As a newcomer to reloading, (1st year) and trying the "KISS" principle to avoid problems, I am trying different powders looking for one that works well in all three of my centerfires. .270, .243, and .22-250. I started with IMR3031 but have since shifted to their 4895. It is a plus if I can find it on the shelf without ordering. Anybody sure about a better choice before I go stock up?

H 414 works well in all three.
270 140gr honady hpbt
243 65 or 70gr sierras
22/240 nosler 52gr bts or vmax.
they all shoot 1/2' groups except the 270 and it moa

IMR4350 should provide decent results in all 3 cartridges you list. It isn't going to generate maximum velocity in the 22-250, and probably would be happiest with 55 or 60 gr bullets, but it would probably give good accuracy. And IMR-4895 might work well with light bullets in the .270 and .243 and work great with all bullets in the 22-250, but it won't match the velocity potential of 4350 in the .243 and .270. Might bite the bullet and go with 2 powders, one for the .22-250 and one for the .243 and .270 Win. That is if you want maximum performance out of each of them.

N 133 : .222 Rem
N 135 : .22-250, 9,3x62
N 140 : .308 Win, 7,62x51, 7,5x55,
N 160 : .270 Win, 7x64, .30-06, .300 Win, .338 Win

I use these 4 powders to handload for 11 calibers.

Thanks, fellas.

For the 22/250 my favorite powder is H380 with Reloader 15 as a second choice, I shoot 52 gr. Sierra Matchkings.
For the .243 I shoot IMR-4350 with 60, 85 and 100 grain bullets with excellent results.
I do not own or load for a .270 but I have a feeling you could find a load with either IMR-4350 or one of the others I mentioned.
Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

IMR 4831 would work very well in all those as well, but you'll use more powder than with 4895.

had good luck with Varget in the 22-250 and 243 with H4831 working wonders in the 270.

H4350 or H414 are pretty hard to beat as a single powder?

Wymply....

If I had to stick with ONE powder for those calibers, my choice would be IMR 4064... then followed by RL 15, IMR 4895, W 748.. not in any particular order.. all 4 of them are pretty darn consistent powders.. and highly accurate and highly flexible.. but 4064 is the best of the best of them...in my experiences...

My vote is for IMR 4064

H414 gets my vote, and you can load the .30-06, .338's, 7x57's, 9.3x62, and .375 H&H with it as well, so you can go buy a bunch more rifles.

Mr Wymple, You need only VihtaVuori N-160
powder.



Location: Finland

I'd choose IMR-4064 or IMR-4320 if I only wanted one powder to load the 3 cartridges you listed!

wymple,

Since your with 4895 now thats fine but it not going to ever be optimum in the 270 or with heavier bullets in the 243. Just get a second powder. I have a dozen or more different ones and have never had a problem.

I don't prefer ball powders. True they measure well and may be cheap but I find them more temperature sensitive in hot weather and difficult to ignite in cold. They also burn dirty. I have bought ball in 50 lb kegs. Finally its gone.

A powder like IMR 4350 would optimize the 243 and get more out of the 270 than 4895 will. If you have not bought the 4895 yet then I prefer IMR 4064 to any powder in its burning rate range but RL 15 is close but second in my favor.

4895 would do for me!!

imr 4350 is my vote!
regards

I don't have any experience with a 22-250 but for my .243, 270WSM and my 30-06, H414 works great.

If you do find one powder that works real well in all 3 rifles you are prety lucky.
If you went to the same store and bought 3 identicle rifles, all in the same chambering , with consecutive serial #s , You probably still would not get top performance with the same powder for all 3.
Not saying it isent worth a try though.
People load for diffrent reasons.
I want to squeeze top performance from my rifles. I load for roghly 12 chamberings now and have 17 , powders on hand.
...tj3006

i firmly belive that if you could reprime a 22short that 4895 would be a good powder.

They will all fire using any of the powders mentioned.....

But I use Imr4350 almost entirely these days
in 7 different calibers,Target accuracy in some and just good hunting accuracy in others.


I had the best luck w H414 in my.22-250 but 4350 works well in it as does the 243.In my .270-s 4350 is spectacular.

But now that you have a few options to choose from just go buy a pound of each listed here and try them all because every one here listed is exactly what you asked for 1 powder to use...


Good luck

Cal 30

I have come to the conclusion that the best powder for any load is the one that gives you the best performance in your rifle for the job that you are trying to do. I have usually found that if I can match up the case design to a proper burn rate powder that gives me a full case load, that I will get the best performance.

That being said, I use an article that I got from "ABC of Reloading" as one of my guide-lines. Following are the comments made in the article about the powders talked about in this thread. Use your best judgment!!! May you glean a bit of helpful information from the following.

IMR3031 - A favorite for the 30-30 and similar medium-capacity cases with jacketed bullets, 3031 is one of the most versatile on the market. It gives good results in cartridges as small as the 17 Remington and as large as the 458 Winchester.

IMR4064 - Very similar to IMR3031, 4064 has great versatility in the 30-caliber range, performing well in the 30-06 and 308. It also works well in many of the larger rifle calibers.

IMR4895 - This medium-slow burning powder is very similar to the Hodgdon powder of the same number. It is an excellent performer in the 30-06 but works well in slightly reduced loads with cast bullets in rifles such as the 45-70. Excellent accuracy is produced in the .223 with this powder in bolt-action rifles.

IMR4350 - This is a slow-burning powder intended for large capacity cases. Its bulk fills these cases well. A favorite for the 7x57 Mauser, 30-06, 243, and 270 Winchester, 4350 is an excellent maximum load for long-range work.

IMR4831 - Introduced in 1971, this powder carries the same number as Hodgdon H4831, but it is not an equivalent. IMR4831 is faster burning than the Hodgdon product! IMR4931 is intended for magnum rifle cartridges, although it works very well in the 270 Winchester.

W748 - Used in military loadings for the .223 rifle, this powder offers low flame temperature for increased barrel life. It is suitable for a great variety of centerfire rifle loadings in .22 through .30 caliber.

RL-15 - RL-15 is slightly slower burning than the discontinued Reloder 12. It works well in a wide range of rifle cases from the .223 to magnums of the 458 & 416 Rigby size. It is generally used for heavy loadings.

Varget - A small-grain extruded powder, Varget is known for its insensitivity to heat and cold, which makes it a good choice for year-round hunting. Easy ignition and clean burning help produce excellent accuracy and high velocities. Fine results have been obtained in the 22-250, 308, 30-06, and 375 H&H Magnum.

H380 - This is a double-base powder that performs well in 30-caliber cases, but also does well in large-capacity varmint rounds such as the 22-250.

H414 - This works well in the 30-06 and similar 30s, particularly with lighter bullets where higher velocities are desired.

H4831 - This is a single-base, extruded powder that gives the best accuracy with heavy bullets in 30-caliber and larger, though it is excellent in the 270.

N133 - The burning rate of this powder is close to IMR4198. It works well in the .222 & .223, and good results have been obtained in the 45-70.

N135 - This powder burns with moderate speed, similar IMR and Hodgdon 4895. It is a versatile powder with applications from the 17Remington to the 458 Winchester.

N140 - A relatively slow-burning powder, N140 can be used in place of IMR4320, RL-15 and Hodgdon H380. Best results are in 30 to 35-caliber rifle cases.

N160 - This is another slow-burning powder designed mainly for magnum rifles. It works well with light-bullet loads and with heavy bullets in the 30-06. Good results have been obtained in the 220 Swift, 243, 25-06, 264 and 7mm Remington Magnum.

There you are folks, a whole lot more than you wanted to know!!!

I'd say either IMR 4895 or IMR 4831 would be a good choice for all three calibers.

Those are all cartridges based on the .30-06, and have medium powder capacities. My two yen is to try an extruded, short-cut powder, like Hodgdon's H4831SC.

When I am fantasizing about reloading, I go to the various websites that offer reloading data and look for a commonality of powders in a specific caliber. If I see Powder X showing up over and over again for a multiplicty of bullet weights, I can pretty much assume that powder is possessed of a broad range of capabilities. If I see it show up for the several calibers for which I reload, then I know it's a good idea to go buy an eight-pound jug and have it on hand for the difficult years we face should a rabidly anti-freedom administration come to power in January and destroy 230 years of Liberty and the ability to make more of ourselves than our forefathers were allowed to make of themselves. You gots to always be prepared for liberals...

quote:

Originally posted by wymple:
As a newcomer to reloading, (1st year) and trying the "KISS" principle to avoid problems, I am trying different powders looking for one that works well in all three of my centerfires. .270, .243, and .22-250. I started with IMR3031 but have since shifted to their 4895. It is a plus if I can find it on the shelf without ordering. Anybody sure about a better choice before I go stock up?

For the rounds you listed, one of the 4350's in the stick powders or WW760/H414 would be somewhat better. All three of those rounds need powders alot slower than IMR 3031 or 4895.......

Ive had my best results there from IMR-4350.....

No expert on this only what I read over years.If you only use 2 powders use #4064/#4350 ...4064 medium shells and 4350 for big shells ..

Today with cost of powder may be good idea....

H414 or WW 760 (same thing)

H4895 is a good all around powder, has been considered so for many years now..

I also like RL-15..

I like a powder that measures easy thus accurately, that's my complaint about the stick powders like 4350 and 4831, the granule cutting is my dislike, as well as accurate weight tossed, but if you don't mind weighing each load and making the adjustment, the 4350 and 4831 are hard to beat..I simply don't have the time for that.

The 4895's have been tossed around as the "one for everything" powder" for many years, and for good reason. However, two of the three of your rounds thrive better with slower burning powders. I'd go with H or IMR4350 if limited to just these three rounds. Since 4895 and 4350 are both so very common, I would just buy both, as they take care of so many itches. Say you decide you want a 45-70, 458 win or Lott. Use the 4895. How about a 416 Rem or Rigby. Go with 4350. A 223 is cheap to shoot, and 4895 works great. If you ever decide you need a 300 mag of some flavour, 4350.

To me, 4895 and 4350 are so flexible and ubiquitous that you might as well get and use both, especially if you think you might expand your rifle battery. If you think the 22-250, 243, and 270 are all you'll ever need, then I recommend a 4350. The one powder for everything idea sounds cool, but we just don't have to limit ourselves that narrowly.

There are so many to choose from these days + I own a bunch,But getting down to brass tacks old school, If I only had 2 powders available; 2400 for pistol + IMR 4350 for rifle. The most versatile of the lot.Only my opinion of course,but then I have found my opinions to be true.

I did a lot of research, load development and range testing in selecting one powder for my .257 Roberts and .35 Whelen. IMR 4064 was my choice for centerfire rifle and jacketed bullets. For handgun and reduced rifle loads with cast and jacketed handgun bullets my choice is Unique. Those two powders have served me well, I have been pleased both with accuracy and performance on whitetail deer.

I see no advantage to one powder or one bullet doing it all, but to each his own..and its easily done but one cuts his self short..I suppose 4895 comes pretty close.