I've searched a bunch of old posts and was looking for ideas. Has anyone had any experience with any of these powders in combination with:

.218 Bee or .22 Hornet with 53gr cast?
.243 Win with 95 gr cast?
.338 WinMag still looking for mould?
.458 Lott with .457 Lee 500 gr?

I'm a little hesitant, but a couple of guys just bought 4 jugs of each without any idea of what they'll use it for other than saving it for a rainy day. I could get one of each if I want. Any experience using for store bought projectiles in my calibers would be an added bonus. Or I'll save my cleaning fluids and money and stick with canister.

Thanks

Go to www.gibrass.com and read Jeff Bartlett's writeup on these powders.

I have read about the IMR 7383 on other sites, and from what I have read it is a fine powder so long as it is not compressed. Supposedly it is a triple based powder and the third nitro, nitro guanidine if memory serves, really serves to screw up rifles if the powder is compressed. The information I read was to use a chronograph and when the load got to 100% without compression, or when a half grain increment increase did not give an increase in velocity, stop. To go any higher was to risk blowing up a rifle. Pretty iffy from where I stand.

WC 857 and WC 872 would work well in the .338 and the Lott, I think, but neither of the two smaller cartridges. I shoot a lot of WC 860 (very comparable...) and it is wonderful in my 7RM, but not worth a hoot in anything smaller. It is just too slow...

Doubless is right about the 7383 powder. It is triple based and it can be tricky powder to use which means dangerous is not used correctly, more so then most single and double base powder.

Doubless I can't tell you how many 8 pounders I've bought of the 867. To give you an idea of what I use it...well...from 223 to 45-70 and everything inbetween. There is a technique to it and it's safe done properly. I'm not trying to push you into it. If you are interested I'd be more then happy to share it with you. I won't do it in public forum because I feel it should be reserved for the more experienced reloader which I feel you are. Just let me know.

The more the cartridge is overbore the better those slow powders work. Stuff like the 6mm's, the 6.5's, etc respond to it decent. Cartridges like the 308 don't.

Thanks guys, That just confirms that I really don't need to use any 7383. I was willing as long as there was some concrete data and it just seems to have that pressure cliff that I'd rather not go off.

However, I'd really like to save some money and get back to shooting a lot more. Before I slowed my Son down, we were shooting 200 - 500 rounds of .243 Win, 100 - 300 rounds of .338 WinMag, and 100 - 200 rounds of .458 Lott on the weekends. He was killing me with factory bullets and the powder was going rather quickly. I just couldn't afford it 2-3 times a month (not much OT the last two years), but I'd love to get back to it as he's 16 and still fore going time with his girlfriend to hunt, trap, fish, and shoot with me. Don't know how long that will last.

Smoking and Doubless, could you please PM me regarding your methods for the WC powders? I'd say I'm an experienced reloader, but I'm also a very cautious one. I've never loaded for speed as I like my brass to last.

Thanks again Guy's

I used pounds of 844 852 with great results in many calibers.

I had only problems with 846 it was a lot faster the load data given I had to reduce loads a full 20 percent to be safe.