What are the most versatile powders to have around?

[epijunkie67]

I'm new to all this and just getting my feet wet. I bought some basic equipment and then went shopping for components. Holy ^^&%&! There's like 500 different kinds of powder out there! I looked around and did a little reading and bought a couple of different powders that I could use for a variety of calibers.

Bullseye
Unique
Reloader 7

I'm currently only going to be reloading .357 mag, .41 mag, and 30-30. Future calibers will be 35 remington, 45 long colt, maybe 5.7X28. If I get crazy and decide I love doing this I could even consider the generics like 9mm, 45ACP, .223, .308, and 7.62X39.

And all that brings me back to powder selection. If you were just going to have a small collection of powders for reloading which ones would you chose? Say 5-7 powders total from any of the brand names. What would allow you to reload the widest variety of rounds?

 

[dakotasin]

rl-19, rl-22, rl-25, varget, h-380
power pistol, 2400

(bonus powders would be h-110 and h-4831)

 

[The Bushmaster]

What I consider my most versitile powders that I use:

W-231
W-296
W-748
H4831SC
2400 Alliant

With these I load a variety of 9mm Luger, .38 Special, three different .357 magnums, .45 ACP, .30-30 and .30-06...

 

[SpiderJohn]

For Handguns, Hodgdon's Titegroup. I use it for .380, .38spl, .40 S&W, .44spl and .45 ACP.

For .357 mag and some shotgun loads, I use Alliant's Blue Dot (I like Red Dot for Shotgunning too).

For rifle rounds such as .223, 7.62x39 and .308 I use Hodgdon's H335.

I have only been doing this a few years, so my knowledge is somewhat limited, but these 3 or 4 powders are my favorites by far.

 

[Steve C]

My list is:
Red Dot - 12ga trap and quail loads, light target loads in the .38 and cast rifle
W231 - Target .45 ACP, .41mag w/ cast bullets, and .38 spl
Unique - loads everything but great for full power .45's w/ JHP's and +P .38spl
Blue Dot - 125gr .357 mag and 2-3/4" baby Magnums in 12ga
2400 - .357 mag w/ 158gr and heavier, .41mag hunting loads
W748 - .223, 30-30, 308
IMR4064 - 8mm mauser, 303 Brit, .308

 

[caz223]

A quick look in my cabinet, a list of powders I keep around that I'd call versatile.
unique
2400
blue dot
power pistol
WSF
HS-6

I could prolly get away with using power pistol and 2400, and load all the pistol calibers I use, including .38 spl, 9mm, 357sig, .357 mag, .40 S&W, 10mm, .41 mag, .44 mag, .45 acp, and .45 colt, but I haven't tried doing it yet.

I'm phasing out H110, HS-6, titegroup, possibly WSF and blue dot.
I still haven't tried longshot, I really want to load up some .40 with it.

 

[only1asterisk]

You can load almost anything with these

Winchester 231
Alliant Power Pistol
Winchester 296
AA 1680
Hodgdon H4198
Hodgdon H4895
Hodgdon H4831

But I couldn't live like that!

David

 

[redneck2]

I think you can mostly answer your own question by finding a burn rate chart and picking ones that cover the fast to slow end. You need to pick one, then jump over the next few and then pick another. This will cover your required burn rates.

Dakotasin listed RL-22 & 25. I use RL-22. It's a slow powder and used for heavier magnum loads like the 7mm Rem mag. You don't have anything like that listed so it may not apply. RL-25 is even slower, so it's for even heavier stuff.

As an example, powders like WW-231 vs AA-5 are similar enough that they'd probably be close to a duplication. You'll see some guys that want to get into a fistfight over one place on a burn rate chart.

FWIW...from what I see, ball powders are very easy to meter but stick powders seem to be more versatile (particularly rifle). For example, I use Varget in .223, 22-250, and .45-70 with good results.

Trying to find the "perfect powder" will drive you nuts, and FWIW, I think the bullet itself has a lot more to do with accuracy than going up or down the burn rate chart by one powder. As long as the case is 85% filled (rifle) you'll probably be OK. Also, brand of primer can change pressures by more than three or four moves on burn rate.

 

[homefront]

Get and read as many manuals as you can. Some powders are more efficient in some calibers for particular bullet weights in certain guns. There is some trial and error here for you to explore but it's worth it!

 

[trickyasafox]

imr 4895
win 748
Bullseye

those will load for 9mm, 45acp, 38sp 357 mag, 223, 22-250, 270, 30-06

 

[P0832177]

Handguns
Titegroup and Power Pistol
Rifles
Varget

 

[Glock9]

Accurate Arms AA#2 for 9mm & 45Acp, AA2230 for 223 and 308

 

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

After reading through the above list, I'm thinking it would be a good idea to copy everything mentioned once on a horizontal list, then everytime that powder is mentioned in the postings, put a tick mark underneath it's name. That'll probably give you a good starter list.

For my part:

pistol - Titegroup and W231

Rifle - IMR 4895 (I should note I've loaded mostly .308 and 30,06.) W296

Regards,

Dave

 

[Roadkill]

I load .32, 9mm, .38, .38 S&W, .357, .40, .44, .44 mag and .45 with Red Dot

I load .223, 30-30, .303, 30-06, .308, .30 carbine and .270 with IMR 4895

Two powders, two reloading set ups, easy to maintain. I started with Red Dot because it worked great with a finicky Luger and IMR4895 because of a Garand. I gradually shifted everything else over.

rk

 

[birddog]

for .44 mag (hunting and target), .357 mag (carry and target) and .45acp (carry and target):

Unique
Unique
Unique

Those three just about cover it.

 

[Cherokee]

Two powders will cover all my needs, not the best powder for the specific application but very usable:

Pistol - 25acp-44mag WW231
Rifle - 223 - 30/06 H335

 

[bobaloo]

I use Titegroup for light pistol loads, Power Pistol and Blue Dot for heavy loads, for 9mm, .40, .45 and .357.

Accurate 2230C is a cheap surplus power that works great in .223 and OK in .308.

 

[bakert]

I only load for handguns. These powders suit most of my needs although I do have others for specialty loads. There is a whole lot of load combinations in these 6 powders.
231
AA5
HS6 & Hs7
Universal Clays
Unique.

 

[redneck2]

While the above may be true (for pistols), Universal Clays and Unique are almost identical and defeat the purpose of the original post IMO. HS-6 & 7 are also close.

All the posts prove the point I was trying to make. There are multiple powders that fill pretty much the same exact function. They're so close that it makes no practical difference and 5 guys that load will give 5 different answers and all are correct.

 

[dakotasin]

Dakotasin listed RL-22 & 25. I use RL-22. It's a slow powder and used for heavier magnum loads like the 7mm Rem mag. You don't have anything like that listed so it may not apply. RL-25 is even slower, so it's for even heavier stuff.

guess i should've mentioned most of my reloading is for rifles, and most of my rifle reloading interest is in 'magnums'.

 

[redneck2]

yeah, like that's a bad thing. Bigger is better and all that.

 

[Schleprok62]

What about Retumbo? I thought it was primarily made for magnums?

 

[dakotasin]

haven't had a need for it, yet, though i do have a pair of 7 rums that might make use of it (sako and rem 700) that i haven't worked up yet.

however, rl-25 is a really good powder in applications where slow powders are called for.

 

[epijunkie67]

Although there may be several powders that are very similar to each other as far as burn rates are concerned when I read the lists everyone has posted I keep seeing some of the same names over and over again. Things like 2400, blue dot, and unique. I've got assume that if a random sample like this brings up the same names repeatedly there has to be a reason why.

 

[748]

For 5.7x28 you will want mag primers and AA No. 9 for your 33 to 45 gr bullets and Bluedot, powerpistol or HS-6 for 55 to 62gr bullets.
You will want AA No. 9 to load 33gr speer TNT HP's.
My favroite load so far.
Lets see I use,
Unique for every thing. Just about all pistols, and reduced power rifle loads.
AA No 7 is good for 45acp, It just burns so clean.
Blue dot is great for 45ACP+P+, burns a bit dirty
AA No. 9 light FiveseveN bullets all the way. Ultra clean burning. Insane muzzle flash.
H110/w296 44mag some what clean burning.
748, 223, 8mm and 30-30
H322, make the best 30-30 load with speer 150gr hot cores.
WST 12ga light to med shells
540 12ga Heavy mag shells
Re15 low power 30-30 and 223.
HS-6 5.7x28mm(FN) 55gr bullets
I use more powders then most people. I also have pyrodex and black powder.
I back in the day I only had the big 3. WST, 748 and H322. So much for trying to keep it simple.
That's 11 powders if you don't count the black powder and pyrodex and also count H110 and w296 as the same thing.