Here's the requirements for something I thought I might try - moving over to one large keg (after judicious testing)for all my reloading.

5.6x50R (ie 222rem mag)55/60gr bullets 3100fps
6mm rem 90gr 3150fps
6.5x55 100gr 3000fps
7x57 139gr 2,800fps
9.3x62 232gr 2,600fps

IMR 4895? Of all of these the 6mm rem and 6.5x55 would appear to be more unsuited.

The calibers you list cover a awful large variation in bore expansion ratios. I doubt you will find one powder that does what you want in all of them. Then again I only have experiance with the 6.5, 7x57, and the 223 which is only "similar" to your 222 mag so I won`t say it can`t be done.
Good luck, let us know what you find.

1894: 4895 is an extremely versatile powder, in my experience. It would seem to be near optimum in a couple of your cartridges, but fast in others. It will, however, provide the velocities you desire and I can think of no other single powder that would do much better. I've had good luck with both the IMR and the Hodgdon versions.

Good Luck!

Reloader 15 or Varget too.

I'd slow it down to IMR 4350 or RL 15 and have few complaints about using a single powder. I hope you like heavy bullets in the 5.56 though.

You are not going to get optimum performance by using the same powder in all the loads you specified.

IMR-4895 is usable in the loads in the following ranges:

5.6x50R 55/60gr bullets
55 grain bullets:
Not Recommended

60 grain bullets:
Not Recommended

6mm rem 90gr
IMR-4895 From 33.3 grains to 39.5 grains
Remington 9-1/2 Primer

6.5x55 100gr
IMR-4895 From 37.5 grains to 46.0 grains
Remington 9-1/2 Primer

7x57 139gr
IMR-4895 From 35.4 grains to 43.0 grains
Winchester WLR Primer

9.3x62 232gr
Not Recommended

I would suggest the following powders:

5.6x50R 55/60gr bullets
55 grain bullets:
H-322 From 21.8 grains to 24.7 grains
Federal 205 Primer

60 grain bullets:
N-140 From 24.1 grains to 26.1 grains
Federal 205 Primer

6mm rem 90gr
RL-22 From 45.5 grains to 51.0 grains
Remington 9-1/2 Primer

6.5x55 100gr
IMR-4350 From 41.0 grains to 48.4 grains
Remington 9-1/2 Primer

7x57 139gr
H-4831 From 43.6 grains to 53.5 grains
Winchester WLR Primer

9.3x62 232gr
AR-2206 From 48.0 grains to 58.0 grains
Winchester WLR Primer

If you REALLY watn to limit yourself to only one powder, your best bet would probably be N-140.

varget, rl15, benchmark, or win 748....

all about the same, and will work in all your cases... not the best, but will work
jeffe

Hello 1894,

Are you limited in England as to how much powder you can have? I must have at least 20 different cans (1 & 2 lbs each). Practically all my shooting is done from the bench nowadays. There's no point in reloading unless you're aiming for prime accuracy. Of the 17 different rifles I own, IMR4895 will work well in maybe 7 of them, ditto for IMR4064. But, that doesn't mean they are the "most accurate" powders. Also a powder may work well with one weight of bullet, and not another. I worry about keeping that much powder as I have no desire to ascend into heaven on a pillar of flame. Best wishes to you.

Cal - Montreal

No problems getting powder it's 2 things really.

1. I hate redoing loads when my 2lb batch of whatever runs out

2. It would be good to simplify things.

At present I have VV N120, 133, 135, 150 and 160.

If I can get nearly as good results with one powder in off season testing I'd gradualy switch as these ran out.

I'm also trying to reduce powder inventories & load reworking, too. Rather than try to have only one powder, I'm trying to find powders that work well over several calibers.

RL-15 and RL-22 are a couple that have been versatile for me -- 15 in the .338 Win. Mag. and .375 H&H, and 22 in the .270 and .280.

At least some of your cartridges can use these two. But I still need some kind of 4350 for my .30-06es.

John

I handload 11 rifle calibers with 11 powders, and so far all my best loads for each caliber are with IMR4895.

XMP5744
RL-7
V-133
RL-10
H335
RL-12
IMR4895
RL-15
Varget
H414
IMR4350
H4831SC

.223
.243
257 Roberts AI
6.5x55mm
7.62x51mm
7.5 Swiss
30-06
303 Sav
303 Brit
7.72x54R
8x57mm
45/70

1894:
I reload for about 50 firearms I own.
My preference is the 22 calibers to 7mm

Like Cal Sibley I have a lot of different powders I keep on hand. However whatever you load ( not always peak performance for velocity, but will always kill something if you place the bullet in the right spot) IMR 4064, IMR 4895,
RL 15, H 380, Varget: you won't go wrong with anyone of them.

That is based on a lot of handloading experience.
in a complete range of center fire cartridges.

Clark: I would be interested in you 8x57 mauser loads!

8x57mm 1903 Turk 200 gr Yugo bullets, CCI 200, IMR4895, RP brass, and 3.160" OAL, 3 shot groups from benchrest at 100m.
First day:
44 gr 2.2"
45 gr 2.25"
46 gr 2.25" and top hat primer
47 gr 1.5"
48 gr 3.3"
49 gr >4" and sticky bolt
50 gr >4" and case base bulge,
51 gr 3"
52 gr 2.25" Very sticky bolt

I reloaded and went back a second day:
46.25 gr >1.9"
46.50 gr 4"
46.75gr 3.4"
47.00 gr 3"
47.25 gr 5"
47.50 gr 2.2"
47.75 gr 2.6"
48.00 gr 4.3"
I think I shot too fast the second day and the barrel was hot or the new brass was better than the Collet neck resized no crimp loads of the second day. Also, Sierra bullets are better than Yugo pulls.

If I were to use only one powder it would be IMR 4895 with Reloder 15 a close second. The best thing that I have found about 4895 is with this powder I can usualy decide on what bullet and velocity I want (withen its range) and depend on very reasonable accuracy to be there.

I'mm a littl surprised that no one to date has mentioned IMR 3031 - I don't think I've loaded anything with 3031 where I thought it to be the 'best' powder for the job but I think you can load an acceptable load with anything from 223 to 45/70 with IMR 3031. I don't have any data or manuals at hand but check it out - I think you will find that 3031 will come close to what you wish for the calibers listed.
Best regards,

IMR4895 is not a good powder for the 222mag class of cartridges. It doesn't give much velocity. On the other hand, H4895 is pretty decent. I get 200fps more out of H4895 than I do IMR4895 with the same charge weights.
I like Varget even better.