How do you choose your new powder?

[BJung]

How do you choose your powder? I might first search online for the most popular powder. Then, I would look at a reloading manual. There, I look at the range of powders that are consistently similar in velocity range. Then, I choose the middle powder. I also use Ken Waters' Petloads books a lot.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Well, looking for a popular powder isn't a bad place to start. Usually it's popular for a reason.

You can also look at the powder burn rate chart and find powders which have a similar speed as that popular powder.
In rifle cartridges I like to use a powder where the charge will fill the case to at least 95%. I found a full case produces accuracy but of course the powder speed is also important too.
I'm sure there are others who use different methods. You will get plenty of opinions I'm sure.

 

[Hooda Thunkit]

I usually look in the powder bunker, look at what's for sale, and say "Well, I ain't got none of that! I'll get some!"

It's how I've done for over 30 years...

 

[tightgroup tiger]

I typically look in as many manuals as I have to see what powders keep showing up under the caliber. I figure they have to be the popular ones.
Then I start narrowing it down by looking at the ones with the burn speed I'm looking for.

 

[FROGO207]

I typically look in as many manuals as I have to see what powders keep showing up under the caliber. I figure they have to be the popular ones.
Then I start narrowing it down by looking at the ones with the burn speed I'm looking for.

I do this as well but add that I will refine it to as close to a case full as I can get while keeping accuracy with rifle ammo. Handgun ammo it is soft shooting and case fill.

 

[DMW1116]

I look at the powders in my manual(s) and see which ones are in the shelves at the LGS. There is usually one match.

 

[Armored farmer]

I usually look for the container that says UNIQUE and buy that.
Seriously I shoot mostly UNIQUE.
I buy some rifle powders and some shotgun powder but I usually stick with familiar powder like Red dot, green dot, lil gun. 3031.

 

[rdnktrkr]

I like to find overlaps of multiple calibers so I can narrow down my powder cabinets, in doing this I have noticed some accuracy using older powder instead of the newfangled powders

 

[Targa]

When I started reloading I looked at the manuals and read the descriptions of the different types of powders and their uses, I then looked at the load data for the different rounds I planned to reload for and compared the efficiency of the powders listed for that particular round.

Ultimately my goal, with a few exceptions, is to replicate factory loaded ammo. My final step was to run a string of factory ammo through my chronograph and compare my reloads to the factory ammo.

 

[wcwhitey]

Availability lately! In good times I bought what I know, what was taught to me a long time ago so traditional powders like Unique, 231, 2400, 296 and Bullseye for pistol. Rifle was 4895 and 3031. I don’t load a bunch of rifle anymore so what I have will last. The last year it has been Win244. A decent powder but limited data. That’s the main reason I stayed with the classics, a wealth of knowledge and data that comes with these powders. You will never be the first to try something with 231 or 4895 so there is no guessing.

@Targa “Ultimately my goal, with a few exceptions, is to replicate factory loaded ammo. My final step was to run a string of factory ammo through my chronograph and compare my reloads to the factory ammo.” I concur completely. When I first started loading it was 2.7 Grains of Bullseye under a 148 HBWC by the thousands. Then a known amount of Bulleseye to replicant .45 ACP 230 FMJ factory load. Then the classic Unique loads in .38 Special and Skeeter loadings in .44 Special and .44 Mag. 2400 for anything if you wanted Magnum velocities. If you were hunting with jacketed bullets you chose 296. It was easy and I spent little time researching powder. My time was spent learning to load quality.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I started with two powders and two cartridges: Bullseye and Unique for .38Spl and .357Mag. Later was told I could make magic happen in my 4-5/8" RBH with something called, "2400." Then some old hands told me the REAL magic is in the W's - W231 and W296. Time and experience taught me to listen to old goats and follow their lead carefully and cautiously. Sometimes a wise old goat is really just a young jerk with gray hair.
These days I pick powders the same way: see what other folks are doing that I never tried and give it a whirl. It's hard not to get a powder to work in something I load for.

 

[AJC1]

The first thing I look for is burn rate. Is this powder going to do what I want. No need for nitro100 or ramshot competition for 357 mag. Second I check form factor. Lots of guys prefer ball, because it's the most consistent in their powder measures. I go the opposite as I only have two that I like in that form factor #9 and tac. Third is single base. I prefer single base over high nitro powders. Fourth and final is volume. I never buy less than two pounds unless it's a powder I have a good load logged and dialed in. A second pound is easy to trade, but finding a second in this market should you like it is questionable at best.

 

[lightman]

I use a combination of several different methods. First of all I call on my experience. What has worked well in the past in similar cartridges? What has worked well for friends and shooting buddies? Then I browse through a few different loading books. If I'm shooting a semi-auto I choose a powder in the 1st half of those listed. ( a faster powder) If I'm shooting a non-semi-auto I choose from the 2nd half of those powders listed. ( a slower powder)

Also, I'll consider what powder works well with the equipment that I plan to load with. If I plan to use my Dillon I choose a powder that meters well. If I'm loading on my Rockchucker and weighing the charges I may choose a different powder.

The bottom line is that a loading book is your friend!

 

[N555]

Lately, over the last 3 years I have been buying what I find at yard sales that's cheap as long as I can use it and I have been buying military surplus powder.
A keg of green dot, W540 in metal containers, got lucky and found some H322 and HP38 at one.
And for military surplus I have been using a lot of CBI.

 

[Hooda Thunkit]

We need to get together and swap notes on CBI.

 

[N555]

I thought I saw a CBI post on here, not started by me.

 

[GBExpat]

How do you choose your powder? ...

After roughly deciding upon the performance I seek, I check the load manuals available to me (both paper & online) and make some quick notes on Possibles.

Often, I then check the Big Book (the Ken Waters Pet Loads compilation tome) in search of both loads and commentary on same. Making more notes.

By this time I will have a pretty good list of Possibles so I will check my Propellants Inventory list for what I have, how much of each and how old each flavor is.

Last, I will come here to THR and put some mileage on the Search function.

If I am left with any question(s) I will either post an interrogatory in a recent relevant Thread or initiate a new one.

Enjoy!

 

[N555]

The CBI post.
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...der-in-9-mm-and-357-mag.901171/#post-12291688

I don't have anything new to add, I haven't loaded up any 44spl with cbi because I haven't made, bought or found any 44spl brass.

 

[Charlie98]

I usually look for the container that says UNIQUE and buy that.

You too?

I've always been sort of a non-snobby brand snob. I always used Alliant pistol powders, so I just bought whatever Alliant powder was appropriate for what I wanted it to do. The caveat to that is, of course, Unique does everything I want in every cartridge, for the most part, so buying other pistol powders was only dabbling. The problem came when I bought some 2400 for the .41... I don't know what it is, but in 30+ years of reloading, I've never been able to get 2400 to shoot well. It works... for sure... but we've never really gotten along... so one day, I picked up a can of W296. We quickly fell in love, and started making plans. Granted, it's not as versatile as Unique, or even 2400, but it sure did what I wanted it to do.

These days, I've tried some different pistol powders... some because I stupidly ran out of Unique and I had to grab what was on the shelves (2010'ish...) Some worked well (RedDot, TiteGroup, IMR4227...) and some didn't (TiteGroup, SportPistol, BE-86.) Now that I'm restocked on Unique, I'm left with a bunch of powders I'm trying to load out and be rid of... so I won't be doing that again. The only jewel in the bunch was, really, IMR4227, which I still use for .41MAG loads in my Marlin.

Rifle loads, again, are brand-conscious: IMR. The IMR product line makes sense to me... I can load everything on the bench with IMR's 4198, 3031, 4895, and 4064 (I don't shoot Magnum rifle cartridges.) The one caveat to that, for some reason, was H335 strictly for 5.56mm. I had issues early on trying to stuff all those IMR sticks into that tiny 5.56mm case. I'm sure I looked at the data and product description of H335, and that it was, basically, the equivalent of what LC uses for factory 5.56mm... so... easy pick.

I like to find overlaps of multiple calibers so I can narrow down my powder cabinets, in doing this I have noticed some accuracy using older powder instead of the newfangled powders

Lately, I've been thinking about slimming down the powder stash. Because I usually buy powders in 8# cans, I would have a stock of roughly 50-60# of powder onhand at any given time... which isn't super smart given my domestic setup. To that end, I've tried to find powders that might replace 2 or 3 powders already on the shelf... which means thinking outside the IMR box. H335, for example, will work in all my military cartridges (5.56mm, 7.62mm, .30-06,) but the muzzle blast and flash make it a 'no sale.' I've recently tapped into Ramshot TAC... and it's sort of been the Golden Child of powders... early testing suggests it can replace IMR3031, 4895, and 4064, as well as H335... so 4 powders into 1! It sounds almost too good to be true, but I'm going to give it a whirl.

I've also tried some of the newer powders, both pistol and rifle. I've not found any of them to be any better than what I've already been using for the past 30+ years. They can give them tricky names, and advertise that they are loaded with new features, but at the end of the day, they don't beat Unique or W296 (pistol,) or IMR's standard rifle powders.

 

[AJC1]

You too?

I've always been sort of a non-snobby brand snob. I always used Alliant pistol powders, so I just bought whatever Alliant powder was appropriate for what I wanted it to do. The caveat to that is, of course, Unique does everything I want in every cartridge, for the most part, so buying other pistol powders was only dabbling. The problem came when I bought some 2400 for the .41... I don't know what it is, but in 30+ years of reloading, I've never been able to get 2400 to shoot well. It works... for sure... but we've never really gotten along... so one day, I picked up a can of W296. We quickly fell in love, and started making plans. Granted, it's not as versatile as Unique, or even 2400, but it sure did what I wanted it to do.

These days, I've tried some different pistol powders... some because I stupidly ran out of Unique and I had to grab what was on the shelves (2010'ish...) Some worked well (RedDot, TiteGroup, IMR4227...) and some didn't (TiteGroup, SportPistol, BE-86.) Now that I'm restocked on Unique, I'm left with a bunch of powders I'm trying to load out and be rid of... so I won't be doing that again. The only jewel in the bunch was, really, IMR4227, which I still use for .41MAG loads in my Marlin.

Rifle loads, again, are brand-conscious: IMR. The IMR product line makes sense to me... I can load everything on the bench with IMR's 4198, 3031, 4895, and 4064 (I don't shoot Magnum rifle cartridges.) The one caveat to that, for some reason, was H335 strictly for 5.56mm. I had issues early on trying to stuff all those IMR sticks into that tiny 5.56mm case. I'm sure I looked at the data and product description of H335, and that it was, basically, the equivalent of what LC uses for factory 5.56mm... so... easy pick.




Lately, I've been thinking about slimming down the powder stash. Because I usually buy powders in 8# cans, I would have a stock of roughly 50-60# of powder onhand at any given time... which isn't super smart given my domestic setup. To that end, I've tried to find powders that might replace 2 or 3 powders already on the shelf... which means thinking outside the IMR box. H335, for example, will work in all my military cartridges (5.56mm, 7.62mm, .30-06,) but the muzzle blast and flash make it a 'no sale.' I've recently tapped into Ramshot TAC... and it's sort of been the Golden Child of powders... early testing suggests it can replace IMR3031, 4895, and 4064, as well as H335... so 4 powders into 1! It sounds almost too good to be true, but I'm going to give it a whirl.

I've also tried some of the newer powders, both pistol and rifle. I've not found any of them to be any better than what I've already been using for the past 30+ years. They can give them tricky names, and advertise that they are loaded with new features, but at the end of the day, they don't beat Unique or W296 (pistol,) or IMR's standard rifle powders.

If imr still made 4320 I bet we both would be using it by the truckload. I never got to try it. Now that the enduron powders are leaving hope it will come back.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

If imr still made 4320 I bet we both would be using it by the truckload. I never got to try it. Now that the enduron powders are leaving hope it will come back.

Did you ever try IMR 4198 for cast .30-caliber loads? It might work well in your Marlin. Might not. Worth a shot, though. [pun intended]

 

[AJC1]

Did you ever try IMR 4198 for cast .30-caliber loads? It might work well in your Marlin. Might not. Worth a shot, though. [pun intended]

I loaded these for my 308, and I have 5 pounds set aside for 30-30 testing when I get my grimy hands on it.

 

[Charlie98]

If imr still made 4320 I bet we both would be using it by the truckload. I never got to try it. Now that the enduron powders are leaving hope it will come back.

I don't know. Besides H4350 for the 6.5CM, which is a special case, I don't load anything slower than IMR4064. I used to load H4831 in the .348WCF, but it was absurdly slow for the 20" barrel, and it sounded like a Howitzer going off. Of course, IMR3031 sounds like a cannon, too... but maybe without the excessive muzzle blast. I fertilized my bushes with the leftover H4831... this before I started loading for the 6.5ManBun.

 

[Charlie98]

Did you ever try IMR 4198 for cast .30-caliber loads?

IMR4198 is The Source for cast in rifle... up to, and including, the big .45's. I finally scored another 8# of it from Powder Valley, and I'm as happy as a pig in slop.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

IMR4198 is The Source for cast in rifle... up to, and including, the big .45's. I finally scored another 8# of it from Powder Valley, and I'm as happy as a pig in slop.

LOL!! Yup! I keep a pound or two on-hand for just such occasions.