Author Topic: Which powders do you use? (Read 1935 times)

The Sodbuster · « **on:** August 03, 2006, 01:32:08 PM »

Just curious what brands of powder others use. Other than W760, I use just Hodgdon and IMR powders. They're what's available locally. Granted, I can also get Accurate powder, and I have a couple cans, but accuracy hasn't been as good as some of the IMR and Hodgdon brands, so I stick with those.

I am interested in trying Western's Ramshot powders, but they're not carried by anyone nearby. My dealer says he can order them; I just haven't bothered placing an order. A gun dealer I've bought a couple rifles from told me he didn't carry reloading supplies, but could order anything I wanted. I told him I was interested in Norma MRP powder. He frowned and said he couldn't get Norma products, but could get most any other.

In fairness to my local dealers, they also carry Alliant powders. I've been meaning to try Reloader 22 in a couple of calibers (I've been meaning to do a lot of things). But what about Vhitavouri or Scot's? I see 'em in the manuals, but not in the stores.

leverfan · « **Reply #1 on:** August 03, 2006, 02:31:45 PM »

What's available, and who has good distribution in your area, can sure decide what you load with. I actually use more black powder than anything else, and I wish that Swiss was available locally, but I can always order it from Powder Inc. Mostly, I just use Goex for my black powder cartridges. I load .40-65, 12 gauge, 20 gauge, 44 mag, 44 Russian, and 357 mag with black powder for SASS matches. It adds up to 20 or 30 pounds a year, I guess.

My smokeless powder locker mostly holds Hodgdon, IMR, and Alliant powders. There's still a can of W748 in there, but I doubt I'll buy more. I suppose I could order the powders that aren't available locally, but I really can't see the point. H4350, H110, IMR4198, and IMR Trail Boss could handle almost all my smokeless reloading, if I wanted to scale back my supply. Once I get a gun shooting "minute of venison" with a good hunting bullet, I don't tinker with different powders and such, so it doesn't take much to make me happy.

longwinters · « **Reply #2 on:** August 03, 2006, 04:00:18 PM »

I am a real fan of Hodgons and the Reloader products. With the rifles/calibers I shoot they work great. But I am tempted to try the RamShot powders especially Tac and Hunter.

Long

Coyote Hunter · « **Reply #3 on:** August 03, 2006, 05:16:38 PM »

AA1680 = .375 winchester
Benchmark = .30-30, .308 Win, .45-70
BL-C(2) = .30-30, .308 Win
Clays = .45ACP
H110 = .357 Mag, .44 Mag
H1000 = 7mm Mag, .300 Win Mag
H4198 = .45-70
H4350 = .257 Roberts, .300 Win Mag
H4831SC - .257 Roberts, 7mm Mag
H4895 = .257 Roberts, .30-30
HS-6 = 9mm Luger, .45-70
IMR4831 = 7mm Mag
Reloder 7 = .45-70
Reloder 25 = .300 Win Mag
Retumbo = .300 Win Mag
Varget = .22-250, .257 Roberts, .30-30, .308Win, .45-70
W748 - .30-30
WST = .45ACP

ButlerFord45 · « **Reply #4 on:** August 04, 2006, 02:01:06 AM »

Was looking through the powder supply just yesterday and found that there was a whole lot there that I just don't use much of. LOTS of Goex FFF, when the supply gets below 25 lbs. I start to get nervous! As far as smokless, I find that I could shoot a long and happy life with: Greendot, Win 231, 2400, IMR 3031, IMR 4895 and IMR 4350.

Castaway · « **Reply #5 on:** August 04, 2006, 04:03:43 AM »

I've been sizing down my inventory for a year or so. Unique is number one on my bench for pistol with H110 for my hot 45 Colt loads. I plan on going back to H 4227 when the H110 is gone. For rifle, IMR 4895 mostly and IMR 4831 for my WBY. For muzzle loading, I bought 10 lbs. of 777 when Walmart put it on sale for $14/lb. so I'm stuck with that for a while. Also use 777 in my 45 Colt when I want to make smoke.

Ruskin · « **Reply #6 on:** August 04, 2006, 08:18:46 AM »

I used many different powders, but I am settling on Varget for my rifle powder. It does 30-30,6.5x55.308,&30-06. So I call it the panty hose of powders- one size fits all.

skb2706 · « **Reply #7 on:** August 04, 2006, 09:28:34 AM »

there were times when I had 25 different powders around .....for one project or another. Then reality set in and I realized I can get four to do all of my currently loading with excellent accuracy.

RL-15
H-380
IMR-4350
RL-7
AA-1680

ooops thats five.

KYsquirrelsniper · « **Reply #8 on:** August 04, 2006, 11:12:51 AM »

I've always been partial to Hodgdon powder, mostly due to the "extreme" series of powders and H110 pistol powder.

I try to use one powder for as many calibers as is practical and it makes buying in bulk a more reasonable proposition. Right now I have...
Varget - for the small and medium calibers
H1000 - for the magnums
H110 - for the magnum pistols
Unique - all other pistol loads

bubba · « **Reply #9 on:** August 04, 2006, 03:06:26 PM »

I am an IMR fan

4831

4350

4064

4895

Varget

for handguns I use unique and bullseye. I have great luck and results with them so I hate to mess with success

Dave in WV · « **Reply #10 on:** August 04, 2006, 04:07:36 PM »

I use H4350 for my 30-06 & 7mm-08 loads. I'll use it for my .243 loads when my H450 is gone.

for my handguns I use Winchester Superfield, Hodgdon Universal Clays, and H110.

PaulS · « **Reply #11 on:** August 05, 2006, 11:56:30 AM »

The powders I use are entirely Hodgdon with the exception of AA1680 which I am using in some load testing with my 357 maximum. The powders on my bench are:
Trap 100
HS7
H110
H4227
H4895
H335
BLC2
H380
H414
H450

The powders I go through the fastest are:
H414
H110
BLC2
H335
The others I buy in 1 pound containers.

The Sodbuster · « **Reply #12 on:** August 05, 2006, 12:27:50 PM »

Here's a bit more detail than I gave in my first post:

Caliber Powder
.223 Rem BL-C(2) & Benchmark (both Hodgdon)
.22-250 W760, but Varget & IMR4064 do very well too
.257 Wby H4831SC
.270 Win IMR4350, but I'd like to try Reloader 22 as well
.308 Win Varget, but BL-C(2) & IMR4064 also shoot well

I like the notion of Hodgdon's Extreme line of powders the are s'posed to behave the same in hot & cold weather. Think I'll switch to Varget for my .22-250 too since I'm about out of W760. I'd also like to get my hands on some Ramshot TAC and Hunter.

steve4102 · « **Reply #13 on:** August 06, 2006, 03:04:09 AM »

I am a Ramshot fan.

X-Terminator, Tac, BigGame, Hunter, and Magnum

I also use a lot of AA powers.

1680, 2015, 2230, MagPro, 3100, 4350 and DP 86.

roper · « **Reply #14 on:** August 06, 2006, 03:26:25 AM »

It's fun to play,

V-133,H-322,8208---221Fireball,222,222AI,22ppc,22Walldog,22br,6ppc,6br,6brtalldog
V-133--223AI
V-135--30IHMSA
8208--6x47
Scott-3032--30x44,30x47,7.62x39
IMR-3031--6x250,6Rem,243
IMR-4064--22-250AI
IMR-7828--300Wby,300RUM
IMR-4320--17Rem
H-4895--222mag,6remAI
H-4831--6x284,300mag,30-338mag
H-335--17machIV,223
H-4350--7x57
R-19--300wsm,284,280AI
R-22--6.5x284,270

My list changes every year it seems. I started using R-19/22 afew year ago and so far seems to produce good groups and velocity so may switch some more calibers over to that powder. I've tried Varget in afew rifles but for some reason I just don't get along with it. Been shooting H-4350ext and may change some rifles over to that powder also. You can wear a barrel out testing all the powders and I'm sure there may be better powders out there. Well good luck

sharps4590 · « **Reply #15 on:** August 06, 2006, 06:37:09 AM »

Mostly I load black powder these days but when I was into the passing fad known as smokeless powder....hehehe......I used mostly IMR series powders for rifles and Hodgon for handguns.
IMR was/is: 3031, 4831 and 4064 and recently 4227 for handgun. I've come to like it

Handguns I use H-110, Bullseye and Unique. The H-110 is probably going to be pushed aside by 4227.

My last years in smokeless I really came to love Reloader 7 for the 45-70 and 45-90 but shooting Shiloh Sharps rifles neither is as accurate as black.

Vic

Gregory · « **Reply #16 on:** August 06, 2006, 01:30:25 PM »

Main ones I use:

W-231 32ACP, 38 Spec, 44 Spec
2400 44 Spec.
W-296 22 Hornet, 357 Max.
H-4895 .223 Rem, 7mm-08 with 120 gr
XMR 4350 25/06, 7mm-08 with 150 gr and up

calvon · « **Reply #17 on:** August 06, 2006, 02:08:05 PM »

I like the spherical powders because they meter so easily and accurately, especially in low charge weight handgun loads. AA #7 works well in 9 mm Luger, for .357 Sig, and for .40 S&W.

I bought $52 worth of H 4831 about forty years years ago for $0.52 per pound. I gave a bunch of it away to some of my younger relatives and have used it in .25-06, .30-06, and even in .22-250. The price recommended it. I dont like the way it goes through a powder measure but again, the price recommends it.

I like W 760 in the -06 too.

H 4895 at a dollar a pound when I bought it in the seventies, has served my .222 Remington well. If i didn't have the H 4895 I'd probably be shooting Hodgdon BLC 2 or W 748 in this gun.

ihuntbucks · « **Reply #18 on:** August 08, 2006, 05:21:37 PM »

I use mostly Hodgdon (Varget,H-414,H-380,H-4895,HP-38,H-110,HS-6,HS-7,Universal,Clays,TiteGroup,and Longshot.IMR SR 7625 and Alliant Power Pistol..........Rick

MnMike · « **Reply #19 on:** August 08, 2006, 06:28:37 PM »

Mostly H110, Universal Clays, and Varget.

mike

High Brass · « **Reply #20 on:** August 11, 2006, 06:05:59 AM »

IMR 4350-243 (100gr) and 30-06 (165gr)
IMR 4831-280 (139gr.)
H4895-30-06 (150gr.)
Ramshot Big Game-243 (70gr)
W296-44mag (hunting)
Hodgdon Tite Group-41mag and 44mag cast loads
Blue Dot-41mag hunting

mavrick10_2000 · « **Reply #21 on:** August 11, 2006, 06:59:41 AM »

I generally use Hodgdon Extreme Extruded powders for my different firearms. Some still have a littme more temp sensitivity than others, but not as drastic as ball powders.

I have used some IMR and W748 for very specific times and purposes with success after pretty stringent testing and they do work well also, just don't expect the same points of impact with pretty large temp swings with ball powders. H380 is very very sensitive in my experience and I no longer use it at all.

The most used powders for me are:
Varget - .257 Roberts, .35 Remington, .223
H4350 & H1000- .300 Win Mag