Powder brand loyalty

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Hodgdon because Trail Boss and H4895 are cool

I agree with previous posts that Hodgdon load data is cool. A simple cut and past from their website into a spreadsheet and you can quickly sort by bullet weight (a little iffy), min or max velocity, charge weight, etc.

But the real reason I like Hodgdon is because Trail Boss is such a safe fun way to start rifle re-loading.

And H4895 is awesome. My son wanted to do a science project with various charge weights and recoil. With H4895 we used the (Hodgdon-published) 60% rule and loaded up .22-250 with 20,23,26,29, and 32 grains of powder and got 2100-3600 fps and 1.7 to 7.5 ft-lbs of FRE.

Not only that we now have 22 Hornet, .223, and full .22-250 replacement loads with H4895 and some nearly .22 WMR-level with Trail Boss. Fun, fun stuff.

I do use Accurate and Clay's for handgun, but I am becoming a real Hodgdon fan for rifles.
 
Goodness. I got over any small emotional attachment to or against inanimate objects of a certain brand, container or color about 60 years ago.
 
I haven't found a bad powder for the job they were designed for. So I'm left with immature trivial reasons to make the final choice. I was wondering if someone had another way to choose them besides not liking Kansas.In my area all are available and priced the same.
 
The main reason I'm loyal to my powders is because I don't want to work up a new load all over again.

The main reason I started with the ones I did, is because they were the first powders for which I found load data that I wanted to try.

The main reason I no longer use some of those powders is because they don't meter well. I've never had to ditch a powder because it didn't shoot well for what I wanted it to do.

I have a bad itch to try Ramshot Tac in my rifles, but I don't wanna work up a new load, and I don't know if my meter will like it. So for now, I'm "loyal" to H335. I shot some W748 that was gifted me, and it was just as good. I'm sure I'd be "loyal" to that powder if I'd started there. The two stick powders I tried were great, but I don't like having to back up and fix things when the meter bridges.

I also don't care what the container looks like... because if it doesn't fit on the shelf with my mostly IMR/HODGDON/WIN selection, I have plenty of empty bottles that I can put it in and slap a new label on. If I like the powder, that bottle will stay on the shelf and get refilled - from an 8 lb jug, if I really like it!

If everyone were like me, powder companies would purchase mailing lists of reloaders and send them a free quarter pound of all their best selling powders. Then they'd be forced to try them all, since I (therefore, they) couldn't throw perfectly good powder away. And if it metered better, was cheaper, shot cleaner, or even smelled a little better, it would be much easier to switch, since they'd have already been "forced" to work up some loads.
 
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RE-15

I am with you, I dont care for Hodgdon. I think it all goes back to pyrodex. Lost some deer because of that powder.
 
I don't have powder brand loyalty. I am not constantly searching for the "best" powder or load. When I find a powder or load I like... I stick with it for a very very long time.
 
I mostly use the Hodgdon Extreme Powders in rifles due to their temperature insensitivity, but use almost exclusively Winchester powders (WST, W231, W296) in handguns.

If I found a powder that did the job better than the above, I would switch to it :).

Just my .02,
LeonCarr
 
I am loyal to my 8oz can of SR-4756 that I bought so many years ago. It was my first powder to use in reloading. I used it to load up some hornady 147 xtp bullets for my 9mm. I still have some left and every so often I will get it out to try some loads.
 
:DHandgun vs Rifle??

I like Hodgdon powders for most all of my handgun loads.

I like some Hodgdon (H335,H380,+Varget),+ some IMR (3031,4064,4198) in my rifle loads..Bill.
 
I never cared about brand loyalty. I just buy whatever works. I try new powders based on reviews by friends or Net reviews. If I like it I keep buying it.

If I don't like it, I don't buy anymore. I do like Hodgdon products, and have a number of them, but it's not just because of the brand name. What I have of theirs works, and works well.

I'm a fan of Varget, in several calibers. But I also like Relodr 15 for at least 2 of those calibers. Variety is the spice of life, as the old saying goes.
 
I use what does the job best for the best price and is easily accessible in my area. I could care less what state it's made in or the container shape.
Click to expand...

I use the powders that I know something about.
Tite Group , Accurate #5, 2400, Lil Gun & Varget.
Those are 99% of my reloading.

I've tried a couple of other powders that I just wasn't very impressed with.
Universal - It's OK, but I like Tite Group better for 38 Spl & 9mm
W296 - 2400 has been a better match for my 357 Magnum round, just seems more accurate.
I also tried W296 in my 44 Magnum - Lil Gun seems to work better for me.
RL-15 - very good powder, and would certainly buy it again, but I couldn't find it a year ago when I bought an 8# jug (Varget)

So to answer the original question, I guess I'm slightly partial to Hodgdon products.
I know their website well & it's easy for me to find load data there.
But all in all, I use whatever works for me, and like the quote, I don't care what state it's made in or the container shape.
 
Here are the powders I have lying around and which one I used EFFECTIVELY this year:

Red Dot ......shot a squirrel yesterday .458" 150 gr 1 gr 45/70 400 fps
Bullseye
Herter's 164
SR7625
Unique
AA#5
Power Pistol..........I am carrying 380 90 gr Gold Dot right now 1100 fps LCP
HS-6
Blue Dot
2400
3N37
800-X
AA#7
N105
Long Shot
STEEL
Enforcer
AA#9
N110
H110................I took it to the range this year with 32 S&W Long 85 gr 1400 fps
W296
LIL'GUN

XMP5744
RL-7
V-133
IMR3031
RL-10
AA2200
W748
CFE223.................less fouling, good for breaking in rifle barrels 257, 260, 7mm
H335
RL-12
H4895
IMR4895
Norma 203
RL-15
Varget
H414
Re17
H4350...................last month I shot 4 deer with it 115 gr Nos BT .257RAIR 3050 fps
IMR4350
H4831SC
Re22
Retumbo
 
But the real reason I like Hodgdon is because Trail Boss is such a safe fun way to start rifle re-loading.
Click to expand...
Trail Boss is actually sold under the IMR brand. I think it was developed by ADI in Oz.

But to answer the OPs question:
I have loyalty to my wife, my kids, my friends, my Church, the Constitution and quite a few other things.
Loyalty to a company that sells a commodity in order to earn a profit, not so much.
I've bought and used powder from just about all of the big companies selling them in the US. I've also used a lot of surplus powders and oddballs like the "Swiss Precision Powder" imported by Wideners and some "Rex" shotgun powder from God knows where.
Almost all of them worked well for one purpose or another.
I like Hodgdon's Varget, but if I could buy ADI AR2208 for a nickel a pound less, it'd be bye bye to Hodgdon.

My best friend on the other hand, is so loyal to IMR-4064 that he won't buy a rifle unless it's chambered for a cartridge that performs well with it.
 
If it works it works, Couldn't care aless about brands and that holds true for bullets, primers and brass.
 
I'm partial to the 8 lb jug of stuff that I bought for $40 that says load it like Accurate 2460

I wish I could find some more. I load it in .223 and .308.
 
Hodgdon's website rocks, I would say I use more Hodgdon and IMR powders than any others. But I do use others, and like them. There will always be a can of Bullseye and a can of Unique on my bench.
 
I have been sortof partial to Ramshot's products in the last few years. But I am from Montana, so maybe there is a bias there. ( I know it isn't actually MADE in MT, yadda yadda)
 
Hooked on cheap. I like the mil-surp powders for my rifles and Promo for my clay target loads. W231 takes care of most of my handguns. And I prefer real black powder. I too learned a lesson with pyrojunk.
 
The Hodgdon reloading data center is OK, but I wish they would start listing all the loads in EITHER CUP OR PSI. I could understand the difference immediately after they took over IMR, but it's been almost 10 years now...
 
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