066 fps | 97.9% |
| SNPE Vectan A1² | <<locked>> | 60% | 22,931 psi | 67% | 1135 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA 9² | <<locked>> | 60% | 22,075 psi | 65% | 1132 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA10² | <<locked>> | 60% | 26,556 psi | 78% | 1083 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA7 1/2*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 15,766 psi | 46% | 1027 fps | 88.4% |
| SNPE Vectan BA9 1/2² | <<locked>> | 60% | 21,973 psi | 64% | 1135 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 2*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 20,088 psi | 59% | 1207 fps | 87.8% |
| Somchem MP200² | <<locked>> | 60% | 22,829 psi | 67% | 1191 fps | 99% |
| Somchem MS200² | <<locked>> | 60% | 20,436 psi | 60% | 1122 fps | 99.4% |
| Somchem S221*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 24,250 psi | 71% | 1257 fps | 86% |
| Vihtavuori 3N37*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 18,057 psi | 53% | 1112 fps | 92.1% |
| Vihtavuori N105* | <<locked>> | 92% | 24,018 psi | 70% | 1325 fps | 87.2% |
| Vihtavuori N320² | <<locked>> | 60% | 24,221 psi | 71% | 1138 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star² | 3.9 gr | 60% | 12,937 psi | 38% | 853 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N330² | <<locked>> | 60% | 22,307 psi | 65% | 1161 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N340² | <<locked>> | 60% | 19,827 psi | 58% | 1119 fps | 98.9% |
| Vihtavuori N350*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 15,621 psi | 46% | 1047 fps | 90.1% |
| Winchester AutoComp ² | <<locked>> | 60% | 19,522 psi | 57% | 1096 fps | 100% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
* not dangerous but load has suboptimal powder burnt with possible characteristics such as extensive muzzle flash or inaccurate loads.
² fill rate low - you might want to consider using a filler to ensure proper ignition.
ᴾ possible press load - work up slowly to this load while watching for signs of excessive pressure.
This overview compares 51 powders for .38-45 ACP loaded with the .355 | 124gr | X-TREME RN. Vihtavuori N105 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 1,440 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 945 fps to 1,440 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 13 of the 51 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (235 MPa), the top charges use 45–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. Hodgdon TrailBoss, ReloadSwiss RS 14, Vihtavuori N105 reach 100 % fill or more at maximum charge, so these are compressed loads: they need a long drop tube to seat cleanly and react sensitively to the case capacity of your own brass lot. Alliant Herco, Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol, Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star rank at the top here: for .38-45 ACP with the .355 | 124gr | X-TREME RN they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. As outliers, ADI AP 100, Alliant POWER PISTOL, SNPE Vectan SP 2 burn incompletely and react more sensitively to barrel length and temperature. Accurate Solo 1000, Accurate Solo 1250, ADI APS 350 stay subsonic at start load. Always begin at the start load and work up in small increments while checking case and primer for pressure signs.