Any must have powders???

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300 MP....acts a lot like H110 or Winchester 296. I switched over when it was new, a d couldn't find the other two and have had terrific results in magnum handguns.

1200 R has been awesome in my 6.8 SPC

Once upon a time i found those two in stock in the 8 LB jugs at a great price and bought a LOT of it.

Sounds like a lot of you have it figured out. I Dont know how you do it but when I see something that will "work" for a decent price I pretty much buy it. I have to....I have never known the luxury of consistently finding what I want to at least try, let alone buy in bulk because I know it works.... 2400 comes to mind had a LB once, liked it in 357 mag, never seen it in a store since, I would also love to score some h4895 for less than obscene prices but have yet to find any (for what I consider acceptable prices and have never even seen it in person) after 10 years of reloading.

That being said I am not constantly on the hunt, but do stop in stores like Sportmans Warehouse from time to time. I'll look online now and then when I need powder for a particular use....I'll always find something in stock, but rarely is it exactly what I had in mind. This last go round, I am trying the Western Powder equivalent of blc2. Have to feed my m1a's with something and the price was right. My timing must be terrible.
 
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Have not re-loaded handgun ammo for many years.

My favorite rifle powder is IMR 3031: Use it exclusively in re-loading .223/5.56mm and .308. Also works great in .30-06 with bullets to 150 grain.
 
For my shelves, I like to keep on hand 50lbs or more of:

Varget
H4350
H110/W296
HP-38/W231

Honorable mentions as addendums to that list, which probably SHOULD be on the list but I simply don’t stock quite as much:

8208
Retumbo
Bullseye

If I were a smarter man, I’d stock more Retumbo than I do currently, simply because each pound just doesn’t go very far. A pound of Bullseye makes more rounds than 8lbs of Retumbo!
 
I like to keep a little of each on hand.

For pistols
Unique
Bullseye
Win231/HP39


For rifles
AA#2230
Win748
BLC(2)/WC846
IMR4895

I could almost do without the Bullseye, Win748 and IMR4895 if I had to. I don't use them a lot but I have a couple of loads that I like to use them in. I also recently got a couple of others to try out that might make the list if they work out right. Powerpistol, AA#2 and AA#5.

WB
 
I can reload anything I own except for the 12 gauge with Unique. Might not be the most accurate or most powerful load, but I could get it to work, especially using cast bullets.
I always thought Unique was originally a shotgun powder? (I don’t reload for shotguns so I have no shotgun reloading experience with it.) I do know it’s great for my mid to higher range handgun loads :thumbup:.

https://www.alliantpowder.com/reloaders/Powder.aspx?powderid=3

Stay safe.
 
My powder shelves are a complete mess. I have many of the powders listed (though not all by any means), and it's a true shame. Instead of accumulating the many powders I should have been stocking primers...since I can find powder nearly everywhere, but primers are reloading gold right now. Every time someone on a forum discusses a powder they love I've added it my shelf.
My first powder was HP-38, and I've used it in every pistol caliber I shoot. I started with 9mm, then walked up and down the powder charts. The powder that I like better than HP-38 is VV N320, but I haven't gotten my hands on any in 2 years. That pushed me to VV N330, which is more easily obtained. The VV powder price becomes reasonable in 4lb jugs...a bit over $28/lb.
The powder I'm trying to focus on now is Universal, because I have a large quantity of it. It's also the worst powder I've used due to its poor metering (in my equipment). My latest acquisition, the Frankford Arsenal Intellidropper, has turned my nightmare into joy, so I'm trying out Universal in all of my pistol calibers.
 
My first powder was HP-38, and I've used it in every pistol caliber I shoot. I started with 9mm, then walked up and down the powder charts. The powder that I like better than HP-38 is VV N320, but I haven't gotten my hands on any in 2 years. That pushed me to VV N330, which is more easily obtained. The VV powder price becomes reasonable in 4lb jugs...a bit over $28/lb.

Currently in stock at Grafs, but they have a 4# minimum purchase on powder.

https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/18885

chris
 
BE86 is one I will always stock. I can use it in every pistol round I shoot, from 380 to 460. It won't be optimum in some calibers, but it will work.

H4895 is another I will always stock, for rifles. It can be downloaded 40% from max, making it versatile, and works well in several of the rifle calibers I load.

8208xbr and Varget work very well for me in a few rifle calibers I load. Some of my accuracy loads use these two powders. Mostly 223 and 308, and also 30-30 (Varget).

Power Pistol works very well for me in 380, 9, and 40. It is especially good in my 9mm AR.

Clays for reduced recoil loads in 45acp. My wife and I shoot a lot of 45acp, and she particularly likes the reduced loads in her gun.

300MP for long barrel magnums, particularly in 357mag and 44mag rifles. H110 for shorter barrel (less than 6") magnums.
 
I have over 20 powders to chose from, so my must have on hard are these:

Pistol : WSF (since Unique meters like crap), WST, W231, W296 for Magnum on hand.

For rifle : Varget, H4350, and CFE-223 for general blasting ammo for the AR.
 
Winchester 231 is my go too for all pistol loads. A pound will last for quite some time. I use it for 9mm, 40S&W, 45ACP, 38 Spl, 357 Mag. Works great.
 
i'm consolidating down to 4: Bullseye for 9mm, 38,357,45 acp, 45 colt. H335 for .223, 308, 8mm. A small amount of Red dot for .380 (bullseye is too dense for the AutoDisk) and H110 for .300 AAC. FWI, I used up a LB of 2400 for .300 AAC and loved it. I have in the past used
BLC (2)
Win 248
Bluedot
Unique
HP-38
2400
Win 296
Reloader 15
Power Pistol
and probably a few others, but Bullseye and H335 will be my standard from now on.
 
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