Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles one powder does it all...223, 308, 30-06...?

does anyone do this? one powder for all three? thanks.


E_8!

One that I know of that does all of those is IMR 4895 due to loading for a Garand. I'm sure there are others.

Varget works well for the .223 and .308; but there are better powders for the .30-06; but it will still "work".

I would not use Varget in an M-1.

TAC works well with 5.56X45 and 7.62X51, but I don't know about 7.62X63.

Terminator also works well with the two smaller cartridges for me.

Though Varget isn't my choice and I don't try to make one powder do all my jobs, IE I pick the correct best powder for each situation, i know a LOT of varget has gone down M1 tubes with no issues. 4895 works good in the 2 larger rounds but has always been an over pressure situation in the AR15 with the bullet weights that I've used.

WC852 which is similar to H380 in burn rates has worked perfectly in 223, 308 and 30-06 for me over the years, though I don't know that any is left, it worked so good that I bought a 200 pound keg of it in the 90s...

I guess in a "survival" situation it could be done...Win748, Varget, or 4895 for long guns and maybe Unique for handguns and shotshells...but you are really handicapping yourself trying to make one powder do everything. Just accept the inevitable guy, as you get more and more into this reloading thing, before long you will play heck trying to limit yourself to just one powder per cartridge type!

Pecos

I'd go Varget for .223 and .308 and H4350 for the .30-06.

RL-15 would do it.What type of rifles?

As others have said, I use Varget in my 223 and 308 loads with complete satisfaction.

Don't load for the 30-06 so can't help ya there.

I use a lot of Varget when I am reloading. In fact last fall I picked up 5 more 8 pounders. The stuff seems to trickle away somewhere.

There are better powders for individual loads in the three cartridges mentioned, but I have used IMR4895 in all three and have gotten satisfactory results.

Depending on bullet weight, 4895 and Varget are the ones. If you only want one powder, match the bullet weights to it.

Example: IMR4895 From IMR Loading Data
36 - 90 grains in the .223
110-200 grains in the .308
110 - 180 grains in the .30-06

Varget: From Hodgdon's Loading Data
36 - 90 grains in the .223
110 - 200 grains in the .308
110 - 220 in the .30-06

They may not be optimum, but they will give decent velocities vs. charge weights for all three cartridges.

Fast Ed

RL-15.

Hod 4895

there are definitely better powders for each, rather than try to get to one. For example 4895 shoots fine in the larger cases, but in 223 is accurate, but way slow for my tastes..

I tried the one powder method or narrowing it down YEARS ago... Now I load each round with a powder meant for it, buying enough to hopefully burn the barrel out when I get that powder.

I try to keep on hand single pounds of a myriad for doing testing though.

Good luck. It sure wasn't the answer I was looking for when I tried it.

if you could reprime a 22LR case, 4895 would be the powder to fill it with.

RL-15 or H4895. Have used the H4895 in all three.

I pretty much use Varget for a lot of my loading except the 6.8.

Settled on W748 for 222/223/9.3x62/405 Win, that and got a deal on 16#; some applications in my 243. Then IMR 4350 for 243/300WSM with overlap in the 9.3. Not optimal but workable. Then the 257Wby showed up, IMR 4350 and R22 covered most applications. Unique and 2400 for 38Spl/357/44Spcl/44mag. Bought enough for the next 10years. Hey, I m 65 and cant shoot forever. I m not chasing the newest powder and can use them if I get a 308/30-06 or whatever that shows up on my doorstep. I adopt orphans from time to time.