picking a powder?

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Axis II

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hey guys sorry about all my post but I love this hobby and always finding something new I would like educated on.

I have 2lbs h335 and 1lbs benchmark for 223rem 55gr v max bullets.

h335 at 24gr shoots like a dream in my heavy barrel. I can almost put 5 shots in a dime at 100yards. the heavy barrel is in the shop so today i shot the pencil barrel with start load of benchmark just to try it and it shots 3 in an inch square at 100yards with the minimum load.

my question is if benchmark shoots just as good as h335 should i just flip a coin and use one or stock both?

going to buy my first keg next month and wondering which one has more advantage over the other.

if funds become available would it be dumb to buy 1 keg of each? my worry is i buy h335 and love it and run out and cant find anymore of it that's why i figured see how BM shoots. looks like its going to be a good one.
 
If H335 shoots like a dream, I'd stick with that one.

With your 2 lbs. you can load 583 rounds. If you had 8 lbs. you could load 2,333 rounds. How much do you intend to shoot? If you shot 200 rounds a month, that should last you almost a year.
 
I try different powders and when I get good results I note them. I keep the data for the times when I can't get my favorite powder. This way I have alternatives but I usually stick with what I am already using. If I find other cartridges that are better with the alternative I would probably change over so I'm using only 1 powder that I can buy in bulk.
 
with the two powders you listed- do you load other calibers that may share same powder?

I load 9 calibers. Some share same powder and there for 4lb'ers + work for me.
 
unfortunately i cant use them in my others. other calibers are pistol and strait walled rounds.

i am writing everything down was just thinking buy 8lbs of each so when the h335 runs out and i cant find it if we get another dry up i can start using BM and if i find BM buy another 8lbs to replace the other 8lbs.
 
There are lots of powders that shoot well in .223, with H335 being a favorite of many people. You'll burn your barrel out testing them all. Of course, if that floats your boat, go for it. Some people love experimenting, while some find something good and never change.
 
i guess seeing how certain people have several powders for certain cals it got me thinking. when i get the heavy barrel back i will run test with both and whatever shoots best ill run with it.

i guess this was a stupid question. just trying to have options incase ones not available. that's why when i got my heavy barrel i didn't sell the pencil barrel because i thought well if something happens to the HB i have a backup and well the HB took a crap and my plan worked. just don't want to run out of h335 and go to look for it again and not be able to find it and if i had BM and H335 i could just switch over and buy more BM when looking for h335 if that makes sense.

when my buddy loaded he had several but he only loaded handgun and would have several powders and his reason was well i couldn't find x for awhile so i had g sitting around and it was also good so switched to that cause i could find it and the money i was going to buy x with i got more g.
 
IMR 3031 and Benchmark are real similar powders. If you like the performance you can shop for either one and buy the one that has the lower price. I also like RL10x and AA2230.

kwg
 
From your other threads I know one of the straight wall rounds you load is 45/70, H335 works well, just use mag primer. There is load data for benchmark on Hodgdons site, just never used it. I use H335 for 223, 308, and 45/70.
 
I am all the time buying different powders. I always seem to go back to Tac, Benchmark, H335, Varget and IMR 3031 (just because I have a bunch).

If I could only have one powder for a 223, I think it would Varget but it is hard to find.
 
RunninLate said:
I am all the time buying different powders. I always seem to go back to Tac, Benchmark, H335, Varget and IMR 3031 (just because I have a bunch).

If I could only have one powder for a 223, I think it would Varget but it is hard to find.
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I've been the same way for a long time. Recently I saw the light and bought 3 kegs, one H335, one IMR-4064 and one HP-38. Along with what I already had in the cabinet I'm pretty well covered. I think......
 
a big part of the fun of reloading is "options". When you ask a question, we all read and think about it. Then we get to see what the experienced loaders say...and we don't ask the question. We all learn...and choose our options.

I load .223 as well. I keep two powders on hand. I like H-335 for the 55 gr bullets. I use Tac for 60 and up to 69 gr bullets.

I've had fun trying the different bullets just to see what my gun likes.
 
ohihunter2014 said:
i guess seeing how certain people have several powders for certain cals it got me thinking. when i get the heavy barrel back i will run test with both and whatever shoots best ill run with it.
Click to expand...

You answered your own question. Test and go with the result. And while the powder shortage was bad, the primer shortage was worse. And primers take up less space. ;)
 
Jesse Heywood said:
You answered your own question. Test and go with the result. And while the powder shortage was bad, the primer shortage was worse. And primers take up less space. ;)
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once I find out I like benchmark I'm buying 1 brick of cci 400 and one of cci450 each paycheck. I don't shoot a heck of a lot so 2 kegs would last me about 4 years maybe longer.

I didn't get into reloading to shoot more I just got tired of paying someone $40 for 50rds that shot 2 inch groups.
 
Even though I have worked up loads for each rifle cartridge I load for with several powders I actually prefer a different powder for every one. I will continue to use the powder I feel us best for each until I can no longer get it, then all my data will help me continue to load with what I can get.

For example, in the 30-06 I like 4350 but have loads with 4895, 4064 and others.
For the 30-30 I like LVR but I have loads with 3031, 4064 and more.
I use H335 in the .223 for AR ammo and Varget for my bolt action rifle ammo. I can use at least 10 other powders although I have not tried 10. TAC would be my first backup choice.

You are doing nothing wrong trying different powders. The data will probably come in handy next time the powder you want isn't available.
 
I am glad I had experimented with powders other than my "normal" powders back before the 2008 "shortage" .... I was still able to shoot ... just not with my normal powders .... I have found many other powders that worked as well maybe even better than some of my "normal" powders .... should they become scarce ... I now know many that will work for me ....

I am also not "shy" about buying other than "normal" ... now ... stick it in the cabinet ... it may be all I have later ...

This does not keep me from getting my normal powders when I can ...
 
Walkalong said:
It was definitely not a stupid question.
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Ditto!!!

You are learning and we all have to do that. I tried to get away with just 3 or 4 powders, but I shoot too many calibers for that to work now. Then the powder shortages started, so I began to experiment with different powders in different calibers. As long as they were in a loading manual or a reliable source, I tried them. Heck some worked better than my pet loads!
Most of my shooting is at the range these days. My requirements aren't full power loads 90% of the time. I just enjoy shooting, so my choices have broadened. If one powder is scarce I have a backup (or two) ready to go. Usually that powder can work on several calibers too.

Enjoy your hobby...
 
looks like benchmarks going to be good as h335 in one of my rifles. I have a good load for h335 so will be testing benchmark and writing everything down. I might try some cfe223 or blc-2, h332 just to have options. money is super tight right now for a bit so trying 1lbs would help before I can jump into some 8lbs.

thanks for the help guys. just trying not to get in over my head or waste money.
 
When researching the development of M16 ammo I was interested to learn that IMR3031 was used for a time as the propellant for M193 55gr ammo. Thus IMR3031 and Benchmark would seem to lend themselves as choices for 55 grain bullets in a carbine. Finding a good powder for 55 grainers in a long-barreled .223 is harder but lately I've had good luck with BL-(C)2. I've never used H335 like you've got but it's the very next propellant on my list. Your choice of a flat based v-max is a smart one, too: boat tails are troublesome because they tend to channel gases into the crack around the base of the bullet, especially at low pressures. They can be sealed up with a small amount of wadding, but then you've got fouling from the wadding to worry about, I found that out! LOL be safe, have fun!
 
25.3g of Varget for either 55g VMAX or 68/69g Hornady/SMK, mixed brass, CCI BR4 primer, loaded to book length for a 26" Savage model 12 BVSS produces consistent 0.5 MOA 5 shot groups for me.

It's been so easy for me to find accurate loads for this rifle that it makes me wonder if .223 is just an inherently accurate caliber (as long as Varget is the magic sauce)
 
boat tails are troublesome because they tend to channel gases into the crack around the base of the bullet, especially at low pressures. They can be sealed up with a small amount of wadding, but then you've got fouling from the wadding to worry about, I found that out! LOL be safe, have fun!
Click to expand...
Never heard that before.
 
lol.

I guess some are better at others at keeping that going. Too many of us are sucked into more cool stuff, trying more powder, different bullets, etc, etc... :)
 
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