Powders you could not live without...

[Peter M. Eick]

Following up on my thread about powders you have given up on, this is the flip side, powders that you could not live without.

For me, these are my favorites and ones I use all the time.

Unique. 38 specials, 38/44, weak 357 mags, 380 auto, 40S&W, 38 Super, 45 Colt, the list goes on and on. It just works. Dirty yes, but it works with lead well.

Bullseye. 45acp target loads. The accuracy is the key to my continued use.

Blue dot 10mm, 38 Super and some 40 loads it just works well on.

2400 357 magnum. My go to powder for the 357 magnum and occasional 38/44's.

H110 for 30 carbine. Every load I do is an H110 load.

3031 for 30/30. They are just made for one another.

IMR 4895 for 308 and 708.

IMR 4227 for 357 Maximum. Another just perfect combination.

AA9 for 357 Sig. Every load I do for the sig is an AA9 load. Again, it just works.

Finally my "I am starting to like it" powders.

Power Pistol for 9mm. I have not really decided if it is better than Unique, but it sure is easier to work.

SR-4756 for 38/44's and 38 Supers. Give me another year to decide if I really like this one.


Of my "go to" powders, Bullseye, Unique, 2400, IMR4895 and IMR4831 are the ones I should really just buy drums of. While not the best for everything, I can make them work "reasonably" in almost every round I load.

 

[J_McLeod]

HS-6 - Meters well and shoots well.

 

[armoredman]

AA#2 for 38 Special
AA#7 for 9mm
AA#1680 for 7.62x39mm
...and for the 7.62x39mm .311 plated bullets from Berry's that my CZ 527m loves, H4895, a match made in heaven.

 

[Damon555]

I could do all my loading with 2 powders....Unique for handguns and Varget for rifles. But that makes it so simple it takes much of the fun out of it.

 

[wanderinwalker]

For rifles, easy: Varget. I still need to try it in my .30-30, but it works great in .223 and will work in just about any other rifle cartridge I am interested in acquiring in the future.

For handguns: tougher.
I've decided on 2400 for Magnum revolver rounds, but am still searching for "the one" for non-Magnums uses.

231 is close and I've used the most of it so far. But it's even dirtier than Unique with my lead bullet .38 loads, though I suspect I found the reason for that and will know more after a shooting-test this weekend.

Power Pistol has to be in the running though. I've used it in 9mm, .45 ACP and .38 Special with good results. Meters better than Unique and seems to fill about the same uses. Also worked OK with lead in the .38, which surprised me.

 

[gamestalker]

For my high power rifle needs RL25, RL22, RL19, RL17, and IMR-4350 are powder's I simply can't live without.
For magnum wheel gun I only have 2 powder's, of those two, I can live without either one, but not the other, H110 and 296.
Auto loading and standard wheel gun powders I can't live without would be HS6 and Longshot.
Shot shell powders are pretty broad, so picking one's I can't live without is kind of difficult. I deffinitely need Longshot, Blue Dot for magnum hunting loads. And then Red Dot and probably 800X would be my clay buster's and small upland game bird powders. I suppose those are my can't live without powder's.

 

[Naterater]

+1 to varget in rifles. I don't have any experience with pistols.

 

[bob40caliber]

I could not live without Unique!

 

[Seedtick]

I certainly enjoy 2400.

Seedtick

 

[RainDodger]

I have spent many, many years narrowing my powders down so that I have really great loads for multiple rifles, using the same powders. Makes your reloading life much simpler, where it's possible!

I couldn't live without (well... I could live, but it would complicate things) -

W231
Bullseye
IMR-4064
H335 (5.56. AR loads)
Red Dot - just for 12 ga. trap loads

 

[James2]

Can't live without? No such thing.

I would hate to live without: Unique for handguns, 4831 for 270, and 3031 for 30-30 and 222

 

[BP44]

HS-6 - Meters well and shoots well.

I would also add H-322- meters like melted butter and shoots clean.

 

[merrill]

For my .270W. WW760 and 780 Supreme.760 for accuracy.780 for velocity. VV3N37 for 9mm. Actually the 270 isn't real picky. I like the way my powder measure throws the ball powders. + or - .1 grain. VV3N37 is a very clean burner.

 

[GW Staar]

Pete, starting with some of your list:

Unique. 45 ACP, 40 S&W, 45 Colt, The most versatile handgun powder there is. Dirty? Who cares....its accurate and has a smooth recoil. Guns need to be cleaned after shooting them no matter what powder you use.

2400 357 magnum. My go to powder for the 357 magnum (Ditto)

H110 for 30 carbine. (Ditto, but I sold mine.)

3031 for 30/30. They are just made for one another. (Most assuredly)

IMR 4895 for my 308 AR

Not on your list, but high on my rifle list is IMR4350 for .243, .308, even 30-06.

For super accurate Rem. 600 in .243 (loaded on my Pro 2000), Win 760 (ball powder meters so nice.)


Of my "go to" powders, Unique, 2400, IMR 4350, & IMR4895 are the ones I should buy drums of. (its only money) [/QUOTE]

Interesting parallels with yours & my experience. Your experience is pretty wide caliber-wise.....must be nice.

 

[Wildbillz]

For pistols

Unique
Win 231
Bullseye
2400

Rifle
Win 748
AA2230
IMR 4895

I could get by with out one of the rifle powders and a couple of the pistol ones if I had to.

WB

 

[PO2Hammer]

7625
Universal
Clays

 

[MARKMALL]

The one powder I could not live with out is Longshot! No other powder can do what it dose in 12 Ga.

 

[azrn]

unique and bullseye are the powders i work with. have used both for reloading handgun rounds for 32 yrs.

 

[Elkins45]

I suppose I could live without any of them, but here are the ones I would really miss:

Handgun
Unique
Bullseye
2400
Blue Dot

Rifle
IMR 4831
RL22
H335
H414
AA2230

Smokeless muzzle loader
IMR 4227

 

[Hangingrock]

I think to say live with out is a misnomer. There are powders that I’ve used over an extended period of time.

W231 and (New) AutoComp for handgun usage would be the powders of choice. As for rifles IMR-4350 and RL-15 meet my needs.

Should those powders disappear from the market place I’d find something else to use has there are new powders being introduced on a regular basis.

 

[EMC45]

Bullseye, Unique, IMR 4350, IMR 4895, Many more......

 

[jsnake]

WIN 231, WST, and as mentioned Varget.

WST is great in all of my pistols at near the same charge weight.

 

[blarby]

H4895 would be the hardest.

For simplicity, I try and find recipes with this main ingredient.

I usually don't have to dig very hard or very deep, and the results are usually to my liking.

 

[Walkalong]

There are none I could not live without, despite having favorites.

 

[Cop Bob]

I load for about 40 different calibers, so the list is long..
But hitting the high points.

700-x for most pistol target loads, wide variety of calibers. Looking for mid-range match velocity.

Small case light bullet service loads, 7625, 4756 mostly, some unique, very little 2400 but the unique and 2400 for heavy bullets, 4756 for lighter faster loads.. (approach max with caution, the pressure curves can spike quickly, but when you find the right combo it is a performer)

Rifles, 4320, 4831, and by far load more Varget.. man what a great powder...

and most of my BP stuff is 1.5F Goex.. But that is a whole different and finicky world.. so little changes so much.. still working on it...

But there are easily 20+ cans of powder on my bench... The experiments never stop.. but when I do find a load that works for a particluar gun/caliber.. I stick with it..

Keep detailed bench and range card records, it really helps..