Powders you could not live without...

[Kevin Rohrer]

Pistol: Unique (although I may look at others)
Service rifles: 4895 and BLC-2
Varmint rifles: 4064, Varget, and 8208

 

[zeke]

Am betting i could find a good substitute for any of the powders that are currently favorites, espercially pistol powders. The most difficult one to replace might be RL-22 for the 6.5x55, 257 and 270 wby. It can also function in the 257 Roberts and 270 win.

 

[Ranger J]

The ones that meet most of my needs are 2400, red dot, Trail Boss and Varget.

RJ

 

[redneck2]

Varget. I have over 20# on hand right now.

I really like Universal Clays for pistol. It's Unique without the mess.

Mebbe RL-22 for heavy stuff.

IMR-4198 for my .204 and SOCOM.

You could probably make decent loads for maybe 90% of all pistols and rifles with those powders.

 

[777TRUTH]

For pistol it's Bullseye

Will start loading .223 this year so keep the ideas coming.

 

[Waywatcher]

^^I'm lovin' Benchmark with 55 NBTs. Benchmark's kernels are exactly half the size of a Varget's, (I measured) so Benchmark meters much better than Varget. (Benchmark retains the virtues of Varget, it is Hodgdon Extreme, it is single base, it is not temp sensitive, and does not require magnum primers.)

Sub MOA 5 shot groups are the norm with that load in my AR.

 

[Vlad357]

Most of my reloading is for 9mm, 38/357, and I use Unique and 2400 almost exclusively. For rifles Varget, and occasionally 2400 when I want to experiment.

 

[Eb1]

Unique and H4895

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Handgun Powders:
W231 (HP-38), W540 (HS-6), W296 (H110)

Rifle Powders:
H335, H4895, H4350 (possibly Leverevolution)

 

[RhinoDefense]

WSF, Longshot, TAC, IMR4895.

 

[acamk37]

HP-38 - Cheap and great for my 45
BLC2 - Meters well, great for my 308, also use it for my 5.56

 

[627PCFan]

H1000 heavy 7mm rounds
IMR4831 lighter 7mm rounds

AA9 -357 magnum. Real men dont shoot less than 180 grainers.

 

[[email protected]]

There is no magic powder that I couldnt live with as when I run out of a powder I usually can use another powder until I can get some more. What I use is as follows.
Pistol
Bullseye covers most of my plinking needs using cast bullets in 380, 9mm, 40s&w, 38special, and 45 acp.
Accurate #2 for 9mm with berrys 115gn plated
Accurate #5 for 40s&w with berrys 180gn plated
titgroup for 38 special SWCs (2.8gn Bullseye for wadcutters)
Unique for light 44 mag/ upper end 9mm and 40s&w
Hp38 for cast 45acp round nose
lilgun for upper end 44 mag
and a couple other powders that I try from time to time
Rifle
WC844/WC846 for plinking 223 rem
Xterminator, for hunting 223 rem
blc-2 223 rem and 30-30
H4895 30-30
IMR 4759 for cast rifle loads
H4831sc .270 win, light 7mm rem mag bullets
R22 7mm rem mag, 270 win
And a few others that I use for special projects.

 

[AFK]

If I had to narrow it down to one pistol powder it would be W231. I have a good recipe for the 4 pistol calibers I load for.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

Two things strike me about this thread.

1) there are powders I have given up on (231/hp38) that maybe I should make another run at.

2) There are powders other swear by (HS-6) that I have never even tried. I need to rectify that.

 

[Fatelvis]

Bullseye, 2400 and 4895 (IMR or H)

 

[loadedround]

Why no mention of W-W 296 ball powder? Clean burning and it meters easily and have found it to be the best powder out there for loading 357 and 44 magnum loads.

 

[Elkins45]

Why no mention of W-W 296 ball powder?

It was mentioned...they just called it H110. My understanding is they are the same stuff, just sold by different companies under different names. Same thing with WW231 and HP-38.

 

[MuleRyder]

H110 for .357 and .44 mags is just awesome IMO