Best All Around Rifle Powder

ThomasT

ThomasT

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Joined
Sep 27, 2007
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Location
Burleson,Texas
I have pretty much decided I can do all I need to do with handguns using Unique and 2400 powder. I would like to find an all around rifle powder and just buy a decent amount of it. My thoughts are that IMR or Hogdon 4350 is a darn good all around powder but probably not for 223 and 30-30 loads. I have enough 4350 on hand for my needs. I am leaning towards Hodgdon 4895 as a best all around rifle powder that can be made to work in all the rounds I shoot. My rounds are 223, 30-30, 7-08 and 30-06. I may get another 243 because I have so many component bullets for it. I gave my Ruger American to my son and sort of miss having a rifle in that caliber.

So what would you folks suggest for a Do-All powder? I am open to suggestions even if the powder isn't currently available. I know Varget is a popular powder but I have never used it. IMR or Hogdon 4064 may be another good all around powder. Thanks for your thoughts.
 
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Actually, H4895 isn't a bad call... it works across the cartridge spectrum, and you can reduce it for lower velocity loads.

As much as I want to pare down my powder stash, there is no denying that certain powders work better than a 'one size fits all.' Something like H4895 will push the bullet out of the barrel, but it may not be the best choice, depending on what your handloading goals are.

I'd be happy with Unique and IMR4227 in the pistols, but I'd have to break it up for the rifles... IMR4198 and TAC for sure, but possibly IMR3031 and/or IMR4064... depending.

Funny story... when I started loading for the M1 Garand, guy behind the counter handed me a can of IMR4895. I kept going with it when I started loading for my M1a, and with other rifle cartridges as I picked them up... and I eventually just ordered 4 8#ers of it. I found, however, better results when I started using more appropriate powders for each gun/cartridge combo... and I wound up moving away from IMR4895. The only cartridge I use good 'ole IMR4895 for, anymore, is... you guessed it... the M1 Garand.
 
Once I would have answered 4350 and 4895. Now that I reload rifle on a progressive that's changed.

Win760 for 30-06, 308, .243 and TAC for .223.

Pistol? 2400 for .357, Unique for 9mm, .40S&W and .45ACP.......still. Too old and tired to venture anymore.....
 
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3031 is very versatile but I don’t think I have ever found anything it was best at.

Pretty big range of burn rates, I’d be better able to narrow the field if I knew possible rounds to be loaded. A pretty large gap exists between the .17 Hornet and the 50 BMG, as to what would be acceptable.
 
4350 is easy for the 6mm. Can be tough to find, so either buy a bunch or don’t fall in love. I’ve used RL15 but don’t find it quite as accurate. 4895 is great, but I don’t like to throw with it. After that, I’m with Iron, you‘d be short changing yourself.
 
GW Staar said:
Once I would have answered 4350 and 4895. Now that I reload rifle on a progressive that's changed.

Win760 for 30-06, 308, .243 and TAC for .223.

Pistol? 2400 for .357, Unique for 9mm, .40S&W and .45ACP.......still. Too old and tired to venture anymore.....
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You might give TAC a try in your .308, particularly with lighter bullets. 760 is a tad slow burning for 150 gr and under projectiles.
 
Depends on what you want to do.
Hunt or target?
Manual cycle or semiauto?
Silencer?
Economics?

If you just want to economaly load hunting ammo, no silencer, ever, in a mild climate for bolt action guns then use cheap flaming dirt ball powder.

For example I found that leverevolution makes a great 30-30 powder and makes a great 5.56 powder for heavy bullets. Put it in a semiauto with a silencer and ick, the dirtiest powder ever.
It's super temperature sensitive so I have to load warm weather and cold weather rounds for 30-30s no great for temperature extreme places like where I am.
But if I was in a mild climate in a silencer ban state with a bolt action 223 and only shot heavier bullets it would be great.
It would work in 30-06 too but it wouldn't be very economal, be filling up cases near full like, it would be like loading with win760. It would be an economical powder for heavy 30cal bullets but the heaviest 30cal bullets tend to be spendier than say 150gr bullets so trade offs.
It would probably work in 243 but I don't have one.

If you live in a temperature extreme environment, have silencers, semiautos then a single base like h322 might be more for you. It's very economal, normally you use about the start load of h322, burns very clean, in 223, 30-30 and 30-06 it's faster burning so you don't use a lot of it per shot, but it's kind of useless in 243.
 
One powder for rifle would be pretty hard and potentially unsafe.

If I could only have 2? 8208 XBR and H4350
3? Probably add Retumbo
4? Probably add Varget
Those 4 would give you the ability to load everything from 223 to big magnums with the potential to have 2 powders per cartridge in alot of cases.
 
As R. Buckminster Fuller said, simplify as much as possible BUT NO MORE.
Old time American Rifleman contributor Jac Weller said he loaded 20 calibers with 4 or 5 powders. All he required was that his reloads shoot into the same 100 yard group as factory ammo. He left each powder measure set for one load and used it in several compatible calibers.
 
ThomasT said:
I would like to find an all around rifle powder and just buy a decent amount of it.
Click to expand...

When I was going through this phase, it occurred to me that 'buying a decent amount of it' doesn't really solve the basic problem What I mean by that is... say you find H4895 is the greatest all-around powder for you... you buy 2 8#ers of it. Done! But... given powder usage is a zero-sum game... you are going to use X amount of powder over the course of a year no matter what powder it is... you might as well buy an 8#er of, say H4895 to cover the general loading, and an 8#er of something more appropriate for one or more of your other cartridges. You are storing the same amount of powder, but you've just increased your loading flexibility by 100%
 
H4895, AR Comp, N140, Varget, or RL15 would be some very good choices to cover all of those calibers. Varget or RL15 would probably do a little better in 7/08 & 30.06, but will work just fine on .223&30-30. H4895 & AR Comp are great for .223 & 30-30, but will work fine in 7/08 & 30.06. H4895 that you're leaning towards Will do very well!
 
I am with the group that says Varget is most versatile and performs well. I load for 30-30, 30-06 and 6.5 Swede and all perform better with 4064 and 4350 powders but Varget works well in all of the calibers and different rifles I have.
 
2ndtimer said:
You might give TAC a try in your .308, particularly with lighter bullets. 760 is a tad slow burning for 150 gr and under projectiles.
Click to expand...
What's interesting is the most accurate load I've ever shot in my .243 carbine was Win 760 using 105 grain speers......and this in a short barreled cheapie Remington 600 Mohawk. I thought I'd missed all but the first shot at 100 yards.....walking up to the target I found one jagged 1/2" hole......a pleasant surprise to say the least. My shooting partner was impressed.....me too.
 
IALoder said:
H4895, AR Comp, N140, Varget, or RL15 would be some very good choices to cover all of those calibers. Varget or RL15 would probably do a little better in 7/08 & 30.06, but will work just fine on .223&30-30. H4895 & AR Comp are great for .223 & 30-30, but will work fine in 7/08 & 30.06. H4895 that you're leaning towards Will do very well!
Click to expand...
N135 and imr 4895 are almost identical. Never used 140 but I still got time.
 
Charlie98 said:
When I was going through this phase, it occurred to me that 'buying a decent amount of it' doesn't really solve the basic problem What I mean by that is... say you find H4895 is the greatest all-around powder for you... you buy 2 8#ers of it. Done! But... given powder usage is a zero-sum game... you are going to use X amount of powder over the course of a year no matter what powder it is... you might as well buy an 8#er of, say H4895 to cover the general loading, and an 8#er of something more appropriate for one or more of your other cartridges. You are storing the same amount of powder, but you've just increased your loading flexibility by 100%
Click to expand...

Ha! You're right! Its one of my phases I go through ever so often. I like your answer. I have these rifle powders on hand now, Accurate 2495 8lb jug, H4895, H4350, IMR 4350, IMR 4895, IMR 4064, IMR 4320, IMR 3031, TAC, Reloader 15, Reloader 19, IMR 4831, IMR 4198 and maybe another one or two I can't think of right now. So I have powder I just like playing "What If?" A game where if I only had a limited amount of stuff what would be the best all around powder to have. Like if I lost all my powder and had to start over what would be the best to get first.

Frankly given my age and health if I lost all my guns and supplies I would probably just buy a 30-30 and the stuff to load for it and a couple of pounds of H4895. I could have killed all of my 30 deer except one with a 30-30. I did kill one deer at 250 yards with a 243. And if I hadn't missed the first shot I would have only had to shoot at 80 yards. Every other deer I have killed has been at 80 yards or less. Some a lot less.

Thanks for your replies and advice. I consider every answer I get.
 
I4895 is my favorite all around rifle powder, followed closely by 700X, which I use for shotgun, .45ACP and 9mm and another rifle powder I4064.

All around means versatile, not necessarily the absolute best or most accurate for a particular load. I4895 fits that bill perfectly.

I'm sure it will get the job done and when the zombies come, you'd wish you had some on your shelf.
 
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There is no such thing as one best. It all depends on what you are trying to accomplish.
 
ThomasT said:
Ha! You're right! Its one of my phases I go through ever so often. I like your answer. I have these rifle powders on hand now, Accurate 2495 8lb jug, H4895, H4350, IMR 4350, IMR 4895, IMR 4064, IMR 4320, IMR 3031, TAC, Reloader 15, Reloader 19, IMR 4831, IMR 4198 and maybe another one or two I can't think of right now. So I have powder I just like playing "What If?" A game where if I only had a limited amount of stuff what would be the best all around powder to have. Like if I lost all my powder and had to start over what would be the best to get first.

Frankly given my age and health if I lost all my guns and supplies I would probably just buy a 30-30 and the stuff to load for it and a couple of pounds of H4895. I could have killed all of my 30 deer except one with a 30-30. I did kill one deer at 250 yards with a 243. And if I hadn't missed the first shot I would have only had to shoot at 80 yards. Every other deer I have killed has been at 80 yards or less. Some a lot less.

Thanks for your replies and advice. I consider every answer I get.
Click to expand...
Since you have all those powders, you can test all of them in each of your rifles and see which ones come out on top. Let us know the results!
 
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