Maybe a thread about individual powders best application. Or paring by bullet weight and cartridge. Some examples might be:
.22 Hornet and a 40 grain Nosler BT with Lil Gun powder, or .223 / 5.56 and IMR 8206 XBR with 77 grain bullets or .44 Remington magnum and Winchester 296 and 240 grain bullets.
Due to the relative expense or difficulty in acquiring such staples, I’ve found myself with a significant amount of AA 2015 which I’ve found to be outstanding in my 6 X 45 with 68/75 grain bullets; and am curious if anyone else has a “best” application for that propellant.
Regardless if you would like to talk a specific propellant please do so.
For years I used Unique for pistol cartridges, because 30 years ago the guy who taught me to reload (the then girlfriend’s father) recommended it.
I then made the mistake of buying 8lbs of it (!), which has been enough to do tens of thousands of rounds of .380ACP and .40S&W, but I don’t like it because it’s smoky and dirty and doesn’t lend itself to light loads (slow burn rate).
I’m finally down to just a pound or two of Unique, and I’ll just use it up loading .30 Mauser.
Now I’m using Clays for .40S&W, and I just bought some HP-38 to load .380ACP. (I’m picking up an LCP Max in a couple weeks.)
I really do NOT want to wind up one of those guys who has 20 different powders on his reloading bench, but so far I also have only 2400 (for M1 Carbine and 10mm mag) and TAC (for .223 and .308).
I remember my first loads of 45 ACP using that Hercules and Unique old fart powder. Same thing. What is this smokey sooty shit? Thankfully I only had a pound of that crap…
Well, I can say I like sticking with same powders, and known good loads.
Experimenting all over the place would be fun, but it’s costlier than sticking with same.
However, lack of availability at times has forced me to do ladder tests with new powders, which is exactly how I discovered I like H335 and CFE Pistol, so a blessing in disguise, I guess.
When I first started loading, I wanted nothing to do with multiple powders and loads, etc. I eventually drifted away from that approach. Tinkering is fun for a while, but it gets old. Last 8 times we went out I had to set up the chronograph.
Unique is a great powder, especially if you’re shooting 38/357.
Nowadays if I was going to get 8 lb of something I’d probably want blue dot instead, which is largely been unobtanium.
Add 2400 & TAC (or CFE223) and I would have decent loadings for all my various calibers.
2400 is magic: 30 carbine, 41 mag, and accurate blooper loads for 308/7x57/30-06/8 mm. I use more of it than anything and have a dedicated little dandy thrower for 16 grains of 2400.
Your 4064 comment on 4064 has intrigued me. I don’t recall it metering significantly different than Varget. When I eventually find it again, I’ll try it with the 550. I use it for an M1 Rifle load.
I tried it for the heck of it in my 550b. I didn’t care about the inconsistency in charges, but the Bridging of powder caused a mess. Ended up getting powder all over.
I never tried imr 4064 in my blue press. I do confess that despite a powder’s burn rate and suitability in a particular cartridge, it still may be a pain in the ass to meter. As long as the powder throw falls within the desired node, decent results will occur regardless of some variation in velocity.
N320 for 9, .40, & .38 plinking loads. Meters nicely, little smoke compared to W231, and pretty clean. Definitely the #1 powder I use. Good stuff.
N340 for .40 “warm” loads and .45 ACP and .357 loads. I’ve only actually loaded and shot .357 this far but I like it. Also meters great.
3N37 for all 10MM and hot .357 and 9 with XTP bullets. I’ve been shooting more 10MM and this works great. Going to test some warm 9MM XTP’s I loaded this week tomorrow.
I’ve not begun loading .223 or .308 yet but I plan to use N140 for both and have a couple pounds for when I finally get around to loading some. I have loaded some .223 at a friends with it. I was pretty happy with the results, but not a bench rest shooter so I cannot tell you much more than it consistently rang steel to 300 yards in my AR.
No way I could store all of my powder on the workbench!
It will be a lot of years (and multiple burned out barrels) before I need to restock anything. :o
Wish I had a local reloading ‘buddy’ I could do trades with. Example: I used to use a lot of Bullseye and stocked up on it (12+ lbs currently) and then discovered AA#7… No freaking way I will ever use up all of that Bullseye now. Pretty much would be my LAST choice.
I swap this’n’that constantly with guys from my club. It’s a win-win-win: I de-clutter my reloading bench, acquire something I want, and help out somebody else…
You mean Varget isn’t the answer to this question? :lol:
I’m guilty of always experimenting with different powders.
Most of what I reload for pistol is 9mm, 124 HP over N320 is a good practice load. WSF works well also in that application. Clays and Clay Dot work well with 135 and 147 grain 9mm bullets. It also works well for 45 ACP practice loads using 200 SWC bullets.
I have found that 8208XBR is very versatile and have used it in 223, 308, and 6BR. I have never tried 4064 but I have a friend that loves it. SW Precision is supposedly very similar and it works will with heavier bullets in 223 for me. TAC is another one that is very versatile but it can be temp sensitive so mind your pressures because they will increase with temperature.
For long range precision loads in 6X47L, Reloder 16 has been great. Since it has been so hard to come by, I am going to try N540 and N550 next.
Varget is a fine product, but I’ve always thought that more than half of the users don’t know why they’re using it, and would be better off with something else. I’ve read guys using it with 55gr FMJs. WHY? :rolleyes:
