Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Which Reloading Powders

Now that things are coming around again, and I play with hunting stuff more and more again, and not 20,000 rounds of 223 a year for competition....

I'd like to give you a list of lets just say what I might play with one way or the other, of mine and others, and see what kind of generic list of 8 pounders I should keep on hand.

In the past if it was a one caliber show, say 257 wtby, I'd buy a pound of RL22 since it liked that, and since practice is practice, a box of 20 of the loaded rounds could last years...

Now I think I should have some generic stuff on hand in 5-10 pound containers depending on how it comes.

Shotgun... a few 20s, a lot of 12s, a few 10s. Dove loads were cheap. Now it may be time to load them for the 12s mostly. 12s and 10s for ducks/geese is steel.... I do run a 410 at times but thats not that often.

Pistol... 9mm, 45 acp, 38 and 357, 44 mag. Have a few 380s. Most loading would be 45,38 and 44 mag

Rifle... 222,22-250,22/6mm,223,6mm WOA, 6 Rem,6.5 Grendel,6.8 spc, 50 beowulf, 458 Socom,6.5x06,243 and 243 AI, 280 AI, 30-06,308, 7,62x39,270,7x300wtby,284 Win,6.5x284,7 wsm,300 wtby,32-20,30-30, 30-30AI,338-06,338/378 wtby, 338 Win mag,375 HH, 416 Rem Mag/Ruger flavor,50 bmg

I tried to narrow powders down to just a few once... but it never worked right.

But was thinking here, keep on hand Unique or bullseye and 2400/H110 for pistols. I have power pistol for the 9mm as its a competition gun. WW231 for the 45.

Shotguns no clue, I have a stash of Steel on hand. Used to run Green dot for the dove loads.

Rifles, something along the lines of Varget, RL15, RL17, RL19, RL22, 4350,4831 and not real sure on anything else? Like H1000 or probably 7828 possibly. I"m missing 3031 and 4895 from this list but not sure I need em? Have done nothing with the 50 so no big powder for it yet.Also not on my list 4064 and RL 25.

I do not currently load for all of the above, so you may mention some major powder I don't have YET.

I prefer to stay away from AA powders as I've been really badly burned by their crap a few times. But I'm am open to all suggestions regardless.

Just trying to narrow things down for emergency sakes.

Still need to get shotgun primers, about out of them. And probably add another 50,000 or so pistol/rifle primers to top that off.

2-3 for pistol, 2 for shotgun, 6 for rifle not counting the 50, would be nice. But I may be asking for too much.

Mind you I'm not talking custom loads best for a specific round, but powders that can get me by in all of them in a bind. I still search for the best combos and try to have a bit on hand for specific guns but having a jug to reach for in a bind is nice.

And I have not even mentioned Viht powders, one of my favorites for specialty use.

Thanks for comments.

Jeff

Ramshot Big Game impresses the heck out of me. Works well in the 06, 7mm-08, and a couple others. I am looking forward to trying it in some other rounds - anywhere where one might have used 4350.

My cartridge list looks a lot like yours.

My short list would be Unique, 2400, Green Dot, Varget, 4350, RL15, 3031, and 5744. Oh, and I'd be lost without a jug of 4227.

Ed

I like using Titegroup for 45acp cuts my muzzle rise in half, as soon as I run out of Win 231 I'll be trying it in the 9mm too. I like either H110 or win Win 296 in my magnums although I have used Titegroup in the 44mag and it gives a nice low recoil load but not a real fast round (burns to fast).

I like H4895 in a lot of stuff, and CFE223 has really impressed me in my 22-250. It gives great accuracy and better speed at lower pressure than anything else I've tried.

Any love here for 7828 SC and SSC?

For the 12 & 10 ga., Blue Dot will likely do all you need.

For the pistols, Unique or PowerPistol will do them all; not as good in the 44 as 2400 for top end & heavy bullets, but they will work just fine especially for the lighter bullets. No real need at all for 231.

For the rifles, (except the 50):

'15
'19 or 4350
'22
Maybe 3031 or H4895 & '25 if you want to fine tune above the basics.

'15 is not perfect for the small stuff but will work....I like 4895 better.

JMHO, YMMV

MM

30,000 posts and 40 calibers and you're asking for advice? You're a CampFire Oracle, you should be giving it!!

This has been ringing in my head ever since I heard it this summer.

"It ain't how many guns you have that matters, but how many bullets."

That's all I gotta say.

Steve
Orygun

I see that 4350 is mentioned a bunch and I do hear very good things from many about this powder, but which one? IMR or H or ??? (I have H4350... but haven't loaded any yet)

So far I really like H4895 for the small stuff and IMR4831 or RL 19 for the bigger stuff.

I have some Varget, Ramshot to work loads for. So many powders, so little time!

Thats the problem, I have my own thoughts, but I want some input from a board of members that I trust. That way I may well choose 75% of my choices and 25% of others, but you just never know what someone else will toss out and I"ll slap myself in the head, why didn't I think of that.

Thanks for counting calibers, I had no idea what all I listed. And if you really wanted a headache... many moons ago when Dillon came out, I bought one... and then tried to narrow all my powders for metallic down to...... WW ball... ugh...

To all, I appreciate the comments and look forward to more.

Ed, you and I think scarily the same sometimes... BTW crossed the Gerstle River about a month or so ago..... heck of a trip. No moose but hell of a time as usual.

Jeff

Great memories along the Gerstle... Thanks for the reminder. Now I'll be up half the night going back in time.

Ed

If you haven't tried it yet, take a look at Green Dot for pistols.

Ed

For rifles, the last powder I would get rid of would be IMR4895. I think it's the best all arouund there is.

Lil Gun -


But I have a 22 K Hornet to feed! (Works fairly well in Mag pistols - also)

Mark

It sure seems versatile as I find load data for 5.56, 6.5 x 55, .308 and 30-06. In a bad world scenario I can see IMR4895 being the go to powder. I haven't looked at it for 30-30 but it covers everything else I have.

Agree with the IMR 4895. Unique and W231 would handle most pistol rounds, and some Red Dot for the shotguns would be about all you really need ( may be some IMR4350 or H4350 if you got some larger rifles) IMR 4895 will cover the 30-30, too.

Funny, in 4895 I always ran into pressure issues before full speeds were reached in the 223. But I do have a habit of running heavy bullets in caliber.

Lots of folks love 4895. I usually have a pound or two of H and IMR on the shelf. Just not sure I need 8 pounds of it.

BUT it might be one that covers so many rounds decently I need to consider it.

Yep, pistol & shotgun can use the same powder. Ran a lot of Unique in both. There's really no need for anything special in either one. Unique will do 95% of what any other powder will do in either.

just fyi, back in Jan when we couldn't find any powder/primers etc.. surely no IMR or H 4350, I found a 8lbs jug of IMR 7828 and bought it, it seems it could cover small to large rifles and almost replace a 4350 powder. I haven't used it yet, I still have plenty rounds loaded from last year.

If you're not interested in wringing every last ounce of velocity out of your pistols, I think Unique or W231 and W296/H110 would be a great idea. I tend to like W231 better than Unique because it is cleaner, but Unique is probably the superior powder other than that. In fact, you could probably just get by with Unique.

I don't like Bullseye.

I let the commentary on rifles be made by those who know more than me.

I have no idea about shotgun powders.