Powder Choices

[danr55]

I was reviewing my powder locker yesterday and noticed that I seem to accumulate certain powders faster than others. Among them H-1000, IMR 7828, IMR 4831, IMR 4350 Imr 4227, H380, N 165, H 870, RL 22 RL 19 and H 450. I thought that that was a lot of different powders until I started looking through the xcel spread sheets where I keep my loading records. I load a lot of different calibers for a lot of different rifles. So I got curious. How many powders does the average shooter use and what kinds are they? Any input?

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Dan AZ www.huntandlodge.com

 

[WDSWIFT]

Danr, I think a lot of what kinds of powder a reloader keeps on hand is based on several different factors. How many and what calibers someone may have, rifles, hand guns, shot guns or what have you. Another factor would be thier proficiency in reloading and their willingness to experiment with different components. Prejudice towards a particular brand of powder may be a factor to some degree as well.
I keep about 4-8 different ones around in varying quantities. Lots of ww748 & 760, some 4064, some H335, H380, Varget, 3031, & H450. WD.

 

[Calif. Hunter]

Let's see: Rifle - IMR 7828, 4895, 4350, 4064, 3031, 4227; Hodgdon H-1000, 4831sc, 4350, Varget; Winchester W-748 Handgun - Unique, 2400, Herco, Blue Dot, H-110, Titegroup.
I think that's it. In some calibers, I'm still experimenting to see what works best. (Now my Dad used to use only IMR-4064 and 4350 in rifles and Unique and Bullseye in pistols.)

[This message has been edited by Calif. Hunter (edited 03-08-2001).]

 

[danr55]

Guess I'm not so different after all. CH, How many choices did your Dad have?

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Dan AZ www.huntandlodge.com

 

[Calif. Hunter]

Dan - he had the standard "old" IMR and Hodgdon powders available...4895, 4320 as well as the pistol powders like Herco, Blue Dot, Red Dot, Green Dot and later, 2400 (a powder he didn't care for, actually.) It took him a while to accept even 4350. He was a very thrifty man, and liked the number of rounds he could get out of a pound of Unique for his .357. When I got some H-110 for my .41 mag, he hated the blast and flash combined with how much powder went into the case. He liked 4064 for his .30-06 because he only used 125 and 150 gr Sierra bullets that he bought by the pound from their factory in Santa Fe Springs. Accuracy was more important to him than velocity, and he in fact preferred to load everything to the same velocity. Since he only used peep sights, this gave him a "practical" trajectory for all his loads that was the same out to 200 yards or a little more. At that range, he could hit a jack rabbit in the head until he was 65 years old. Wish I could say the same with a peep sight, and I'm not that old yet.

 

[Nodak Hunter]

Rifle: Viht N160, N140; Alliant RE 15, RE 19; IMR 4350, 4895, 4064

Pistol: Viht N110, Win 296, Alliant Bullseye, Unique, Blue Dot; IMR 4227

Lot of powders there. Lot of calibers and loads they're used for.

 

[Chainsaw]

Dan, I keep H414-W748-WC846-AA2520 and AA#2------Chainsaw

 

[danr55]

Ineresting results. Seems that either we are not average, or most shotters/reloaders accumulate as many powders as I do.

Thanks guys. I feel better now.

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Dan AZ www.huntandlodge.com