Consolidating Powder Types

[nix4me]

So i've been contemplating future powder orders and I'm considering consolidating down to 2 powder types for all my needs. Seems like this would be cheaper and i could buy in 8lb containers instead of using different 1lb bottles for each caliber.

Currently I use:
38 special - Bullseye
357 Mag - Unique and 2400
9mm - Bullseye
30-30 - Reloader 7
300 WinMag - Reloader 17
223 - Don't load yet but will soon

Appears to me by looking at manuals and powder websites, i could get by with 2 powders for all of these:

HP-38 - 9mm, 38, 357
Varget - 30-30, 300 WinMag, 223

Thoughts? I'm not a match shooter, just like to launch lead at paper and make noise. Groups of a few inches are fine with me.

 

[Jim Watson]

That would work except you will not get full power .357s with HP38.
Or in .300 WM with Varget.

 

[nix4me]

That would work except you will not get full power .357s with HP38.
Or in .300 WM with Varget.

I wouldn't care.
158gr XTP at 1200 and 158gr LSWC at 1100 are decent
165gr in the 300 with 2900+ ft/s is no slouch either

 

[Conservidave]

Why don't you just reload for the calibers you shoot most often and just buy factory for everything else? It's another way to consolidate and make reloading more manageable.

 

[cfullgraf]

I keep trying to minimize the powders I have on hand but it never works.

I have pretty much given up trying.

 

[41 Mag]

Well I tried that a few years ago. Settled on 4 powders to cover the spectrum due to more calibers. I went with Unique for target up to mid ranged loads, then 2400 from mid ranged on up. Then in rifles I picked H-4595 for Youth type loads or plinking up to fairly decent hunting rounds, and Ramshot Magnum for the bigger full volumn types like the 7 mag, and STW.

That all worked real good until I started casting bullets and shooting my ACP a lot more. Not that the two above handgun powders don't cover most of the loads still, but I just had to try a little of this, that or the other. Now I am back to where I started again.

 

[NeuseRvrRat]

this topic comes up often, but i still don't understand why you'd want to consolidate. seems to me you'd be better off diversifying so that when shortages arise you are more likely to find a powder with which you already have experience. i like having two or three loads i know will work well in a particular firearm. sure, it's fine to have a favorite load, but when your pet load powder or bullet gets scarce, it's good to have another option and it's even better to already have done the load development work.

same goes for folks who try to consolidate cartridges. if you refused to own anything except .22LR and 9x19 firearms, then you might have a harder time making it through periods of panic buying.

 

[RealGun]

Don't pick two of the most hard-to-find powders. In these times, be prepared for substitutions. The next thing you know, you have partially used containers of this and that.

 

[nix4me]

Yes, thats what i have now. I'm hoping once supply gets better, i can consolidate. If things get touch again, it's buy what you find.

 

[LiveLife]

I tried to consolidate my powder choices a few times but never succeeded and ended up adding more < ROFL and winks at Walkalong >.

The closest I got to was W231/HP-38 and WSF for pistol where I used W231/HP-38 for target loads and WSF for full-power loads.

I tried various powders for .223/.308 and I would not use the same powder for both. If I had to choose only one powder, it would be H335 for .223 and H4895 for .308.

 

[NeuseRvrRat]

The next thing you know, you have partially used containers of this and that.

the horror

 

[RealGun]

The next thing you know, you have partially used containers of this and that.

the horror

all lined up, displayed like a collection...but who would do that?

 

[stavman11]

I was Kind Thinking the same thing... then i see a Powder i'd like ta try... and there goes the Plan

so far I am at 3 powders

Tightgroup for 9mm and .357 target loads
H110/w296 for .357 mag Loads

and WC844 for all my .223 loads

I like ball powders, Varget is terrible to measure in my lee system, so not sure unique and some of those i would Like... but am still wanting to try a few different Pistol rounds as well as compare h335 and WC844 to see how Similar they really are....

 

[Crashbox]

[SNIP] seems to me you'd be better off diversifying so that when shortages arise you are more likely to find a powder with which you already have experience. i like having two or three loads i know will work well in a particular firearm. sure, it's fine to have a favorite load, but when your pet load powder or bullet gets scarce, it's good to have another option and it's even better to already have done the load development work.[/SNIP]

I agree 100+% with this.

When I first started reloading about four years ago I had a GP100 4" .357 Magnum, a case of MG 125 JHP's and a baby keg of TiteGroup. At the time, components were almost as scarce as they are now; since then I have developed primary loads for cast and jacketed projectiles and I have numerous other powders in stock which are satisfactory in a pinch. Having these other, secondary loads available has certainly improved my comfort level should all perdition break loose.

 

[zxcvbob]

So i've been contemplating future powder orders and I'm considering consolidating down to 2 powder types for all my needs. Seems like this would be cheaper and i could buy in 8lb containers instead of using different 1lb bottles for each caliber.

I keep thinking that, but I have about 20 different powders anyway -- most of those are half-full 1 pounders, but a lot are 8 lb. I see a powder that I want to try and I buy a pound of it. I see a really good price on something and I buy 8 pounds -- been doing that and buying faster than I'm using it for about 10 years.

Consider Bullseye instead of HP-38 if you're going to use one powder for everything. I *think* it'll get you an extra 100 fps or so from the .357.

The "do everything" rifle powder is 4895; but Varget is a great powder, one of my favorites.

 

[oldpapps]

A good idea, but it doesn't seem to work out.

Several years ago I did this same process.
I went with:
231 - light pistol loads
630 - heavy pistol loads
748 - smaller to medium rifle loads
4831 - mag type rifle loads.

This all worked well until Winchester/Olin dropped 630 and I added a few other/different calibers/chamberings.

231/HP38 is still my standard for 45 ACPs and light lead 44 Mags. Added 40S&W, it still works.
630 became a problem. More so when I worked out an excellent loading with it for the 300 BlackOut But my stock is going fast. Moved to the old 2400 for heavy/er 44 mag loads.
748 is still what I like and use for .223/5.56, .308/7.62 and 30.06.
The 4831 is still king for my .375 H&H.
Have added 296/H110 and 'LtGun' for the 300 BlackOut.
With all of this limiting, why do I have 13 different powders on my active shelf?

Oh well.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I can load most any handgun cartridge with 3 powders although I have about a dozen. I use mostly W231(HP-38), W540(HS-6) and W296(H110) but like said above, it's good to have experience with other powders for bad times like are going on now.

I have a bunch of rifle powders too and for the most part I use a different powder for every rifle cartridge I load. I can lost with 3 or 4 but when available I like to use the powder I feel is the best for that cartridge. I do use some of the most common powders like 4895, 4350, Varget and H335.

 

[witchhunter]

My friend recently got started reloading. He shoots several rifles, .204,.223, 22/250, 260 rem. He looked at all of the manuals and thought he would use just one powder for all..... He now has 8 or 9 different powders on hand. Some rifles like certain recipes and don't like others. It is a trial and error.

 

[x_wrench]

i have thought about doing that. but for me, there are really only two powders i use enough, to buy bulk. one would be reloder 7. the other would be some kind of universal pistol powder like hp-38, bullseye, etc. i refuse to compromise on loads, for the sake of only having a few powders around. besides, for me the fun is trying different loads with different powders/bullets. take that away, and the fun goes with it.

 

[35 Whelen]

You could do it pretty easily using Unique for all your handgun cartridges and one of the 4895's, 3031, or 4064 for you rifles cartridges. Problem is you'd be selling your 300 way short.

Even after having handloaded for 30 or so years, I still try to keep as few powders as possible. If I were in your shoes I'd use these powders:

Handgun- Unique. Not perfect, but will work VERY well in almost every handgun cartridge. As a bonus, during the current powder shortage I found that Alliant 20/28 is almost identical to Unique and is in many ways a better powder.

Rifle- There are many powders that will work well in both the 30-30 and the .223; As you mentioned Varget, but also BL-C2, 4895's, 3031, H335, CFE223, Re-7, on and on. For the 300, how much are you going to shoot a 300 WM day to day? Probably not much, so compromise and buy one or two 1 lb. cans of your favorite powder for it.

35W

 

[nix4me]

You could do it pretty easily using Unique for all your handgun cartridges and one of the 4895's, 3031, or 4064 for you rifles cartridges. Problem is you'd be selling your 300 way short.

Even after having handloaded for 30 or so years, I still try to keep as few powders as possible. If I were in your shoes I'd use these powders:

Handgun- Unique. Not perfect, but will work VERY well in almost every handgun cartridge. As a bonus, during the current powder shortage I found that Alliant 20/28 is almost identical to Unique and is in many ways a better powder.

Rifle- There are many powders that will work well in both the 30-30 and the .223; As you mentioned Varget, but also BL-C2, 4895's, 3031, H335, CFE223, Re-7, on and on. For the 300, how much are you going to shoot a 300 WM day to day? Probably not much, so compromise and buy one or two 1 lb. cans of your favorite powder for it.

35W

Good points. Unique is a very good powder, just meters like corn flakes. Otherwise it certainly will work in 9mm, 38, 357.

You are correct, i rarely shoot the 300 Mag and I have R17 on hand for it. For that matter, i rarely shoot the 30-30 either.

I will investigate using R7 for 223, as i use that for 30-30.

 

[35 Whelen]

Good points. Unique is a very good powder, just meters like corn flakes. Otherwise it certainly will work in 9mm, 38, 357.

You are correct, i rarely shoot the 300 Mag and I have R17 on hand for it. For that matter, i rarely shoot the 30-30 either.

I will investigate using R7 for 223, as i use that for 30-30.

If you don't like the way Unique meters, try 20/28. I've tested/chronographed it extensively in the .38 Special, 44 Special and a load or two in the 45 ACP. In the 38's and .44's it gave no more than 3% higher velocities than the identical charge of Unique, in the 45 ACP 1%. It has smaller, better metering flakes AND it burns infinitely cleaner than Unique. I was so impressed with it that I bought a 4 lb. keg of it and now my 4 lb. keg of Unique sits gathering dust!

35W

 

[JimKirk]

All I can say is thank goodness for all those different part cans of powders and part boxes of bullets I had sitting in the cabinet... if I had not had those ...I would have shot way less than I did during this shortage... while they were not my favorite ... they all made shoot able ammo ....

Now maybe this shortage is closing down somewhat ... I'll stock back up on some of my favorites...

 

[EHL]

tagged

 

[Otto]

Appears to me by looking at manuals and powder websites, i could get by with 2 powders for all of these:

HP-38 - 9mm, 38, 357
Varget - 30-30, 300 WinMag, 223

That's assuming you have a source for Varget that's in stock.