Powder Choice Many Calibers?

[FuzzyBunny]

I want to put back a powder or powders to be able to supply reloaders I know in case of very lean times.

What is the least number of powder selection for the calibers below.

.45, 9mm, and .40 cals

7.62x51 7.62x39 30.06 and .223/5.56x45

I want to buy powders that will perform properly and keep the firearms functioning properly. I know there is no "one size fits all" powder and I do not reload (yet) so this is a noob question.

 

[Rule3]

For the handgun calibers my all around choice is HP38/W 231

Rifles vary to much for me to make a one size fits all choice.

 

[buba68]

For 9mm, 40 S&W and 45acp AA #5 can be used with good results in all 3. There are several other powders out there that will also work for all 3.

 

[JC98]

I use hp38/win231 for all of your listed handgun calibers.

Varget might work for your rifle choices.

 

[sexybeast]

Second on 231/hp38. AA5 too. Both meter great
Varget, 4895, RL 10/15. I have never loaded 7.62x39

 

[oldpapps]

So many powders to pick from.

I like and use 231/HP38 in all of the pistol rounds you listed and .44s too.

For the listed rifles.... I don't/won't do 7.62X39s but for the others, I use 748 and both 4895s.

Again, there are just so many powders and many will work but none (that I know of) will be 'the best' even in the same case with differing bullets and needs. For use in multiple cases, no 'best' as I can see it. A 38/40 grain varmint loading out of a .223/5.56 needs something much different than a 220 grain soft point out of an '06.

If I had to pick only two, one for pistol and one for rifle, I would need 4 or more.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

For the 3 handgun cartridges you can use W231/HP-38, AA#5 or AutoComp and get very good results.

For the 7.62x51, 7.62x39, 30-06 and .223/5.56x45mm you might want to use 2 different powders. the .308 and 30-06 will work perfectly with the same exact powder and the choices are many including IMR4895, H4895, AA2495 and many others. For the 7.62X39mm and .223 I would suggest a slightly faster powder like H335 although if you must use only 1 it can be done.

 

[NWcityguy2]

H4895 has load data for every rifle cartridge you listed. For the pistols you've got a dozen or more good choices, some of which have already been mentioned.

 

[mnhntr]

A#5 or Tightgroup for pistol and Varget for rifle are about as universal as you can get

 

[Sweet Agony]

I agree HP38/W231 if I could find any that is... Googled every option I think of and can't find any in stock.. :-(

 

[plmitch]

Don't guess or rely on others either, buy a manual and read up. First step to reloading.

 

[savanahsdad]

handgun ... Billseye will work from 25auto to 44mag, , not the best choice, but it will work and there is a lot of data for it ,

rifle ... Varget good for everything, great for nothing, lol... there is good load data for Varget in all that you have listed

so a guy could get by with Bulseye and Varget and cover a lot more cals than you have listed , last count I'm getting by with only 18 powders ,

 

[4895]

WIN231 or HP-38 for all pistol loads.

IMR-4895 or H-4895 for rifle loads listed.

YMMV


P.S. I say this because I have yet to find a powder combination published that gave bad results. Perhaps not 1/8" MOA, but good enough to put 5 shots in an 8" paper plate at 200 yards with iron sights.

 

[FuzzyBunny]

Excelent information.
I'm glad I was able to post in a way everyone understood.

7.62x39 is not one I think will be around to reload except extreme situations where you need to make a field expedient 1 to 3 rounds. This is of course to be able to go out and kill a commie to properly rearm yourself with his ammo and E&E and area and get supplies and get back to the lines. It even included making a crude powder using the refined urine soaked ground in horse stalls for the nitrates plus other goodies. It even went into forming primer cups over nail heads with a rock. This is a field craft that the .mil taught during the cold war.

Off Topic: Speaking of field craft. I was shocked to find out the naval academy dropped how to use a sextant because we have GPS now! Some skills you need to know even if your not going to use them. In the next big war the first shots will be antisatelite weapons so goodbye GPS.

 

[Potatohead]

Yes i worry our military has become to technology dependant just like the rest of us.

Back on topic, I think Zip would work pretty well in the handgun calibers.

 

[Don McDowell]

For the list you provided, barebones powder supply, Unique for the handguns, 4198 for the 223 and Ak, 4895 for the 06 and 308

 

[Walkalong]

To work well? Four powders.

To get by? Two powders.

To make them go bang?

One powder, but performance will be very compromised.

 

[TroyUT]

Unique (from what I have read) seems to work well with a lot of different pistol calibers.

 

[Blue68f100]

For pistols calibers you listed my choice would be WSF with 231 as a backup.

Not sure on the rifle since I don't load those calibers.

but like Walkalong said in most cases it will be a compromise.

 

[Rule3]

Nobody mentioned TRAILBOSS

It's so good you don't even need any load data!

 

[Potatohead]

To work well? Four powders.

To get by? Two powders.

To make them go bang?

One powder, but performance will be very compromised.

No doubt. I think you could probably used shredded newspaper.

Disclaimer:
*I am not advocating substituting shredded newspaper for gunpowder*

 

[sellersm]

Handgun: 231(HP38)/Unique/Universal/WSF/Ramshot Silhouette
Rifle: Varget/4895, perhaps even Red Dot for "The Load" (reduced load)

 

[GaryL]

I consider Unique and Green Dot to be very similar, with GD a little faster (and cleaner in my experience). Not long ago, Green Dot was a fairly well kept secret for pistol reloading - cheap and available. But the secret is out now.

 

[sexybeast]

fuzzybunny wrote:

7.62x39 is not one I think will be around to reload except extreme situations where you need to make a field expedient 1 to 3 rounds. This is of course to be able to go out and kill a commie to properly rearm yourself with his ammo and E&E and area and get supplies and get back to the lines. It even included making a crude powder using the refined urine soaked ground in horse stalls for the nitrates plus other goodies. It even went into forming primer cups over nail heads with a rock. This is a field craft that the .mil taught during the cold war.

Wow! Did I miss out!
Not really interested in refining urine [would not make the wife happy] I'd have to store it at a friends house. No horse stalls here in the city, but lots of dog poop. And forming primer cups sounds real cool. But this would be real cool to try! How many FPS??

 

[tyeo098]

Bullseye for my handgun loads, 9mm, 38 spl, 45...
H335 for rifle, 223, x39, x51nato, etc

May not be the 'best' but it works for all of them.