[Halwg]

I don't know how things are in other parts of the country, but here in WV and Southwestern PA powder is getting very expensive and hard to find. I reload 35 Remington, 30-06, 270 Weatherby Magnum, 357 Magnum and 454 Casull. There are 10 different guns I reload for.

I have used several different powders over the years, and currently have 12 different powders in my reloading cabinet. I recently went through all of my loads looking for the ones I use most often, and are the most accurate in each bullet weight for each firearm.

With this in mind, I have come up with 3 main powders for the bulk of my reloading. For the pistols, 2400. For the rifles IMR-4064 and H-4350. Once I use up what remains of the other 9 powders these are the 3 I will use consistently.

It will make things much easier, be easier to keep stocked, and will cost me a lot less money. I'll see how this works out. This probably wouldn't be a good thing for a new reloader, but I have been reloading for over 30 years, and have tried about every possible combination of powder and bullet weights, and these 3 powders stand out among all I have tried for the guns and loads I use.

 

[deputy125]

makes good sense to me. And this would probably mean buying in bulk so you can save even more.

I'm using win 760 and hodgdon clays myself.

Probably will be going back to unique soon enough.

 

[Chance]

Makes perfect sense to me too. I AM a new reloader and have come to the same conclusion. Right now am just reloading revolver in 6 calibers and have found I can use Unique in all of them. Unique may not be the ideal in each different round but the way I shoot no one will ever know.

In addition to keeping the powder selection simple all rifles I've aquired lately have fired those same handgun rounds. Problem right now is I have to many bullet choices and have really stocked up since lead prices are going through the roof. At my age, and since I just shoot paper anyway, I am willing to trade accuracy for comfort. After about tearing my arm off shooting 2400 in the .44 Mag I will leave the hot loads to others.

 

[terry_p]

2400 is an excellent powder depending on BBL length. If you have fairly long BBL's on your revolvers then you should get a decent burn out. In a short BBL CCW you will have a lot of flame and unburns. I'd drop down to a Blue Dot or even faster like a Unique or Power Pistol if that is the case. I haven't used Clays myself but have heard good things about it for a faster powder.

I'm loading a dozen calibers and have a bunch of different powders. I tend not to use a lot of each, with the exception of Blue Dot, so I'm usually only buying a couple pounds a year of replacement powders. Part of the fun I have is trying different powders in a given caliber. If you look in enough reloading manuals you can usually find new loads to try.

With Shotshell reloading I'm using 3 powders with the predominent powder being Alliant's Clay Dot and I get that in 8 pound containers as I go thru a bunch of that for skeet each year. For field loads I usually use Blue Dot and for Steel shot Alliant Steel.

I can see where a lot of different powders could be burdensome for some people but I'm retired so I have a lot of time to [email protected] around.

 

[Halwg]

The 357's all have 6" barrels and the 454 Casull (you should try that one, Chance!) has a 7.5" barrel, so 2400 does fine. I have been using Universal in the 357 for target shooting, but I think when it's gone I'll just keep shooting 2400.

Now this is not to say if I start loading other calibers that I won't use another powder, but at my age it's doubtful that I buy anything other than what I currently shoot. But one never knows!!

 

[gunman42782]

I have thought about doing the same. But I would have to use Unique as my only handgun powder, if limited to just one. For rifles, IMR 4064 and 3031 would be good candidates. But, I got a bargain recently on SR7625 at $5.00 a can, and bought all the gun shop had, 10 cans. He just wanted to get rid of them because they were in the old metal can and now they come in plastic cans. I jumped on that deal!

 

[terry_p]

I have thought about doing the same. But I would have to use Unique as my only handgun powder, if limited to just one. For rifles, IMR 4064 and 3031 would be good candidates. But, I got a bargain recently on SR7625 at $5.00 a can, and bought all the gun shop had, 10 cans. He just wanted to get rid of them because they were in the old metal can and now they come in plastic cans. I jumped on that deal!

Great deal on the SR7625. Depending on rifle caliber I like H4831 as well.

 

[Iowegan]

I guess I look at things a bit different. I maintain about a dozen different powders that I use in rifle and pistol loads. I have no intention of compromising the accuracy or power of loads I have established. Most of the "interchangeable" powder cost about the same per round to load so I figure I might as well load the best loads I can. Buying powder is almost like an investment in the future. Seems every time I buy a pound, it cost more than the last pound I bought. I don't stock pile powder ... just buy a pound when I need it and keep the unused portion for another session.

 

[kansas45]

Like Iowegan, I use several different powders. Lately though, I have been trying to develop pistol loads using only W231. So far, I have found something for almost all of my 45 ACP's that work well. I still like Power Pistol for my 9mm & haven't decided for sure on what to use in the 38 Super. I use W231 for target loads in the GP100, but haven't really tried any other powder for that. I will, now that the weather is warming up. BL-C2 is my favorite for the AR15, & I don't even remember what I use in the other rifles. I suppose I'll start over on those.

 

[J Miller]

I've got a bunch of different powders right now. Most of them bought cheap from a estate sale.
But my primary powders, the ones I use the most when I am serious are as follows.
Rifles: 748, 760
Handguns: 231, Unique, 2400.

These five powders will do all I need done and do it as accurately as I can shoot.

Joe

 

[Calvin Wiles]

Unique and 4064 covers everything that I reload.

 

[Snuffy]

I too have several different types of powder as I bought a friend out of his reloading years ago. It was a good deal form I have been reloading off his 15 different powders for a while. Since I have started cowboy action shooting the powder and primers are going down pretty fast. At a match just the match you shoot 144 rounds. I plan to do the same shorten the types of powders I am going to use. I like WW231 WW748 does most of the rifle cal's and IMR 4831 does the mags and 270 and 25-06 For my M1 and M1 A IMR4895.
I use to load shot shell but shot is just to high, heck I can buy cheaper than I can reload.
Had to give up beer to reload no brainer for me lol I love reloading.

 

[jimbo1096]

I've got six or seven that I can use for just about anything, but just two wouldn't work for me. And I only load for handgun cartridges and shotgun right now..

 

[shooter429]

Yep, me too. I'm down from 6 to four and am going for just 2

I just bought my first bulk powder in many years. I chose 2400 to cover the magnums. I have Bullseye for the .38 148/WC target load.

I am planning on just buying Bullseye and 2400 in bulk from now on and calling it good. I cannot think of a load that I cannot make using these two and the Bullseye is a very efficient powder that requires very low charge weights, making it the least expensive powder I can find now.

Shooter429