O.K. Which powder is the best. Please add why. I've been loading roll your own's for about ten years, but never used any other then Hodg. Alliant, and I.M.R. I know that different firearms like different powder, even with two of the same model. My question is which seems in your point of veiw to be the best all around.

Sorry, I was suppst to add that I find Hodgdon to be the best that I've used as of yet.

I use hodgdon,I get good results with it.Brand of the best;all of them are suitable,getting fine accuracy with one,why trying another one...

Ain't no such animal!

It depends on your usage, and you have to remember that one manufacturer may make the same powder for several distributors.

If at all possible, I would nominate the Vihtavuori brand of powders - clean-burning, accurate and.... available here!

Sort of a reverse answer: Nobody that I know of makes bad powder. Some may be a little better than others in particular applications.

no such thing as a best brand.

Favorite overall is different story.

I like Hodgdon and Reloader powders equally.

I also have many excellent loads with IMR and VV, and ACCURATE.

I tend to get the most consistent accuracy time and time again with Reloader powders with Hodgdon right behind.

The one that works the best in the gun you are loading for and that you can get at the cheapest price. I use mil surplus when ever I can. But for the best results I have had to use some expensive commercial powers in a couple of my rifles to get what I wanted.

Denton hit the nail on the head!!! Every gun is different and I use 4 different "brands" currently! Bullesye to H870!!

I agree with Denton and Dave.

I am loyal to none.

That being said VV and Hodgdon make some good stuff.

Travis F.

Hodgdon

Australian Defence Industries (ADI) makes a LOT of powder for Hodgdons. It's mil-spec and very little else gets used Down Under.

If you guys in the States didn't buy so much of it then ADI would only make powders for our military and we'd have to use imported powders that cost much more.

The biggest selling point for ADI powders (and I'm sick of reading it in our local gun magazines) is its insensitivity to temperature. One day last summer the temperature got to 113F and I don't live in a desert (yet...), but my ammo didn't show any signs of high pressure.

I'm sure other powders work just as well, but ADI works for me.

Ben

Thanks all. This is about the responce I thought I would get. I just wanted to get your take.

I use Johnson's Baby Powder to soothe the rash on my, uh, well, actually that's none of your business. Anyway, I find Johnson's to be the best.

Waitaminute - what kind of powder are we talking about?

SMARTASS!! CLEVER, VERY CLEVER. YOU, SIR, ARE A WIT!!

GOOD ONE.

Where is Eldeguello with his "it seems difficult to impress on most reloaders" take, when you need him..

Which powder is best depends on what gun your using..

But while we're on the subject, how many have tried Ramshot powders and what are your impressions?

That's one I havent tried but have considered giving them a go. The biggest drawback I see so far is a lack of published data to start from.

I use them all, probably use more RL-15 than anything else followed by some old surplus 4831..mostly because I shoot big guns..but I have a lot of other stuff around here, including some Johnsons also...I use it on my ropes to make'em fast~!

I have; Red Dot, Bullseye, Herter's 164, SR7625, Unique, AA#5, Power Pistol, HS-6, Blue Dot, 2400, 3N37, 800-X, AA#7, N105, Long Shot, STEEL, Enforcer, AA#9, N110, H110, W296, LIL'GUN, XMP5744, RL-7, V-133, IMR30-31, RL-10, W748, H335, RL-12, IMR4895, IMR4895bulk, RL-15, Varget, H414, IMR4350, and H4831SC.

I like Power Pistol, H110, and LIL'GUN in the pistols.
I like IMR4895 and BLUE DOT in the rifles.

I got a deal on the stuff and got 8 pounds, 4 each of Big Game and Magnum and my buddy got 4 each of TAC and X-terminator. Just starting with the Magnum but have burned about half of the Big Game. That powder is a dead ringer for RL15 and AA2700 but is a ball powder. I loaded a bunch of .250 Savage rounds using it and my data follows RL15 published loads closely. If your caliber is not one of Ramshot has data for, I'd feel safe using RL15 starting loads in development. I'll be loading up some 7mm Magnum loads for testing at the range this weekend. My buddy used his up on a p-dog hunt and was generally please. No magic powder but I will certainly keep using them. BTW I just read where Ramshot aquired Accurate Arms earlier this month.

I have used Xterminator, Tac, Hunter and Magnum. Tac is a beautiful powder. Easy to load, and clean, clean, clean. Use a lot of it in my PPC, Whelen, 358.

Magnum is also a "wonder powder" in my book, but in my admittedly limited experimenting it seems to be happiest at about 55,000 PSI, and a little dirty burning. Of course, dirty is not saying much when burning a powder with a burn speed slightly above charcoal.....

So far, Xterm has not turned me on in any one load yet, and I haven't shot enough Hunter yet to give an opinion. It's a little faster than I expected, about I4350 would be my guess, at least in my 7mag. FWIW, Dutch.

I have no clue who makes the best but if I were limited to a chosen few ......between IMR4064 or RL15 I think I could keep everything I own shooting......ooops I need AA 1680 too.

This is similar to the old question, "What if I could only have one powder, what would it be?" There is no one best powder. It all depends on what you're shooting. I find I can use IMR4895 or IMR4064 in many of my calibers, and it works well in most of them, but it's far from a universal best powder. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

Thanks Courtney and Dutch. I just got an E-mail back from them and will be getting a copy of their manual. I like what Im hearing so far, I guess Ill have to try some.

What got me looking at them is an article Barnsness did a few months ago about it in Handloader.