I know most reloaders have their "favorite" powders that they like to use so I was wondering what everyone else's powder choices are. If you were limited to 4 powders on your bench to reload everything (handguns, rifles, shotguns) what would your choices be? I think a major criterion would ability to find data for a large # of different calibers. I personally have a jug of H380, IMR4350, and several pounds of Unique. I also keep a pound or 2 of 7828 on hand as well. Curiosity killed the cat but they have enough lives to waste one once in a while.

RL15
IMR4895
RL19
IMR4350

I do not reload for handguns so I'm only listing rifle powders.

RH

For my personal loading, I would have to say RL-15, WW 231, 2400, and IMR 4350. This covers .357 magnum, .22-250, .243, .260, .25-06, 7mm-08, .308, .30-06.

Will

H4831
H4895
4064
Universal Clays

If knocked down to two,I'd say H4831 and Universal Clays

WW231
2400
Re-7
Re-15

Boy, that's a tough question!

Unique
WW 748 (could use Varget or RL-15)
H 4350 sc (could use WW 760)
RL-22

I use a lot of the WW powders. They are listed because I started using them quite some time ago. Since they have always worked, I have just kept using them. I have never really tried much of the newer stuff, which I grant might be "better".

HP38
800X
4064
4831SC,
then of course, there is 296, Unique, 3031, 5744, RL22, Goex2F & 4F, Pyrodex RS.........

Unique
2400
RL 15
RL 22

These 3 and a couple pounds of Tite Group for 44 Mag plinking loads.

H110
7828
Tac
H4350

Dober

N133
N540
IMR 4064
H4350

Those powders cover everything I shoot from 223 to 300 WSM very well.

PaPa260....Seasons Greetings To All At The Fire!

IMR4227
Varget
H4350


I'm not much of a belted magnummanic.

Like your selection Sam. Mine are: H-4350, H-4831sc, Ramshot Hunter and RL#15. I don't load for handguns. Merry Christmas . Tom

Unique
H'335
R'15
R'22

I'd hate to be limited to 4 though. Kind of like the "one rifle" threads.

R22
H4350
Benchmark/H4895
PowerPistol

It would be rough way to go though.....

H4350, RL15, RL19 (but this may be changing to RL17), H4831SC..sorry I think Sam already said this...

Unique
H110
H4895
H4350
H4831

OK that's five, but.....

The best way to pare down powders is to first concentrate on your favorite cartridges, and then select powders that are optimum in those.

I seldom firewall any of my handgun rounds, so I could be optimized with Unique or Universal Clays. Because it measures better and shoots cleaner, I'll take the latter.

I shoot a lot of Hornet, Fireball and Bee. In those, I'd definitely take LilGun, hands down.

For the .223 and up through my 308, Ramshot TAC simply shines.

That's only three, and I have almost everything covered. For my final choice, I'd pick a rifle powder that is as near universal as possible. It'd be hard to select anything but 4895, although RL-15 would finish only a nostril behind.

I prolly use more 4895 than any other.
IMR4350
IMR4895
IMR4064
H4831

No hand guns or shotguns to load for any more...
Varget
H-4831SC
AA 2015
AA 2520
Works in about everthing I load for, but I'd hate to give up the
RL-15
RL-17
RL-19
IMR-4831
H100V
Retumbo
Benchmark
H-335
Imr 4064
H1000
But abount any of the first 4 will work in their place in the rifles I load for. I just don't find the RL powders as consistent from lot to lot even tho I really really like them.
We will load for just a few calibers in any given year.
.222,.223,.243,.270,.708,7MM RUM,30-30,.308,300WSM,30-06,and what ever else comes along...Hard to hold to 4 powders but Varget or H-4831SC has worked to some degree in one or the other and I try to keep plenty of Varget on hand but find it a little slow for the lighter bullets in the .224 class and why I like the AA-2015 for that.

231
2400
H4350
RL15

imr 4350, imr 4895 unique and bullseye.

2F and 4F

HP38, 2400, IMR3031, H4831SC.

H-4895
H-4350
Universal
2400

4895
4831
Unique
4227

Ingwe

2400
vvn133
4350
h1000

I don't load for shotguns. These four powders meet my current needs very well:

Handguns:
Unique

Rifles:
RL-15
IMR-4350
IMR-4831

-Bob F.

I load for rifle, handgun and shotgun. Probably could get by with....

Unique
Li'l Gun
TAC
H4350

....but would add Swiss 1-1/2F for muzzleloading and black-powder cartridges.

RL 22
H414 / Win 760
IMR 4350
H4831

2400
varget
4350
4895

H4350
H4895
H110/WW296
Universal Clays or Unique

When the four powders include 12 Ga, 20 Ga, 9mm, and rifles from .25-20 to .404 Jeff as well as a black powder rifle this four poinds becomes quite impossible.

I need 700-X, Longshot, and 800-X for shotshells alone. The longshot will suffice in the 9mm however!

BL(C)-2 for the .223, 2400 for the .25-20, and H-414, H-4350, H-4831, IMR-4064, and a few others as trial powders.

I gave up a long time ago to fight the war on powder proliferation.....it was a losing battle.

Benchmark
Varget
H4831
231

I would hate to give up 4350 but can essentially bracket it with the Varget and 4831. If I was still loading for shotguns much I would switch 231 for Clays.

IMR 4064
IMR 4320
IMR 4350

IMR 4895
IMR 4350
IMR 4064

h 4350
varget
rl 15
h335

W-231
SR-4759
RL-15
RL-22

If it is a rifle and you can't find a good load using RL-15, throw it away. That stuff is the most fantastic rifle powder in the history of smokeless powder .

RL 22, for Wby. .416, .300, .257, .280 Imp., .270 WSM
IMR 4350, for .280, .30-06
W748, for .223
Unique, for all kinds of things

Unique
H 4895
IMR 7828

I think you need to STOCK UP !!!

Rifle
Imr7828
H4350
RL15
RL22

Pistol
Imr4227
Power Pistol

So THATS where all the powder went...

Ingwe

H205
IMR4320
R-15
IMR4831

But then I left out 4350, WW760, R-19, R-22, 3031, H335, WW570, Green Dot......

I'd get by fine with

Lil Gun
ImR 4895
H4350
IMR 7828

Lately though, I just get by with what I can find...still.

Unique
H4895
H4350
IMR7828sc

I load and own so many different calibers, that would be very hard to limit it to only 4 powders for handgun, and rifle. But, I'll give you my choices if I can.

Handgun - Unique. It may not give the best results in all my handguns but it would work well enough for most of them.

Rifle - IMR4895, H4831, and Rel-22/Winchester WXR[same powder different lots]. If I could have 2400 that would work better for the magnum handguns I own and the 22 Hornet. I guess I would be left experimenting with Unique for the Hornet.

IMR 4350
Varget
RL17
Hybrid V100

Oh and White Hots

I've been running

Unique
296
IMR 4895, 4320, 4064
IMR 4350

but I've been thinking TAC to replace the mid range stuff and Reloder 17 or H4350 for the IMR 4350

Dale

I've become a complete(almost) ball powder convert.

Lil'Gun
TAC
Big Game
Hunter

The Lil'Gun for my .475 Linebaugh(and just in case I get another Hornet, as it's PFM in that little round!)

The 3 Ramshot powders will cover virtually all my rifles, as I shoot mostly old standards. I don't really have any wondermags that require bituminous coal burning rates.

Jeff

For rifles
IMR4064
H4350

For my (two) handguns
H110
Bullseye

I never reloaded shotgun.