I'm reloading about a million (several at least) different cartridges, from .223 to 50 BMG. With the exception of the BMG I'd like to deal with only 1 manufacturer. The only serious target shooting is going to be the .243. It looks like there are no BAD powder manufacturers any more. Do any stand out as favorites?

Thanks in advance.

Vihtavuori, but primarily as a result of availability and price over here. Otherwise favorites include Alliant (RL22, RL15) and Hodgdon.

- mike

quote:

Do any stand out as favorites?

If we include IMR as part of Hodgden then Hodgden is easily the favorite here. It would be without IMR too on second thought.

BL(C)-2, H-4831-SC, H-414, and H-4350 are top users on my bench.

I agree with mho about vihtavuori, it's good stuff. Equally good and even cheaper is the IMR line. I personally stay away from the alliant RL series because they tend to show significant temperature sensitivity and I haven't gotten stellar performance. As for the Hodgon line, the only powder I've tried is Varget in the 308 winchester, but I wasn't impressed. IMR 4064 beat it hands down, at least in my rifles. I use 4064,4350,4831, and 7828. Hope this helps.

I have sure had great results with RL15, 19 and RL22 in several cartridges. H414 is the one powder I'd most hate to try to replace. It works in 7x57, .243,.220 Swift, .375 H&H, 9.3x62, .338-06, etc.

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:
...Hodgden is easily the favorite here. ...

+1 Down here too.

For pistol and shotgun loads, Unique and BlueDot.

For rifle loads, IMR 3031, 4064, 4198, 4895, 4350 and 4831.

I have been opening my mind a lttle in the past few years, and have also used Rl 7, H414 and LilGun powders with very good results.

I have some Reloader 19 and 22, but I haven't had much luck with them in my rifles.

My favorites are IMR and Hercules/Alliant line of powders.

Accurate Arms... For handguns I like #2 in the .45 ACP and .44 Special, #5 in everything from the .380 to the .44 Mag, #9 in the three magnum revolver rounds.

In rifles, 4350 and 3100, 5744 for BPCR rounds and as an IMR-4227 replacement.

I have a favorite powder for just about every cartidge I load for, but I sure am glad that I'm not limited to one manufacturer!!!! I Use more Hodgdon than anything else, but I'd be lost without some Alliant powders along with a couple other brands. VV powders are very good too when you can get them, which in the US seems to be about every 6 months or so. If you don't get them before they run dry, you may have to wait a while.

Well Pilgrim, Me and mine are finding Data Powder 86 just hard to beat in a whole lot of rifles. Some people must just be slow learners I guess. Still don't understand this banana! roger

Hodgdon without a doubt. But....Re 15 and 19 have done great things for me and I wouldn't want to do without them.

quote:

Originally posted by molar1:

As for the Hodgon line, the only powder I've tried is Varget in the 308 winchester, but I wasn't impressed. IMR 4064 beat it hands down...

I agree with that; I've never found a good use for Varget either in which some other powder wasn't considerably better.

But some other Hodgdon powders are excellent and extremely useful in appropriate calibers: H380, H414, H4350, H4831, Benchmark, and possibly others.

For shotshells, the Hodgdon line of shotgun powders is probably the best available.

I shoot many pounds of Allient each year, mainly RL-22 and then quite a bit of RL-19, RL-25, and Rl-15. I also shoot several pounds of Hodgdon, mainly H-1000, H-4831, and Retumbo. I also shoot several pounds of IMR powder which is of course Hodgdon now, IMR-7828 SSC, IMR-4064, and bits and pieces of all the rest. I probably left something out, but this pretty well covers my usage of powders. Good shooting.

When I started Dupont ruled the powder mfg and Hercules made 2400 and Unique. Even today most of my best loads are with Duponts successor IMR.

However I am using more and more RL 22. It goes fast being a magnum fuel. On my last purchase I got 10 lbs of it with 8 of IMR's 4064 along with some smaller quantities of other brands. I have thrown out all AA powders for erratic lot control.

I have been using surplus IMR4895 bulk powder that acts more like H322 on everything from .222 to 45-70.

When I use up a few more pounds and I get to try a new lot #, and I will get a new adventure.

Like Roger, I know that the advanced reloader can adapt to a discounted surplus powder without knee jerk recipes.

I would stay away from Vihtavuori. They have had 10 years to get their supply and distribution problems corrected. Yet, you still can't get their powders 50% of the time.

You can go to www.powdervalleyinc.com. They have every major manufacturer available for powder and primers.

quote:

Originally posted by Soonerhawk:
I would stay away from Vihtavuori. They have had 10 years to get their supply and distribution problems corrected. Yet, you still can't get their powders 50% of the time.

You can go to www.powdervalleyinc.com. They have every major manufacturer available for powder and primers.

Just placed an order... and great prices too. With a place like that I think I might be able to maintain a cabinet with a couple of different brands.

I see what you mean about VV too, they were batting around 30% in stock. Not too good

Many thanks

Why limit yourself to one line? When working up a load, I check all my manuals to see if there is one powder that is a velocity and accuracy standout and is posted in most of the books. For instance, I've never used IMR but saw a bunch of IMR3031 references for 45/70 loads (including Ken Waters' in Pet Loads), so subsequently I bought a pound of it.

I'm partial to Hodgdon 4831 and 4350 for the 270 and RL-22 in the 300 win. I can't imagine a better powder for the 300 win than RL-22 that I'm debating whether to buy a 4 or 8 pound supply.

"Originally posted by molar1:

As for the Hodgon line, the only powder I've tried is Varget in the 308 winchester, but I wasn't impressed. IMR 4064 beat it hands down...


I agree with that; I've never found a good use for Varget either in which some other powder wasn't considerably better."

I have found Varget very suitable in my 22-250, 338-06 and 375 H&H.

I would have to say Hodgdon/IMR powders are my favorite.

The IMR line would be my choice, but I'd find it hard to get along without the others too. RL22 works like no other in the 300 Winchester,, N-160 makes the 7 Mag do as it should, and H414 shines with 150s/165s in 30-06. See what I mean?

Hodgdon (Lil Gun, H414, H322, H335, H110, Clays), Alliant(RL-15, RL-22, Blue Dot, Bullseye, Unique), IMR (4831, 4350, 7828), and VihtaVuori (N120). Other than that, no real favorites.

I haven't had much luck with any of the Accurate powders that I've tried (1680, #9).

I like IMR and Reloder and have the following in my cabinet which pretty much covers everything i load for.

4064/4350/4831/4895/7828
RL22/19/15

I heard that Vihtavuori was cleaning up there act on the price and availability of there powders. i quite like them as they are priced about the same as most powders down here in NZ. ive never had a problem getting it but maybe thats just the supplier that i go to

The only brand I buy is Vithavuori, because of his reasonable price, 70 Euro/92 U$ for 1 KG. Norma cost almost the double, but IMR and Hodgon cost 110-120 Euro/145-160 U$ for 1 lb!!! . Anyway I really like Vithavuori powders.

Wildboar - most of the powder I buy is $18 to $20 US per lb.

I don't like working with powders that may be gone tomorrow so I stay away from some lines that seem to drop and replace powders regularly. I do not keep a huge inventory of any partticular powder either, so ready availability is important. So about all I use are old timers you would recognize from Hodgdon and IMR.
I see powders that are non existent in distribution, or extremely over priced or both and I stay away from those.

I can't say I have a favorite brand. I have
Vihta Vuori(N133, N160), Hodgdon(H4895, Varget,
H4350, and a few more), IMR(4064, 4831, 4850),
Alliant(RL15, RL22), and probably a few more
I can't remember, for rifle powders. Lately,
I have been getting great results from VV
powders, but all of them listed, have done well
in different loads, for different rifles. I
guess I wouldn't want to limit myself to one
brand, or even one manufacturer. I look at
the recommendations, in the loading data
books, and if that still doesn't yield what
I expect for accuracy, I solicit help on
one of these forums, and often that yields
something that works well. I guess I see no
point in being single sourced for powders.
Historically that is a bad plan, in engineering,
and business.

Squeeze

For me, it's a tie b/w IMR and Reloder powders first, then Hodgdon.

Powders I've found great loads with include the VV, Accurate Arms.

Powders that wasted my time: Winchester.

Hodgdon only. Never found use of any other brands.

Current inventory: H4198 for .223 and 45/70; Varget for 308; H4350 for .243 and .270; H4831SC for 300wm, .270.

Have tried but no longer using: BL-C2 & H4895

Danny

They all have their place and we all have our preferences. The only standout personally is Varget because I was able to use it in .223, .22-250, .308, and .375 H&H, all with good velocity and accuracy. That said, other types of Alliant, Hodgdon, and IMR can be found in my powder cabinet as well, and all work well in different applications. From the few real world tests I've seen published, the lack of temperature sensitivity appears to be more fantasy than real.