OT-Reloading Powders

[Barcelona Rick]

Okay all of you reloaders I have a rookie question ? I have only reloaded shotgun shells (20&12) using PB powder....I'm looking at loading .38 Specials, .45 Colt, 6.5 X 55 Swede and 30-30 plus .410 shotgun shells.....figured Unique will serve my purpose on the pistol rounds but is there a powder that would be good for everything ?? I would like to use as few a powder types as I can....appreciate y'all looking....

jumbeaux

[Hobie]

We get this question all the time. There is no ONE powder to suit all reloading tasks, hence the wide number of offerings.

Unique is a good all-arounder for the handgun cartridges. I would not use the same powder in the 6.5x55 and .30-30. Unique might work in the .410, I haven't bothered to load that cartridge. Just don't shoot it enough to do so. This is why you invest in a manual which will not only explain why you can or can't do a thing but give you a formula for reloading that will help you keep all your fingers and eyes and still have effective ammunition.

[Ysabel Kid]

We get this question all the time. There is no ONE powder to suit all reloading tasks, hence the wide number of offerings.

Unique is a good all-arounder for the handgun cartridges. I would not use the same powder in the 6.5x55 and .30-30. Unique might work in the .410, I haven't bothered to load that cartridge. Just don't shoot it enough to do so. This is why you invest in a manual which will not only explain why you can or can't do a thing but give you a formula for reloading that will help you keep all your fingers and eyes and still have effective ammunition.

+1

The "one powder to rule them all" hasn't been invented yet!

[piller]

+1. If you are looking to keep that .45 Colt to pressures which any good pistol can handle, the Unique would be great. It will also give good accuracy. The .410 can use L'IL Gun which will also work to push the .45 Colt to Ruger or Contender pressures. For the .30-30, I still use IMR 3031. You might want to look at some of the Alliant brand powders as they have better velocities listed on their charts. Do your research before you buy and get what the charts show will get you into the velocity range and pressure range that you want. Just remember, the fastest velocity is not always the most accurate, nor will it always kill any better.

[kimwcook]

Jumbeaux, all good stuff above.

[HEAD0001]

Are you willing to give up accuracy and performance to only have a powder or two?? That is the real question. Personally I am not. I reload for maximum performance and accuracy from my firearms, so I would not limit my powder choices.

Some people do only reload to save money. That would be the only reason to limit yourself to just one or two powders. That way you could buy it bulk. Tom.

[AJMD429]

Between Unique, 2400, and 4895, I've found I can have decent loads for small and magnum handgun, bottleneck and straight rifle from .223 to .444 Marlin.

Not always the BEST, but very serviceable and as good as factory loads, at least.

I'd stock those three in larger cannisters, then if you want to 'push' some gun or cartridge to its maximum performance, fiddle around with lesser quantities of other powders.

That way, you'll always have something on hand to make your guns go 'bang', even when supplies get scarce.

I learned this the hard way over the past year or so.

[TedH]

I don't get the notion of just having one or two powders on hand. If I'm going to all the time and trouble to handload my ammunition, I want it to be the best I can make it. Heck, I have more powders on hand than calibers that I load for. Like having a powder for light 45-70 loads and another for the 45-70 big bruisers. But I do tend to over-complicate most things.

[Chuck 100 yd]

Like TedH , I have a bunch of different powders on hand.
Probably at least 15 for shotgun,rifle/pistol and BP for any of the above that I shoot black in.
1-2 or 3 powders, how boring!!

[L_Kilkenny]

I too am trying to find powders that will work in multiple calibers. Like already stated you'll have to give and take on the accuracy and velocity areas (but hopefully not much). I currently use BlueDot for full power hunting .357 loads, lil'gun for .32M, H380 for 22-250, H4895 in .243 and SR4759 and H4895 for 30/30.

But to tell the truth, for .357M and .32M I'd be just as happy with TiteGroup and it takes very very little of it (158gr .357 mag = 10.7 BlueDot, 7.8 Unique, 6.1 TiteGroup, max loads). A pound goes a long long ways and accuracy is good. My .45 ACP loved the stuff.

For rifles up to the .30s I could get by with either H380, H414 or H4895. Try some of each in your different calibers and see which one works best "on average". H4895 will also work for reduced loads. The others it's not recommended.

LK

Edited to add: Looked on Hodgdons site and the don't list 30/30 loads using H380 or H414 so I guess that only leaves H4895.

[Old Time Hunter]

Between Unique, 2400, and 4895,

That's 'bout right. H4895 is perfect for both the .30-30 and the 6.5 X 55 (especially good for this one). I've used Unique on everything though, including .30-30(13 grains w/150 grain LFNGC) and 6.5 X 55 (16 grains with a Sierra 139gr) but kept the loads fairly light.

[Kansas Ed]

For all the different calibers I shoot, If I had to make a list of "must have Powders" and keep it to bare minimum, it would be Unique, 2400, and IMR3031. Those 3 powders will work adequately if not superbly in all of the 25+ different cartridges I shoot (Except for perhaps the 300 H&H).

Ed

[JohndeFresno]

I go along with the Unique / 2400 / (4895 or 3031) answer if you wish to start modestly with your reloading experience. And I also subscribe to broadening the spectrum of powders if you desire wring the absolute best performance out of rifle and bullet combined. I am not a 1,000 yard minute-of-angle shooter; but I use over a dozen powders for the various calibers and bullet weights that I reload.

But for something of interest, a well known experimenter, marksman and writer developed what he calls "The Load" with just one powder - Red Dot - with certain provisos.

The powder, Red Dot, is pretty inexpensive, and his load calls for only 13 grains for several different rifle loads. It works across a wide variety of calibers. There is a requirement as to the minimum size of the cartridge being loaded - please note this.

As an aside, Red Dot can be found in some recipes for some handgun loads as well - although it is not the best solution for most of these loads

The original article regarding the somewhat universal rifle load, now out of print, was written by C. E. "Ed" Harris for the American Rifleman Magazine (the N.R.A. monthly publication). He is an accomplished gun writer and experimenter. Then, it was reprinted in the Handloader's Digest, 10th Edition.

Not too long ago I tried "The Load" (13.0 gr. Red Dot) with my Marlin 1873 lever .45-70 using a 405 gr. lead flatpoint, and a modification of that load - 10.0 gr. Red Dot in a Marlin 336 .30-30 using Lyman 311041 178 gr. hard cast gas-checked flatpoints, because the .30-30 is a smaller case than what the author recommends for the full load of 13 grains.

Both had acceptable accuracy, and when I can get outdoors again I will be spending some time with these two loads when I visit the 100 yard range. My experience with Red Dot shows me that its extremely light flakes make it hard to meter from more than one type of measure; so I use dippers when I load with the powder. It is not one that I would use for a progressive press - at least not with my setup. But it sure is cheap to use.

I saved an e-mail posting from Ed Harris. It is too long to insert here, but you can download this very comprehensive e-mail from my site. It is an e-mail sent from Ed Harris to "All," regarding various calibers that he has used with "The Load."

The text file ("RedDot.txt") is small in size (although it is too long to place here), so it downloads very quickly:
http://www.box.net/shared/mehht7zqxj

[Ysabel Kid]

Both Ted and AJ (and others) nailed it. Large canisters for some of the powders that you can use in many different calibers - kinda "general purpose" powders, so to speak, along with smaller cans of anything and everything you want to try to fine tune your reloading. Kind of like a chef having a 50 pound bag of salt, but then 100's of little jars of spices...

[Brian in FL]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Varget as a choice for the .30-30 and 6.5 X 55. Of course Unique for the handgun rounds. By the way, a copy of The Load by C.E. Harris (sans illustrations) can be found here: http://www.baldwin-telecom.net/~vernand ... 20Load.htm.

[Barcelona Rick]

Men I appreciate the input. I'm on a pretty tight budget so I was just looking for some ideas. I'm gonna go into this slowly with my brother. I'm diasabled and don't get out as much as I once did so this is also gonna be a hobby of sorts. Here is what I have thought about: 20 ga & 12 ga PB powder ( I already use this)
.410 & .30 Carbine Lil'Gun
.38 Special & .45 Colt PB or Unique
Swede IMR 4350
.30 WCF H4895

Nothing fancy just a way to save a little money and have a little fun. Again I do appreciate the input and I do know there is no one powder for everything just like there is no one medicine for all ills.....God Bless...

jumbeaux

[AJMD429]

The other 'scientific' approach would be to look at a 'burn rate' chart, and pick a fast, medium, and slow powder. You'd get much the same results as some have mentioned above. Then other powders for 'fine tuning'.

SR 4759 is one of the really useful 'medium' ones too, judging by how many cartridges you can find loads for using it.

[Gobblerforge]

If your loading cast, IMR4227 will work in all those calibers and the .410.
Gobbler