Mike Venturino has an article in this issue of Handloader Magazine about " Go to powders".
My go to powders are
IMR-4350
H-4895
Varget
Titegroup
I use some Reloader 22, 869, Trailboss, and Longshot
IMR4895 far and away since I do a lot of less than max loads these days - as opposed to real "reduced" loads. H4350, RL-15, H and IMR4831 complete the list for most centerfires, with TAC used in the .223.
The first H 4831 I bought from a keg and the seller put it in a coffee can.
H 4831
IMR 4350
RL 22
IMR 7828
Varget
H 380
IMR4350
IMR4064
7977
RL33
These 4 cover about 90% of my reloading needs.
I have some Varget and a couple others for 'just in case' cartridges
8208 XBR & H4350 are probably my top two.
Varget, big game, RL19, H4895
H4350, RL15, H4895, IMR4831 for Rifle. Prolly could whittle that down to just H4350 and RL15.
H 4350, IMR 8208, and IMR 7977 can cover everything I shoot. I like IMR 7828 ssc, IMR 4451 and Big Game quite a bit too. Always trying new stuff so in a years time the list might be a bit different. I have a feeling that when I try RL 26 it may be a favourite quick.
My go to's are
IMR 4166
Big Game
H4350
RL-17
H4831
I have a lot of powders on hand so this could change like Gerry said. RL-16 & 26 might make it up there soon.
H4895
IMR4350
H4831
After those 3 I like 3031 and H1000
Handguns
Bullseye, HS6 and 2400
SR-4759
2400
Unique
3031
4895
CFE-223
Varget
H4350
H1000
W760
W748
Alliant PowerProMR-2000
IMR and H 4350
RL-22
4064
Titegroup and 2400 for pistol
I'm one that's always used IMR4350, since I started loading. I wanted to make the switch to H4350, but it's been damn hard to find these days. Here's the list of my "go to powders":
IMR4350
H4350
RL15
H335
With this being said, if I still had my 270w, I'd likely be stuck on H4831 and RL26 as "go to" powders as well...
H322
IMR 7828
Ramshot Magnum
N150 .308 based cartridges .243,..25/08, 260, .308
Varget ,308 based cartridges when N150 doesn't get there
H4831 30/06 , .270
N133 .222 and .223
Unique .38 & .357
H4350
H4895
Varget
Re-15
W748
H1000
Re-33 (maybe)
I've always joked that if it can't be loaded will with 7828 SSC or AA 2495, I probably don't want to hunt with it. Both are single base with decent temp stability, and both tend to have higher than expected performance.
7828 SSC covers 7mm magnum 175s and .375 H&H magnum 270+s. It's a little slow for the .375 H&H, but the energy density/efficiency combo is so high it produces nice loads that exceed factory while being 15% or so under pressure. This is a case where 7828 SSC does not use the same load data as 7828.
AA 2495 covers the big straight wall guns in the battery. It's the top powder in .45-70/.45-90, and simulation suggests it'll be top in my new .50-110 as well. It works best with extremely high load ratios (often > 120%) dispensed with a drop tube. Going down that road the .45-90 will happily exceed 4000 ft-lbs and the .50-110 should easily exceed 5000 ft-lbs with hunting softs. Northfork solids at 425 and 535 grains respectively can be driven over 2000 ft/s, which is more than enough for anything on earth.
If I was going to add a 3rd powder, it'd be H4350 for 7mm-08 and a faster option for light bullets in .375 H&H.
I've been thinking it's hard to beat the versatility of RL15. I've used it in some of my most accurate loads from .223 rem to 9.3x62mm and 375H&H...
For sure. I like RL15 alot. Used it in a bunch of stuff. Between 15 and H4895 I could do alot of stuff.
Saying that, I have way too much powder cause I am fussy and wanna just try different stuff out!
... I've been trying to narrow my powder supply down a bit. Wanting to make a switch to H4350, but that powder is getting hard to find these days. I also bought an 8 pound jug of H335 at a local gunshow for $50.00 (couldn't say no at that price), thinking I was going to burn it up in my bolt action .223 rem and I've damn near succeeded. Down to about 2 pounds now. I've heard for a while that it can be a finicky powder and very unstable at higher temps. Thus the reason for wanting to burn it up and try something different. However, I've been pretty happy with the groups I'm shooting with it. Seems to produce some very accurate loads. I haven't noticed a big difference in POI shift when temps warm up either. Been wanting to try some TAC as a suitable replacement for H335. But, as of now, it is one of my "go to" powders for the little .223 Rem.. Just bought some AR comp for my new AR's as well. Maybe that will become one of my "go to" powders if it works out....
.. Just want to try and keep this chit as simple as I can, but sometimes that can be a tedious journey of trial and error...
A few years ago it would be H4895 and IMR 4350. Nowadays, it's IMR's 4166 and 4451. That covers .223, 6mm Rem, .260, .270, 7mm-08, .308, .30-06 and .358 Win. And I have about 20 additional flavors of rifle powder that I rarely use anymore.
Thirty years ago I did all my rifle reloading with IMR4895, IMR4350 and H4831--the original mil-surp H4831, as I had a big supply. This worked well when my entire collection of centerfires was a .223 Remington, .257 Roberts, .270 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, .338 Winchester Magnum and .375 H&H.
During the late 1990's Hodgdon's new Extreme H4350 and H4831 replaced IMR4350 and the mil-surp H4831. Still use quite a bit of IMR4895, but find my most-used (and most reached-for) rifle powders these days are TAC, IMR4451, Big Game, H1000 and Magnum. The IMR4451 has been replacing H4350 over the past couple of years, because 4451 can be found and purchased easily and H4350 can't, and so far 4451 has worked just as well in a number of rounds. Am getting to like some other new powders as well, especially Alliant's Reloder 26, but they haven't become go-to powders yet.
Am getting to like some other new powders as well, especially Alliant's Reloder 26, but they haven't become go-to powders yet.
I am finding RL26 much more versatile than I ever thought it would be. I was thinking it would be an excellent magnum sorta powder, but it has been excellent in the 243/25-06, 6.5 Swede and some other stuff as well. I am sorta surprised at how well it works across the board.
Reloder7, Reloder15, IMR8208xbr, LilGun, TAC, H4198, are some i use quite a bit.
Am getting to like some other new powders as well, especially Alliant's Reloder 26, but they haven't become go-to powders yet.
I am finding RL26 much more versatile than I ever thought it would be.
Used to do most of my rifle reloading with R22, R15 & H870. Now it looks like R26 can fill most of the same range of loads and cartridges. Not sure about it replacing R15 for the 375 H&H but getting ready to give it a try. If I can keep it under four types that's good and three is better. Just need to settle on loads for the small bores 17 & 22.
I use more W760 than anything else, because I reload for 4 243's and that's my go to powder for them. Varget for the 308 and heavy 223 bullets. Surplus WC846 for the rest of my 223 reloading would work, as I have a lot of it. If it wasn't for the 846, I'd go with H335. But, I have a bunch of different powders, and will probably never use them all up, even if I quit buying now.
RL 23 RL 25 RL 26 RL 33
IMR 4451
A5744, CFE 223, Varget, 4064, 3031, IMR 4350, and IMR 7828 are what I plan to keep in stock once I burn through all the other powder I have laying around. Even then I will probably trim down that list somewhat.
RL 17
Ramshot magnum
Benchmark
Accurate 2520
H4895, for which I'm contriving more and more uses; which isn't hard as I realise outright speed is less important than consistency.
R17 for the odd application where I may be chasing speed in medium burn applications.
I no longer shoot any magnums; the 30-06 is the most powerful chambering I own now.
I've always been one to keep it simple, plus I don't have the time for endless experimentation.
IMR4064 and IMR4350 cover a lot of ground.
From 223 to 300 WIN. those two are all I've ever needed.
XBR 8208, RL-17, BE-86 use those three in like 80% of my loads . Going to experiment with RL-16 with the idea of replacing some of the 17data
I'm in the process of switching over to RL-16 and RL-26 for everything I reload for, which isn't a whole lot- 270 Win, 30/06, and 338 Win Mag. Used to be I'd use only H4350 and H4831, but with H4350 being impossible to buy, I'm planning to use RL-16 to take its place. I just recently bought 5 pounds so I'm really hoping it works out. The RL-26 I tried in my 270 Win. and it got me 250 feet per second more than I get with H4831, and as good, or better accuracy. So I won't be buying any more H4831 either.
There are too many powders to list, that I routinely load...
however there are some I find I don't use that much any more.. mainly stuff for magnums.
but I still have a couple of pounds of each.
find the most common calibers I shoot a lot:
223, 22.250, 243, 6mm Rem, 260 Rem and 7 x 57...
Yeah, there are a lot of powders out there these days, and new ones appear all the time. I have to try as many as possible, the reason I now have around 85 different powders on hand, though it's tough to keep up!
But that's also the reason my list of "go to" powders isn't nearly as short or rigid as it used to be. There are a LOT of very good powders these days, many if not most superior to older powders by any quantifiable criteria.
For everything I handload for, I could get by quite well with TAC, Big Game, Varget, Universal and H110. Go to's have changed in the last few years, but I have enough of those on hand to last me for probably as long as I'll need for both rifles and handguns.
Retumbo
H-4831 SC
RL-22
H-4350
CFE-223
RL-15
RL-17
Power Pistol
H-110/296
Longshot
4227
any favorite online source for powder ?
P.