Your favorite do-all powder? No powder will do it all from 17 - 50 cal. I know that. The majority of us, at least I think, have chosen a certain niche in our shooting. Some I know do a wide variety and couldn't function with just one.
For me, my loading currently consists of .243, .280Rem (x 2), 7mm Rem Mag, 30-06, and 300 Win Mag. Nothing terribly eclectic about that collection I know. The 45-70s of the world and the like hold no fascination for me. No real need or want for a .17 or .204, and not much more of either for a .224, though its not unlikely I will one day purchase one. Used to own a .338 and one day likely will again. The 35 Whelen and 375H&H hold a little fascination for me as well.
If I had to choose one powder my choice would be Reloader 19. I know it wouldn't do for the 35 or 375. But from .243-.338 it will work wonderfully. I have good loads for all of my current cartridges with R-19. Its perfect in '06 sized cases as well as belted mags for all but the heaviest bullets, and it will work with them too.
My vote for my do all rifle powder: Reloader-19. A tie for a close second place would be R-22 and VV-N160.
Iwould think H4350 would be in the top 5 for each of those calibres.
Iwould think H4350 would be in the top 5 for each of those calibres.
Basically...you're correct. In fact, I expect to see a lot of people answer 4350. For many years it was the "standard" powder of most all that shoot guns chambered for '06 case rounds and belted magnums. Whenever my father gets a new gun in the .243-.338 range...invariably he'll begin his loading with H4350. I took some of his loads from when I was a kid and started playing with R-19 and R-22...and whatever he could do with 4350, I could better with R-19 or R-22 velocity wise, and almost always find an accurate load as well.
In fact I think Id put H4350 as #3 on my list.
Your orginal question was what if I could have only one powder so I would have to answer it the same way as one of those ifs about only one cartridge etc.
I would select 3031 as it will do it all. Now if you asked what powder I would take at $0.60 a pound it would be 4831 as I would use a lot of it.
I'll step up for H4350. Am loading for .280, 7x57, 25-06, and starting a 6.5x55 project and mom's .243 this summer as well.
Prefer 4831 in the 25, am playing with it in the 280 too, but if I had to have one for all ... the H4350 will get the nod.
Note that us yanks have to contend with temperature sensitivity (Opening day temperatures have varied between 3 below and 70 above over the last few years).
I'm an H380 fan. Throwing charges instead of metering them saves lots of time and I don't see a big difference in the velocities. I use Benchmark at the low end (.223) and Re19 for my .375 H&H although Hodgdon list H380 loads for my 6mm up through my .375.
I could Rule The World with Re-15.......................
H4350 (.243, 7mm-08, 30-Govt'O6)
For the rifles i load for i could live in comfort with IMR 7828.
All but two of the rifles I regularly shoot would work excellent with RL-15..............
IMR 4350 for 22-250,243,7mm-08,7x57,30-338,340
I shoot '15 in 223,223AI,224Wby,22-250,22-250AI,Swift,CHeetah,243,243AI,6mm,6mmAI,25-284,25-06,7-08,284Win,7Shamu,308 and 375 and 375H&H AI.
Off the top of my head.........................
Stick, you gotta love that list! And I was worried about getting too much overlap......
In my .204s, 6mm, .260 Rem, 6mm 30-30 AI, 22-250, 22250AI and several others...........
IMR 4350 for 243, 7mm-08, 280, 300SAUM, and 338WM. It all works well. The only issue is my 7mm-08 has a rather light load but it is ACCURATE. It is a great powder...
RH
Well, I just got 10 lbs (2-5lb Jugs) of RL-15 from the FedEX truck Monday... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Course I got a jug or two of Vit.N-560 as well....
I think temperature sensitivity is a tad overrated, at least for hunting. I used rl-22 for antelope at 70 deg. and my last kill of the year was a whitetail doe at nearly 20 below zero. Didn't notice any difference.
As distance increases,SD's become more paramount.........................
The one powder for rifles for me would be either 4895 or rx 15.
Just to save you the trouble asking about handguns in another possible thread..... unique.
Most of what I'm shootin' now is '06 based or bigger...both rifle and single shot handgun...
H1000 has proved itself pretty good to me...even in the 300RUM it's acceptable for hunting...
I'm always looking for a better mouse trap though.
If I had to use only one powder it would probably be the one in the factory loads...
Favorite powders:
.22-250 = Varget
.257 Roberts = H4895 and H4831SC
7mm Mag = H1000 and H4831SC
.30-30 = H4895 (but looking at others including Varget and Benchmark)
.308 Win = Varget, Benchmark and BL(C)-2
.300 Win Mag = H4350
.375 Win = AA1680
.44 Mag = H110
.45-70 = H4198, Varget, Benchmark, HS-6
I've had good success with Reloader 19 in my 260 & 30/06. It is clean burning, fills case capacity nicely and produces good velocities and accuracy.
I haven't worked up any loads yet using R-19 in my new 300 WSM Kimber Montana but I will work with it soon.
I like H-4831-sc for most all my rifles. I am growing fonder and fonder of Varget as I shoot more of that.
The one powder I have burned the most of, and has worked so well for me has been IMR4350. Lately, though, I have started shooting pumpkin launchers, and I'm liking Varget and H4895.
One powder? That's like one gun. The product of a sick mind. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
I've had really good luck with a bunch of different powders, but if I had to choose one to load all of the cartridges I shoot, (.243 Winchester, .257 Weatherby, .270 Winchester, 7mm Remington Magnum, 7mm Weatherby Magnum, .280 Remington and the .300 Winchester Magnum) I would choose the one that has worked best overall for me.
That would be the tried and true [color:"orange"]
IMR 4831 [/color] in the orange can <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />
Some of my other favorites are RL 15, [color:"blue"]IMR 7828 [/color] and H1000.
Hmm,talcum? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
For what I'v got,H4831.
It'd be a tossup between RL 15 and Varget. There darn near clones of eachother. The only problem is I've worked up great loads in some guns with one powder, and great loads in other guns with the other.
I've used them from 308 to 500 Jeffrey, and a few in between, also in some contender chamberings.
H 4350 is also a good un, but just a tad too slow for the medium and bigger bores.
H4831sc works for my 25-06,7mm Rem and 300 Weatherby.
I'm surprized to be the first one to mention IMR4064. Its the one I'd keep before all others.
Wasn't the original question what powder would work best for the calibres listed?
If I had to pick one for my rifles it would be H4831sc.
martinbns...
I sort of fouled the "polling" of this matter with my other info.
Basically, for your loading needs, if the "powder police" came and took all your powder and said you could only have one what would it be?
At the risk of sounding as if I am riding a bandwagon, I pick H4350.
I could get by just fine with IMR 4064.
Nuff said.......
Only one, Ramshot Hunter.
Copy Cat <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
You never know, there might actually be "powder police" in Kanada. To answer the question either H4831sc or H3450.
If I could have only 1 powder, its hands down IMR-4350.
HBB
At present I load for the 300wsm,7mm/08,and the 270 win , and like others H4350 is becoming my favorite powder. However with the way h4831sc works in my 270,its gonna be hard to try something different,
IMR 4320 would probably be my choice. 223, 243, 6mm Rem, 270 Win 7mm-08, 300 Sav. 30-30, 30-06, 32 Spl. 358 Win.
Dale
I like daily doses of the 4895's
Varget....I don't put it on my cornflakes.....but almost......
H4895. I use bunches of 4350 but the 4895s may not do anything particularly well but they will certainly span a wide range of usefulness.
IMR4350. Although H4350 would probably be better
You never know, there might actually be "powder police" in Canada.
Not likely.
It's impossible for me to pick just one.
Tough question but I burn a lot of Rl15. I'd have a hard time letting go of my H1000, h4350, benchmark, and now RL17 too.
Bb
first choice is 4064 closely followed by RL15. Bear
Reloader 15 seems to be able to make anything work. And many things work very well. Always, have a 5 pounder back up.
Mouse
I can't I have everything from large case magnums to a .22Hornet
I have become pretty attached to Benchmark. Works in everything from 223 to 444.
"If you could only have just one powder what would it be? "
For which cartridge?
imr 4831 has done well in anything with a case volume over 50 grains and imr 4198 has done well in my .222.
I could either go really big with my 25-06 since there are no really big things in pa. But then it is way too big for foxes and stuff. Then again I could just load the .222 with 4198 as the biggest animal I shoot are whitetail deer.