Hi!
I load for these 4 rifle cartridges:

.223 Rem.
.243 Win.
.260 Rem.
7.5x55 Swiss

I would like to find the a selection of 3 powders to best serve these cartridges, hopefully including IMR4064 as one of the powders - because I've had excellent results with it for the .243 Win. What would you choose as the 3 powders for use when reloading these 4 cartridges?

Thanks for the suggestions!

It would help to know the bullet weight ranges for such a broad based question.

IMR-4064 will work great for the 223, 243 and 260. Cannot comment to the Swiss.

Google "Hodgdon", go to their reloading section, pull up the data for each cartridge, print it out, and compare.

I am unfamiliar with the 260; however, 4895 would work in the others. It works pretty well for 223 and 243, and would be passible in 7.5Swiss (similar to 308.) You won't get the "best" solution for multiple cartridges with a single powder unless you are just lucky. Kudude

I looked it up because I was curious. As I thought, 4350 and 4831 are best for 7.5Swiss and Varget is best for 223, 243, and not bad for 260; however, a no for 7.5 Swiss. The only powder listed for all four is 4895.

If you expand to two powders, 4895 or Varget for the 223, 243, and 4350 or 4831 for 260 and 7.5Swiss. I find 4895 and Varget great in 223. I find 4350 great in 7.5Swiss, and use 4895 to reload for my friend's daughter's rifle. I don't load 260. Kudude

A piece of advice take it or leave it.

There is NO BEST POWDER for any cartridge !.
4895 4350 BLC-2 4831 H335 as well as IMR 4064 are ALL EXCELLENT POWDERS !.

Some work better than others depends on the weapon in which their being used in !.

I load several cartridges as well as calibers per year , K's in fact . Experience has shown me " Load middle of the Chart " only load 10-20 rounds for a particular cal.in the middle . Load up and down same amount of rounds 1 grain difference . Clean your weapon shoot a couple of rounds to foul the bore . (This is Based on the barrel being broken in properly ).

Now bench rest your weapon use middle of the road load , shoot #5 1-2 minutes between shots .

See where they group ?, clean weapon repeat with lower or upper loads . See where they group , finally repeat with the last loading .

Now if you have cleaned and fouled the bore and not gotten the barrel hot ( if you can't hold it it was to hot ! ) on each series of loads .
You will now begin to understand " YOUR WEAPONS CHOICES " !. Which did better middle or upper or lower loadings ?. Which ever it is work with that in .5 grain increments until your down to one tenth grain loadings . NOW you'll have the correct POWDER as well as Bullet combinations for YOUR WEAPON . Try to pick only bullets your likely to use in that weapon . Because different bullets even by weight or design or brands vary in a particular weapon .

Loading is a " Life time sentence " which the majority of us accept !. Prepare yourself !!.

I have two .223's in particular which illustrates my above point . One loves BLC-2 one loves H335 both how ever are acceptable with 4895 , or the others favorite powder.

Just depends on how close you need # 15 holes , Myself I would dearly love a single .224 hole for all 15 , that hasn't happened yet . How ever on more than a few occasions they will make one hole a dime will cover and give change at 100 Yd. .

Shoot Straight Know Your Target . ...

I agree with Dr. K that there are no absolute "bests", but there are a number of good candidates, so I'll talk about my personal favorites.

First, IMR 4064 is a great performer in its buring range (and is adaptable, with some limitations to all of the cartridges you list). Its main drawback is its long, skinny granules that don't meter well through most powder measures. IMR 4895 and 4320 are very similar in buring rate and meter much better.

My favorites for .223: H335, IMR 4895, BL-C2

My favorites for .243: IMR 4895 & 4320 (for light bullets) and H4831 for 90-100 gr. bullets

I don't load for either the .260 Rem or 7.5 Swiss, but powders in the "medium" burning range are appropriate: 4895, 4320, 4064, BL-C2. A newcomer, IMR 4007 is between 4320 and 4350 in speed and should do well in all three of the larger cartridges.

If I were to go buy just three powders for these cartridges, I guess it would be IMR-4895, IMR 4007, and H-4831SC.