Which one and why?<BR><BR>Had any bad experiences?what is your favorite brand of gun powder?IMRHODGDONALLIANTACCURATENORMARAMSHOTVIHTAVUORI OYWINCHESTER

Hodgdon

They also distribute Winchester and IMR and the reason I like them best is they seem to have the best loading data for their powders...they also have a full line for any purpose.

Accurate: cooler and cleaner burning, and typically a bit less expensive than the others.

I seem to go through a lot of IMR-4350, Varget and FFg.

I use Alliant the most.

Use a lot of DP Powders from accurate.
Dp-2200,73,74,85,86 and some I've prbably forgotten. roger

Ive shot more alliant in shot guns and pistols then any thing more IMR in rifles.

If I can buy it cheap enough I'll load and shoot anything.

IMR powders are the only ones I buy in 8 pound containers. I use a lot of Hodgdon too along with some Alliant and a few types of Accurate.

Why I use them? No real reason other than most of them are the powders I start reloading with in the 70s. They worked back then, they work today, why would I want to experiment with more powders then the 22 types I already have. I rarely use half of them. But I got them boys and I guess that makes me a winner?

quote:

Which one and why? Had any bad experiences?

All are major players in the powder market. I'm puzzled that anyone would think any of them might not be very good for what they are good for. "Bad" experences with any powder come from the user trying it in ways it isn't suited for. Stick to proper reloading data and they will all do a good job. ??

All except one is a favorite brand for one or more cartridges I shoot. What I shoot the most of is Hodgdon.

I've tied Hodgdon, Alliant, Accurate and Ramshot in various flavors. I don't really have a brand preference but IMR, Hodgdon and Alliant are what is stocked in the gun shops by me. I see some Accurate but Ramshot is hard to find.

I use only hodgdon. I started reloading with it and had great results. I never felt any need to try something else. Maybe there are better powders but I,m happy with hodgdon.

Mike

I have probably used VV N160 the most - gives very consistent results in 6.5X55, 280 Ackley Imp and 7mm08. It is also clean burning.

I also use a fair bit of ADI powders which are the same as Hodgedon - again very consistent.

I avoid Winchester like the plague as it is dirty and velocity swings are huge between summer & winter. Yes they give high velocities but they are so messy to clean.

Back in the early 90s when i started shooting high power allmost every body shot imr we even got some dupont in 20 or 25 lbs cans now I shoot more varget and reloader almost allways buy 8lbs at a time.

I switched to Alliant when I couldn't get Norma and haven't gone back.

It depends on the rifle.
250/3000-RL15
250AI-RL15
257Roberts-Varget
25/06-IMR4831
22/250-IMR4064
220Swift-IMR4064
308-Varget
During load development I use a variety of powders and bullets.
The elderly gentleman who started me reloading
said:" find the load your rifle likes best and
shoot it to the exclusion of all others."
It has worked for me for over thirty years.
GOOD LUCK and GOOD SHOOTING!!!

When I started reloading IMR was the only powder you could buy locally. every once in a while the stores had WW or HODGDON

No simple answers:

Accurate, VV, WW, and Hercules in pistols
DP2200, H322, H335, RL-15, IMR 4350, IMR 4831 in rifles

cheap

Accurate. What Doubless said.

I'm like several others and don't know that I have given much thought to which powder company is my favorite. However, after looking through my powder stash, I found that I have more IMR and Hodgdon than any others, although I also have Alliant and Accurate powders as well.

I also noticed that I don't have any Vihitavuri powder. I'm not 100% sure why. I hear a lot of guys talking about how much they like it, but it is generally significantly more expensive than other powders suggested for the same purpose. That is probably why I don't have any.

I'm pretty much stuck on IMR and Hodgdon, depending on which rifle I'm loading for. I've used some others but I find I can get it done w/o the others.

I don't have one. I try to find the powder that works best and then stick with it. An added problem here in ol" Fairtown is that powder selection can be can be spotty. We only have 1 store that ever has much of a selection & that's Sportsman's and it's "iffy" sometimes.
Bear in Fairbanks

Yeah a poll like this is not showing a best powder simply because the criteria is so wide ranging. I use ADI 2209 which is also sold as Hodgden4350, ADI 2208 - Varget, ADI2207 - H4198
BL-C2, Aliant Red and Blue Dot and for each of the purposes for which they are used they are the best in terms of performance, availability, and cost. So I didn't vote in the poll.

Von Gruff.

quote:

Originally posted by Von Gruff:
Yeah a poll like this is not showing a best powder simply because the criteria is so wide ranging. I use ADI 2209 which is also sold as Hodgden4350, ADI 2208 - Varget, ADI2207 - H4198
BL-C2, Aliant Red and Blue Dot and for each of the purposes for which they are used they are the best in terms of performance, availability, and cost. So I didn't vote in the poll.

Von Gruff.

I am not trying to find the magic powder, I am just looking at what people have to say. Anything wrong with that?

AS I load for many different calibers I use many different powders mainly the first 4 listed .

Can't honestly say I've ever had a bad experience with ANY powder only primers and so long ago it's history.

I made some mistakes batching some powders and had to reformulate, however I salvaged them at another burn rate, that's also ancient history !

Vihta Vouri

I chose what I did because its what I use the most of in any year, but that's principally due to the huge volume I use in IPSC and 3 gun.

This was the powder in combination with the federal small rifle primer that didn't cause gas leakage and breach face erosion at the old major PF with a 6 port comp gun. Since then I have noticed its somewhat cleaner and my velocities tend to be more consistent with it.

Having said that, most of my big bore rifles use Alliant, my mid bores use mostly IMR, and the .223 loads are mostly Winchester. I have used all but Norma, and that's probably because I have never seen Norma for sale locally until last year. I like playing with loads, so I use a little of everything.

I use Hodgdon and really like it. I have never had a rifle powder I would consider bad. Some handgun powders can be pretty dirty though.

Weight wise Hodgdon tops my list, with Ramshot coming in second. That said, I use H-4895 for quit few loads as well as 4831. Both are great overall performers. The Ramshot is used in the big capacity rounds like the RUM and STW, and has worked out wonderfully for the loads I have for them.

I of course also have quit a few small jugs of IMR, and AA, and even some big jugs of 296 that I use for development and most all handgun calibers.

No real favorites, but if I had to say, it would be Hodgdon for rifles and WW for handguns are what get the most use.

IMR 4064 is the one I use the most because of the versatility and accuracy results, Hodgon varget would be a close second though.

I voted Hodgdon, but you kinda have to break it down for pistol vs rifle vs shotgun. For rifle, VV powders are hard to beat, but pricey for high volumn pistol shooting. WIN makes some great pistol powders, IMR very useful rifle but not much pistol. Alliant for pistol & sg. Hodgdon seems to have the best assortment for all needs. I load for 22 diff calibers so I use them all but Norma.

There are powders from almost all of them that really I like but I voted for Vihtavouri because I'm starting to switch over to it more. Really like how clean burning it is.

The reason I started the post was to see what manufacturer has more of the market share.
I use hodgdon,IMR,and Alliant. Hodgdon the most.

I have always wanted to try Vihtavouri powder, but the cost is what gets in the way.

64gr of H4350 under a 225gr 338, and 61gr of H4350 under a 165gr 300wsm.