Favorite Powder

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223rem is going to be Benchmark. I have tried H322 and H335 and cant get the accuracy I get from Benchmark.

9mm-I tried HP38 and BE86 and while I like the accuracy of BE86 I think its got too much punch for me.

44mag-I have only ever tried IMR 4227 and stuck with it cause its accurate.

38spl-I tried BE86 and HP38 and HP38 won.

45-70-Only ever tried IMR 4198 and like the accuracy and velocity but may try something else soon.
 
223rem is going to be Benchmark. I have tried H322 and H335 and cant get the accuracy I get from Benchmark.

9mm-I tried HP38 and BE86 and while I like the accuracy of BE86 I think its got too much punch for me.

44mag-I have only ever tried IMR 4227 and stuck with it cause its accurate.

38spl-I tried BE86 and HP38 and HP38 won.

45-70-Only ever tried IMR 4198 and like the accuracy and velocity but may try something else soon.
In my 223 I found IMR 4064 and VV133 the most forgiving powders. Sence I can't get
VV 133 at LGS I stick with 4064,It easy to
get with no special orders .
 
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In my 223 I found IMR 4064 and VV133 the most forgiving powders. Sence I can't get
VV 133 at LGS I stick with 4064,It easy to
get with no special orders .
When I started my journey of seeing what worked I found what was available online, Cabelas, and several LGS and that turned up nothing but Hodgdon powders with BM and H335 being the most found. If one store doesn't have it I know another will. I wouldn't mind playing with other powders but $ just isn't there right now.
 
I would look at starting with the 4350 with the .243. Much better velocity numbers particularly with the heavy bullets compared to Varget. Varget is probably my go to powder for 308 but I like h4350 or IMR 7977 in .243, 25-06, and 30-06. I've developed some great loads in 308 using IMR4064 and some great loads in 243 using hybrid 100v and IMR4831 among others. Like Jmr40, I try to use temp stable powders now as much as possible. I just don't want to deal with the changing point of impact because of the difference in temperature from Summer to winter here in Kentucky. I also shoot a lot when it's cold as well as doing load testing and frequently find my most accurate load near or above Max charge weights and I don't want to have an unpleasant surprise (kaboom) shooting a winter developed load in the middle of summer.
For pistol shooting, especially my 40s&w, I'm partial to True Blue and accurate #2.

The reason I am going with Varget, is my .243 is an autoloader, I need something that burns faster. But I am looking to do some distance shooting with it, so I am willing to experiment. Do you have a different recommendation?
 
The reason I am going with Varget, is my .243 is an autoloader, I need something that burns faster. But I am looking to do some distance shooting with it, so I am willing to experiment. Do you have a different recommendation?
Admittedly, I dont own any auto rifles but I was under the impression that unless you are shooting a Garand and have concerns about damaging an op rod, then using faster than typical powders in autoloaders is generally a bit overstated. Maybe Im way off base with that, but I was under the impression that it really wasn't a big deal except when shooting the Garand. I have developed some accurate loads in 243 with IMR 4064 and IMR 4895, both of which are a little bit faster than Varget I believe. I'm shooting bolt guns usually and wanted as much velocity as I could get and still get good accuracy so I went slower. They both may work great in an autoloader.
 
Different powders for different cartridges ... but it's hard to beat Varget for versatility. May not be the fastest or most accurate in every cartridge, but I can generally find at least one good load with Varget.
 
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No single propellant that could be a favorite for me but l can see 3 of them covering 99% of my wants reasonably. IMR3031, Promo/RedDot, and 2400. That said, l have more choices available than either of my LGS stock regularly. Those three, 700X, TrailBoss, and 2015 l stock by the keg. YMMV
 
Since the last powder drought, Imr4166 has been an unexpected surprise. It does everything Varget does and then some.

RL16 has replaced everything in the 4350 range.
 
I have used more IMR-4350 than any other rifle powder in calibers ranging from 243 to 300 WSM. There are other powders that might squeeze out more velocity and/or accuracy, but 4350 usually gets it done for me.
 
4831 is where I start. IMR fueled the go to load in my Sako and tended to keep most loads fairly tight and H4831 is showing promise in load development for my Winchester. The first load I crafted for my friend in his 300 win mag shot MOA with H4831 and he went straight out and set himself up to reload. I think he has only one powder and bullet. I'm not tied to any particular powder but my brief and limited experience lean me toward 4831 as a starting point.
 
Rifle .223: AA2230 and AA2460
Rifle .243: AA2700
Revolver: Unique
Semi Auto pistol: Red Dot
 
I've tried all sorts of powders with my 243's and 7mm/08. All of them like IMR3031 or Varget. Since powder is getting more expensive all the time, I'm slowly weeding out my other powder types and sticking with these two ,or if I had no choice, IMR 3031. Unique for 38/357 and w296 for 44 mag
 
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